I would go with the 4x1.

I would go with the 4x1.
sfhub, since you have a bit better experience with Mono's switch, how do you compare the two? Have you reviewed it yet? Any compatibility issues? What is the main difference between the two? Thanks.

I recently picked up the 5x1 from monoprice to switch:

Old Voom box for OTA HD
Bravo D1
Sony PS3

All works great. No issues at all. Well except one: the voom box and bravo are actually DVI connections. I use a DVI to HDMI adapter (monoprice) so that I can use regular HDMI cables. It all works, but on the inputs with the voom box and the D1 solid red lights show up on the switches display for those inputs. And they are bright! I have no problem switching between any of them, and the PS3's light is blank until I select that input and it goes green.

Everything works great. Even with my Harmony remote, but what are the red lights for?

sfhub, since you have a bit better experience with Mono's switch, how do you compare the two? Have you reviewed it yet? Any compatibility issues? What is the main difference between the two? Thanks.
I'm alternating between the 4x1 and the 5x1 rev2.1 right now. I haven't done full testing on the 4x1, but my feeling is the 4x1 is probably compatible with 99% of the equipment out there and the 5x1 is more like 95%. Both will work with the vast majority of equipment and if you are in the 95% category, either switch will work fine.

The 4x1 has slightly slower switch times. By slower, it is more like 1.5 second vs 1 second for the 5x1, not a huge difference. I think the LEDs on the 4x1 are way too bright, but you can put some masking tape on the front panel to workaround that.

I have tested 1080p60Hz with HDCP using the 4x1 and my Sharp LC-45GX6u. On the original 5x1 this config worked on all ports. On the rev2.1 it worked on port 4/5. On the 4x1 it worked on all ports.

However, I have to say that I haven't tested nearly as many devices with the 4x1 as I have with the 5x1 so don't shoot me if my impressions get modified later.

I'm alternating between the 4x1 and the 5x1 rev2.1 right now. I haven't done full testing on the 4x1, but my feeling is the 4x1 is probably compatible with 99% of the equipment out there and the 5x1 is more like 95%. Both will work with the vast majority of equipment and if you are in the 95% category, either switch will work fine.

The 4x1 has slightly slower switch times. By slower, it is more like 1.5 second vs 1 second for the 5x1, not a huge difference. I think the LEDs on the 4x1 are way too bright, but you can put some masking tape on the front panel to workaround that.

I have tested 1080p60Hz with HDCP using the 4x1 and my Sharp LC-45GX6u. On the original 5x1 this config worked on all ports. On the rev2.1 it worked on port 4/5. On the 4x1 it worked on all ports.

However, I have to say that I haven't tested nearly as many devices with the 4x1 as I have with the 5x1 so don't shoot me if my impressions get modified later.

Thank you. I am going to wait for a week or two and see if I can get more feedback on the newer switch before taking the plunge, I guess.

I've used my monoPrice.com 5x1 switch (March 2006 rev.) at 1920x1080 with the following non-HDCP DVI cards ...
- ATI X300 SE (awful card)
- ATI X1300XT
- nVidia GeForce4 Ti4200 - great old card, but chokes at 1080p
- nV 7600GT - regularly and flawlessly used at dual - 1920x1080 via (DVI) the monoPrice switch, and 1280x1024 to the other LCD.

Thanks for the info! I am using my 'old' pc (e.g. 2.4Ghz HT, 1GB Ram, ATI AIW 800XT) as a HTPC and I was hoping I wouldn't have to change the video card (as I planned to use a DVI-to-HDMI adapter to connect it to monoprice 4X1switch).

I plan to buy Mono's 5 x 1 switch to use with my Tosh HD-A1, Bravo D1, comcast cable box and plan to buy either BD player or dual format HD player in the future. I am thinking now maybe I will be better off buying the newer 4x1 switch. I plan to order this weekend. Any input would be greatly appreciated.

The 4X1 switch is the latest revision of all the switches so I'd buy this instead of the 5X1...

I just received the HDX-501 switcher today for use with a Directv HD DVR and a Sony upconverting DVD player. When the Directv HD DVR is the source on any input no audio is passed to the monitor. There is no problem with the DVD player. I will experiment a bit more but there does seem to be something amiss with this. Oh, I tried a couple of different HDMI cables on the output of the switcher, the results were the same.

A few minutes later three of the five inputs were dead. A call to Monoprice brought immediate and good results. They are shipping a new unit USPS priority.
I like their kind of customer service.

Similar issue to others with the Panasonic ae900,
Oppo works fine,
STB works fine,
HTPC with Nvidia 8800GTS only works if I connect directly to the projector. I can then "move" the connection back to the switch (tried ports 1-5) and keep it running - until I switch to one of the other inputs where it dies and doesn't come back.

I think I have V2.0 of the 5x1 siwtch, any way to tell?

Anyone else in a similar siutation have success with the rev2.1 5x1 or rev 2.5 4x1???

Same thing happened with an old radeon 9250 card as well, cable length HTPC to switch is 10ft, switch to projector is 12 ft, shorter cable (6ft) switch to projector doesn't help.

I asked this in the other forum here also, but there were no replies..

I was wondering if someone knows the fix of the EDID issue I am having with dvi port on my pc (EVGA 7600GT video card) to a 2 port manual/passive HDMI/DVI switcher connected to projector via HDMI cable. I have Motorola 6416 cable box connected via hdmi as the other input of switch.

