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HDMI splitter in the test: What are the inexpensive distributors good for?

Until a few years ago, so-called HDMI splitters in decent quality were only known from the high-end sector or from studios. There, the switch boxes primarily had one goal: to distribute an HDMI output signal to several monitors or displays. Such devices then sometimes cost several hundred euros.

But times have changed: Due to the widespread use of HDMI in the home theater sector, there are now also inexpensive HDMI splitters for around 20 euros to buy. And apparently this is catching on. A number of different low-budget HDMI splitters are currently topping the bestseller lists.

Reason enough for us to take a closer look at these HDMI splitters. Within the scope of a short test, we want to check what is possible with the low-priced device and above all - how the picture quality is.

Before the test: What does an HDMI splitter have to do?
There is always controversy about the term HDMI splitter. In fact, the term says nothing more than that an HDMI signal is somehow "distributed" or "split". How often and in which direction remains open. Therefore, the following own definition shall serve for this test:

An HDMI splitter distributes the signal of an HDMI output to optionally one or more HDMI inputs.

HDMI Splitter vs. HDMI Switch
This makes clear: It is not about connecting multiple devices to one HDMI input (that would be an HDMI switch), but to distribute one HDMI signal to multiple displays (e.g. TV and projector). To do this, the signal must be split within a splitter and then amplified again (active splitter). So a simple HDMI splitter offers a simple function. It can display one HDMI output signal on two or more HDMI displays in parallel.

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