I bought a 1154 last month from
www.copperbox.com last month because I ran out of component inputs on my Sony 34xbr800 and my Denon 3802 receiver. I just bought the TV so I didn't want to drop another couple of thousand on a new receiver just for more inputs, because what if
that ran out of inputs too?
The 1154 was a god-send, for $200 I found a component video switcher that also switched and converted the digital audio signal. I've connected my SA3100HD STB, X Box and PS2 to the switcher, with the STB given highest priority (input #1) and the 1154 worked flawlessly. Admittedly, I am not as descerning as others are in terms of pictures quality, but I do know a good picture when I see it.
The only problem I've had with the 1154 is its size. According to the photos on the Audio Authority website, the 1154 looks rather small and compact but in actuality it's about the size of the 6 stacked DVDs.
The 1154 comes to about $400 CDN, that's after conversion, taxes, duties and brokerage fees. There is another alternative to the 1154, I think it's called the HS4 from
www.zektor.com but it is $100 USD more than the 1154 and the company doesn't seem to ship to Canada. I does do the same component video and digital audio swtiching as the 1154 and has the same size and finish as other A/V equipment so placing it within you equipment rack wouldn't be a problem. The 1154 does it's switching automatically while the Zektor unit has a remote. The company has even provided discrete codes for Pronto remote users for their switcher.
There is yet a third switcher out there on the web from a company called Inday. Their box is similar to the 1154 in that it's a small switch box, but it too has a remote like the Zektor, but it only switches between component video inputs, it doesn't have any facilities for digital audio.