I also tried Qres but had no luck in getting PC display on the projector(Mits HD1000U) after switching inputs. Will a enhanced monoprice hdmi switch with equalizer solve EDID issue's or do I also need a EDID doctor(monoprice) to get the digital switching going with this setup?

Sonisame

My 3 way Monoprice HDMI switch works fine with my DVI output from my 8600GTS card.

Wow, I had no idea Monoprice had HDMI switchers! Ordering one soon! :D

Will this config work?

Samsung 720p HLP (HDMI ver 1.0)

Denon 2910 (HDMI>HDMI)
Toshiba HD-A1 (HDMI>HDMI)
Motorola HD box (DVI>HDMI)

My 3 way Monoprice HDMI switch works fine with my DVI output from my 8600GTS card.

So you switch away from pc and come back, and display still finds your pc through the hdmi switch?

Sonisame

HTPC with Nvidia 8800GTS only works if I connect directly to the projector. I can then "move" the connection back to the switch (tried ports 1-5) and keep it running - until I switch to one of the other inputs where it dies and doesn't come back.
For this problem, I would suggest the DVI Doctor product which will fix almost all EDID problems with your video card/drivers. I tested it against DVI Detective from Gefen and it performs at the same level. After I started using this product, I never had issues like you are describing again. I can boot my PC with no display connected then later connect the display and that works too.

http://www.monoprice.com/products/product.asp?c_id=101&cp_id=10110&cs_id=1011003&p_id=3048&seq=1&format=2&style=

I asked this in the other forum here also, but there were no replies..

I was wondering if someone knows the fix of the EDID issue I am having with dvi port on my pc (EVGA 7600GT video card) to a 2 port manual/passive HDMI/DVI switcher connected to projector via HDMI cable. I have Motorola 6416 cable box connected via hdmi as the other input of switch.

I also tried Qres but had no luck in getting PC display on the projector(Mits HD1000U) after switching inputs. Will a enhanced monoprice hdmi switch with equalizer solve EDID issue's or do I also need a EDID doctor(monoprice) to get the digital switching going with this setup?

Sonisame
In my experience DVI Doctor from monoprice will fix almost all the EDID related issues with video cards. You haven't listed enough symptoms to see what your specific problem is but it is probably the standard EDID problem many HTPC people are familiar with, in which case DVI Doctor is what you want to get.

So you switch away from pc and come back, and display still finds your pc through the hdmi switch?
That's the way it works for my nVidia 6600GT card but I have been using DVI Doctor for a long time (and Gefen DVI Detective before that).

ATI has a DVI dropout problem that is partially fixed depending on which driver you are running. It does not properly respond to hot plug detect signal so when you switch away it disables the DVI port and when you switch back it never enables the port again.

nVidia has a problem where it will disable the DVI port on bootup if it doesn't get EDID information fast enough.

So you switch away from pc and come back, and display still finds your pc through the hdmi switch?

Sonisame

Yes I have no problem. I can come back to it days later and the picture comes up. But I'm also running it through the 3 way HDMI switch and into my VP50 before going to my display. But my VP50 is turned off when I'm not watching anything. The PC is usually on 24/7.

Thanks guys for your help, I guess I will be ordering EDID doctor and HDMI switch to resolve my issues with switching devices.

Sonisame

Same here, on order as of today.

That and ditching Vista for gold ole' XP Pro

Thanks!

I have a Monoprice 5x1 switch. I've got a DVDO ultra, DVB318 dvd player, hdtv tuner hooked up to ports 1 to 3 and all work fine. The output is a monoprice 35ft 24 Ga cable to a Samsung projector. I also have a Toshiba A2 and when connected to port 4, it would work fine for 2-3 minutes and than the projector would loose the signal (720p). However, when the Toshiba is connected to port 5, it would work fine.

Is there a problem with the switch or port 5 of the switch is 'special'? I was under the impression that both ports 4 and 5 are special.

I have just purchased a MonoPrice 5 in 1 switcher and it doesn't seem to work very well if at all.

I have the following hooked up to it:

- TivoHD
- AppleTV
- Toshiba HD-A2 HD-DVD Player
- Media Center Computer with an Nvidia 7300

The only thing that seems to work is the TivoHD. I have disconnected the switcher and one-by-one connected each unit to the television via HDMI and they each perform well. When I connect the TivoHD to any of the 5 inputs on the MonoPrice switcher the output through the switcher is fine. When I connect ANY of the other devices to any of the 5 ports absolutely NOTHING comes on the screen. Sometimes the television itself turns off because of lack of signal.

I don't mind spending more money to get a switcher that works...do any of you have any recommendations as to what might perform better than this...or what I might be doing wrong?

Thank you,
michael

Try the ConnectGear Switch. They are also under $100. Although The Monoprice and the Connectgear both work fine for me.

thanks for the recommendation. I will order one now.

<><
michael

Hi all,
I had my Sammy 5674 hooked up via HDMI to my cable company's cable cox (Pace DC551P) and everything worked great (the screen went green every now and then, but I'm thinking that is the standard "gremlins" that come with cable company equipment, as I can turn it off and on and it usually works right away again).

I then bought the 3x1 HDMI switcher from monoprice and hooked up my cable company cable box (Pace DC551P) and my PS3. Every time I change the channel on the cable box, I get the "Your TV is not HDCP compliant". However, when I click settings and select 720P, the nag goes away and everything works as it did, so it seems it's something with the handshake. If I go from the PS3 back to the cable box, it keeps working (as I guess it's already negotiated the handshake and doesn't ping the TV again for it). Anyone know of anything I can do to fix the problem?

