HomeTechnologyNewsHow to Add More HDMI Ports to a TV

How to Add More HDMI Ports to a TV

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Add more HDMI ports to your TV with an HDMI switcher, which lets you connect multiple devices to a single input and switch between them as needed.

Does your TV not have enough HDMI ports for your needs? You don’t have to replace the TV. Fix the problem with an HDMI switcher! Just make sure you get the right one.

Add more ports with an HDMI switch

An HDMI switch is like a USB hub but for HDMI devices. The switcher’s output connects to a single HDMI input on your TV, monitor, projector, or capture card. Additional HDMI sources are then connected to the switch, which features a variety of additional ports. You can then select the relevant input on your TV and use the switcher to change sources at will.

This solves the problem of not having enough HDMI ports on your TV (or whatever the switch is connected to). Eliminate the need to get up and swap devices by physically disconnecting and connecting HDMI cables. Most switches come with a remote so it’s possible to switch between sources from your couch, although cheaper models may require you to touch a button on the unit.

HDMI 2.1 switch
AVFABUL

Switches are great for gamers who have more consoles and inputs than HDMI ports. Home entertainment enthusiasts can also use them to connect Blu-ray and DVD players, cable and satellite boxes, streaming boxes, optical or hard drive recorders, PCs and more.

Most TVs have around four HDMI inputs, but not all offer the same benefits. Some TVs are limited to one or two HDMI 2.1 ports, a higher-bandwidth standard used by the latest game consoles and graphics cards. If you have modern consoles and a PC with a modern graphics card, an HDMI 2.1-compatible switcher can help meet all your 4K 120Hz (or 8K 60Hz) needs.

RELATED: HDMI vs. Mini-HDMI vs. Micro HDMI: What’s the difference?

Choose the correct HDMI standard

The most important thing to consider is which HDMI standard your switch uses. This will need to match your intended use and resolution. To cover the basics:

  • HDMI 2.1 offers resolution up to 8K@60Hz, 4K@120Hz, fully HDR compatible
  • HDMI 2.0b supports up to 4K@60Hz resolution, also fully HDR compatible
  • HDMI 1.4 exceeds HD (1080p) resolution

If you’re buying an HDMI switch because you have a limited number of ports on your TV that support HDMI 2.1, make sure you buy a switch that supports the faster standard. This will allow you to plug in an Xbox Series X, PlayStation 5, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 30-Series, or AMD Radeon RX 6000 card and enjoy up to 120Hz resolution at 4K (with HDR support).

You’ll also be covered for any future HDMI sources that use HDMI 2.1. It’s the smartest choice if you want to “future-proof” your setup, but it’s also the most expensive. Something like the AVFABUL 4-in-1 HDMI 2.1 Switcher should do the job, or the cheap CALEDECONN 2-in-1 if you want to spend a little less on the cost of features.

HDMI 2.1 switch

AVFABUL 4 in 1 HDMI 2.1 Switch

Connect four devices to a single HDMI 2.1 port and switch between them with the included remote control. It includes support for CEC, ARC, Dolby Atmos, DTS X, and HDCP 2.3.

HDMI 2.0 switches are generally cheaper and offer more ports for less money, but they only support up to 4K@60Hz resolution. If you don’t have a TV (or source) that supports 120Hz, you’re not sacrificing anything. Take FiveHome’s 5-in-1 HDMI 2.0 Switch, for example, which includes HDCP 2.2 compatibility and a reasonably priced remote control.

HDMI 2.0 switch

FiveHome 5-in-1 HDMI 2.0 Switch

Connect five devices to a single HDMI port with support for 4K@60Hz resolution, plus HDCP 2.2 compliance and a remote control for convenient switching.

Newer HDMI specs are always backwards compatible with older devices, so the switches listed above will cover HDMI 1.4 devices as well. If you only have a 1080p (HD) display, you can save some money with a cheap switch like Fosmon’s HDMI 1.4 3-in-1 Switch, which doesn’t even have a remote, but should be fine for older 1080p devices like PlayStation 4 or Xbox. one.

