Still have a question? Tweet at him then check out his travel photography on Instagram. Got a question for Geoff? First, check out all the other articles he's written on topics like why you shouldn't buy expensive HDMI cables, TV resolutions explained, how HDR works, and more. In the majority of situations, a switch will make your life a little easier, and a splitter can allow certain gear setups that wouldn't be possible otherwise. There's no simple workaround for this, just trial and error. You might be able to resolve the issue by turning the gear on in a specific order, but that might not work either. You might need to do some troubleshooting. There's no way to prevent this from happening, and it's not common, it's just something to keep in mind. Or even more frustrating, don't work reliably, randomly cutting out like the world's lamest electrical demon. HDMI is a cranky beast and it's possible you'll stumble upon some combination of source, switch/splitter, cables, and display that just don't work. Adding any device into the HDMI chain has the potential to cause issues. And as we mentioned above, make sure your switch and cables can handle the resolution from your gear. Most people keep their switches, sources and TV near one another, so shorter lengths are both less expensive and more convenient (less slack to deal with). Remember that when setting up your new switch or splitter you'll likely need to buy HDMI cables too. Tips for buying and setting up an HDMI switch or HDMI splitter For most of you, a 3x1 or 4x1 switch is all you'll likely need. You won't need to worry about those, of course. I have never been more legitimately excited to install anything in the TV test lab #sidebysideHDRcomparison /yUanRlMyWG- David Katzmaier July 27, 2016 CNET's TV lab uses an 8x8 matrix switch for sending multiple 4K HDR signals to multiple TVs for side-by-side comparison testing. These are usually called matrix switches. The number of inputs and outputs scale up considerably on the commercial side, where you could have 16x16 splitters/switches or more. An HDMI splitter would be labeled, for example, 1x3 (1 source input, 3 outputs).An HDMI switch would be labeled, for example, 3x1 (3 source inputs, 1 output).Unlike with multiplication, 1x3 is not the same as 3x1.It can send any of four sources to two TVs. A "4x2" switch is also a splitter, with four inputs and two outputs. Meanwhile, unlike the mislabeled devices mentioned above, there are devices that combine a switch and a splitter in the same box. So a "1x3" splitter will have one input sent to three outputs. Splitters, and many switches, will be labeled in their name with the number of inputs and outputs, respectively, separated by an "x". What does 1x3 mean? Is it the same as 3x1? Not a huge deal by any stretch, but certainly a convenience. Sure it's possible you'll swap out a streamer or game console for a new model, but equally likely you'll get something new and need yet another HDMI input. Fortunately, they aren't that expensive.Ī few things to keep in mind when you're shopping for switches. I'm sure many of you have both an Xbox and a PlayStation and have to swap HDMI cables to play a game on the other. The prime reason to get an HDMI switch is if your TV, AV receiver or soundbar has too few inputs for the number of sources you have.įor instance, your TV has two HDMI inputs and you have a cable box, a Roku, and an Xbox. HDMI switches: When you don't have enough inputs How to calibrate your TV for movies, sports, and games.Best TV for PS5 and Xbox Series X, Series S in 2021: LG OLED, Samsung QLED, Sony, TCL and Vizio.
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