I think I know the answer to this but I want to ask you guys to make sure.

I have my two video sources and my projector hooked up through my 990 component in/out to use the video switching. (I have a Hitachi front projector, Oppo 980, and DishHD DVR) My projector does not have HDMI or DVI.

I also have a small 8" LCD mounted by my rack connected to the 990 via composite (its only input). My thought was, if I was just listening to music, or just wanted to access the Outlaw's menus, or just wanted to setup the DVR, I could use the LCD and not fire up the projector.

When I first finished the HT, before I got the projector, I had my old Panasonic 30" connected with S-video and the composite out was live with video and it worked great. Now that I'm using component, it only displays the menus. It doesn't even display the volume no matter if I have that feature turned on or off in the setup menu.

My question is (finally), is there any way to get the video out to my 8" LCD while using component in? Is the S video out live with the component out? (I could by an adapter if that's the case)

...or if I buy an HD Fury for my projector, and connect all the sources and display with DVI, will the then free component out be live with the DVI out? (I could then buy a component to composite adapter for the LCD, plus I'd gain upconversion on copyrighted material played through the Oppo)

I have a suggestion that I think will work: connect both component or DVI (to feed the main display) and composite or s-video (to feed the 8" LCD) from each video source. In that scenario, the low video connection (composite or s-video) should be passed out to the corresponding monitor output while the higher video connection (component or DVI) is used for the main display.

...just tried that with the DVR and nothing on either composite or s-video. I believe you can only use one output at a time on the DVR (you have to tell it where to output in the setup menu). I also believe the 990 is the same way with its inputs too correct? (you have to assign them)

I also tried turning on and using zone 2's composite and that didn't work either. (How would zone 2 ever work if this is the case???)

Basically, the 990 doesn't tap into the component video feed I guess. The menu does work, I would just like the picture too.

If the source doesn't have both component and composite active, nothing will work (short of stepping component down to composite, which is a potentially tricky proposition since component can cover a wide array of resolutions).

I'm not entirely sure how the 990's switching works for composite and s-video inputs when a component or DVI connection is selected, but I know they aren't ignored outright - the Video 1 record outputs still receive the composite and s-video signals (if any exist), and the second zone can also be used. If nothing else, you could use that second zone capability when you want the small display active (turn zone 2 to that source), but that still depends on the source device actually outputting video via composite or s-video. Also, I'd standardize on one connection for every source being piped to the small display (composite presumably) because s-video to composite transcoding may not apply in all of these cases.

They are ignored outright, but I think it has to do with resolution. The DVR is outputting at 1080i. When I hit the menu button I can here the 990 switch to 480i and then the menu appears on the screen (both screens). Without a second component output you can only view the HD signal over the ONE output. So, zone two video would only work with composite or s-video.

I guess that makes sense, without any scaling capabilities the 990 can't send the signal anywhere but over component (or DVI)

Soooo....back to one of my original questions. If I get an HD Fury (which have come down in price now, monoprice has them for $64 now) and connect everything up DVI, will the one component monitor out be live? I could adapt that to composite correct?

I'm not familiar with the HD Fury, so I went to their site. Based on what I see here , this device will do you absolutely no good in dealing with the issue of getting composite video to a secondary display. For that matter, nothing will work if the source component is unable to output both component and composite at the same time. That's where the problem lies, I think. If your DVR will output at 480i from the composite at the same time it's doing 1080i from component (which it should be able to, as plenty of other devices do - including my HD DVR cable box and every OPPO player I've used), then we have some options to work with that don't require an HD Fury in the mix. If using the component output shuts down the composite output, then I don't know of a device that will achieve what you are trying for.

I understand what you're saying. I was just thinking if I used the HD fury on the projector and the DVI ins and outs on the Outlaw, it would free-up the Component out for the small screen.....then again, probably not since the DVI is digital and just passed through. I'm starting to confuse myself now....

My Oppo 980 will send a signal to more than one output? I thought I remember choosing the output from a menu (like the DVR) I'll try that later tonight and also go back into the setup menu of the DVR and see. Thanks Gonk

...okay....my composite out of my DVR is live, you are correct. If I plug the LCD directly into it, it works. If I put it into Vid 1 in the 990, it doesn't make it through. I tried both the composite monitor and the video 1 rec outputs.

okay...last post...here's the deal. With component (and I assume DVI) the 990 will only output the picture (not the menu) to component (same as input). With composite or S-video it will send it to both.

What I did was setup "music" with the Oppo's coax audio and the s-video video to view on the LCD...I also created "LCD" on video 3 to view the DVR over the LCD.

So it is impossible to view both the projector and the LCD at once when one uses component or DVI, but at least this way I can use the LCD.

Thanks again Gonk...

You are looking to the HD Fury to let you use the HDMI out of your DVR and thus free up the component out for the secondary display, because the display lacks DVI or HDMI, correct? Here are my big concerns, one comping from my experience with HD cable boxes (not HD satellite boxes) and the other from a video switching quandary.

First, my HD cable boxes have all disabled component output once a DVI or HDMI output was connected to a display. Thus using the DVI or HDMI output (I've had both) didn't do anything except kill the component output - if your DVR behaved similarly, the HD Fury would have gained you nothing (except moved the point where video changes from digital to analog to a different point in the signal path, that is). Second, I know that using the 990's DVI switching will make the component switching problematic at best - in fact, I wouldn't even try to use the two in parallel. In that case, you would only be able to connect the DVR's component output straight to the small display and you'd lose any switching benefit from the 990 as well as access to the 990's setup menu (unless you also kept the composite video connection from the 990's monitor out).

I did some googling of your DVR and found a user manual. It took some hunting, but it appears that if you have it operating in "Single Mode" the "TV2" outputs will always be active and will get the same signal as the HD "TV1" output (with HD stations scaled down to 480i). If you can get the DVR to provide a signal via composite in addition to the component output, I think that you can connect that composite to the same input on the 990 that the component is running to and the composite monitor out will still work. I don't have anything connected that way to test it, though. If that doesn't work, you can still connect the composite to the 990 and use the second zone controls to get the video switched through to your display, although at that point you lose access to the 990's menus. I'd leave the second zone scheme as a "fallback" approach, as it may also require a separate connection to the 8" display for using the 990's menu.

With the exception of a couple of copy protection-driven audio limitations (DVD-A and SACD over coaxial/optical), every output on the 980H is active at all times. The component output is limited to 480p for copy protected DVD's, but it, the composite, and the s-video all work all the time.

With composite and s-video, the 990 will output the menu on top of the video signal, both the setup menu and assorted "pop-up" messages (volume setting, etc.).

With component, the 990 will output the setup menu only, and it will replace the video signal with a black screen at 480i as a backdrop for the menu.

With DVI, the 990 does "pure" switching - no video signal manipulation at all, including menu generation.
Glad to hear that you got it working...

You are looking to the HD Fury to let you use the HDMI out of your DVR and thus free up the component out for the secondary display, because the display lacks DVI or HDMI, correct? Here are my big concerns, one comping from my experience with HD cable boxes (not HD satellite boxes) and the other from a video switching quandary.

No, what I was originally thinking was using the component output of the 990 for the LCD. I now know this won't work.

but it appears that if you have it operating in "Single Mode" the "TV2" outputs will always be active and will get the same signal as the HD "TV1" output (with HD stations scaled down to 480i)

I actually have it operating in dual mode. The SD TV upstairs is also run from this same box. So, that wouldn't work either.