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: Excellent switch for an unbeatable price
Summary: 4 Stars
I got this switch for my office. It connects to a 32" LCD mounted over my desk. This allows me to switch between the Tivo (on a shelf above the TV), my laptop and my main tower. Really handy for presenting stuff to clients while they are in the office. Much better than having them looking over my shoulder, heh.
SMART SWITCHING - I tried to configure it to smart switch between the devices but in my setup I think the constant signal (even when the device was disabled) was confusing it. I can't really speak to how well this would work in a normal setup but for me it was just frustrating.
REMOTE - I got it not expecting to use the remote. To my surprise the remote actually comes in very handy. The device and all the wires are hidden away behind my desk and the sensor for the remote is stuck to the top of one of my monitors... barely noticeable. The remote is responsive and is small enough that I just slide it under my monitor and pull it out when I need to change sources.
SETUP - It is a switch... five minutes to plug everything in and you are in business. No hiccups (besides the smart switching problem mentioned above) and the remote worked as soon as the tab was pulled on the battery.
VALUE - It is 15 bucks... seriously, you can't get much better than that. I came in expecting to spend twice that for a switch but when I saw the reviews for this one I figured I would take a chance.
Customer Review: Almost there, but efficient
Summary: 4 Stars
Real quick review.
first: the setup is a DVD/HDD player and a Sony Blu-ray, both with 6 foot cables into the unit. another 6 foot cable on output into the TV.
second: it selects the input fairly successfully, but, it might need to be selected manually, even though the input is already selected.
third: it seems like it is underpowered for my configuration. Not enough power gets through for the switches and the image may not get through. If I turn on both units, there seems to be enough draw to make the signal get through. The Sony wouldn't show anything other than boot up until the HDD was turned on. During the HDD playback, the signal got lost twice, for ~ 3 seconds, over a one hour play time. the image turned into digital snow (not pixilated images) during those times. The HDD playback, once rewound, would show the proper image.
Gut feeling is that in most short cabling solutions would work fine with this. But, with 6 foot cables, the signal might degrade so that it can't leech power from the cables well enough to get the signal out.
Still playing with this. The end result might be to get a 5V plug for this, to help the signal boost of the repeater. But, for my limited needs, I don't mind turning on the other products for power support. But, once we get used to our new HDD recorder toy, this could be come tiresome without the 5V adapter.
Customer Review: HDMI Switch works well, but IR remote didn't work at first
Summary: 4 Stars
My tv only has 2 HDMI ports so I needed a simple switch that would allow me to use 3 HDMI source devices (a PC, a satellite receiver and DVD player). This switch works well, except the remote did not work at first.
I tried various things to get the remote to work, I knew the remote itself was sending a signal (I have another infrared receiver that blinks when it gets a signal). I tried connecting a 5v DC adapter, but that didn't help (the switch works fine without the DC adapter, I don't know why they have that as an option).
Finally I summoned my long faded electrical engineering skills and decided to take the unit apart to see if there was something obviously wrong.
I looked close at where the IR remote plug is soldered to the circuit board. There are 4 pins for the connector and it appeared that only 3 were soldered to the board. One clearly had no solder and so I took the chance that this was a manufacturing flaw, soldered the connector, hooked it up and to my amazement the remote works now.
It's possible this is a solitary fluke, or there could be a whole batch of units missing this solder connection. If you have the same problem and know your way around a soldering iron, go ahead and pop off the rubber feet, remove the 4 small screws, open the unit and look close at the 4 connectors for the IR remote plug. Or just return it for a replacement.
Customer Review: "Caveman" HDMI Switch
Summary: 5 Stars
With all deference to "GEICO" I must say that this 3 way electronic HDMI switch is "So easy a caveman can do it". It is "plug & play". If you're in the same boat I was in with only 2 HDMI inputs on your Surround Sound A/V Receiver or TV, you can now have FIVE. It powers itself off of the input devices and automatically senses which one is on and switches to that device. Although I haven't had to use this feature, in case there is a conflict between input devices, it comes with a remote control so you can manually select the input device you want. And the switch has a very small (and thus inconspicuous) wired IR Receiver for the remote so you can completely "hide" the switch behind your electronics and have only the IR Receiver in view for manual operation. It would be very visually non-offensive in a nice A/V system presentation.
New Surround Sound A/V Receivers have at least 4 HDMI Inputs now, but you won't have to dump your old receiver as you add new HDMI devices if you add this switch. That'll save you quite a few bucks.
Oh, and don't forget you'll need additional HDMI Cable; you'll find the best prices for those right here on AMAZON. I bought mine from AMAZON for something like $3 each for 6'. Don't fall for all that higher quality BS that's out there. The signal is digital and it either is being transmitted through the cable or it is not; the wire in between cannot affect the quality.
Customer Review: It seems to work ok
Summary: 3 Stars
Well first off, Horrible packaging.Not much of it.It came in a bubble envelope and the switcher was simply wrapped around with a length of cheap bubble wrap and a rubber band.The other items (remote and the I/F receiver) were just in plastic baggy.Oh and there was NO instructions? But it was simple to figure out.Other then that it seems to work.I have it hooked up to a Sony blue ray/3D player as well as a HTCP computer all going out to an Epson 705HD projector and it seems to handle the load well.Its a little tricky to get the right signal I want (computer or blue ray)to go to my projector due to the fact that the projector has its own device detector and won't pick up the signal unless both the HDMI switch and the projector are "synced" right.I don't think I explained that right, I'm not to tech savy. But really its a small little thing and only requires an extra step ie: click button 1 on switch for blue ray then click "video" on projector remote.Someone commented that this does not have a power cord.That is true, it does not come with one but on the side is a plug for one if you want to use one.Not sure what voltage it takes and is kind of odd that it would have it since it seems to run on the power of the HDMI.All in all its a cute and small little device which seems to do what its intended to do with out the expense of some of the other switchers out there.I'm so far quite happy with it.