connections

[trevor wright]

A simple question, I suppose. If I want to connect a (for example) bluray to my TV, and of course my Humax as well, and the TV has only one HDMI input, what do I do please?

 

[Black Hole]

You get a passive HDMI switch box, or an active HDMI switch or matrix (some auto-switch according to which input is powered up, some come with a remote control), or you resign yourself to unplugging and plugging cables manually. I typed "hdmi switch" into the Amazon search box and came up with solutions starting from £3.48.

Alternatively you connect the BluRay (which has a far higher picture quality) by HDMI and relegate the Humax to RGB analogue.

 

[grahamlthompson]

The ones I have do both, they have a remote (which I have never used) and auto-select last powered item. I even tried chaining a 3 input switch to a 5 input switch and it worked just fine.

 

[Trev]

I even tried chaining a 3 input switch to a 5 input switch....

Jeez, just how many HDMI inputs does a bloke want?

 

[Brian]

Jeez, just how many HDMI inputs does a bloke want?

You can never have enough when you are trying to connect multiple devices to your TV.

 

[grahamlthompson]

It was merely an experiment . Basically to see if you would get a HDCP Handshake and the auto select would also work (somewhat surprisingly it all did). The routing was HDR FOX T2 to one of switch 1 inputs, switch 1 out to one of switch two inputs, switch 2 out to one of my AV amp's HDMI inputs, AV HDMI out via 10M cable to TV.

As to inputs, in the one rack I have the following all connected by HDMI via my amp (only 3 HDMI inputs)


HD FOX T2, HDR FOX T2, HDR1000S, Sony Blu-ray player, Denon dvd player. I keep a switch in a location where I can connect kit that isn't permanently connected. This gets used for a laptop, Miracast adaptor for Nexus 7, Media Player, HD Camcorder, DSLR and grandsons XBOX ONE (plus any other kit that someone brings round with a hdmi out)

All the above fixed kit including the amplifier is networked (except the DVD player) using a high speed network switch and a single cat 5 cable to my router. The switch is also accessible so very easy to connect anything that needs a network connection.

To answer Trev's question in my case a minimum of 6 , good job the Foxsat-HDR's under the TV, that would have made it 7


As Brian says these days it's very easy to run out of sockets.

 

[sceptic]

I used THIS one to increase the number of inputs and its proved very useful and a lot easier to reach than the ones on the TV!

 

[grahamlthompson]

That's the 5 input switch I used for the experiment , the other was a cheap one from Aldi. TBH they both just work. I guess they may well have the same chips inside them.

 

[Brian]

I am using a Tevion 3 Way HDMI remote controlled switch box, which was £9.99 from Aldi, although I purchased a second one some time later for the reduced price of £4.99.

 

[Tell]

I use a couple of three port Neet ones similar to that less the power supply option and remote. One for each of the TVs two HDMI ports.

 

[Black Hole]

Basically to see if you would get a HDCP Handshake and the auto select would also work (somewhat surprisingly it all did)

I am not convinced a multi-in-one-out unit needs to manage the negotiation, all it would have to do is ensure the interface was reset each time the input was switched. A multi-in-multi-out matrix does need to handle the negotiation independently though.

 

[Tell]

I see what you are saying, sometimes my cable box and blu ray don't work this out so then I do resort to pressing the button since I don't have the remote. But then these are the low priority bits of kit that I don't use that often. The Humax and the Technomate sat box do sort the switching out without intervention.

 

[sceptic]

I have also used some cheaper ones but found the remote control range and responsiveness very poor in comparison the Neet. I'm often trying out new devices so I have the switch Velcroed to the back of the TV, so its easy to pull off and plug in a new connection if I need one...