With the increased number of home theater components equipped with HDMI (High Definition Multimedia Interface) connections, such as DVD players, DVD recorders, Blu-ray players, HD-DVD players, and Satellite and Cable Boxes, one or two HDMI inputs provided on many HDTVs and/or Home Theater receivers is not enough. An HDMI Switcher is a useful product for owners of HDTVs that do not have enough HDMI input connections for HDMI source components. For some suggestions on HDMI switchers that may work for you, check out my current favorites.
1. Accell UltraAV™ HDMI 1.3 4x4 Matrix Audio/Video Switch
Photo (c) Robert Silva, Licensed to About.com
The Accell UltraAV™ HDMI 1.3 4x4 Matrix Audio/Video Switch can be a great addition to your home theater, especially if you have more than one HDTV or an HDTV and Video Projector. The Accell UltraAV 4x4 HDMI Switch allows the user to connect up to four HDMI sources (Blu-ray Disc Player, DVD Player, HD Cable/Satellite Box, etc...) and either view one source on up to four different HDMI-equipped TVs and/or video projectors, or send up to four separate sources to as many as four different TVs and/or video projectors. To find out if this home theater accessory is one that you can use, check out my review and Photo Gallery.
2. Accell UltraAV™ HDMI ver1.3 4-1 Audio/Video Switch
Photo (c) Robert Silva - Licensed to About.com
The UltraAV™ HDMI ver1.3 4-1 Audio/Video Switch can be a great addition to a home theater system. An HDMI Switch is a useful product for HDTVs with only one HDMI input connection. With the increased number of components equipped with HDMI connections (DVD players, DVD recorders, Blu-ray players, HD-DVD players, and Satellite and Cable Boxes) one HDMI input provided on many HDTVs is not enough.
However, with an HDMI switch you can now expand an HDTV's single HDMI input into two or more inputs, depending on the capacity of the HDMI switch. One example is the Accell HDMI ver1.3 4-1 switch. This switch is very easy to use and does not degrade signal quality from HDMI sources. For more details, check out my Review and Photo Gallery.
3. OPPO HM-31 Advanced 3-1 HDMI Switch
Photo (c) Robert Silva - Licensed to About.com
The HM-31 is great for expanding the number of HDMI inputs on an HDTV. It provides convenience, does not degrade signal quality from HDMI sources, is fully HDMI 1.3 compatible, and provides several control options, including wireless remote and an RS232 connectivity for integration into custom installations. The only disappointment is that the HM-31 provides three inputs, while most HDMI switches provide four inputs. For more details, read by Review.
4. IOGEAR GHDMIAS4 4-1 HDMI Switch
Photo (c) Robert Silva - Licensed to About.com
The IOGEAR GHDMIAS4 4-1 HDMI Switch is a product that can be used to expand, up to four HDMI input sources that can be accessed by your HDTV, even if it only has one HDMI input. The IOGEAR HDMI Switch is very easy to use, provides convenient input auto-sensing, is fully HDMI 1.3 compatible, and does not degrade signal quality from HDMI sources. For more details, check out my Review.
5. Accell UltraAV™ HDMI 4-2 Audio/Video Switch
If you have two HDMI-equipped video displays, such as an HDTV and Video projector, now you can send s video feed to both using just one set of source components with the Accell UltraAV HDMI 4-2 Switch. You can connect the HDMI ouputs from an upscaling DVD player or Recorder, Blu-ray Disc or HD-DVD player, and an HD-Cable or HD-Satellite box. This unit is very easy to use and comes with a credit-card wireless remote, and also features a signal booster for long cable runs. The Accell HDMI 4-2 Switch is compatible with HDMI ver 1.2a specifications. For more details on its operation, check out the Official UltraAV™ HDMI 4-2 Audio/Video Switch Product Page, and User Manual6. XtremeMAC 4-1 HDMI Switch
Photo (c) Robert Silva - Licensed to About.com
The XtremeMAC 4-1 HDMI Switch HDMI is an excellent performer while maintaining a reasonable price. The HDMI Switcher was also easy to use. It also included both a wireless remote that made switching between four sources and an HDTV very easy. The four HDMI input sources can also be accessed by a front panel Source button. One complaint is that the switcher itself is rather large, compared to other HDMI switchers that I have used. For more details, check out my Review.
7. Sima VS-HD31 HDMI Switcher
The Sima VS-HD31 HDMI Switcher is a very useful product for owners of HDTVs that have only one HDMI input connection. With all the new source components coming on board with HDMI connections (DVD players, DVD recorders, Blu-ray players, HD-DVD players, and Satellite and Cable Boxes) one HDMI input provided on most HDTVs is definitely not enough. However, with the VS-HD31, you can now expand your single HDMI input into three. The VS-HD31 is 1080p and HDMI audio compatible, offers signal boosting for long cable runs, and also has a credit card-size wireless remote control. This is definitely a useful and affordable accessory for your HDTV.