Thanks.

I sure am glad I found this review. I purchased the Monoprice 5x1 HDMI switch two months ago for my HT application. I have no problems with the picture at all. I do have a problem that causes the switch to "flash" on and off or switch between a no signal source and a good source. This seems to occur if I use the remote to change between one source and another, or one source and a source that is not on. I returned one unit figuring I had a bad one, but hooked up the new one last night and it does the same thing.

I have a Sharp Z12000 pj with a 24' DVI cable. DVI-->HDMI adaptor at the switch.
Denon 2910 DVD connected using DVI-->HDMI 6' cable (from monoprice)
Samsung OTA HD receiver connected DVI-->HDMI 6'
HTPC with Gigabyte GF8500 video card DVI-->HDMI 6'

I will do more exhaustive tests today when I get a chance. I was unaware of the autoswitching function and suspect this may somehow be the problem.

Last night after watching a movie on the DVD I decided to see if the new switch did the same thing the old one did. I just used the remote to switch to 2,3,4,5 and then back to 1 (DVD). The picture immediately started flashing between blue screen and the DVD video. Any insight would help.

Based on what I read here I don't think getting a $400 switch is going to be any better and may have other problems.

What happens if you turn the DVD player on/off, not saying you should have to do this for normal operation, just for diagnosing the problem.

sfhub thank you for chiming in. Turning the DVD player on and off or on and standby has no effect. I have disconnected the DVD hdmi and plugged back in with no effect. I ran some tests and found the following.

The Samsung OTA box gives me no picture at all via digital connection, only via component cables. Yes, I moved the RGB/Digital switch to check. I connected the box directly to the pj, but still no picture, so that is a Samsung OTA box problem.

The HTPC works just great. I can switch to a position with a source or no source and going back to the HTPC gives me fine performance.

The Denon DVD player still goes nuts if you move the switch off the DVD and back. The pictures flashes on and off (black vs. blue screen) and no matter what I do, it will not get a good signal again. Last time this happened I had to unplug everything and wait 24hrs.

Seems to me the DVD has some sort of problem where the HDCP will quit working if the connection is broken by the switch. Funny thing is the HTPC does not do that. It worked flawlessly....and I expected most problems with the HTPC.

I don't want to blame the switch without reason, and I get the feeling the problem lies in the HDCP standard and its implementation in different source units.

I'm sure there is enough blame to go around :)

A lot of times devices are tested directly connected to a single HDMI port on the sink device. They don't bother to test hot plug situations. It could be the switch is not indicating the hot plug properly or it could be the device is not responding correctly.

The HTPC is probably not using HDCP. That is the area where most of the hard to solve problems happen. Other common HTPC problems I've seen include the DVI/HDMI port shutting down (mainly on ATI cards) and the colorspace not switching correctly between YCbCr and RGB. Most of these can be solved with DVI Doctor or DVI Detective which tricks the HTPC graphics card into thinking it is never disconnected. It sounds like you are not having HTPC problems so that is great.

Anyway, regarding your Denon problem, I remember earlier on there were problems with Denons not displaying at all. You might ask monoprice for their 4x1 switch. It is a complete different design which is more compatible with some setups.

The HTPC should be HDCP compliant.

This stuff is just plain weird. After my last post I had shut everything down, unplugged the switch and came down for dinner.

I just went upstairs, fired up the DVD and the Samsung OTA one more time. This time, everything works just fine, great picture and I can switch from DVD to OTA and back and it all works. I did start by booting the OTA directly to the pj to try one more time. This time it worked well. I then put everything through the switch, hot plugging the OTA and pj.

This is some strange stuff.

Can you summarize the supposed automatic features of the switch? Mine does not do anything automatically and I can select any of the five ports at will via the remote or the button on the box.

Can you summarize the supposed automatic features of the switch? Mine does not do anything automatically and I can select any of the five ports at will via the remote or the button on the box.
Due to user feedback they had the automatic switching removed. The autoswitch feature sounded nice on paper, but in practice the signal detection routine prevented some out of spec source signals from being selected. It also forced your remote control IR sequence to wait until the source device sent a signal or the switch wouldn't accept the command to switch to that input.

Before I order it, I want to make sure the 4x1 switch will work for me. I have Panny TH42PA20U plasma TV which has a DVI input only. I want to connect the following to the switch:

1) Motorola DCT6200 STB with DVI - HDMI cable
2) Bravo D1 DVD player with DVI - HDMI cable
3) Toshiba HD-A2 HD-DVD player with HDMI-HDMI cable.

And an HDMI to DVI cable from the 4x1 switch to the TV. Will I have any problems?

Thanks in Advance!

I ordered the 4x1 switch, from what I have read they get hot.
I thought about using screws and hanging it upside down inside my entertainment center instead of setting it on top of my dvd player. It has hooks for screws but I am worried it will not work right.
Anyone tried that?

I haven't found they get especially hot. It only uses a few watts of power so how hot can it really get? Anyway, I've had xbox controllers sitting on top of mine for months and have had no issues. I wouldn't worry about the heat and instead would be more concerned about getting the remote to work when the IR receiver is facing up or down instead of forward.

