Hdmi splitter = quality loss ?

[ungovernable]

I only have 1 hdmi output on my HTPC. I would like to link another TV to the HTPC, so i'm thinking about buying this hdmi splitter:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/HDMI-Male-To-2-x-HDMI-Female-Y-Splitter-Adapter-Cable-/260750639517?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item3cb5f3019d

Only one question : will i experience any signal quality loss when using a splitter ?

Thanks !

 

[ricardois]

i'm not sure because i can't see the link right now, but if it is a hdmi splitter Y, it only works with 1 screen at a time, meaning you will have to turn of one screen before powering on the other.

there are a lot of splitter models but all of them will lose something, it is noot a good solution to split a video signal, don't you have a Dvi output? you could use a cable Dvi>hdmi. or something like that, otherwise it is not recommended if you want to use 2 screens at the same time.

 

[Dark Lord of Tech]

I have a 4 port hub an no quality loss!

 

[Rockdpm]

You shouldn't have a quality loss. Just don't expect to be plugging your other monitors up the other video ports and run 4k monitors on 1 card just because of an adapter. Its not Safe. Just use that adapter to Power the two monitors it was designed to run

 

[ungovernable]

i'm not sure because i can't see the link right now, but if it is a hdmi splitter Y, it only works with 1 screen at a time, meaning you will have to turn of one screen before powering on the other.

thanks for letting me know, ill ask the seller if his item has this problem

there are a lot of splitter models but all of them will lose something, it is noot a good solution to split a video signal, don't you have a Dvi output? you could use a cable Dvi>hdmi. or something like that, otherwise it is not recommended if you want to use 2 screens at the same time.

I think i have a DVI plug, but as far as i know i can't get audio through DVI and i need it

I have a 4 port hub an no quality loss!

Where did you buy it, what brand and do you have the problem ricardois is talking about ?

Thanks !

 

[ricardois]

I think i have a DVI plug, but as far as i know i can't get audio through DVI and i need it

There are other ways to get the sound from your computer, i think would be the best solution use the DVI on the other screen and take the sound with other cables.

and some multimedia displays may accept HDMI (including audio) over a DVI input. In general, exact capabilities vary from product to product.

 

[ungovernable]

nah, the TV is 30feet away from the computer, i really want to use only one cable... anyway i dont have any audio input left on the TV, i really need hdmi :/

 

[ubercake]

The signal is digital over HDMI. There will either be a signal or there won't. No quality loss. If you just need a duplicate video signal sent to two displays:

http://www.parts-express.com/pe/showdetl.cfm?Partnumber=180-597

 

[TeraMedia]

I use a 1-4 port HDMI distributor. 1 HDMI input, and 4 outputs. I send 1 output to a projector, 1 to a TV in room A, and in the future will be sending 2 to TVs in rooms B and C via receivers dedicated to those rooms.

The problems I've seen so far tie to the two target devices not having the exact same device capability specs. With HDMI, as with DVI and VGA, the display device sends a signal to your GPU to tell it what the device can do. Included in this is more than just the resolution: the blanking interval and signal timing, color depth, audio channel support and other details are also included with HDMI. So since the timing is not quite the same between my two display devices, the amount of overscan differs between them. One shows a full screen, while the other shows blank pixels around the perimeters. I've tried to resolve this by adjusting the selected display mode details of each display, but haven't nailed a solution yet.

Also, you may run into problems if you're trying to send HDCP-encrypted content, because I don't think that allows for more than one device.

 

[TeraMedia]

One more thing: When used at the same time, your A/V signal-receiving devices will receive the lowest common denominator of their combined capabilities. If one supports 7.1 Dolby TrueHD and the other only supports 2.0 Dolby Digital, you'll only get 2.0 Dolby Digital sound out of both devices.

 

[o_tipper_x]

Your quality loss will also depend on the quality of splitter you have. You may have some but probably undetectable to your nake eye.

Unless your doing some high level gaming or something.

 

[ubercake]

Should be no quality loss. It's a digital signal over HDMI. The bits are either on or off. You get the HD picture or you don't.

 

[ungovernable]

I use a 1-4 port HDMI distributor. 1 HDMI input, and 4 outputs. I send 1 output to a projector, 1 to a TV in room A, and in the future will be sending 2 to TVs in rooms B and C via receivers dedicated to those rooms.

The problems I've seen so far tie to the two target devices not having the exact same device capability specs. With HDMI, as with DVI and VGA, the display device sends a signal to your GPU to tell it what the device can do. Included in this is more than just the resolution: the blanking interval and signal timing, color depth, audio channel support and other details are also included with HDMI. So since the timing is not quite the same between my two display devices, the amount of overscan differs between them. One shows a full screen, while the other shows blank pixels around the perimeters. I've tried to resolve this by adjusting the selected display mode details of each display, but haven't nailed a solution yet.

Also, you may run into problems if you're trying to send HDCP-encrypted content, because I don't think that allows for more than one device.

Can you link me to the item you are using ? Thanks for the info !

 

[ungovernable]

I bought that HDMI Y cable and it doesn' work

Do you know what is the name of this item and where i can buy it in canada ?
http://www.parts-express.com/pe/showdetl.cfm?Partnumber=180-597

its currently out of stock

 

[joesden]

You are going to run into all kinds of issues with cheap Y adapters and splitters. I recommend using a high end Powered HDMI Splitter.