Any HDMI Gurus?

[Brian Reay]

Other than connecting up HMDI devices 1:1 etc, I've never explored the details of how it works etc- it simply wasn't something I needed either at home or in my engineering days.

However, now I find myself wanting to do something and, having looked at the various boxes/gizmos, I'm a little stuck/confused.

I have an TV with one HDMI input and manual HMDI switch with 3 inputs, on is a Sat RX, one a Media Box, on is spare. The set up works fine- it is installed in our motorhome (and was worked in our previous motorhome for 5 or 6 years just fine).

Our new motorhome has HMDI cabling from the TV cabinet to the bedroom and I'd like to mount a TV in the bedroom so I can feed and HDMI signal there. Which one I've yet to decide (which side of the existing switch).

Basically, my question is this, what restrictions are there on feeding two TVs (or monitors) with the same signal?, please.

[John Rumm]

You can get HDMI splitters. Note that some may not support passing signals with High Def Content Protection (HDCP) - but many do (and actually strip HDCP in the process which is quite handy).

[Steve Walker]

Some (maybe all?) splitters default to the lower resolution of the two TVs if they are on at the same time so don't buy a lower resolution one as the second TV unless you are happy with this.

SteveW

[Brian Reay]

Thank you. Is this something which would be mentioned in the spec, please? Any idea what I should look for or is it as simple as ?strips HDCP?. (I don?t intend to do any copying.)

[Brian Reay]

Thank you. Normal def, rather than HD is fine.

[Dave Plowman (News)]

I got a neat 4 input 2 output switch off Ebay. Allows you to send any one of the four inputs to either (or both) of the outputs. With remote control.

I use this to feed the TV in the kitchen. So any of the STBs can be used there.

Before, I used a HDMI splitter on the output of the PVR only, so that could be viewed simultaneously on both sets. Can still do that, but more too.

[Theo]

It will expressly *not* be mentioned in the spec, because that violates the HDMI licence agreement. Look at Amazon/whatever reviews to see if people report stripping.

In general, a 1-to-N splitter can't do HDCP on both ports because HDCP is an ongoing conversation between each end and the source can't talk to two consumers at once. However a spec that says a splitter 'supports HDCP' will work two ways: either strip HDCP completely, or regenerate the signal with two conversations going on on the downstream ports. The latter is more expensive, which is why the cheaper boxes strip (and to hell with the rules). Start at the cheapest and see if you can find one where people say it strips (and doesn't have some other flaw).

Theo

[Brian Reay]

Thank you.

[Tim Watts]

+1 I would advise looking out for ones that strip the HDCP - it's a PITA and is showing up more and more on major streaming services.

My Yamaha YSP-2500 soundbar cannot handle the latest version of HDCP and I'm been feeling the pain for a while - not had time to research and buy a stripper.