2022 was the year I decided to seriously tackle my retro gaming setup. I was sick of having a 104 lb CRT dominating half of my computer desk and a PlayStation 2, Mr., and whatever other consoles currently interest me, always in peripheral vision. After some thought I came to the conclusion that the TV and all the consoles would be better off on a trolley. A retro car, if you will. It could sit in my closet or be driven anywhere it’s fun. So I started specifying that.
Ultimately, the best form factor was having two lower shelves – for the consoles, a smaller TATE-friendly/PAL-compatible PVM-1354Q CRT that a friend recently sold me, and bookshelf speakers – with the large 29-inch TV on top on the third, highest level. Both CRTs could accept RGB or YPbPr/Component video… what to standardize on? The component seemed simpler for a number of reasons, so I went with it. Then all I needed was a toggle switch to not only switch between MiSTer, PS2, Dreamcast, Nintendo 64, Wii and Xbox, but also to route each of those sources to either screen.
That’s six in, two out. I also wanted optical audio switching for MiSTer, Xbox and possibly PS2. Taken together, these requirements go far beyond the capabilities of a simple toggle switch you can find on Amazon or Ali these days. So I turned to the bright past of the mid-eighties, when the introduction of component video was at its peak and specialty A/V products catered to the more esoteric YPbPr wrangling needs of the era’s home theater enthusiasts.
A few promising candidates emerged. A high-end mixer from the mid-2000s was very fancy indeed and could actually transcode between analog and optical audio (wow!). But ultimately I was won over by the still chic but slightly more humble Impact Acoustics Deluxe Component Video / Digital Audio 6 In / 2 Out Matrix Switch, aka the “40697”. You can see him above. Not only can it route these six inputs to both screens, it can output to both screens simultaneously… same source or two different sources. Oh dear, am I blushing?
After a week or two I managed to snag a NOS (New Old Stock) on eBay and it proved to perform as well as I had hoped: any console on any display is now just a button press away. The cart project is still ongoing while I find a working Xbox, look for a suitable Wii Hax and move on to a new display above (actually wish I’d gone RGB now!), but I’ve got it already enjoyed having all my beloved old games in a single, self-contained, uncompromising tower of power. Even have a beanbag! damn yes
Alexandra Hall, Editor-in-Chief
