A few RetroRGB readers had passed me a link to a manual component video switch from Aliexpress, claiming it worked without any issues. Turns out they were right – The switch is $20, accepts three inputs and (provided you’re using quality cables) the output is perfectly fine. While this isn’t even close to the same league as something like the 8×2 automatic gcompsw, it’s either a great device to hold you off, or perfect if you only have three YPbPr consoles to connect! UPDATE: Some people have confirmed the same exact switch is also listed on Amazon, so I added more links for convenience. Tons more info after the link:
Aliexpress: https://s.click.aliexpress.com/e/_DdxyH2p
Amazon #1: https://amzn.to/3R38aJ6
Amazon #2: https://amzn.to/3R5r0zj
Component Video Cables: https://retrorgb.link/hdrcomponent
Component Extension Cables: https://retrorgb.link/componentextensioncable
Before we continue, I just want to be clear: This device is a cheap, mechanical switch and you get what you pay for: A few people have let me know theirs broke within a year, while other people claim it’s been working fine for much longer. And that’s exactly what you should expect for something in this price point. There’s lots of good news though!
First, since it’s a passive, 3×1 manual switch, there’s no safety or signal-split issues to worry about – It simply outputs whatever it’s fed, as if you’d unplugged and re-plugged your console directly to your TV.
Also, video quality seemed unaffected. Here’s an unmodded 1CHIP SNES connected directly to the RT4K on the left, then through this switch, then through the switch with another device connected and powered on. As you can see, the amount of analog noise stayed exactly the same in all three shots:
So, overall, it seems like the best cheap switch I’ve tested. And it’s my strong opinion that for $20, it’s worth the gamble. If you’d like more details as to the testing process, as well as see video of the switch in action, I recently tested it in a livestream:
