Best HDMI switching solution?
 

I have a Sony 50A10 and I am using the HDMI for my HD DVR cable box and I am thinking of getting a DVD player like the oppo or neu neo and I only have the one HDMI input. is there a reasonable solution for HDMI switching. I cant afford to upgrade my receiver at this point in time.

Maybe something like <a href="http://store.yahoo.com/webtronics/dihdausw4.html">this switchbox</a>?

is there that much of a difference between using an hdmi from the cable box to the tv, than using component wires? I'd just use the hdmi for the dvd player and component for the cable-tv

Not too many options for cheap stand-alone HDMI switchers right now. Here's a 2-port one from monoprice.com for $100 with remote. I actually saw one at Best Buy, but it was only manual switching for $100 and looked like a piece of crap.

my current DVD player is using component cables so I can just reverse it and use that for cable and use my HDMI for the new DVD player. is there a noticeable drop in quality between the two.

I will look around at some of the boxes to see if that might be an option also, but it seems the price is high and quality is low.

I'd switch them for now and then if you notice a difference, then look into the switcher. The posts I've read from avsforum.com say there's no noticeable difference (although others say there is). I'd wait it out and compare it yourself (plus you don't have to spend anything)

Theres a difference with HDMI when you have a HD FEED!!!!!!!This I can attest too.....

I work in electronics and I would say use HDMI for the PVR and Component for the DVD player. There's only so much a DVD player can do (even an upconverting one) so it's best to prioritize with the HD box.

You can also run it to a reciever that does HDMI switching. The Yamaha 5990 is one of the newest ones i've seen that does it.

I've never noticed any difference at all between component and HDMI with HD sources. Component is perfectly capable of transmitting 1080i.

Other than also providing audio (and in a more compact manner), there should be no difference in the two cables (provided you are using high quality component and HDMI cables).

I would be hesitant of investing in any type of receiver until it is made clear what the new audio formats will require.

That really depends on your set-up. If you have a digital TV, the best source will be digital (HDMI). You don't want to take a digitial source, convert it to analog to send across component, and then convert back to digital.

But if you have an analog TV, you won't see any gain in using HDMI.

My understanding is that even digital sets convert a digital signal (from, say HDMI) to analog inside the set and then re-convert to digital. Although I don't understand why that is the case, I've read it a couple places, including some posts here.

Anyhow, like I've said, I've never personally noticed a difference between HDMI and component on my LCD. I've heard reasons why it should look better via HDMI, but my eyes cannot decipher any difference between the two.

And that is the most important lesson for this hobby. If your eyes can't see it or your ears can't hear it, marketing and specs mean nothing.

Yeah, that doesn't sound right. I'll look around and see if I can find anything.

Here is a post by Spiky (who always seems to know what he's talking about): http://dvdtalk.com/forum/showpost.ph...5&postcount=12

I've seen it elsewhere and will try to track down more sources. It doesn't really make sense to me, but yeah, just what I've read in a couple places.

I think this is true because I have read solutions to the no-hd-over-component thing where you can tap the analog output somewhere along the line. I remember it was very technical and seemed like a lot of bother. But it does sort of corroborate what is being said here.

Ok. I did a little forum research and here is what I came up with. Some digital TVs have digital all the way to the display, and some don't. A Samsung DLP will actually use the digital signal to move the mirrors, but a DLP by another company may not. It depends on the company manufacturing the TV if they ever convert to analog or not.

What can not be argued is the advantage of a digital input over an analog input. Even if your TV converts to an analog signal inside the set, the distance this analog signal needs to transfer is minimal. The main disadvantage to using analog is that the signal degrades over the length it is being transmitted. If its traveling an inch to the next board, the signal will not degrade nearly as much as the 8 feet it traveled from your DVD player to your TV.

So some TVs carry digital all the way to the display, others don't. By using HDMI (or another digital input) you are increasing the quality of the signal your TV receives, and thus, get a greater output. With analog, it will pick up interference and static. With digital, it is either working or it isn't. There is no middle ground.

Get a home theater reciever that has HDMI switching. I am almost positive the upper end Pioneer Elite and Onkyo Systems already have it. I bet others do as well. You can sell your current system to offset the price and get switching plus an upgrade. I will be doing so sometime later this year.

Switching with the receiver is not a bad idea, but I would definitely hold off until we see what the new receivers are going to have. Since you already have a set capable of using one of these players at release day, you don't want to buy a receiver now that is lacking the necessary features to take full advantage of the new audio formats.

I am in this boat now. My receiver is shitting the bed, but I'll hobble along with it until these details are clarified.

Yeah, I just picked up a Denon 4806 that has 3 HDMI 1.1/DVI input switching and upconverts all video signals to the HDMI out (great for my Xbox360 component connection). Also picked up a Denon 2910 DVD and it nicely outputs the digital audio via the HDMI cable so I save on a coax/optical input on the receiver. Works great. Denon says the receiver is also able to upgrade it's software/firmware via the ethernet port, so hopefully I'll be future-proofed for a while. If all goes will this will work fine for me when I get a Blu-Ray player and a Playstation 3.

I would like to get a receiver that does HDMI switching, but I just recently bought my Sony 50a10 LCD TV, a XBOX360 w/9 games and a SVS PB-10 so I have blown my available entertainment money until mid summer. I will probably get a receiver that does HDMI switching when I get a Blue Ray or HD-DVD player or maybe even when I get the PS3 since it is supposed to use HDMI. I might just get one of the switch boxes for now or just live with one HDMI input.

anyone know if this box is any good. it is not cheap, but since it comes with 3 HDMI 6' cables and has a remote it sounds ok.

Link to HDMI Switch

http://www.ramelectronics.net/assets...T-HDMI-341.jpg

Those Gefen's seem to be one of the few players that put out these switches. I'm just curious as to why they don't make them look more like a traditional piece of consumer a/v equipment like JVC does with their switchers.

Yamaha now has HDMI switching/conversion on their midline receiver models and have been getting great reviews. You may want to keep an eye on those.

yeah I wish it was atleast black so it would fit in with the rest of my equipment, but I guess I can try to hide it a bit so it isnt noticeable. I will look into the Yamaha receivers , but I wont be able to get a receiver till late summer. how are the Yamaha's for sound quality. I am currently running a Harman Kardon, I believe it is a avr525 and it does what I need minus the HDMI switching.

http://www.markertek.com/SearchProdu...ff=4&sort=prod

If you want to spend less and are willing to physically push the button. There is a thread at AVS about it.
http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=569022

I recommend the opposite, if using an upconverting DVD player. Because an upconverting DVD player is getting the most out of DVD's resolution, which really needs every bit of it on an HD set. While the difference between an HD signal over HDMI verses Component is very small and still has fantastic PQ either way.

Of course, the best advise, though, is to get an HDMI switch and get the most out of both sources.