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Posts Tagged ‘hdmi input’

The very first time I needed to hook up my Xbox 360, HTPC and BluRay player to my old HDTV which had just one HDMI port left, I didn’t know what device I should be looking for. I knew what I wanted it to do for me, but I didn’t know how to call it for me to google it. In fact, I put together “HDMI hub”, which I borrowed from a network hub which could split network signals for a few different computers. I was also considering “HDMI adapter” and “HDMI splitter”. Unfortunately, none of them were the popular names.

This kind of product is in fact commonly called an HDMI switch or HDMI switcher. Of course, there’s no official name for it, but you will find names more commonly used than others by most of the users. So knowing the right names help you research them better and find better prices before you decide to get one.

After reading this article, you’ll get a much clearer picture of the common names of the many HDMI gadgets and what they do.

1. HDMI Switch, HDMI Switcher, HDMI Selector

They are the names of an HDMI input switch, which receives data from a few HD devices, and output to only 1 HDMI port on an HDTV, lcd screen or projector. This is what you need if you wish to connect your PS3, BluRay, HD PVR, etc all to a single HDMI port on your HDTV as your HDTV only has one port left.

A 3×1 or 3 port HDMI switch receives 3 HDMI signals and outputs to 1 port. So on and so forth.

Although they are also sometimes called “HDMI splitters”, they shouldn’t be, because they do not split signals but rather they converges data into 1 port.

2. HDMI Splitter or HDMI Amplifier

In contrast, they’re the names of an HDMI output switch, which draws signal from just 1 HD device and outputs to 2 or more HDTVs or monitors. This is just what you’ll need when you want to output the same HD signal to two or maybe more HDTVs. In this way, they split or amplify the signal into different streams, hence the names.

A 1×2 or 2 port HDMI splitter draws HD signal from 1 device and outputs to 2 screens.

3. HDMI Matrix or HDMI Distributor

They are combining the functions of input and output switches, they receive many different HD signals and output to different displays. These are rarely used by average consumers but more commonly used by electronics stores or exhibition hosts who need to display many screens simultaneously with HD data coming from several devices.

A 4×2 HDMI matrix receives HD signal from 4 input sources and output to 2 HDTVs.

4. HDMI Adapter or HDMI Converter

These are very general names, which, however, typically mean a much simpler device that connects HDMI port to another video port which include a VGA or DVI port.

An HDMI to DVI adapter means it draws HD signals from an HDMI port and outputs to a DVI port.

Summary

So how can you find the appropriate product you need? Try these simple recommended keywords when you are doing your research:

HDMI Switch: Connecting various HD electronics to 1 HDMI port on your HDTV.

HDMI Splitter: Connecting 1 HD device to more than one HDTVs.

HDMI Matrix: Connecting a few different HD electronics to many HDTVs.

HDMI Adapter: Connecting HDMI port to another kind of video port.

Now you know the magic words, it’ll be much easier for you to find your desired HDMI accessories, enjoy.