HDMI splitter and HDMI switch, what’s the difference, which one to use?

There is a tool used by a fan home cinema You should never give up: Grommet. With more and more devices under the TV, the cables actually double, but while the power cables don’t care much because they all go all the way down, the connection cables for a pay TV set-top box (and potential set-top box for digital terrestrial, if they TV is not very modern), Amplifiers Or the surround system, and game consoles, they all head upwards, that is, toward the TV inputs. Keep cables tidy, especially the ones that are getting popular HDMI portTherefore, it is not a simple matter. In addition to the grommet, there are two other tools that can be very useful: one HDMI switch he is one HDMI splitter. Sometimes they are confused, in fact these two little ones device They do two opposite things. Here’s what they are for and when it’s useful or necessary to use them.

What is an HDMI splitter?

He. She the traitor HDMI is a small device that “splits”, ie Divided into two parts or more, the video-audio signal it receives from the HDMI cable. In fact, one the traitor HDMI is implemented quite simply: it is a box, often black, with an HDMI input and two or more HDMI outputs. Job the traitor HDMI, also called HDMI splitter, is that Multiply one sign to send it to multiple screens. But what is the point of sending the same signal on two screens? It is mainly used to play video games better, for example when two are physically playing near the same console.

Having two monitors or two TVs connected to the same console, in fact, it is possible to position yourself more comfortably, each with its own screen.

To this end, however, not all the traitor HDMI is the same: the best, first of all, supports 4K a 60 Hz And above all, they were able to independently adapt the output signal to the capabilities of the screen. Thus, if the two monitors or TV do not have the same technical characteristics, then the HDMI signal will be adapted accordingly. With the same console, it will be possible to simultaneously play with a 4K screen at 60 Hz and a Smart TV with 1080p at 50 Hz: the traitor to take care of”discount“From the 4K signal in the input 1080p in the output on one of the two lines, while you will leave the stream on the second output line unchanged.

What is the HDMI key

He. She HDMI switch It does exactly the opposite of one the traitor HDMI: groups Multiple inputs in one output. why all that? To connect multiple devices to the same HDMI port. Sometimes the TV ports are few or, especially if the TV is old, there is only one, and in these cases it is Transformation HDMI is the solution to be able to connect many different devices to the same TV port.

For this reason, the switches are always provided with a remote control thanks to which you can change the source to send it to the only HDMI output port.

Exactly how we change the inputs on the TV, then, we can do the same on the HDMI switch. as in the case of the traitorHowever, not all Transformation It’s the same: the good ones support 4K with high refresh rate, but it should be noted that if the input signal is low fidelity or low refresh rate, He. She Transformation It will not modify it and will send it as is to the TV (which then, if necessary, will go to zoom out or upgrading). Another very useful feature Transformation The best HDMI is automatic source detection: when a connected device is turned on at the input, it turns on Transformationautomatically switches the input on this device and send that signal to the TV.

When you need an HDMI switch or splitter

Job the traitor Based on Transformation Thus, HDMI is straightforward: the former amplifies a single signal and sends it to multiple monitors, while the latter aggregates and sends multiple signals to a single monitor. The the traitor So it is necessary when we want to reproduce it Same content on multiple screens or TVs (or mixed configurations of monitors and TVs), even with different technical characteristics.

Not just for gaming, it can be useful for example sending the same video signal to two adjacent rooms in the same house or office.

He. She Transformation Instead, it solves every problem Lack of HDMI inputs On TVs or Monitors: DVD players, game consoles, Android or Apple TV boxes, desktop computers, and laptops can all be connected to the same monitor using a single port. Finally, one useful information To buy: often the traitor It is defined as “1 x 2”, “1 x 3”, “1 x 4”, etc., while a file Transformation Such as “4×1”, “3×1” or “2×1” and these definitions refer to the number of inputs (before “x”) and outputs (after “x”) you give.