I haven't found they get especially hot. It only uses a few watts of power so how hot can it really get? Anyway, I've had xbox controllers sitting on top of mine for months and have had no issues. I wouldn't worry about the heat and instead would be more concerned about getting the remote to work when the IR receiver is facing up or down instead of forward.

Thanks for the info, I will just set it on my dvd player then.

I just got the monoprice 5X1:

hdmi path:
device -> monoprice switch -> Onkyo TX-SR705 receiver(input 1) -> Sharp Aquos LC-52D64U (input 5)

- Remote works just fine with the harmony remote
- What I did was stick this in front of the onkyo sr705 receiver. Basically I can feed in 5 hdmi devices into the monoprice switch and then the monoprice switch is hooked to one of the inputs on the onkyo receiver. At first I was using hdmi input 3 on the onkyo and I had all sorts of issues. My SA 8300 DVR and ps3 wouldn't work on ports 1-3 but worked fine on ports 4-5. After moving it to hdmi input 1 on the onkyo everything worked great.
I tested the following:

PS3 blu-ray move (fantastic 4 rise of the silver surfer, 1080p, 5.1 pcm audio)
htpc with ati 9600 pro using dvi->HDMI
scientific atlanta 8300hdc

All 3 devices worked fine on all 5 ports.

Just got an HDX-501 rev 2.1 from Monoprice a week ago. Has anybody else had problems with their HD-XA1 and this switch? I am using a Sony VPL-HS51A projector? I finally got the Sony BDP-S300 to work correctly by moving it to port 3.

I even had Toshiba send me Firmware version 2.4, which is supposed to fix some "known" HDMI isssues. While it worked better after the 2.4 upgrade, the screen would still would flicker and the devices would click and then it would all "crap out. The HD DVD player would then show "STOP" on the display.

Any suggestions?

Got a new 4x1 HDMI monoprice switch today and while it works with my XB360, it doesn't synch well with my onboard x1250 ATI HDMI port on my HTPC. It will get to the XP loading screen and then just blank out. Pathetic :( Anyone know if this is fixable?

Suggest you list your setup, display device, length of cables, DVI or HDMI port on display, etc. etc.

Anyone know if this unit is now at 1.3a hdmi spec? Will it also pass audio for TrueHD decoding done at the receiver end?

I was envisioning hooking up 5 devices to this switch, then outputting that to the receivers HDMI input, then output the hdmi from the receiver back to the TV...

IE: If they made a 5 port HDMI receiver that was under $650, i'd probably just get that.

Any thoughts?

Suggest you list your setup, display device, length of cables, DVI or HDMI port on display, etc. etc.

-Biostar TA690G AM2 mobo with onboard HDMI via ATI x1250 integrated graphics.
-WinXP OS
-Monoprice HDMI cables (6-12 feet).
-Panasonic 52LCX66 LCD-RP 720p HDTV

I'm almost certain this has to do with the monoprice switch not liking non-standard resolutions (I use slightly under 720p resolutions to compensate for overscan). Which is weird because my last generic eBay switch handled it fine. I emailed monoprice to see what they had to say and haven't heard back. This sucks :mad:

It's a pass-through switch. It shouldn't care what resolution you use.

It is more likely the DDC line is not at a level that the ATI card likes and that has broken the auto-negotiation.

Most of the PC cards like to barf if the DDC line is not what they expect. The reason it works for the early boot screens is because BIOS and basic video support from Windows is controlling the video. When the video goes out, that is the time the ATI drivers take over. Those are the ones that like to have DDC info.

The combination of your display, monoprice switch, and the cables you are using is likely producing the DDC issue. You could try using shorter cables to and from the display and also trying different ports on the switch.

For my usage, I can solve that problem by using DVI Doctor (monoprice) or DVI Detective (Gefen) to clone the EDID info. This has the side benefit of also fixing the issue many cards have with disabling the output when you switch from one input to another.

If you are only using HDMI and not HDMI/HDCP, then I'd suggest DVI Doctor.

If you are using HDMI/HDCP, then try the experiments listed earlier. If nothing works, then I'd suggest a different switch.

One hint of advice, it is much much easier to debug what is going on if you install VNC on your desktop machine, then remote connect to the desktop using another PC. You will be able to bring up the ATI driver diagnostics screens on the desktop PC to see what it says about the HDMI connection.

It's a pass-through switch. It shouldn't care what resolution you use.


Does it also pass through audio.. ie: trueHD with no changes? Is it v1.3a or 1.3b by chance too?

Does it also pass through audio.. ie: trueHD with no changes? Is it v1.3a or 1.3b by chance too?
HDMI does not have separate data lines for audio. It is embedded with the video on the same data lines.

From a design standpoint as long as your data works within 165MHz clock, it should pass through fine. There are modes of HDMI 1.3 which go beyond 165MHz, so it is unlikely those would work.

However that doesn't really answer your question. IMO if there is a problem with trueHD it will be on the negotiation side rather than passing the data. From an end-user standpoint though, it doesn't matter to you, if it doesn't work, it doesn't work.

So my answer is it could work, but I'm not aware of anyone confirming they have tried it and it works. In my experience with HDMI, you should never depend on anything in the specs to say something works or not. I only believe it after I test it.

monoprice has a decent return policy. Why don't you try it and let us know your findings?

