HDMI switches

I’ve not yet noticed anyone else checking into this topic and reporting the results. So out of curiosity I’ve bought a few different HDMI switchboxes, etc, and will be trying out how they behave, particularly WRT any effect on audio via HDMI. Should I get any useful results I’ll let people know.

Jim

I use an Aten 4-port HDMI switch which nominally supports HDMI 1.3b IIRC, but seems to handle resolutions of up to WQHD (2560×1440) fine (ARMX6 as well as the various RPis – screen is a Philips 258B6QJEB/00). No audio extraction done in this switching device, which is the reason I have not commented on your original thread.

My plan is to replace this switch with a 4K capable AV receiver “real soon now”. Then I will be able to report on the topic of audio extraction :-)

Steffen, is the Aten switch a KVM? If so, I’d like to know the model number as I want to replace the Aten DVI KVM I have at the moment and I need 2560 × 1440 resolution too.

I got a used TV for £40 which does 720p and has three HDMI ports so it kinda negated my need for a switch—will be interested in this if I get more than 3 computers to plug into it though!

Having struggled with various combinations for long time, I bought a 4-port KVM switch from CPC @ £82.70, which seems to be identical to the one from Lindy @ £89.94.

I use it at 1920×1200 with a Pi, an AMX6, a HannSpree PC with Windows 10 and an ancient Toshiba with Windows XP and a VGA>HDMI adaptor. I have no problems at all. It comes with combination HDMI/USB leads, has a built-in USB hub and extracts audio from HDMI, although not digital.

It was expensive, but the convenience was worth it for me. I previously had a lot of problems with an ATEN KVM.

Steffen, is the Aten switch a KVM?

No, only HDMI switch. I still use my 8-port Belkin PS/2-USB-VGA-KVM switch in combination with the HDMI switch. I regularly search for a capable KVM switch, but have never found something even remotely suitable. In an ideal world, there would be an 8-port KVM with 4K Dual-HDMI and combined PS/2 and USB capability (for the devices and the host of course).

The best I can find is the Avocent SV240H-201 which is a 4 port 4K HDMI KVM at £300 inc VAT. It has audio in/out, but I think that’s just analogue.

FWIW the main limit on what I can test is that my monitor maxes out at ‘HD’ resolution (i.e.1920 × 1080 at 60Hz 16m colours) and only accepts audio up to 48k/24. Hence I can’t actually test the full ability of switches that go beyond that.

However I now have three new switches to try.

One thing I can confirm from even quick comparisions is that some odd problems I’d have before were due to the ‘Monoprice’ switch I’d been using. But sadly, that’s the only one I’ve found so far with a digital audio breakout and which in itself accepts up to 192k/24 audio and surround, etc, to split out. I may end up having to buy something costly from Keene, etc, to compare with that.

Say more when I know more.