Multi-Function Converter Build Quality and Setup

The first thing I thought when I saw the Impact Acoustics Multi-Function Converter with Tuner and Picture-in-Picture was, “Wow, that’s a mouth full!” I knew two things, first, that I had no idea what it was and what it did, and two, that there had to be a better name. Well, I now know what it is but I can’t say I’ve come up with a better name. In short the MFCwT&PnP (I don’t think that acronym is going to catch on) stands between your computer and your display. When activated, it mutes the volume from your computer, overlays a TV signal on your display, and sends the audio to your speakers. Sounds easy right? Well, what to call it? Computer hijacker? No people aren’t going to like the sound of that. How ‘bout TV Blaster? No that sounds a little too destructive. Ok, I’ve got it, TV Overlay for your Computer! Alright, I know, it isn’t any shorter than Multi-Function Converter. I’ll keep working on it.

Build Quality

The Multi-Function Converter lives in a little plastic grey housing with analogue audio, composite video, and s-video inputs on the front (they aren’t outputs) of the unit. On the “top” of the unit are power, channel, volume, and an input button. The back of the unit has a power cord receptacle, monitor in and outs, audio in and outs, composite video out, and cable/antenna in. The unit is extremely light and can be setup vertically or horizontally. For the vertical orientation, a small matching plastic base is provided with two tabs to hold the unit in place. Personally, I’d have liked the unit to snap into the base. The tabs may keep the unit in place when it is moved back and forth, but if you raise the unit, the base immediately falls off. The light weight of the unit means that the two VGA cables you’ll most likely be using will have to be orientated carefully to keep the unit from moving under the weight of the much heavier cable. If you orientate the unit vertically (like I did) you’ll have to be especially careful. It isn’t impossible to set it up securely but a heavier connected base would definitely help.

The remote is small, plastic, and nearly useless. The manual states that you’ll want to be within 20 feet and no more than 15 degrees off axis from the IR receiver. Well, from a couple of feet away (sitting at my desk) I got about a 1 to 2 or 1 to 3 work to not-work ratio. Frankly, that isn’t so hot. The buttons seem unresponsive, as if there is too much resistance when you hit them. I ended up mashing them and in the process hurting my fingers after prolonged usage. I guess my career as a hand model is over. Oh well. Ergonomically, the remote works. It has a good hand feel and the batteries up front actually seem to help balance it. It isn’t back lit though which may not be a problem as long as you have a bright screen or prefer to watch TV with the light’s on. Since there are buttons on the top of the unit for the basic controls, if you find yourself at your desk when viewing, you may not need to use the remote all that often.

There is a large blue section on the front of the unit that would seem to be some sort of display. At least that’s what I assumed when I first saw the unit. But it isn’t. The only illumination I ever saw shining through was a little pinpoint green light that indicated power. It seemed like this would be a perfect place for a channel or clock display.

Setup

With even a modicum of understanding of how this unit will work, it is immediately apparent how to connect it all together. If you think of it as an intermediary between your computer and your monitor/speakers, it may help. What you do is run the audio and video wires from your computer up to the Multi-Function Converter and then from the Multi-Function Converter out to the speakers/monitor. The extra input in the front can be used for a gaming system, camcorder, or maybe a DVD player (it doesn’t matter). The only other wire you need is from a cable/antenna outlet. Now, if you are like me and over 28 million others, you use a cable modem. You’re only a splitter and an extra cable away from being done with this whole process. If you’re using DSL or *gasp* dial-up, you’ll want to make sure you have some sort of antenna or cable outlet near your desk (or be willing to purchase rabbit ears).

The Multi-Function Converter comes equipped with a VGA cable (for your video) and a cable terminated with 3.5mm jacks (for your audio). You’ll only need to provide the extra coaxial cable for the connection to the wall. If you are setting up your computer for the first time, I imagine you’re looking at a maximum of 10 extra minutes of work (most of which will be spent locking down the VGA and Coaxial cables – why do they have to be so difficult?). On the other hand, if you are like me, you’ll be integrating this into an existing setup. A setup that’s already had MULTIPLE things integrated, un-integrated, moved, shifted, fallen, broken, and Lord knows what else. You’re looking at a tangle of wires so intense that it has its own gravitational pull. This will increase the install time to around a half an hour as you hold a flashlight in your mouth and try to figure out what is attached where.

Once you get it integrated, you’ll find a number of different menu items. Nothing is too surprising here so I’ll run through them quickly:

1. Input (choose TV, CVBS, S-Video, PC)

2. Picture (If I were you, I’d hook up a test disc like AVIA through a DVD player connected to the front inputs to calibrate they Multi-Function Converter)

1. Brightness

2. Contrast

3. Color

4. Hue

5. Sharpness

3. TV Function

1. TV System (CATV or AIR – only for NTSC areas)

2. Channel Edit (add or delete channels – goodbye HSN!)

3. Fine Tune (fine tunes the channel frequency – default is 50)

4. MTS (can select Mono, SAP, or Stereo audio output)

5. Full Scan (Scan the available television channels)

6. Channel Scan (Scan the available channels with internal frequency map)

4. Resolution (choose)

1. 640x480, 60Hz

2. 800x600, 60Hz

3. 852x480, 60Hz

4. 1024x768, 60Hz

5. 640x480, 75Hz

6. 800x600, 75Hz

7. 852x480, 75Hz

8. 1024x768, 75Hz

5. OSD Function

1. OSD Position (will only move about a third of the way down the screen)

2. OSD Color (choose your favorite combination of highlighter blue, light-blue, yellow, green, and pink)

6. Language (English or Chinese - gee I wonder where the Multi-Function Converter was manufactured?)

7. Reset (Resets all settings to their factory defaults)

The only real confusing setting here is the Full Scan versus Channel Scan. From what I could tell, the Full Scan grabs all the channels that are available and collapses them down into a strict numerical order. So the first available channel becomes 1 (even if that is really channel 3), the next one 2 and so on. If you are used to using a normal cable box or TV tuner, then this will be VERY confusing. Suddenly SciFi is on channel 37 instead of 66. If you go with the Channel Scan, it will preserve the “normal” numbers including all the dead/blocked channels (though it still skips the dead ones if you are scrolling up or down via the channel buttons on the remote or on the top of the unit). Personally I preferred the Channel Scan as I didn’t really feel like learning a whole new set of channel numbers.

The only problem I ran into is that at first the Multi-Function Converter attenuated the PC volume. Basically, music and sound effects that would be loud enough to wake the dead on the Swans S200 now weren't loud enough to interrupt a conversation with the PC and Window's Media Player's volume maxed. The volume from the Multi-Function Converter for the TV was fine. Just as I was about to tank the ratings, I noticed that the volume was gone! Well, that had never happened before so I went to check it out. I turned back on the Multi-Function Converter and the TV volume was extremely low. So I turned it up and then I turned it off. Poof, I've got PC sound again (still low). So I turned the Multi-Function Converter on again and turned it WAY up and off again. Voila, I've got normal PC volume. It seems that the volume level of the PC is predicated on the volume setting on the Multi-Function Converter even when it is off. While this is annoying and a terrible setup, it isn't like you can't get around it.