It's got more inputs than an inputy thing
Joytech are starting off GC 2006 with a bang with the Control Centre 540C, a bit of kit that they reckon every discerning gamer shouldn’t be without…
But before we get into the sexy stuff, let’s do the mundane bits. The basic idea behind the Control Centre 540C is to allow you to connect multiple devices through one input, in this case up to five round the back and another round the front (for temporary connections such as video cameras)… nothing new there. But the Control Centre 540C uses only component or composite inputs, meaning all you hi-def gamers will be well catered for.
Click for larger imageTo kick off, input one is dedicated to the Xbox 360 and uses the same proprietary connection as the Xbox 360, so all the high definition video and 5.1 sound is just passed straight through, using the composite or component output of the Control Centre 540C, straight to your HDTV.
But moving on from that, inputs 2-5 each give you a choice of composite, component and S-Video to hook up with, as well as each having an optical sound input too… so if you’ve already got an Xbox 360 and a DVD player and own an HDTV, you can take advantage of the Control Centre 540C straight away. But looking to the future, if you’re planning on getting a PS3 or Sky HD, you’re going to run out of HD compatible inputs very rapidly, so the Control Centre 540C could come in very handy.
Click for larger imageIn use, the Control Centre 540C doesn’t auto-sense inputs, you use the supplied remote to select the input you wish to view, which is quite handy as it means you can have the Xbox 360 downloading a demo, switch channels and play in the PS3 then go back to the Xbox 360 with a punch of the remote.
And if that weren’t enough, the Control Centre 540C even features a 5 port network hub, so you can plug in the Xbox 360 and your PC and make the most of media connect, or, when the PS3 is out, use that as your media hub for streaming over your network… the basic idea is the Control Centre 540C’s network hub is covering most future possibilities.
Click for larger imageIt doesn’t look too out of place either, with a horizontal footprint the same size as an Xbox 360, though it’s a bit slimmer. For those of us that like to have out Xbox 360s upright, the Control Centre 540C has a motion sensor built in so that the backlit LCD display shows either horizontally or vertically, depending on the orientation of the box.[advert]
In use, the supplied remote allows you to switch between inputs but sadly there’s no option of a loop between connected devices to let you record from Sky HD to your DVD recorder. On the upside, the front fascia panel is removable so if you’ve bought an Xbox 360 fascia from Joytech, the chances are that sometime after its autumn launch, the Control Centre 540C will have a matching faceplate available.
