Simplify Your Life with the Pelican HD System Switcher

You may consider yourself as the cream of the crop with all of your gaming consoles and high definition electronics piled up on your expensive entertainment stand. But the question is: Do you keep it all neat and tidy? I’m not asking about how frequently you dust off your systems – I’m asking about the tangles of cables and wires looped around each other behind your huge TV screen or stacks of consoles and games. Pelican designed a special device to solve this very problem.

The Pelican HD System Switcher will allow you to connect up to four video systems or video game consoles together. You can now switch between one input to another without having to fumble around disconnecting and reconnecting cables behind your TV screen or computer monitor! Now, with the push of a button, you can instantly switch between your Xbox 360, Playstation 3, Wii, Blu-Ray Player, and much more – so you can what you want – when you want it!

All you have to do is connect your Pelican HD System switcher to your TV or monitor with the set of included cables featuring connections to AV, S-Video, or Component, and turn it on. How much simpler can it get? All of these features make the Pelican HD System Switcher very appealing. But what tops it off is the Ethernet connectivity.

Just plug in your Ethernet cable and you will be instantly ready for gaming online against people all over the world. It also features a flat, slim, and sleek black look, so it can be added discretely into your entertainment center without distracting the color scheme of your systems. To simplify your life, it has labels for each of the buttons: PS3, Xbox 360, Wii, and Other.

This will be the last time you ever have to deal with those nasty tangles behind your entertainment system, and trust us, you’ll be happy you invested in this product! Simplify your life with Pelican’s HD System Switcher for only £17.95!

HDFury 2 New Details and (Possible) Release Date

We've just heard exciting details about the successor to one our most popular (and useful) products - the HD Fury. The HDFury 2 aims to topple the original HDFury in pretty much every way and is due out late September. There's a full run down on the specs here:

• HDFury² is 11bits - 200Mhz data processor [vs HDF1 10bits – 175Mhz]
• HDFury² have 1x HDMI input [vs HDF1 DVI-D(hdcp)]
• HDFury² have 2x sound output (through Combo Optical/Analog 3.5) [vs HDF1 no sound output]
• HDFury² have 2x output with manual switch selector (RGBHV and Y/PR/BR) [vs HDF1 RGB only]
• HDFury² is the sole and only one device in the WORLD to perfectly center screen in all modes
• HDFury² is the sole and only one device in the WORLD to perform COLOR SPACE UPSCALE in all modes.
• HDFury² solves all previous HDF1 issues.
• HDFury² have a lowest power consumption
• HDFury² accept third party accesories on its output
• HDFury² allow EDID and Firmware update [vs HDF1 EDID only]
• HDFury² can limit output and allow Custom profile to match any case
• HDFury² can adjust screen position through firmware
• HDFury² is smaller and better than HDF1
• HDFury² is fully compatible with Gamma Correction Add On
• HDfury² is 6 layers, high density class 5 PCB [vs HDF1 2 layers, low density]

Wii Deluxe Pack Gives You Everything You Need for the Wii

The Wii Deluxe Compilation Accessory Pack provides a number of great accessories for you Wii and lets you save money by getting everything that you need for your system in one tidy package. From basic essentials for Wii users such as additional Wiimote wrist straps and cables, to cool add-ons such as a controller shaped Wiimote shell and carrying case, the Wii Deluxe Compilation Accessory Pack gives you everything including the kitchen sink!

This accessory pack starts off on the right foot with lots of great replacement pieces that let you get your system working again in case of any technical problems. An additional wireless sensor bar gives you a backup in case of problems with the normal Wii sensor bar and can be easily placed on top of or next to any screen to calibrate your Wiimote. The extra wrist straps give you backups in case of breakage, and the AV cables provide extras in case your existing cables get lost or damaged. All of this should make it easy for you to take care of basic equipment issues.

After that the Wii Deluxe Compilation Accessory Pack gives you fun add-ons such as a Wiimote shell based on the general shape of a Playstation style controller, a battery pack for the Wii remote control to improve your running time between battery changes, and a carrying case for the Wii remote and its extras. The Wii Deluxe Compilation Accessory Pack even includes batteries for the sensor bar!

By buying all of these cool extras together you can save money while improving your gameplay experience and making sure that the next time something breaks you have the parts you need and don’t have to go to the store or wait for a delivery. The Wii Deluxe Compilation Accessory Pack has it all!

Connecting to the Most Displays with the Xbox 360 5 in 1 Cable

With television standards changing from analog to high definition, and an increasing number of kinds of displays and cables out there, sometimes I find myself wanting to connect my Xbox 360 to a screen that can’t handle the standard output. It’s also convenient from time to time to be able to switch my Xbox 360 from one display to another at will. The Xbox 360 5 in 1 Cable makes that easy.

There are five different types of output on the Xbox 360 5 in 1 Cable: VGA, RGB, Component, S-AV and AV. All kinds of screens from CRT, LCD and plasma monitors to new high definition flat screen TVs are supported, and the display quality through the Xbox 360 5 in 1 Cable is crisp and clear on any screen. When I want the option to switch from one screen to another, I can do it simply by flicking the switch on the 5 in 1 Cable, and I don’t have to plug and unplug. The Xbox 360 5 in 1 Cable is yet another great converter / switch that helps me to control my expanding entertainment center!

