Ultra High Performance HDMI Switcher, 3to1 Switch
by Portta
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Our Price: $8.18 Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days Buy Used: from $8.00 (click here) Category: CE See more product details |
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Customers in the UK,
Buy this product at amazon.co.uk
for British Pounds
Digital Cameras Photo Reviews of Ultra High Performance HDMI Switcher, 3to1 Switch
Customer Review: Works like something that should cost far more money!
Summary: 5 Stars
So I am stuck with one lonely HDMI port on my TV. No real worries, since I can just switch inputs, besides, you get HD quality video through component cabes, so why worry, right? Well, I decided it was time to move up to all HDMI since part of HD is digital (rather than analog) sound, which is what you are stuck with when using component cables.
I am always leery about buying budget electronics, since oftentimes in electronics the old adage "you get what you pay for" comes through again and again.
I took a chance on this product and the payoff was more than I would have wished for. It works exactly as I would expect a name brand product costing two to three times more would work. One note, since your cable/sattelite box is always on (even when you have it in standby mode, the only time they actually turn off is when you unplug it) plug it in as device number three, and put your Blu-Ray, Upconverting DVD, or Gaming Console in as device number one and two, which have higher priority.
The switch quickly changes when it senses that you have turned a device on or off, making the IR reciever and remote a backup to the automatic switching. In reality, the IR reciever and remote are superfluous since there is a button on the device itself which will switch from input to input in order. I gues in our couch-potato generation, everything needs a remote so you don't actually have to get up and walk to the TV to change the switch in case it didn't automatically.
BTW, I have NEVER needed to use my remote or the button on the device.
Customer Review: Great switch for the price
Summary: 5 Stars
In my home, most of my devices has HDMI output when I realized that my home theater can only take 3 inputs and I have 4. So, I have to create one input for my DVD/VCR which has HDMI out and with my second DVR which also has HDMI. Puchased a terk 2 to 1 automatic switch and it never worked (please read my comment on terk in the cnet).
Finally I found this switch in the amazon, one thing which gave me excitement is the remote and the manual switch with automatic. Most of the devices now a days do not really turn off, so the automatic switches won't work properly because every device is on and the first one got on will be selected. But my fear was compatibility with each of this device which I faced with Terk 1 to 1 switch.
Here is my opinion after using it for a month
* Works perfecty with all the device, means no compatibility issue
* It comes with a external power option does not required, so no power cord
* Does not switch automatically not because the switch issue, but the issue I explained before
* Manual switch works great, with remote. So, I programmed to my harmoney remote active with this new device. So, when ever I switch the device, the manual switching of port is also done by my harmony remote. So, I kept the remote comes with this in storage.
Now I have one more input in this switch for futue expansion, also integrating this with the harmony remote activity, I even forgot I have only 3 inputs for my home theater, everything automatic!!!
Great switch.. I recommend 100%
Customer Review: Auto-switch does not work for some sources, but....
Summary: 4 Stars
Item arrived quickly and was well packaged.
I had high hopes for this switcher when I learned about it's auto-switching with priority fallback, but it turns out that feature does not work for me. My Roku streaming media player is always on -- it does not have an "off", but I had planned that I could connect my Oplay digital media player to a higher priority port and have it fall back to the Roku when I turned the Oplay off. NOPE. The Oplay still keeps it's HDMI output "live" even when it is "off". That means that the device cannot know when to switch. This problem is not one that could be overcome by *ANY* auto-switch, I believe.
I am still giving this product 4 stars for the low price and because it has a way to work around problems like this. I have connected the remote IR sensor, and can switch sources with a programmable IR remote. No need to connect any power supply to the switcher. It still works good for me, just not as invisibly as I had hoped. There is also a manual button to switch sources as well, but I will not be using that because I have it positioned behind my television. It also comes with a tiny "credit card" IR remote, for those that need it.
If you know the limitations before you buy, and are willing to accept that you might have to use a remote to switch sources (depending on what you connect), this is a fine HDMI switcher at a great price. I am sure that many people can use it just fine in auto-switch priority mode -- it just depends on the sources that you connect.
Customer Review: Actally makes your HDTV better!
Summary: 5 Stars
This may be a little too soon to review, but I just hooked this product up to my small 22" Samsung HDTV. I just recently purchased HD cable service, so the box has constant HDMI output. I assigned the cable box to slot 2. I assigned my PS3 to slot 1. This little switcher device is actually BETTER than having multiple built-in HDMI slots on your TV! Now I watch TV, and when I feel like using the PS3 I simply turn it on. The HDMI switcher automatically detects the PS3 and selects slot one! BAM! Now I'm looking at my PS3 display. All this without having to use a remote to select a different HDMI port. I'm very pleased so far. Now I just have to wait and see if this product lasts. I'll ,of course, be back to talk trash about it if it fails in the next few months.
And you have to connect the IR receiver even if you don't plan on using it. The IR jack completes the circuit to output to your TV.
**UPDATE** Day two, and the HDMI switch was having trouble transmitting picture and sound from my cable box. It keeps cutting out. However, when it connects to my PS3 it works just fine. I figured out that the cable box is not putting out enough power to operate the HDMI switch. This switch does not come with an AC adapter, but it does have a port for one, so I used a 6V adapter I had laying around and now it is working perfectly. So you may need to use an adapter as well, but they're cheap. I'm still happy with the product though.
Customer Review: Brand Names Aren't Everything
Summary: 5 Stars
Two words will summarize this product. If you want to read more than that, just keep going, but here they are: It works.
If you're still with me, I'll explain why.
Installation - Installation is simple. First, place it where you want it to be, whether it be in plain sight or stashed away somewhere. Second, pop in the IR antenna. Third, plug in the HDMI cables to and from your components and TV. And there you have it.
Use - This is where this switch truly shines. While the switch comes with it's own remote (if you can really call it that, 3 buttons doesn't qualify in my books), it has the ability to automatically change between the three inputs based on the one that is currently active. So, say you have a PS3, XBOX 360, and some other HDMI-compatible device (Cable, TIVO, whatever steams your rice~~). Assuming all others are off, if you turn on your PS3, this switch will see the active signal coming from the HDMI, and switch to that port! And if you have two signals active, then that's what you use the remote for (obviously). A heads-up though, it will not be an immediate switch, it, for me at least, takes about a second or two. But, if you really think about it, it takes about a second to push that remote button, or even longer to get up and find it, etc.
The Final Word - If you need an HDMI expander for your TV (The Sony 32" Bravia only has two ports), and you want the most bang for the buck, then look no further.