EDIT
I went back to look at monoprice's current lineup of switches and it looks like they have an updated version (REV 3.0) of the 4x1 that is listed as 1.3b compatible with Deep Color and advanced audio.
http://www.monoprice.com/products/product.asp?c_id=101&cp_id=10110&cs_id=1011002&p_id=4088&seq=1&format=2

IMO I would still test this stuff and not rely on the specs (and this goes for any brand HDMI equipment)

Guys, iv'e seen switch boxes that price up to $200/$250, and i'm wondering if this switch box has the quality of those?

One is a Psyclone($200) but is hard to find at any local Best Buy.
I'm looking to connect a 360 elite, PS3, HD Cable DVR and a future 1080i/p upscaling DVD recorder/player.

And i know this is very cheap, but i also want the best possible PQ as well.

Also, all my components will be only 6 feet away(max), so i'm not worried about signal loss due to long lenghts.

TIA

In my experience with HDMI equipment, either the PQ is great or it is obviously bad. There is no in between. High-end, low-end, high-price, low-price, if you test enough equipment you will almost always find something that won't work with it.

My advice is you just buy it and try it for your equipment. If it doesn't work, move on to another switch. If it works well, then you've saved yourself a bundle.

Lots of these switches use the same switching chip internally. The monoprice I have uses a TI switching chip. Octava uses the same one also. I cannot speak for the latest revisions as they may have changed. If they use the same chip, then the performance will be almost always the same, regardless of the price the company wishes to charge.

So weird thing, this switch works for my HTPC with a DVI->HDMI cable fine. Even weirder is how it passes audio too (must be a motherboard specific thing)! Seeing how I had a spare DVI->HDMI cable lying around, I think I'll call this one a win and not RMA it.

So weird thing, this switch works for my HTPC with a DVI->HDMI cable fine. Even weirder is how it passes audio too (must be a motherboard specific thing)! Seeing how I had a spare DVI->HDMI cable lying around, I think I'll call this one a win and not RMA it.
There is nothing special about DVI or HDMI cable other than the connectors. They both have the same data lines. Audio is multiplexed with video, so you can't have a cable that just passes audio or video.

It is the devices connected to the ends of the cable that determine HDMI or DVI functionality, not the cable itself.

You can take a DVI-DVI cable and stick two HDMI->DVI adapters on the ends and it will pass audio fine as long as you connect an HDMI source to HDMI sink.

In your previous configuration that didn't work, were you using real HDMI cables or did you have DVI->HDMI adapters to convert the plug? I've found DVI->HDMI adapters often are not nearly the same quality as the cables and can introduce issues.

It sounds like your previous problem was related to a cable issue.

It sounds like your previous problem was related to a cable issue.

I doubt it. I used the same cable with my last switch and it worked perfectly. I've also tried different HDMI cables and the same problem persisted. My mobo has onboard HDMI, VGA, and DVI. I just decided to try the DVI->HDMI cable for the hell of it and was quite surprised it worked. I also originally thought that DVI could not pass audio. I'm guessing that my current setup disabled HDCP and the switch is fine with that (a combination of odd resolution + HDCP?). In any case, I'll live.

Didn't realize you had switched to the DVI port vs just switching to different style cable. Since that is the case it is most likely something related to the design of the 2 ports. Apparently the ATI chipset sends the same output out of the DVI and HDMI ports. Technically as a DVI source device there is no reason to embed the audio with the video on the DVI out (even though from a cable standpoint, it would transmit audio to an HDMI device with no issues) Does the ATI card allow HDCP on the DVI and HDMI ports or only the latter?

The switch is pass through so it doesn't care about HDCP. If there is a problem in that area, usually it is if the source and sink devices cannot negotiate properly.

Glad you got it working.

Now I got another problem. I'm receiving a momentary 1 second screen blanking every few minutes with this setup (only on my HTPC, my XB360 doesn't have this problem). Why can't this just work :(

Now I got another problem. I'm receiving a momentary 1 second screen blanking every few minutes with this setup (only on my HTPC, my XB360 doesn't have this problem). Why can't this just work :(
Try rebooting the HTPC.

I've tried multiple times. It happens randomly. Meh.

Edit: I switched my HDMI cable that connects my HDTV to the switch with a newer one (both from monoprice, but the new one I have specifically mentions HDMI 1.3). The blanking issue seems to be gone... Which makes no damn sense seeing how my XB360 never exhibited those symptoms in the first place. I miss good ole' analog simplicity :/

So my answer is it could work, but I'm not aware of anyone confirming they have tried it and it works. In my experience with HDMI, you should never depend on anything in the specs to say something works or not. I only believe it after I test it.

EDIT
I went back to look at monoprice's current lineup of switches and it looks like they have an updated version (REV 3.0) of the 4x1 that is listed as 1.3b compatible with Deep Color and advanced audio.
http://www.monoprice.com/products/product.asp?c_id=101&cp_id=10110&cs_id=1011002&p_id=4088&seq=1&format=2

IMO I would still test this stuff and not rely on the specs (and this goes for any brand HDMI equipment)


You mentioned they have 1.3b with deep color.. i thought 1.3a had deep color as well?

Is it also true.. noone here has used this as their primary video/audio switch and tried sending audio (DD or TrueHD) through the unit and back to their hdmi receiver?

Thanks

You mentioned they have 1.3b with deep color.. i thought 1.3a had deep color as well?

Is it also true.. noone here has used this as their primary video/audio switch and tried sending audio (DD or TrueHD) through the unit and back to their hdmi receiver?
Most of the HDMI 1.3 features you hear about, deep color, xvycc, lipsync, etc. are not mandatory. Saying something is HDMI 1.3 compatible doesn't mean the new features are supported. You can be HDMI 1.3 and support none of the features I listed.

