14 DAY TRIAL // It would seem that HDMI (High Definition Multimedia Interface) is slowly becoming the audio/video interface for both users and manufacturers of various multimedia devices, mostly due to the fact that it guarantees very high data transfer speeds and the possibility of transmitting uncompressed streams. However, since the number of HDMI-enabled devices has increased quite a lot over the past year, a very serious connectivity-related issue has appeared and that's exactly the issue IOGEAR's new 4-Port Automatic HDMI Switch is trying to address.
The HDMI switch does exactly what one might expect of it, namely it switches between the various sources of HD content. Thus, a single HDMI cable connects an HDTV with the switch, which links up to four devices, such as Apple TV, DVD players, video game consoles, media servers, etc. This significantly reduces the amount of wires plugged directly into a television set, which makes it a very good solution for wall-mount set-ups, but also eliminates the need to manually switch A/V inputs.
Another important usability-related feature offered by IOGEAR's switch is the HDAS (High-Definition Automatic Switch) technology, which instantly locks and transfers the active audio and video content to the connected HD display. Practically, users can control their whole entertainment center via a single universal remote control, but, if they so desire, they can also purchase a separate remote for the switch, which allows them to choose the active video port in real time.
According to IOGEAR, their device has been designed in such a manner as to provide the highest possible video quality. Thus, the 4-Port Automatic HDMI switch outputs video feeds at 1080p resolutions and assures a 2.25Gbps bandwidth for higher resolution and color depth video. Moreover, the HDMI connectors are gold-plated and the device is also HDMI 1.3v & HDCP Compliant.
"HDMI technology integration in home media centers shows no sign of slowing down, and the launch of our 4-Port Automatic HDMI Switch is another testament of IOGEAR's dedication of simplifying integration of technology in consumers' living rooms," said Miranda Su, vice president of sales and marketing at IOGEAR, Inc. "With compact size and latency-free audio and video switching capabilities, this offering fits in any media center, providing a vivid and robust home entertainment viewing experience."
The device from IOGEAR has a mean suggested retail price of around 190 US dollars, which is actually quite fair, considering the fact that this thing might prove to be extremely useful when setting up one's High Definition home theater system.
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