An HDMI video switch (a.k.a. HDMI video switcher, HDMI switch box) gets HDMI signals from various HDMI devices and sends the data from one of them to your favorite HDTV. This way, it behaves as an agent to receive numerous HDMI signal for your favorite HDTV, despite the fact that your favorite HDTV has only a couple of HDMI port(s).
You’ll be able to hook up a few HD devices to your own HDTV, which will include your own:
* Blu-Ray player, HDDVD player, DVD player with HDMI output;
* PS3, Xbox360, Wii with HDMI output;
* HTPC, or computers with HDMI ports;
* HDTV box, satellite dish network, HDTV recorder;
* HD camera, or HD cam recorder;
* All other gizmos that are able to outputting HDMI signal.
For the convenience of connecting many HDMI devices, how much money should you really invest on an HDMI switch?
The Right Price for An HDMI Video Switch
You might find famously-branded HDMI switches at just about $250 in a local BestBuy retail store, or perhaps $150 if you search a little bit. Your favorite gut instinct almost definitely instantly tells you this doesn’t add up: HDMI switching is such a straightforward functionality, how come does it have to cost you that much? Also, with plenty 42-46 inch HDTVs listed roughly around $600-700 at the moment, $150 - $250 clearly does sound to be far too much, we may as well add a couple of hundred dollars to bring home a brand-new HDTV.
Then Why Not Just $20?
That’s right, you will only really need to put in $20 on a 3-port HDMI video switch, which will have the job done literally flawlessly as those $250 ones: they’ve got precisely the same goodies like support for 1080P FullHD, DTS-HD, Dolby TrueHD, Linear PCM (LPCM), auto and manual HDMI switching, HDMI v1.3b and HDCP pass-through.
Number of Ports Matter. More ports require more parts and cost just a bit more. A 2×1 HDMI switch, with 2 HDMI inputs and 1 output, will cost around $10-15; and a 5×1 HDMI video switch could set you back for perhaps $30-40, but not $400.
Do They Truly Perform The Same?
Part of you inside probably keeps telling you that those higher priced ones have to have much better audio/video quality, because they cost much more, right?
But, in the digital environment, it’s either 1 or 0: signals either get transmitted and transmitted in its 100% full quality, or it’ll get lost with absolutely nothing transmitted whatsoever —- there’s nothing in the middle.
The HDMI video switch won’t alter the signal at all, HDMI signals are passed over from the input port to the output port untouched, this then guarantees that anything in the HDMI source is going to be delivered to the HDTV as if the HDMI source connects to your favorite HDTV directly.
That’s really the reason why a $20 HDMI video switch will have its HDMI switching job done equally well as $250 ones.