A Little Piece of Gamer Heaven

Every gamer has a preference for how and where they choose to play their games. If you're a PC gamer who enjoys playing a few console games here and there, you know what it's like to have the TV spoken for when you want to put your feet up and relax on the couch with your game controller. Or maybe you just want to confine your gaming to your desktop where you do most of it anyway. If this fits your description or if you're like me and have better things to spend your money on than a new HDTV, why not consolidate? This is what I did. As a result, I play both my PC and console games on my desktop and can switch back and forth between my PS3, Xbox 360, and PC in a snap using a single LCD monitor. This, folks, is my playground.

While this type of setup is not too difficult to achieve, I am asked fairly frequently what all I did to get everything functional. So, I thought I'd relay this knowledge to you and show off my gear in the process since I rarely get visitors. Here's what you'll need, assuming you want to connect two consoles.

• Computer (duh)
  
• Sound card for your computer
  
• Set of 2.1 or 4.1 desktop speakers (preferably 2 sets)
  
• Two HDMI to DVI-D cables
  
• Standard HDMI cable
  
• Xbox 360 VGA cable
  
• HDCP compliant LCD monitor w/ DVI and D-Sub inputs (19" or larger)
  
• HDMI Switch (two port minimum)

My 360 is an earlier version without an HDMI port, so I resort to using the VGA, which provides excellent image quality at 720p. The VGA port on my monitor is occupied by the Xbox 360. For the video on my PS3, I have the standard HDMI cable connected to a 2-port HDMI switch I got at Monoprice.com. The second input on the HDMI switch holds the PC signal via one of the two HDMI to DVI-D cables. The other one is used for the switch's output and is connected to the DVI port on my monitor. This allows me to switch back and forth between my PC's desktop and the PS3 with the push of a button on the HDMI switch. So, there are two sources that the monitor's DVI input utilizes with a single cable. The HDMI switch I use requires no power connection, so that's one less cord to mess with.

Why the two sets of speakers, you ask? Well, one set is actually functional for the entire setup. However, the additional input on the GMAX's audio controller that I'd use to connect the PS3's audio cancels out everything else when plugged in. This also was the case with a set of Logitech speakers I tried out. So, instead of having to plug and unplug the cable every time I want to play a PS3 game and then switch back to my PC's audio, I chose to go the lazy route and just get a separate set of speakers. Yes, there are some audio selector boxes out there, but I'm already pushing one button to switch between video sources. See where I'm going with this?

As far as the monitor goes, any HDCP compliant monitor will do. What is HDCP? It's normally for encrypted movies (i.e. Blu-ray and HD-DVD), but in this case it allows the monitor to accept signals from outside sources, such as game consoles, with high definition resolutions up to 1080p. (Non-HDCP displays may work, but I haven't verified this and since the PS3 can play Blu-ray movies….) The monitor I'm using is, once again, an Acer AL2216W (22"). While this setup works well using this monitor, I do miss my Samsung that allowed for switching between sources with a single button push. Also, there are reports that this monitor makes users have to restart their computers in order to get a signal when they switch back from another source. I can vouch for this because I have experienced it as well. However, I found that simply putting your PC in sleep mode before swapping video sources on the HDMI switch and touching your keyboard to wake it up when you've switched back is a quick fix. Do keep in mind that this is not an issue when swapping from DVI to VGA by means of the monitor's menu. Also note that if you plan to connect a PS3, you'll need to set the resolution to 720p in order to keep a signal. All these issues go away when using a Samsung, so I highly recommend one over Acer. Samsung allows scaled 1080p and 720p resolutions, both of which look fantastic.

Well, that's about it. Oh, and for those who might be wondering what kind of heat I'm packing in my rig, trust me… it's not that hot. My specs are below. Yes, it's far past time for an upgrade!