Customer Reviews

Terk HDMI-31 Smart HDMI Switch (3 X 1)

5 star:		(52)
4 star:		(21)
3 star:		(17)
2 star:		(19)
1 star:		(35)

 

 

When I bought my plasma TV a year ago, I never imagined that I would want to connect more than one HDMI device. That changed when I bought a DVD player with HDMI and the ability to upconvert DVD's to near HD quality. After first considering spending $400+ on a new receiver with dual HDMI ports, I opted to first try this device for about $65. Money saved. The device automatically switches between the cable and DVD inputs when I turn them on and I now can enjoy the much improved DVD video quality (I had been using composite video on the DVD player) that comes from HDMI. There is no change in the input quality from my cable box HDMI input. There was virutaly no setup involved. I simply unplugged my TV's existing HDMI connection from the cable box and plugged it into the output on the Terk box. Then I ran HDMI cables from the DVD and cable box to two of the three inputs on the Terk box and powered up. That was it. Rather than buy super costly HDMI cables, I purchased two HDMI cables from Abacus 24-7 (an Amazon contractor) at $6.99 each. They work like a charm. Since for audio I use a recevier rather than my TV speakers and my receiver is not HDMI capable, I have connected my receiver to the audio outputs of my cable box and DVD player using digital fiber optical cable and get all the capability of surround sound that I could want. Those optical cables are $5.99 each from Abacus (I found them for $12.99 to $25.99 at Fry's Electronics).

Update as of May 11, 2007. Still working like a charm. I haven't had to do anything to the unit and I basically forget it is there.

Update as of June 13, 2007. I now use my computer as a digital recording device, like a TIVO-type box. I record HDTV over the air using a Terk HDTV antenna and a Hauppauge HDTV capture card. My computer graphics card has a DVI output, so I bought a DVI to HDMI converter cable ($12 at Amazon) which connects my computer to one of the HDMI source inputs on the Terk HDMI-31 Switch. It operates flawlessly. Another reason to have Terk's multiple HDMI connection capability.

I ordered this switcher but it doesn't quite meet my needs. It works great as an manual switch, but beware if you're set on the automatic switching mode. Not all devices terminate the HDMI link when you power them off (such as my TiVo). If you have a device that doesn't terminate the link, this switch won't switch back to it because it triggers based on the inactive-to-active state change of a connection. For example, I put my TiVo on input 1 and my DVD on input 2. When I turn on the DVD, it switched to input 2 as desired. However, turning the DVD off and the TiVo back on DID NOT switch back to input 1 because the TiVo never terminated the HDMI link and therefore didn't trigger the switcher. Bummer. I wound up ordering the 4-port Hdmi Switcher Box w/ Remote Control (1 Year Warranty) instead which solves my problem by using its remote control.

There are switchers out there that comes with a remote, at a cost of $50 or so. But the fact that this unit is auto-switching eliminates the need for a remote completely, and avoided another remote to clutter up my coffee table. The switcher can also be placed out of sight because of this feature.

Just remember to turn off one unit before turning on another unit for the auto-switching to work properly. Works like a champ with no static or green dots. AC adaptor is tiny, making it quite "power strip friendly".

This product works great IF you can turn off unused components. However, if you record shows from your cable or satellite box, you know that the receiver must remain on at all times (as would the DVR if it's a separate component) or you would miss recordings. With a receiver and/or TiVo always on, this switcher won't be able to change inputs to, for example your DVD player or XBox, because it works by sensing whether a signal is being output over the HDMI cables, and thus won't switch if two inputs are active simultaneously.

If you have a complicated setup like this, you should instead buy a switcher with a programmable remote so you can either use the switcher's remote to change inputs or train a universal remote to drive the switcher and other peripherals at the same time.

Just boxed the switch up to ship it back. I am a DirecTV user and I have an HR20 HD DVR that will not pass through the switch. My DVD player works fine through the switch. My HR20 works fine connected directly to the HDMI port on the TV but when I connect the HR20 through the switch the HR20 crashes and has to be uplugged to reboot it.

Bottom line is that the switch seems to work OK as long as you don't have an HR20. I have seen others having this problem as well after researching this online.

