Automatic switching: The switcher senses which device is active at the moment (your Fire TV is sending a video signal, for example), so it automatically switches the output on your TV screen to that active device. While it sounds convenient, this automatic switching is far from perfect, and the switcher will often get confused with devices that “snatch” the port even when they’re seemingly idle.

Make sure that your HDMI switcher is compatible if you are routing the output of the switcher through a home theater receiver that provides decoding for advanced audio formats, such as Dolby TrueHD, Atmos, DTS-HD Master Audio, DTS:X. There's also the possibility of a firmware update opening up some hidden capabilities, as we saw with Nintendo releasing Bluetooth headphones support– four whole years after the console first launched.

If you have a 4K Ultra HD TV and 4K source components, the switcher must also be 4K compatible. If you need to pass HDR-encoded or 3D video signals, your HDMI switcher must have those capabilities. It's also possible that Nintendo is simply using some 4K-ready hardware in its console chain ahead of a 4K model. It's likely cheaper to buy 4K-ready chips en masse, and Nintendo may have made the business decision to invest in certain chipsets and cables preemptively, even if they're not being used to their full potential just yet.

Manual Switching with a Remote: You still have to switch between the connected input ports manually, but at least you don’t have to get up from the sofa, as you have an IR remote that controls the switcher. When you search to buy the best HDMI switcher, you’ll see devices called “HDMI Switch”, devices called “HDMI Splitter”, and those that mix it up and say they’re a Switcher AND a Splitter.So the first step is to look at the number of HDMI devices you want to connect to your TV now. But then, I would recommend you add at least one (or even two) free HDMI ports, to future-proof your switcher.

Manual Switching: You switch between the HDMI input ports by pressing a button on the switcher itself. However, the upgrade to visual quality with the mClassic engaged isn’t night and day, either. That isn’t to say it’s not a meaningful, worthwhile upgrade, though. For Animal Crossing, even some relatively light anti-aliasing and upscaling significantly cleans up the image and cuts down on jaggies. Considering the game is generally fairly minimalist aesthetically with lots of clean edges and bright colors, the increase to color vibrancy makes the whole world pop, while sharpening effectively brings out some extra detail from textures.There are, however, a few products that can serve as BOTH an HDMI Switcher and Splitter, meaning their HDMI ports can serve as either Input or Output. But to keep things simple, it’s usually best to buy a product that fits your specific need. In this article – we’re looking at HDMI Switchers (and one that does both). HDMI splitters that send two, three, four, or more signals from a single HDMI source are available, but for consumers, two is usually enough. Splitters with more outputs are primarily for business and commercial use, where one source needs to be sent to multiple TVs or projectors. The gold standard for the mClassic would be an onscreen interface you can use to see performance metrics and tweak what effects the mClassic applies and how it applies them. A silver medal would go to the mClassic if you could simply connect it to a PC via USB and change its settings in a piece of software. Either way, having control over your image is what I’m after, and even if the mClassic doesn’t get more effects, just the ability to tweak the ones it already comes with would be a massive win.

You can use an HDMI switcher with two HDMI outputs to send the same HDMI signal to two TVs or a video projector and TV, but you can use an HDMI splitter if you don't need a switcher. You won't need to worry about those, of course. For most of you, a 3x1 or 4x1 switch is all you'll likely need. Tips for buying and setting up an HDMI switch or HDMI splitter So a switcher lets you switch between different HDMI signals, while a splitter lets you split one HDMI signal out to several screens. For the record, we have reached out to Nintendo, though the company usually stays pretty quiet, or simply shuts down speculation– even if it turns out to be true. It's likely that Nintendo wants to keep the focus on its Switch OLED model, which has only just launched, and we don't expect a 4K iteration to launch imminently.But other than that, the modern Playstations are very fussy about the switchers (and even HDMI cables) they “agree” to work with. I believe this is mainly due to issues with the HDCP copy-protection standard and power issues. Like many things in life, an HDMI splitter is one of those items you never knew you needed until you get one, then you wonder how you ever lived without one. With many professional and personal applications, an HDMI splitter allows you to send one content source to multiple displays. This can be useful if you, say, run a sports bar—or if you simply want to use multiple screens for some multiplayer gaming. If possible, you should connect the PS4 Pro or PS5 directly to your TV’s HDMI port, and then use a switcher for the other devices you want to connect, on a different TV port.