Are there A/V receivers with HDMI In and Composite In to Component Out?

February 8, 2015 9:04 AM

I need to to switch HDMI In (Chromecast) and Composite In (yellow RCA plug; classic video games consoles) to Component Out (Red, Green, Blue RCA plugs; a really old Vizio HD monitor).

I picked up a cheap Onkyo at BestBuy but it doesn't work for what I need -- it only passes through component in to component out, composite in to composite out, etc. So I need internal processing of the video signal. I have searched every way I can think of but I'm not aware of an easy way to search on these features. Hoping the hive mind has the answer. I am ideally looking for specific model numbers that I can troll Craigslist for.

The old Vizio is mounted to the wall and the only inputs I effectively have access to are Component and DVI-D (so I could also work with a receiver that upconverts composite to HDMI, *I think*, and then get an HDMI-to-DVI adapter).

Additional requirement: Less than about 14 inches deep as I have installation constraints.

This is a cheap, old set-up I maintain in my basement so I am not looking for top-end equipment, high performance, or anything like that. So used/cheap would be ideal. Just looking to get Game of Thrones on while I watch the treadmill, and Atari 2600 in between.

Thanks!

posted by hsawtelle to Technology (7 answers total)

HDMI signals are encrypted/DRMed, and component video is not. For this reason, it'll be very challenging to find a receiver that will convert an HDMI input to anything else.
posted by Alterscape at 9:51 AM on February 8, 2015 [1 favorite]

HDMI signals are encrypted/DRMed, and component video is not. For this reason, it'll be very challenging to find a receiver that will convert an HDMI input to anything else.

True on the first count, but the HDMI spec allows for conversion to analog unencrpted. The likes of this converter box will very likely work.

And hsawtelle, does your screen accept composite over its component inputs? One of mine does, so it might be worth trying.
posted by thegears at 10:11 AM on February 8, 2015

Response by poster: Good point about DRM. Duh.

The converter box thegears posted would allow me to make this work with a box that upconverts composite to HDMI, so maybe that's the focus of the hunt how.

Thanks!
posted by hsawtelle at 11:09 AM on February 8, 2015

For quality you're better off getting an HDMI to DVI cable, which is a pin adapter and dirt cheap, not a HDMI to component converter, but I suspect your monitor won't cope with any HDCP on the DVI input. Then you might try if it can cope with composite on the component inputs, and your hardware buys are minimal. A composite > component converter is not cheap.

Most receivers do process the video signal (mine doesn't process HDMI audio, which is the way I've got caught out doing this), and would expect to convert from one format to the other, but I can't offer any suggestions as to how to find this except for downloading the manuals before you purchase, I'm afraid.
posted by ambrosen at 12:03 PM on February 8, 2015

Best answer: To directly answer your question, yes, there are AV receivers that will take any input and up/down convert to any output. Older models are often limited to 720p or 1080i when doing the conversion even though they can pass through 1080p just fine.

I'm not terribly familiar with Onkyo's current line, but the 6xx series used to retail around $450 and did what you want. Mine only had 2 HDMI inputs, so for a time I had it connected to the TV with component as I had all the HDMI ports on my TV used up with directly connected devices (and an optical connection back to the receiver from the TV)
posted by wierdo at 2:31 PM on February 8, 2015

For $250 or so you could get a new 32" LED TV that will have both composite and HDMI inputs, probably less if you go for off brands or clearance models.
posted by rfs at 5:38 PM on February 8, 2015

but I suspect your monitor won't cope with any HDCP on the DVI input.

I haven't seen a tv with DVI that didn't. even crappy old 1080i rear projection sets. anything that included DVI had this in mind, generally. I've never had a problem just using an adapter cable.
posted by emptythought at 5:46 PM on February 8, 2015