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the solution outlined below is your best option for all devices that have an HDMI port as their best or only video output, including (but not limited to) gaming consoles like Playstation PS3/PS4, Xbox 360 & Xbox One, Nintendo Switch & Wii-U and all versions of AppleTV
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Question :
I just bought a Nintendo Switch gaming console and I want to connect it to my old flatscreen 26″ LCD-TV that doesn’t have HDMI.
Even tough the TV is able to display HD-video up to 1080i and computer-display resolutions up to 1280×768 pixels at 60Hz, it does not have an HDMI input, neither a digital audio input (a.k.a. “Toslink”).
The only input options are :
– DVI digital video + 3.5mm (a.k.a. “jack”) analog audio
– VGA analog video + 3.5mm (a.k.a. “jack”) analog audio
– Component YPbPr analog video + stereo analog audio (5 plugs, a.k.a. “RCA” or “tulip” or “chinch”)
– S-video analog video (S-video plug) + stereo analog audio (a.k.a. “RCA” or “tulip” or “chinch”)
– SCART analog video + audio (SCART plug)
How do I connect my Nintendo Switch to this TV-set ?
Answer :
Even though it might seem the most obvious to connect the Nintendo Switch’s HDMI-output to the TV’s DVI-input, since HDMI and DVI are 100% video-compatible, this comes with 2 problems :
– DVI has no audio, so you will have to connect the audio separately ; in this case that would require a DAC (digital-analog-converter) for your audio since your TV has no digital audio input
– DVI does not support HDCP-encryption as HDMI does, so any ‘copyright-protected’ HDMI content will be blocked when connected to DVI…
So… do not try to use the DVI-input, but use the Component YPbPr connection, especially since the digital-to-analog video-conversion gets rid of the HDCP-limitations for you also !
This converter cable is the most elegant option that will do the trick for you :
LogiLink HDMI to YPbPr & Audio Converter Cable (2m) [Amazon.com]
LogiLink HDMI to YPbPr & Audio Converter Cable (2m) [Amazon.co.uk]
LogiLink HDMI to YPbPr & Audio Converter Cable (2m) [Amazon.de]
…it turns out that the HDMI-output of the Nintendo Switch is supplying enough power to power the built-in converter, so you don’t need to connect the USB-power cable.
If you have an HD-Ready flatscreen TV and you want to connect an AppleTV or a gaming console (Nintendo Wii-U, Nintendo Switch, Playstation PS3/PS4, Xbox One or Xbox 360), your best option is to use the HDMI-to-YPbPr converter-cable mentioned above.
But… in some cases these might also be interesting :
An HDMI-to-VGA&stereo converter-cable :
LogiLink HDMI to VGA & Audio Converter Cable (2m) [Amazon.com]
LogiLink HDMI to VGA & Audio Converter Cable (2m) [Amazon.co.uk]
LogiLink HDMI to VGA & Audio Converter Cable (2m) [Amazon.de]
An HDMI-to-HDMI&stereo converter-cable : [so this splits the audio from the HDMI-video signal and converts it into a separate analog stereo (2x RCA) signal, but beware that the output video signal is 720p, 1080p and 1080i only, which is problematic for most HD-ready flatscreen TVs, especially when combined with an HDMI-to-DVI converter] :
LogiLink HDMI to HDMI & Analog Audio Converter Cable (2m) [Amazon.co.uk]
LogiLink HDMI to HDMI & Analog Audio Converter Cable (2m) [Amazon.de]
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