Do you use the Xbox 360 5 in 1 Cable? Leave a comment and let us know!

Which Wii AV Cable Should I Buy?

When it comes to connecting the Wii to your TV, you've got a lot more options than simply using the composite cable that comes in the box. Though the composite cable is great for small Televisions, if you really want to get the most out of TV, it's worth upgrading.

It's important to realise: you can't use RGB Scart cables on a US/Japanese Wii and you can't use S-video on a UK Wii. This is true of all Wii cables and is due to limitations built into the consoles by Nintendo - there's no way around it. So here goes...

Wii Component Cable (£7.49)

If you have a HDTV with a component input (like the picture below), this is without doubt the best cable to have. The video signal is split over three separate cables to give a pin sharp image, and you can run your Wii in progressive scan at 480p.

Wii S-Video Cable (£6.99)

If you have a US or Japanese Wii and don't have a HDTV, the Wii S-Video Cable gives the best picture, superior to the default composite cable that comes with the console. This won't work on a UK/European console.

Wii RGB Scart Cable (£7.99 / £5.99)

If you have a UK Wii and no HDTV, the Wii RGB Scart Cable give a picture that's better than both the original composite cable and S-video. We offer two types of Wii RGB Scart cable, the Talismoon one includes separate red/white audio phonos so you can connect to speakers and a slightly cheaper version without the audio phonos:

Getting the Wii and the Mayflash Component to VGA Converter (YPbPr to RGBHV) to Play Together

Component to VGA transcoders are very useful devices. Amongst other things, they'll let you play your next get consoles on your PC screen in full HD glory.

To use the Mayflash 1080p Component to VGA Converter (YPbPr to RGBHV) box with your Nintendo Wii, you need to set your Wii to 480p progressive scan mode. Unfortunately, if you don’t have access to a HDTV it’s a little more tricky to set your Wii to display 480p.

Follow this tutorial and you’ll learn how to set your Wii to 480p mode without a HDTV so that it will work with a VGA converter on your monitor. This guide only needs to be done once:

1. Plug the component cable into the Wii

2. Plug the green plug from the component cable into the yellow phono input of a regular non-HDTV. This will give you a black and white screen from your Wii.

3. Navigate to the Wii Setup Menu.

4. Select ‘Screen Resolution’

5. Select 480p.

6. Insert the green plug, along with the other component cable plugs into the VGA Box

7. Switch off the Wii.

8. Power the AC adapter on at the mains and connect your VGA cable to the VGA box and the PC monitor.

9. Enjoy 480p Wii games on your PC monitor!

How to Play PSP Games on a VGA PC Monitor

Many gamers find that they prefer to use their PC monitors for their gaming, whether because their VGA monitor offer a bigger or better quality screen or simply for the sake of convenience. While there have been VGA solutions for the Xbox 360, Wii, PS2 and PS3 for some time, until now there’s been no way to play your PSP on a VGA PC screen.

Using the XCM 1080p VGA box along with a PSP Lite (oops, sorry Nintendo) PSP Slim Component cable, not only can you play your PSP games on your monitor, you can do it in high definition. This feature only works on the new PSP Slim model as it allows video output.

The XCM VGA box is designed to convert a HD component signal from a next gen console (PS3, 360 or Wii) into a VGA signal that can be played on a standard monitor, maintaing the high definition format and suffering no picture quality degradation. It also has a passthrough so you can connect your PC to it at the same time and just flick between your console/PC with the switch (if you’re feeling extra techy you can wire up more than one console with a component switch box as well, but there’ll be time for that in another post…)

The great news is that the XCM VGA box works with the PSP Slim using a standard PSP Component cable. The display is a little bordered to reflect the smaller screen used on the PSP but retains the high resolution and vibrant colours that would appear on the PSP itself, there's no picture degradation. It’s a simple eight step process to get your PSP Slim running on your PC screen. Here are the instructions:

1. Connect the PSP Slim Component Cable to the XCM 1080p VGA box.
2. Connect the 1080p VGA USB power cord to your PC
3. Turn on 1080p VGA Box.
4. Turn on PSP Slim.
5. In the PSP menu, select ‘Switch video output’ and set the ‘Display video output on a connected device’.
6. If there is no picture on your monitor, switch ‘input format on/off on the VGA Box.
7. Some monitors don’t support 480i resolution, so you may need to set your PSP to output 480p.
8. Enjoy the games!

To use your PSP Lite on a normal HDTV screen that natively accepts a component input, you just need to plug your PSP Component Cable into your TV and follow this condensed tutorial:

1. Connect the PSP Slim Component Cable from your PSP into your TV.
2. Turn on PSP Slim.
3. In the PSP menu, select ‘Switch video output’ and set the ‘Display video output on a connected device’.
4. For the best quality picture, set your PSP to output 480p.
5. Enjoy the games!