HDMI 1.4 switcher

Fosmon 3-in-1 HDMI 1.4 Switch

This cheap and cheerful switcher is ideal for older 1080p consoles and other HD sources, and even promises support for HDCP 1.1.

Some HDMI switchers also separate audio

Some HDMI switches include the ability to separate video and audio streams. This allows you to send audio to a separate device without affecting the quality of the video, which is useful if your video playback device does not support the current audio format. It can also be useful if you want to use headphones through an analog output that your TV may lack.

If you only have an analog receiver, an HDMI audio extractor can pass audio to it. This can be a cheaper way to get better sound than buying a whole new receiver or sound bar. Sometimes routing audio from your TV isn’t enough, especially if your TV doesn’t support formats like Dolby Atmos, DTS-X, and other premium audio technologies.

A switcher like the SkycropHD HDMI 2.0 Switcher with Extractor provides optical, 3.5mm and ARC output plus a 5-in-1 interface. You can also buy dedicated HDMI extractors like the AVFABUL HDMI 2.1 Extractor with support for up to 7.1 channels of audio and HDCP 2.3.

HDMI 2.0 switch and audio extractor

Connect up to five devices to a single HDMI 2.0 port, with support for audio extraction in optical, 3.5mm, and ARC formats. Pass audio directly to your receiver before it reaches your TV, without sacrificing video quality.

Make sure you are using the “correct” HDMI port

If you are purchasing a switch to connect multiple HDMI 2.1 devices, be sure to plug the switch into the appropriate HDMI 2.1 port on your TV. It’s now more common for TVs to come with a full range of HDMI 2.1 ports, but some limit the higher-bandwidth technology to just one or two ports.

At the same time, avoid using an HDMI 2.1 port for less demanding devices (using HDMI 2.0b) when you have many slower ports available. In most cases, an HDMI 2.1 port will be labeled as such on the back of the TV. You may also see labels like “4K 120Hz” or “8K 60Hz” on these ports.

HDMI 2.1 Bandwidth Comparison
HDMI Licensing Authority

It’s also a good idea to limit your switch to devices that you only use occasionally. A switch can interfere with HDMI-CEC (HDMI-Consumer Electronics Control) features like auto power-on, so if you want (for example) your Nintendo Switch to turn on your TV and automatically switch to the correct input, make sure the switch is plugged directly into the TV and configures HDMI-CEC appropriately.

Problems you may encounter

Aside from HDMI-CEC issues, another problem you may run into concerns a technology called HDCP. This stands for High-bandwidth Digital Content Protection, and is a standardized form of protection for copyrighted material.

It is designed to prevent users from copying the content of anything transmitted over a digital cable connection using encryption, with limited success. Many switches don’t support HDCP standards, which isn’t a huge problem if you’re connecting older consoles or a PC, but it can present a problem for media playback devices like Blu-ray players and streaming sticks like the Apple TV.

HDCP support listed in manufacturer image
AVFABUL

Sometimes even HDMI switches that promise HDCP support have problems. If you’re having trouble, you might want to consider which devices get a priority connection on your TV (bypassing switch-induced HDCP issues) and which don’t require support for the standard.

Some devices, like the PlayStation 5, allow you to turn off HDCP support in the settings menu, which means you can still play games, but you can’t watch copyrighted movies, TV shows, and other playable content.

Looking to send a single source to multiple TVs?

If you have a lot of HDMI inputs but are interested in sending a single device (like a game console) to more than one HDMI output (like a TV and an overhead projector), you want an HDMI splitter, not an HDMI switcher. Consider something like the HDMI 2.1 Plain Switcher and Splitter, a bi-directional device that lets you send a single device to two displays, or two devices to a single display, depending on how you set it up.

HDMI switcher with splitter capability

Keep in mind that cheap splitters only support one screen at a time and do not work as a mirror. You’ll have to spend a lot more for something like the AVFABUL HDMI 2.1 splitter to mirror one input to two displays at once.

Get more Ethernet and USB ports too

You may encounter this problem on your router with Ethernet ports. You can fix that with an Ethernet switch, but you’ll need to be a bit more conscious of how you connect your devices.

The same can be said for USB and other ports, so be sure to get one of our best recommended USB-C hubs if you need additional inputs.

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