How to Hook Up Various HDMI Devices to an Early HDTV
On August 12, 2010 in Technology
Earlier HDTVs are likely to have merely 1 or 2 HDMI ports, and this puts the early adopters in a little awkward position today, as there are so multiple HDMI items to be plugged in, yet so few HDMI ports available.
In order to connect your numerous HDMI units to your HDTV, one of many ways, , is to upgrade to a HDTV which today usually has 4 or more HDMI ports, but that also results in significantly lighter weight of your wallet.
A more inexpensive way is to use an HDMI switch, which can hook up many HDMI items to your HDTV via a single HDMI port.
What Is an HDMI Switch, and What Does It Do?
An HDMI switch (a.k.a. HDMI switcher, HDMI selector) obtains HDMI data from multiple HDMI sources and transmits the signals to your HDTV, occupying only 1 HDMI port. It will serve as an agent to take multiple HDMI data for your HDTV, even if your HDTV has just 1 or 2 HDMI port(s).
By having an HDMI switch, you can connect numerous HD sources to your HDTV, such as:
* Blu-Ray player, HD-DVD player, DVD player with HDMI output;
* Playstation 3, Xbox360, Wii with HDMI output;
* HTPC, or computers with HDMI ports;
* HDTV box, satellite dish network, HDTV recorder;
* HD camera, or HD Cam recorder;
* Any other gizmos capable of outputting HDMI data.
See How Easily It Works
There are 3-port, 4-port, and 5-port HDMI switches, and those uncommon ones with even more ports. The most typical and most competitively priced ones (due to mass production) are 3-port HDMI switches.
On a 3-port HDMI switch, you will have 4 HDMI ports: 3 input ports receiving data from 3 of your HDMI sources, and 1 output port sending signals to the HDTV. There is usually a LED light on every input side to let you know which source is selected.
An HDMI switch typically provides automatic switching, and allows you to override and manually pick your source; some enhanced HDMI switch can have a handy remote control to help make switching HDMI much easier.
Automatic HDMI switching
A good HDMI switch have to have this automatic switching feature.
Every time you turn on an HDMI source, the HDMI switch will automatically pick this source. If you decide to turn on another one, the HDMI switch will switch to this second source. If you turn on another, it’ll jump to this third device.
Normally, this can be intelligent enough to work out properly and take care of most, if not all, of your switching needs.
Manual HDMI switching
The above-mentioned auto-switching function may not always work when there is one or more HDMI sources “always on”, such as an HDTV recorder or a satellite network box, which you probably don’t switch off that often, and is, therefore, always turned-on in the background.
If so, you will must manually pick your preferred HDMI source.
An HDMI switch having manual overriding function would commonly have a button on it, which allows you to manually choose your preferred HD source by pressing it.
For instance, if the switch is now on Input 1, your pushing the button once will let you pick Input 2, pushing it again allows you to jump to Input 3.
HDMI switch with remote
A remote control would be so much more handy when you can just sit back and relax on your couch, and select whatever input by pressing on the remote control, than running over to the switch and push a button on it.