Since the monoprice switch is passthrough, it shouldn't care, as long as the bandwidth requirements are within its spec.

However in general with HDMI devices, don't look for the version #, look for the specific feature you are interested in being listed independent of the HDMI version #.

By saying Deep Color, I wasn't implying HDMI 1.3a or 1.3b had deep color. I was saying that monoprice listed deep color support in addition to being a 1.3b switch.

On this thread nobody has mentioned passing TrueHD through the switch to a HDMI receiver. That doesn't mean it hasn't been done, just nobody has mentioned on this thread.

There are however people who use the switch as their primary HDMI switch, sending the output of the switch to an HDMI receiver (just nobody has mentioned TrueHD, that I can recall, on this thread)

Got a new 4x1 HDMI monoprice switch today and while it works with my XB360, it doesn't synch well with my onboard x1250 ATI HDMI port on my HTPC. It will get to the XP loading screen and then just blank out. Pathetic :( Anyone know if this is fixable?

I have the same issue. I have an Asus m2a-VM HDMI MB with HDMI add-on card. My setup works when I connect directly to my Epson TW-700 projector. It is an ATI x1250 also.

When I connect through the 5x1 monoprice switch, my projector indicates "no signal". I tried all 5 ports with the same results. However, my HP laptop's HDMI's output works through the switcher.

My PACE HD cable box (with SA software) indicates that my TV is not HDCP compliant when I go through the switcher. It works with a direct connection. I suspect that this switch box does not work well when strict HDCP connections are required.

Maybe the ATI card requires HDCP. My laptop with Nvidia HDMI works and may not be strict.

I have the same issue. I have an Asus m2a-VM HDMI MB with HDMI add-on card. My setup works when I connect directly to my Epson TW-700 projector. It is an ATI x1250 also.

When I connect through the 5x1 monoprice switch, my projector indicates "no signal". I tried all 5 ports with the same results. However, my HP laptop's HDMI's output works through the switcher.

My PACE HD cable box (with SA software) indicates that my TV is not HDCP compliant when I go through the switcher. It works with a direct connection. I suspect that this switch box does not work well when strict HDCP connections are required.

Maybe the ATI card requires HDCP. My laptop with Nvidia HDMI worksand may not be strict.
It sounds like the DDC channel is not being seen properly. That handles all the negotiations, EDID, HDCP, etc.. It is not a matter of strict or not strict. It is usally a matter of the signal on the negotiation channel getting there or not. Some devices are more picky than others so if the signal is not what they expect, they won't negotiate.

I would suggest these options:
1) Try the DVI port if you have one
2) If the content you are watching actually doesn't require HDCP, get a DVI Doctor or DVI Detective
3) Try a different model/brand switch

It sounds like the DDC channel is not being seen properly. That handles all the negotiations, EDID, HDCP, etc.. It is not a matter of strict or not strict. It is usally a matter of the signal on the negotiation channel getting there or not. Some devices are more picky than others so if the signal is not what they expect, they won't negotiate.

I would suggest these options:
1) Try the DVI port if you have one
2) If the content you are watching actually doesn't require HDCP, get a DVI Doctor or DVI Detective
3) Try a different model/brand switch

Thanks. I guess I'll have to try the DVI port and use my LCD with VGA.

Is there a converter from DVI-Male to HDMI-Female? Even if I get DVI working through the switch I won't be able to watch protected content with DVI? Is this correct?

I also tried ports 4 and 5 (one less layer of signal path) and I have the same problem.

I have the 8x1..The red flashing LED on the selected input is highly annoying/distracting.. those of you that have the other models.. do they do this?

I have the 8x1..The red flashing LED on the selected input is highly annoying/distracting.. those of you that have the other models.. do they do this?
The 4x1 and 5x1 don't have flashing lights. The lights they do have are somewhat bright if you look directly at them, but ok if they aren't directly in the line of sight.

Is there a converter from DVI-Male to HDMI-Female? Even if I get DVI working through the switch I won't be able to watch protected content with DVI? Is this correct?

There are adapters that do what you want, but I would just use a DVI->HDMI cable since it is more reliable. The adapters often can introduce signal issues, whereas the cables are built to higher specs.

There are adapters that do what you want, but I would just use a DVI->HDMI cable since it is more reliable. The adapters often can introduce signal issues, whereas the cables are built to higher specs.

Can't do that since when I ordered the 5x1 , I also ordered a 50ft HDMI cable expecting the setup to work.

It would have been simpler just ordering a long VGA instead!

Are there any good 4X1 or 5X1 HDMI switches that also switch optical audio other than the over priced (IMO) Griffin PSC47? The Monoprice 5X1 looks like a great deal but I need audio switched as i don't use the audio via HDMI.

Thanks

Can't do that since when I ordered the 5x1 , I also ordered a 50ft HDMI cable expecting the setup to work.

It would have been simpler just ordering a long VGA instead!
At 50ft I wouldn't just expect HDMI to work, regardless of the brand. That is in the range where I would always expect to need to test the components to see if they work, which means order from a place that has a decent return policy.

Anyway, have you tried a shorter cable to isolate the problem?

I had a problem where my ATI card would only detect EDID up to 35ft (when using the switch) and after that it couldn't (in which case it shut down the digital connection and defaulted to analog VGA)

Thanks. I guess I'll have to try the DVI port and use my LCD with VGA.

