HDMI more sockets

Clairabella

A quick question please. My TV only has one HDMI socket. In addition to the Humax box I'd like to be able to plug in a Now TV box and occasionally my laptop. Is there such a thing similar to those you plug into an electrical socket and it gives you three sockets except for HDMI please. I have tried a search but, as I don't know the terms to use I am getting nowhere!

S0litaire

You're looking for a "HDMI switch"

http://www.amazon.co.uk/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=HDMI+Switch

Clairabella

Thank you so much. Will the TV just know which thing I'm wanting to use?

Ectophile

The TV will have absolutely no idea. It will just see one thing connected to the HDMI input. It will be the HDMI switch that determines what you see.

Clairabella

OK thanks. Apologies for not having a clue about these things.

cookie365

No reason why you should have a clue about stuff like this, that's why there are techy forums

Cycrow

depending on the switch, it might switch automatically when it receives a signal from one of the HDMI. So turning on the device might force it to switch to that device.

otherwise, you just select it on the switch itself (some also have remote controls to switch)

epninety

I bought one of these for work last week, seems to work well enough. It has a remote, plus if only one source is plugged in, it switches to that one automagically.

Don't forget the extra hdmi leads you'll need. Amazon basics ones are decent quality and well priced.

prowla

As per above, switches may have ports which become active when you switch on the device attached to them, so suppose you have a DVD player then you might usually have that off/standby; if you plug that into the highest precedence socket then it would take over when the player was switched on.

You can get remote controlled ones; I've seen a quite nice one in Maplin.

cookie365

It's worth checking the Amazon reviews on those remote control ones - often they clash with the remotes for other devices.