So use these points as your buying guide: How Many HDMI Ports Do I Need? Getting the perfect HDMI switcher for your needs is not just a question of quality or even price – it also depends on which features you want and what exactly you’re planning to connect to your TV – now and in the future. If you do need a splitter, check our guide on the Best HDMI Splitters in the UK.īuying The Best HDMI Switch: Things To Consider In this article – we’re looking at HDMI Switchers (and one that does both). But to keep things simple, it’s usually best to buy a product that fits your specific need. There are, however, a few products that can serve as BOTH an HDMI Switcher and Splitter, meaning their HDMI ports can serve as either Input or Output. So a switcher lets you switch between different HDMI signals, while a splitter lets you split one HDMI signal out to several screens. When you search to buy the best HDMI switcher, you’ll see devices called “HDMI Switch”, devices called “HDMI Splitter”, and those that mix it up and say they’re a Switcher AND a Splitter.īut be careful, as these are two very different devices, that serve an opposite function:Īn HDMI Switcher is meant to connect two or more devices to ONE TV.Īn HDMI Splitter is meant to connect ONE DEVICE to two or more TVs (or other screens / video projectors). What’s The Difference Between An HDMI Switcher And HDMI Splitter? So connecting a streaming device and a soundbar via the switcher, for example, is not a good idea – as you’ll always have to choose BETWEEN either the soundbar or the streaming device working at the same time. Remember, however, that you can’t use the devices connected to the HDMI switcher simultaneously. Manual Switching with a Remote: You still have to switch between the connected input ports manually, but at least you don’t have to get up from the sofa, as you have an IR remote that controls the switcher. Manual Switching: You switch between the HDMI input ports by pressing a button on the switcher itself.While it sounds convenient, this automatic switching is far from perfect, and the switcher will often get confused with devices that “snatch” the port even when they’re seemingly idle. Automatic switching: The switcher senses which device is active at the moment (your Fire TV is sending a video signal, for example), so it automatically switches the output on your TV screen to that active device.Then, with one cable, you connect the “out” side of the switcher to your TV’s available HDMI port – and voila – you have three devices connected to the same port on your TV.īut how will you switch between these three devices? There are three options, depending on the HDMI switcher you buy: So if the switcher has 3 “in” ports, you can connect three devices to it – let’s say a streamer, a gaming console and a Freeview recorder. So, how would you connect several HDMI-based devices with just one or two ports available on your telly? An HDMI switch is the answer.Īn HDMI switcher is a small box with several HDMI input ports, and one HDMI output port. Some of the older ones even have just… one. These days, however, almost all digital video devices (such as DVD players, Blu-ray, streaming devices and others) have an HDMI plug.Īnd while, in the past, we only had one or two devices connected to our tellies (such as a VCR and a gaming console), these days each living room might have a whole tower of devices – a streaming device (like the Amazon Fire TV or Roku Stick), a PS4 or XBOX, a soundbar / an amplifier, a Freeview recorder, and the list goes on and on.Īnd yet, some TVs come with a minimal number of HDMI ports. In the olden days, our video and set-top boxes had a variety of connectors – RCA (Red/Yellow/White), SCART, S-VHS, etc. HDMI Switching And The PS4 Pro / PS5 / XBOX.Should I Get An Automatic HDMI Switcher?.Buying The Best HDMI Switch: Things To Consider.What’s The Difference Between An HDMI Switcher And HDMI Splitter?.
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