Is there a converter from DVI-Male to HDMI-Female? Even if I get DVI working through the switch I won't be able to watch protected content with DVI? Is this correct?

I also tried ports 4 and 5 (one less layer of signal path) and I have the same problem.

My oldest HDTV has DVI only and I have never come across any protected content as yet.

Just got the 4x1 monoprice switch (rev 3.0). I had no problems connecting a ps3 and scientific atlanta 8300hd to an onkyo 605.

I did have sound issues when connecting my ati 2600xt using the monoprice cables. I was disapointed, but thankfully I had some cheaper hdmi cable laying around ($1.77 from amazon).... Those actually worked without a hitch.

So I just wanted to let people out there know, using a different hdmi cable actually works.

hey guys...i wonder if you may be able to help. just got the monoprice 5x1 hdmi switcher but it doesn't seem to work with everything.

i have a sony bravia 46" lcd tv (46V25L1) and i'm using a Denon S-101 as my receiver. i have the hdmi switcher in input 7 of the sony tv.

Motorola DVD/cable box in #1 works fine.
PS3 in #5 works fine.

however, i can't get my Oppo DV981-HD DVD player to work. When i select the input for it on the hdmi switcher, the blue oppo screen comes up saying that it's loading but then the screen goes blank and no picture. i can hear the sound tho. direct connection on input 6 of the sony tv works tho.

i also can't get Apple TV to work.

any ideas? thanks in advance.

any ideas?

Try input #4 or #5.

I had to plug my BD player into input #4 or #5 for it to work where it would not in inputs 1-3.

I called Monoprice and they said that often occurs, as internally the 5-way switcher is really two 3-way switchers with the output of inputs 1-3 being cascaded into an input on the second chip containing inputs 4-5.

Some HDCP devices don't like the second "hop" and therefore require you to be plugged into inputs 4 or 5.

Does anybody know if in terms of Picture Quality is there any difference between the Oppo and Monoprice switchers? Thanks.

Try input #4 or #5.

I had to plug my BD player into input #4 or #5 for it to work where it would not in inputs 1-3.

I called Monoprice and they said that often occurs, as internally the 5-way switcher is really two 3-way switchers with the output of inputs 1-3 being cascaded into an input on the second chip containing inputs 4-5.

Some HDCP devices don't like the second "hop" and therefore require you to be plugged into inputs 4 or 5.

I got the Monoprice 5x1 HDX-501 Rev 2.1 switcher today and fortunately I have no issues so far with my equipment using ports 4 and 5. This is my setup:

Panasonic TH42PX75U Plasma

Oppo 970 0n port 4

Toshiba A3 HDDVD Player on port 5

I am using three 6ft. 28 gauge monoprice HDMI cables.

Around Christmas I hope to add BluRay player in the mix. I will see then if that complicates matters more.

I have the 5x1 monoprice switch and it worked until I got the new Panasonic BD-55. The player will not play through the switch. I just received the 4x1 1.3b certified switch. Hopefully that will work.

I have the 5x1 monoprice switch and it worked until I got the new Panasonic BD-55. The player will not play through the switch. I just received the 4x1 1.3b certified switch. Hopefully that will work.

Well, that didn't work for me when it tried to hook up my BD55 to my Panny TH50PZ77U HDTV. It passed 1080i but not 1080p. I was hoping that the 5X1 would work.

Can anyone help me and others select a switch that will work with the new Blu-ray players? I would certainly like to eliminate the "trial-and-error" procedures and the associated costs for shipping every time you have to return a switch.

What are the things to look for in the specs that will assure that a switch will work?

Which switches have worked consistently with the new Blu-ray players?

Is cable selection for the inputs critical?

Is there a problem with the handshake with some Blu-ray players or HDTVs?

I would really appreciate answers to these questions by some of the experts that participate. Thanks!

Sorry for your trouble, I don't have a 1080p capable projector, so I had not tried that resolution....only 1080i and less. Have you tried varying the start sequence of your monitor vs. the player vs. the switch? HDMI is a very problematic standard and has caused the users a ton of consternation.

Well I have isses as well!!! Darn it!
I have all Bluejean HDMI cabinets had no issues and finally set up to install the switcher.I purchased the 4 to 1 switcher well as a fact i ordered 2 of them.

So today i set out to install the switcher so we can add in the Wii to the mix. Only to find out nothing works out of the switchers.Yes I swapped out the first switcher with the second one I purchased!! Still no pictures at all.

I am using my
Epson 6100
Panasonic BD35
Toshiba HD
Motorola HD cable box.

The only thing I can get for a few seconds of HD cable used in position 1 then 2 and 3 I used for the BR and the HD.

I pulled the switcher out and no issues at all.

Guess I will be returning them both

http://images.monoprice.com/productmediumimages/40881.jpg

http://www.monoprice.com/products/product.asp?c_id=101&cp_id=10110&cs_id=1011002&p_id=4088&seq=1&format=2

Hi all,

Sorry to bump this topic but I recently (yesterday) got this switch and am having problems.

The issue I'm having is that any time I turn the TV (Sharp Aquos 52") off, or switch channels, the switch stops broadcasting a signal the led in front goes red (which is normal, I guess, since the hdmi port on the TV powers down)... however, turning the TV back on, or going back to the hdmi input (input 4 in my case) does not bring the picture back.

