Octavia HDMI switch with digital audio routing
OK, HDMI switch boxes are really nothing new. Octavia has taken the normal switch and added digital audio ports to it. This way you can route your high-def video along with digital audio to the apporate source easily. So basically you can plug in the HDMI and Toslink/dig coax cable from your Blu-ray player, HD cable box, PS3, and any other random high-def box and this little box will do the work. You will never have to switch your TV and receivers input again. But this little wonder will cost you - $279 to be exact.
Filed under: DIY
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
John @ Jun 9th 2006 2:49PM
That looks to be really useful, but at the moment I don't have that many devices with HDMI. I guess I could in the future and it can help to extend the life of a receiver/tv with not enough of those types of digital inputs.
BG @ Jun 9th 2006 2:58PM
Does it work with HDCP?
Carl @ Jun 9th 2006 3:50PM
Your comments: I've been wanting something exactly like this... hmm wonder what the
wholesale cost is...
and yes it does have HDCP support. (look at the article?)
Adam @ Jun 9th 2006 3:51PM
If you had read the link you would have find out ;). I can tell you that it does pass thru HDCP :)
//Adam
zelig2 @ Jun 9th 2006 4:20PM
Isn't the point of HDMI that it contains the digital audio in addition to the video? If you look at the specs for the next gen video they state you need to use HDMI to get the full audio bit rate. S/PDIF is only good for about 1.4Mb/s (ala 2 channel PCM stereo). If I actually had four HDMI devices this might be useful.
Jason @ Jun 9th 2006 7:15PM
One of the downsides of this box is really that it feeds to one input at the TV (the whole point), however, some of my sources I have different calibration/configuration on my TV. For example: for my DVD input I have a "fill" to stretch to full screen, as opposed to my Dish STB where I have my TV set to "standard". If I went through this switch, all the sources will have the same display configuration.
Carl @ Jun 9th 2006 7:38PM
Cant you change that on the fly though? I recently bought (and returned, after hearing about new a2000 line) a new Sony SXRD, and you could change all the fill options as need be, even for dual tuner mode. (Played 360 in full mode, while having cable coming in with 4:3 standard) Anyway, to those who ask about HDMI including audio is this: TVs don't have sourround sound... So this is so you can have all your video go to your tv, and all your audio go to your Reciever.
K @ Jun 9th 2006 11:11PM
Well, I have run out of S/PDIF inputs on my receiver, and I have used that one HDMI connection on my Plasma. This way I could run the DVD player and the HD STB via HDMI without spending $1k plus on a newer receiver...that will probably only have 2 HDMI connections.
therock @ Jun 10th 2006 10:46AM
they should provide digital-audio routing to and from HDMI. Some of my to-become-devices may have audio within the HDMI, others not. I want to have just one input of my display always with same specs: with or without audio, not mixed: this one has embedded, the other one separate... bla.
Neal Saferstein @ Jun 11th 2006 6:20PM
How is the quality?
Neal Saferstein
rothgar @ Jun 12th 2006 11:21AM
I am confused also, You mean not all HDMI devices carry audio and video on the HDMI cable? I was under the assumption that was the point of HDMI.
What is the benefit over DVI if it doesn't have audio?
Jim @ Jun 12th 2006 6:09PM
Actually, a lot of HDMI devices allow for seperate carriage of audio signal through optical or coax. There are still very few receivers that can switch digital video, plus many people prefer to keep the number of connections to a minimum between the source and the final destination.
I'm considering one of these (mostly for the autosensing feature) as a stopgap measure before spending 10x as much on a new receiver that can do the switching, upscaling, etc. that I eventually want. That way the HD STB, DVD, PlayStation, and something else can all coexist on the single DVI input on my HDTV.
Neal Saferstein @ Jun 13th 2006 10:11PM
Does it have HDCP support?
Neal Saferstein
sam @ Jun 24th 2006 1:28PM
I just got something similar but with out the audio futre and it is 3 ports only
so far I'm very please.
Sima VS-HD31 3x1 HDMI Switcher
here is the link at b&h
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/controller/home;jsessionid=GhLWpC3KGZ!-386120115?O=productlist&A=details&Q=&sku=421030&is=REG&addedTroughType=search