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TVs, even the latest and greatest smart TVs, have a finite amount of ports available. As soon as you start connecting external media devices, like game consoles, Blu-Ray players, audio equipment, or streaming devices, those ports are taken up. If you have a TV that only has three or four HDMI ports max, you’re going to run out of options fast. Usually, to add more devices, you’ll have to disconnect an HDMI cable and swap it out with another device. That gets old really fast. Not to mention, constantly fussing with cables, inputs, and connectors can lead to breakages or failures. But there is a way to add more HDMI ports to your TV, smart or otherwise. Actually, there are a couple of options.
The first is to use an AV receiver, which connects to a single HDMI port on your TV and acts as a passthrough for other media devices. An excellent example of this is the Denon AVR-S670H. The second, and cheaper option, is to use a simple HDMI splitter like the UGREEN HDMI 5-in-1 Switch. Similar to something like a USB hub that adds more USB ports for your computer, an HDMI switch simply extends the available HDMI ports, usually by adding several others in a compact box or form factor. Now that you know what to use, let’s break each down with the why.
AV receiver versus HDMI switch
An AV receiver acts more like a hub for all entertainment devices, routing everything to your TV. Instead of plugging HDMI devices into your TV directly, you connect them to the receiver, which acts as a passthrough. In addition, the receiver doesn’t necessarily connect all of those devices at once. You swap between inputs using your receiver’s remote or mobile app. Receivers also amplify sound for immersive surround audio systems and decode advanced formats like Dolby Atmos or DTS:X. Because of how much they do, AV receivers tend to be more expensive than something like a simple HDMI switch.
The Denon AVR-S670H gives you 5.2-channel audio, 8K ultra-high-definition video support, with streaming built-in, including Bluetooth and Wi-Fi connectivity. The rear includes a host of inputs, like full surround audio inputs, and also expands HDMI options through several additional ports. With the Denon, it also matters which HDMI port you use, depending on the devices you’re plugging in. It also supports HDMI Arc if you know what that’s for.
An HDMI switch, on the other hand, merely extends the available HDMI ports by including more. It works similarly to the receiver as in you have to swap between HDMI inputs. You connect your HDMI devices to the switch, plug that into your TV, and when ready, you select the device you want on the switch itself. The UGREEN 5-in-1 comes with a remote to make input switching easy, and you don’t have to get off the couch to do it. Plus, it supports 4K video at 60 frames per second and is HDCP 2.2 compatible. A switch is the more economical option, and may offer more HDMI ports than a receiver — UGREEN’s switch adds five ports, for example.
