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"Best" inexpensive way to connect multiple HDMI consoles...

Posted: Tue May 08, 2018 5:50 pm
by SuperDerpBro
... to a monitor with no audio options? I prefer monitors over TVs for gaming.

I have a 32 inch HP monitor that has one HDMI port and no audio ports.

https://www.bestbuy.ca/en-ca/product/hp ... JlVa4C8%3D

With most monitors i would just use the headphone jack to a set of PC speakers. Right now i have my PS4/PS3/360 hooked up. Video VIA an auto HDMI switcher. For audio my PS4 goes to a cheap $5 DAC VIA optical. The PS3 is using the multi AV port for audio and basically the same with the 360. All three audios go to an AV switch to select between them.. Not elegant but it works. Is there any better options than this? I would like to be able to add stuff (an example being my NES/SNES Classics) that have no other audio options than HDMI.

Thanks :D

Re: "Best" inexpensive way to connect multiple HDMI consoles

Posted: Wed May 09, 2018 8:11 am
by bmoc
A home theater receiver with lots of HDMI inputs will probably be your best bet along with some thrift store book shelf speakers. Anything else will be just as complicated as your current setup.

https://www.crutchfield.com/S-oOVxAcJox ... I_Inputs|8

Re: "Best" inexpensive way to connect multiple HDMI consoles

Posted: Wed May 09, 2018 9:17 am
by JoeAwesome
viewtopic.php?f=28&t=52035&p=1125645&hilit=hdmi#p1125645

viewtopic.php?f=17&t=51765&p=1117356&hilit=hdmi#p1117356

Edit: Derp. These are for getting multiple HDMIs in one port. Not to help with getting audio.

Re: "Best" inexpensive way to connect multiple HDMI consoles

Posted: Wed May 09, 2018 10:30 am
by isiolia
There are plenty of HDMI audio extractors on the market, so if you were really intent on keeping to a low budget, I'd try putting one of those on the output of whatever HDMI switchbox you're using (or buy a switch with it integrated like this).

However, personally, I would go with bmoc's suggestion of a proper A/V receiver. Main problem with peeling the audio off of HDMI (or using a headphone/optical out on a TV, etc) is that none of that supports the full quality that HDMI offers. For stuff like Blu-ray movies it may not be as immediately noticeable since you may still get 5.1 (just not lossless), but the generic multichannel PCM that games tend to do will tend to just pass stereo.

Re: "Best" inexpensive way to connect multiple HDMI consoles

Posted: Wed May 09, 2018 4:28 pm
by SuperDerpBro
bmoc wrote:A home theater receiver with lots of HDMI inputs will probably be your best bet along with some thrift store book shelf speakers. Anything else will be just as complicated as your current setup.

https://www.crutchfield.com/S-oOVxAcJox ... I_Inputs|8

I thought about this but im worried about adding lag or audio sync issues with a receiver.

isiolia wrote:There are plenty of HDMI audio extractors on the market, so if you were really intent on keeping to a low budget, I'd try putting one of those on the output of whatever HDMI switchbox you're using (or buy a switch with it integrated like this).

However, personally, I would go with bmoc's suggestion of a proper A/V receiver. Main problem with peeling the audio off of HDMI (or using a headphone/optical out on a TV, etc) is that none of that supports the full quality that HDMI offers. For stuff like Blu-ray movies it may not be as immediately noticeable since you may still get 5.1 (just not lossless), but the generic multichannel PCM that games tend to do will tend to just pass stereo.


Oh, cool. I never knew these existed. Could just add it as the last thing in the chain (or buy a new switch with stereo outs). Im cool with stereo so no problem there :P

Any chance of these adding lag or audio sync issues?

EDIT: https://www.amazon.ca/Pioneer-VSX-531-5 ... CGQTEJA29R

Would it be OK to add a switch before going to the the receiver? No receiver has enough HDMIs lol

Re: "Best" inexpensive way to connect multiple HDMI consoles

Posted: Wed May 09, 2018 5:16 pm
by isiolia
Generally speaking, anything processing the signal adds lag to some degree. I don't think the basic DAC type processing that might be present in most audio extractors would create much - I mean, technically, using the headphone jack on a monitor is doing the same thing already - but it'd be present on some level.

The nice thing with receivers tends to be that they give you options. Low end ones tend to just pass video through anyway, rather than include a scaler. Audio may have a "pure" mode that turns off filtering as well, along with options for delay to fix sync issues (usually to sync up with slow video processing, but still). So while they can introduce lag, likely, you can take steps to minimize it. Same as, say, using game mode on a TV. Modern systems/games tend to account for it somewhat too.

A switchbox should just be like cabling and not introduce any perceptible lag, so you can put one on a receiver's input if you want.

Re: "Best" inexpensive way to connect multiple HDMI consoles

Posted: Wed May 09, 2018 5:44 pm
by SuperDerpBro
Thanks.

Might just return this monitor.. It is only 19 days old and to be honest the sale was so good i didn't even notice it didn't have audio out when i bought it lol.

https://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/B07195 ... YIK6Y9EEQB

I wish i could find out if this TV was VA or IPS. VA's pixel response tends to be too slow for my liking. I cant find the info anywhere on the net. Other than a single site that says IPS but im not sure i believe it. heh

Re: "Best" inexpensive way to connect multiple HDMI consoles

Posted: Wed May 09, 2018 10:59 pm
by SuperDerpBro
Grabbed one of these to use on the output of the switch.

https://www.ebay.ca/itm/Fosmon-4K-HDMI- ... SwLjxafILP