One of the most annoying things about TVs is the limited number of ports to connect things like streaming boxes and games consoles. An HDMI switcher gets around this, adding more ports by letting several devices share the same cable into your TV. One key thing to make sure of when you buy is that you get a switch that supports the highest resolution you’ll need. The two main options are HD, which is a little cheaper, and 4K, which is also known as ultra HD, and gives a sharper picture. The Kinivo does come with some cable management issues. Since all of the ports are lined up along one side, it’s hard to organize the cables in a pleasing manner. That said, it’s simple and pleasant to use, and it’s competitively priced. Input/Output Ports: 5/1 | HDMI Standard: 2.0 | Remote/Voice Operation: Remote The Zettaguard 4K could’ve been our top pick. The picture-in-picture (PiP) preview mode alone almost had us, but the switcher is held back by having only four inputs and no HDMI audio splitter. The included remote has a dedicated PiP button that lets you view all active inputs simultaneously, along with a button for each HDMI input. Input/Output Ports: 4/1 | HDMI Standard: 2.0 | Remote/Voice Operation: Remote Input/Output Ports: 3/1 | HDMI Standard: 2.0 | Remote/Voice Operation: None Input/Output Ports: 4/2 | HDMI Standard: 2.0 | Remote/Voice Operation: Remote This switcher excels at advanced PiP (again, only in HD and specifically the 1080p/1080i formats) and supports a whole bunch of advanced audio formats, so if you’ve got a home cinema setup, you’re good to go, with support for PCM2, 5.1, and 7.1 surround sound, Dolby 5.1, and DTS 5.1. This is another niche product, but like above, we’re glad it’s available. Input/Output Ports: 2/1 | HDMI Standard: 2.0 | Remote/Voice Operation: Remote If you must have a lot of inputs, you’ll have to deal with 1080p/1080i output. For the price, we’d like to see 4K support, especially in this day and age. But, with eight inputs, it’s about the only game in town (and the only one we recommend). Input/Output Ports: 8/1 | HDMI Standard: 1.4 | Remote/Voice Operation: Remote If you have a 4K Ultra HD TV and 4K source components, the switcher also needs to be 4K compatible. If you need to pass HDR-encoded and/or 3D video signals, your HDMI switcher needs to have those capabilities. HDMI switchers plug into AC power and usually come with remote control for more convenient source selection. Some HDMI switchers also incorporate HDMI-CEC support, which allows the switcher to automatically go to the correct input of the most recently activated device.
Key Features
As mentioned above, all HDMI switchers pass standard Dolby Digital and DTS Digital Surround audio signals, but if you are routing the output of the switcher through a home theater receiver (instead of going directly to the TV) that provides decoding for advanced audio formats, such as Dolby TrueHD, Atmos, DTS-HD Master Audio, DTS:X, you need to make sure that your HDMI switcher is compatible. The switcher also has to support HDMI handshake requirements that are implemented via either the HDCP (High-bandwidth Digital Copy Protection) or HDCP 2.2 for 4K devices protocol between source devices and the TV or video projector. This is important when switching between devices, as there is a temporary break in the handshake until the newly selected device locks in with a new handshake.
HDMI Splitters
Don’t need an HDMI switcher, but want to send the same HDMI signal to two TVs or a video projector and TV? As mentioned above, you can use an HDMI switcher with two HDMI outputs, but if you don’t need a switcher, you can use an HDMI splitter. HDMI splitters that send two, three, four, or more signals from a single HDMI source are available, but for consumers, two is usually enough. Splitters with more outputs are mostly for business and commercial use where one source needs to be sent to multiple TVs or projectors. Splitters can be powered or passive (no power needed). It is best to use powered splitters to avoid handshake or signal loss issues. The splitter also has to be compatible with the video and audio signals you may need to pass through. Just as with a switcher, if one video display device is a lower resolution than the other, the output for both may default to the lower resolution.
Using a Home Theater Receiver as an HDMI Switcher or Splitter
Another option to consider that can add more HDMI inputs for TV viewing sources is a home theater receiver. Low-priced home theater receivers usually provide four HDMI inputs, but as you go up in price, you will find receivers with up to six or eight HDMI inputs along with two or three outputs which allow you to connect to more than one TV or a TV and video projector similar to a splitter.
About Our Trusted Experts
Emily Ramirez has been writing for Lifewire since 2019. She’s previously written for the Massachusetts Digital Games Institute and MIT Game Lab, and has a background in narrative design and media. She’s very family with games, TV, and audio devices, and particularly liked the Knivo 550BN for its five high-speed HDMI ports and reliability. If you have a lot of HDMI-equipped source devices, such as an upscaling DVD/Blu-ray/Ultra HD Blu-ray player, cable/satellite box, media streamer, and game console that all need to be connected to your TV, there may not be enough HDMI inputs, but don’t panic. Instead of buying a new TV just to get more HDMI inputs, consider getting an external HDMI switcher to fill the gap. Adam Doud has been writing in the technology space for almost a decade and is also the creator and host of the Benefit of the Doud podcast, which reviews and discusses popular technology.
