HDMI Switches And Splitters
Once upon a time, most people had one TV and one cable box in their primary viewing area, and probably a DVD player (or VHS machine!) which needed to be hooked up as well. Now it’s the rare home without a number of modern video sources like Blu-ray players, satellite, AppleTV or Netflix, and video game consoles. And many homes have multiple TVs or monitors to be used for displaying signals from those video sources.
The near-universal use of today’s common HDMI cables ensures that digital video signals can be faithfully transmitted, reproduced and controlled between any number of sources and devices. The problem is that televisions and other components only have a limited number of HDMI ports; in fact, if you have an older TV or device it’s likely there’s only one HDMI port on it. So while in theory you can send any number of perfect digital signals throughout your home theater system, in reality you’re limited by the number of ports on your HDTV, monitor or device.
That’s where Cmple’s HDMI switches and splitters come in.
HDMI Switches
When you have lots of different video sources to switch between, you might be tempted to go out and buy a new television with enough HDMI ports to accommodate all of those signals. But instead of dropping hundreds or thousands of bucks on a new TV, wouldn’t you rather spend twenty or thirty bucks to buy a simple piece of equipment which can effectively add more HDMI ports and let you easily switch between them? Of course you would.
Cmple offers a wide assortment of HDMI switches with two, three or even five HDMI ports. You no longer have to which high-definition sources you want connected to your television or monitor, or continually switch out cables depending on what you feel like watching. Once you hook up your cable box, Blu-ray, DVD player and video game console to a five-port HDMI switch, for example, you’ve got everything you need permanently available at the touch of a button.
These versatile switches are compatible with all HDMI 1.3b devices, deliver 12-bit or 24-bit deep color signals, can handle multiple resolutions all the way up to today’s 1080p full high-definition, and can support computer resolutions as high as 1920 x 1200 with 1440p graphics for video game enthusiasts. Even better, all you have to do is turn on the device you want to watch and the switch will automatically detect the signal and display the correct video on your TV or monitor so you don’t even have to change your television’s input selector. The switches not only pass digital signals, but also the HDCP (high-bandwidth digital content protection) signals needed to play many of today’s Blu-ray movies and cable/satellite signals. They also support modern high-definition audio signals like DTS Master Audio and Dolby Digital TrueHD.
Cmple HDMI switches deliver high performance at speeds as high as 2.5 Gbps and most come with their own infrared remote control. Many also have an included IR extender receiver so you’re not limited by distance when you want to connect distant devices; HDMI cables as long as 30 feet are supported on each end. They come with power adapters so no external power is required, and feature gold-plated connectors.
There are two styles of HDMI switches available; one is a pigtail model which plugs into your TV’s HDMI port and dangles behind the television, and the other is a small box which can easily sit on top of your monitor or on a shelf next to the TV.
With so many video sources commonly used in most homes, you probably already need an HDMI switch to accommodate all of them. If you don’t have one yet, you should.
HDMI Splitters
If you have more than one TV or monitor in your home (and who doesn’t?), you probably have a cable box for each one. But what if you want to watch a Blu-ray movie, DVD or satellite program on two televisions in two different rooms?
The solution is one of our Cmple HDMI splitters. These versatile units can send any signal with perfect video and audio reproduction, to any TV or monitor that has an HDMI input, anywhere in your home. They’ll maintain high-definition resolutions up to 1080p and support transmission of HDCP copyright protection, at speeds up to 2.25 Gbps/225 MHz. The splitter will also work automatically, activating output channels as soon as a cable is connected.
Not only is the quality of the video signal maintained, but the same high-definition audio can be received at all of the TVs or monitors connected with one of our splitters – even modern formats like DTS Master Audio and Dolby TrueHD. There is one thing to be aware of: splitters will send video and audio signals according to the limitations of all televisions which are hooked up to them. In other words, if one of your monitors is 1080p and the other is 720p, both will receive a 720p signal; if only one supports 3D, neither will be sent the 3D signal. As soon as you disconnect the “lesser” monitor, the better one will receive the full 1080p or 3D signal.
We have economical splitters with two output channels, all the way up to ones which can feed eight different televisions or monitors simultaneously. Eight output channels may be overkill for your home. But they’re perfect for educational or business environments, feeding signals to classrooms, corporate training or conference rooms, data center or security monitoring posts, even televisions mounted throughout a restaurant or sports bar. Our Cmple splitters are ideal for those types of locations for another reason as well; when a high-def signal is split, that does not violate either HDCP copyright rules or other content licenses as long as all monitors are in the same home or business.
Finally, many of our splitters can be connected in series with a Cmple HDMI switcher, allowing you to “mix and match” with many different video sources and a number of televisions or monitors.
Our Cmple selection of HDMI splitters and switchers is among the most complete you’ll find anywhere – there’s one for just about any home or business.
Frequently Asked Questions:
What is the best HDMI cable for Sony PS3 / PS4?