Patent ID: 7796194

Claim:
A video format identification system for identifying a video format of a received video signal from a plurality of possible video formats comprising a plurality of component video signals, comprising: synchronization and reference burst signal detection circuitry configured to detect synchronization and reference burst signals in said plurality of component video signals; video format identification circuitry operatively coupled to said synchronization and reference burst signal detection circuitry configured to identify a format of said video signal dependent on a detected presence of said synchronization and reference burst signals in one or more of said component video signals; video signal routing circuitry coupled to respective output connectors and configured to receive said component video signals and automatically route said component video signals to an appropriate one or more of said output connectors depending on said format of said video signal identified by said video format identification circuitry; an input connector for connecting to a multi-pair cable, said input connector comprising pins for connecting to a plurality of cable pairs of said multi-pair cable; wherein said video format identification circuitry is configured to identify each cable pair of said multi-pair cable that contains a synchronization signal.