I have also read of others using a different switch and the HR20 seems to work fine. Just placed the order for a different brand switch that I have read works for the HR20.

I like many others read all of the reviews and decided to take the plunge after a few others specifically mentioned that this works with the Netflix Roku movie downloader.

Well... for me it didn't.

The other thing everyone mentioned was that in order for this unit to work properly, you need to turn off one device before turning on the other or the unit may not auto switch peoperly.

That doesn't work either.

In addition, the ROKU unit is "always on" so there is no turning it off.

Regardless though, after using several different hdmi cables between the Roku, DVD player and TV... ultimately i give this 1 star for appearance only. What an utter disappointment this unit is.

EVEN WHEN MANUALLY SETTING (which you can do) it still did not send the signal to the TV properly.

When i plug the DVD player directly into the TV... works like a champ. When i plug the Roku unit directly into the TV... works like a champ.

So... i blame the TERK unit.

Now i'm back to looking. This time though i'll find someting with a remote since the ROKU unit is always on. That i did not know until after i bought it.

I hope this helps

I purchased this product from Amazon and was sold by ANT Tech. Switch will not work with a Direct TV HR20 HD receiver, it will not recognize the unit.Therfore will not switch over. Audiovox sent me 4 replacements before they admmited that it will not work with Direct Tv.I am thinking that a large number of direct tv customers might consider purchasing this HDMI switch, I am here to tell you do not buy it or you will have the same problems that I had. The company ANT Technologies (seller of product) is a poor company. They do not have a customer service number and WILL not return you E-Mails.Thank god that Amazon.com is a reputable company, they gave me a full refund in a very short period of time. So my advice is to not purchase this switch and run and do not look back if what you are buying comes from ANT Technologies.

This is a great HDMI switching product, priced right. Received it in two days with standard shipping and had it plugged in and working within two minutes . It switches automatically, sensing activity on one of three input channels. It's small, and it works flawlessly, handling HDCP without any hiccups. You can't beat the price, and I feel safer with a branded product like Terk than with an unknown vendor with their clunky oversized and overpriced boxes. My configuration has two DVD players (hi-def and regular) going to the Terk, which then goes to one of two HDMI inputs on my Sony DG1000, then on to my Sony KDS60A2000 big screen. I have the DG1000 switched to the Terk, and the Terk knows when I have started a DVD on one of the two players and switches automatically to the right source, and I do not get momentary green screens or bad source messages waiting for the receiver's repeater to catch up, and I'm using excellent quality very low cost (<$7ea) 6ft HDMI cables from Abacus24-7 with no problems. Don't waste your money on expensive HDMI cables, and forget all your analog cabling compromises from the past. This is the new way and the right way to configure and switch digital sources! If you need to switch among multiple DVD players, set tops, games, etc., buy the Terk to get the satisfaction of having real 21st century pure digital simplified connectivity! Everything else is just an excuse.Terk HDMI-31 Smart HDMI Switch (3 X 1)

Horrible experience with the product. The switching works, but there's way too much noise (or snow) for all the outputs. I've tried it with my DVD player and PS3. Even tried switching the cables just to make sure that it wasn't a cable issue.

Avoid at all costs.

Received the switch today along with two HDMI cables. Switching between Dish Network HDTV, HD-XA2 and PS3. Unit is HDCP and HDMI ver. 1.3 complaint according manufacturer's literature. I can see no visible signal degradation though I am only using it up to 1080i. I was hesitant to buy since there were so many people saying the auto switch did not actually occur, but it does, except when the Dish is connected. I noticed that after connecting everything the switch powered up sans the power supply and with all of the equipment off, then I turned on the Toshiba HD DVD and nothing happened, until I switched manually. I realized that it was likely the Dish because of the stupid screen saver that is always on even when the receiver is off. If I can find where that feature can be turned off then the switch will work fine since the PS3 and the HD DVD both work fine in auto without the Dish receiver hooked up. 4 stars was due to nothing really deserving 5 stars, it works as advertised and is a suitable stand in until the Onkyo 875 I want is released.

If you want an HDMI switch on the cheap this is it, just remember the auto feature works on output from a component and if an output is present it will stay with that one even if a new signal is presented.