You have purchased a new AV cable to HDMI to connect a new device to your monitor. What if you don’t have enough HDMI ports? People attach devices to TV for permanent use. So, removing one of the permanent devices is not a feasible solution. Moreover, unplugging and plugging cables can also damage the HDMI ports of your TV. How can you add extra HDMI ports to accommodate more AV cable to HDMI cables?
Getting Extra HDMI Ports
You can use an HDMI switcher. This is a device with one HDMI output and multiple inputs. It manually or automatically switches HDMI sources to an active device. It is just like an adapter with multiple ports. A switcher is not backward compatible like HDMI. Therefore, plug inputs into ports with an “input” label. Similarly, put the TV into output. Now you have multiple active HDMI devices. You simply need to press a button to switch to the source. There are different types of switchers for HDMI. In some switchers, you need to press a button. Others can automatically switch the signal. Keep in mind that you need a power supply for your switcher.
HDMI Splitter vs HDMI Switcher
Both HDMI splitter and HDMI switcher look identical. However, they serve different purposes. An HDMI switcher allows you to select between multiple input sources. On the other hand, an HDMI splitter splits one source to multiple monitors or TVs. Many commercial activities require an HDMI splitter to send a video signal to multiple monitors or TV.
Auto HDMI Switch
This switcher automatically detects an active device and sends a signal to the screen. For example, if a console is on, the HDMI switcher automatically switches TV to the console source. However, only one device should be powered on. If you switch on multiple devices, expect some issues.
Manual HDMI switcher
Most users prefer a manual HDMI switcher. A remote-controlled manual HDMI switcher is easy to use. This type of switcher also has a button. You might want a switcher that requires the least effort on your part. If you are managing multiple devices, you don’t want to stand up again and again to switch sources.
Connecting a PC and an HDMI Switch
You can connect your PC to your HDMI switcher. However, being an input device, it is treated as a video source. You can use an HDMI switcher to switch from games on your computer to games on your console in just a few seconds. You might want to have this convenient option. You can also use a dedicated laptop. Connect the laptop to the switcher. If you cannot see certain media files on other devices, you can switch to the laptop and see those files. Simply connect a wireless mouse and keyboard and you can create an entertainment center at home.
You can purchase both automatic and manual HDMI switchers online. Find a website selling cables, tools and devices for broadband, networking and electrical systems. First of all, you need to determine your requirements. Do you need a manual HDMI switcher or an automatic HDMI switcher?
The selection of an HDMI switcher also depends on the number of devices and the number of ports. Make sure that your HDMI switcher has two or three more ports than what you need. It is good to have a remote-controlled HDMI switcher.
Conclusion
Most displays come with only two or three HDMI ports. You don’t need to worry as you can increase the number of HDMI ports by spending a small amount of money. It is the most affordable solution.
