Buying an HDMI Auto Switch - Things to Look For

HDMI is becoming the industry standard to connect HD devices to digital displays. There is a lot of money made in the HDMI cabling and HDMI auto switch market but unfortunately, many consumers are tricked to pay outrageous prices for fancy features. If you want to purchase an HDMI switch with right features, read on.

HDMI Switch Configurations

The HDMI switcher connects multiple HD devices to one digital display. It means the switch has multiple HDMI inputs and one HDMI output. There are varied HDMI switch configurations available – 3 port, 6 port, and 8-port.

The best HDMI switch configuration depends on the number of HD devices you currently have. For example, if you have 3-4 HD devices in your home, the best HDMI switch configuration is a 6-port HDMI switch that will ensure you can connect all your HD devices to HDTV and you will also have some spare ports that would prove useful in case you buy more HD devices in near future.

HDCP Transparency

Audiovisual content is mostly distributed in digital form on the web and on physical devices. To protect unauthorized access or prevent copying of copyrighted content, the entertainment industry uses HDCP to protect the content at last stage of distribution stages.

If you want to play HDCP content, you need the HDMI source, HDTV, and all connecting devices in between to be HDCP compliant. The HDMI auto switch should be HDCP compliant or feature HDCP transparency which would ensure you can watch HDCP content on your HDTV in the best manner possible. Without HDCP transparency in your HDMI switcher, you would not be able to watch HDCP protected content on your digital display.

External Powering

The HDMI devices are not designed to power other devices. Many HD switcher manufacturers design the devices to draw from HDMI sources which might overload the HDMI devices. A good HDMI Switcher would have an external powering source that ensures the safety of HDMI devices and also ensure good quality HDMI transmission.

Intelligent Input Selection

As you know HDMI Switcher connects multiple HDMI sources to your digital display. A good HDMI switcher would have an intelligent input selection that will automatically switch to the recently activated HDMI source.
Without intelligent input selection, you might be required to walk to the device and select the desired HDMI source manually using the buttons provided on HDMI switch.

Remote Control

A remote control is a useful accessory in a device that allows you to remotely control the features of the device. In an HDMI switch, it is used to select any HDMI source with a press of a button. Without remote control, you would be required to walk to the device and select the desired HDMI source manually.

The HDMI Auto Switch is a useful addition to your home theater setup that will bring in the much-needed convenience and allow you to enjoy content from multiple HDMI sources without any hassles.
Do you know any other important features in HDMI Switcher?