The led in front stays red and I have to unplug everything from the switch, plug it back in and then do a power cycle to get a signal.

Has anyone else experienced this problem?

I also had issues and now have the 2 switchers sitting in the boxes ready to return them. Both did not work period.

I was trying to use them for
room one
Panasonic plasma
Motorola HD cable box
Sony Blue Ray

No luck at all I tried all diferent locations 1-5 no luck at all

second room
Epson 6100
Panasonic BR
Motorola HD cable box

Same thing but got audio no picture at all.

So sending them back

The whole HDMI standard set up is a mess. I have a Monoprice 4 X 1 and I Could not get my Toshiba XE DVD player to work at all. Finally figured out how to get the "handshake" by turning the Toshiba on last, then it works. It shouldn't be this way but every company's HDMI standard is a little different.

I've had the Monoprice 4 x 1 switch for about eight months. The switch worked fine for 1080i and 720p with my old RPTV, but it won't pass 1080p/60 from my Xbox 360 and my Oppo 980 to my Epson 1080 projector. I understand at least one other recent Epson 1080 purchaser had the same experience.

I ended up buying the 3 x 1 HDMI switch from Oppo. The Oppo switch works rock solid. Kind of a shame to have to pay three times as much and give up an HDMI port, but I'll take reliable performance over being limited to 1080i bandwidth.

Monoprice normally makes excellent products. I've had nothing but good experiences with their cables and several other products. It looks like the HDX-401E HDMI switch just doesn't cut the mustard when it comes to 1080p at 60 Hz.:(

It's not a bandwidth problem, but has everything to do with handshaking. I pass 1080p@60 from my HTPC (DVI) and TViX M-4100SH (HDMI) through a 401 to my Samsung LCDTV (HDMI) all the time with no problems. But with the various interpretations from different manufacturers of the HDMI specs it's a crap shoot as to whether or not a specific combination will work.

Is there any consensus on if the current 4x1 or 5x1 (rev 3.0) would be a better bet from Monoprice? I am in the market since the Satechi model I am using now does not play well with my Panasonic DMP-BD60 Blu-Ray player or Motorola DCT-3412 cable box. Thanks for any advice.

I have a similar question. I have an OPPO 983H DVD player and recently purchased a Panasonic DMP-BD60 Blu-Ray DVD player. SInce I have an old Panasonic 42PX20 plasma TV with only one HDMI inlet, I am looking for an HDMI switch.

Will the Monprice 4x1 or the 5x1 HDMI switch work better in my case?

Well since I didn't get any further info I went ahead and ordered a 4x1 switch. Keep in mind I am also going through a Yamaha RX-V1700 (HDMI 1.2) receiver. The receiver only has 2 inputs so that is why I needed a switch as well. This is going into a Panasonic TC-P54G10 Plasma.

I had pretty mixed results depending on the cable I used and where in the chain I used it. This was VERY frustrating as I have all Monoprice cables. The different cables I used were their plain black 28awg (3 & 6'), 28awg colored (3') and 24awg net jacketed (6'). These are all HDMI 1.3 certified cables.

I have the following equipment which I tired on the switch:
1. Panasonic DMP-BD60 Blu-ray player
2. Motorola DCT3412 Dual Tuner HD PVR cable box (pretty old)
3. Xbox360 w/HDMI (about 1 year old)

4x1 -> Receiver -> TV

I ended using the cable box and Xbox360 through the switch.

The Panasonic BD player produced sparkles or errors depending on which combo of cables I used, and where. So, this ended up going direct into the receiver. I do not know if this would have been any better with no receiver in the chain (4x1 to TV). If anyone has gotten this to work through a similar setup please let us know here.

The Xbox360 had a blank screen depending on the cables. However, I was able to come up with a combo that worked ok through the 4x1

Surprisingly the Motorola cable box was the most trouble free. In the past I had problems with it on an older (non 1.3) HDMI switch and was thinking it would give me the most headaches. Settings would always be reset to defaults when powered on. In reality this worked fine with my setup going through the 4x1.

My anecdotal evaluation of the Monoprice cables leads me to believe the colored 3 foot lengths were troublesome in this type of application. the thicker 24awg net jacketed cables appeared better. I know everyone says all cables are the same but in this case they were most definitely NOT. All of my cables seemed to work fine with connection directly to my receiver and of course direct to the TV. This is just practical experience so take it for what it is...

I hope this helps, and good luck!

I bought Monoprice 4X1 about 8 months ago it worked fine for about 6 months. Then it would only work on D* HR 21 output. Blu-Ray, ROKU and HD-DVD was no go. Switched them around didn't make any difference. Even tried hitting input button several times.

I then bought 5X1 switch it worked for a month but then it didn't work right when I used the individual buttons 1, 2 etc (again HR21 worked) they didn't show up. But when I use the < > buttons it works. Thats where I am with it now.

PS You have to go to the INPUT then turn on device this goes for the Sony blu-ray. Roku is always on doesn't matter HD-DVD I think doesn"t matter.

mark

I have a similar question. I have an OPPO 983H DVD player and recently purchased a Panasonic DMP-BD60 Blu-Ray DVD player. SInce I have an old Panasonic 42PX20 plasma TV with only one HDMI inlet, I am looking for an HDMI switch.

Will the Monprice 4x1 or the 5x1 HDMI switch work better in my case?

I have a 4X1 that works if I turn things on in the right order. Their 2X1 manual switch is cheap and rock solid.

I got the 4 x 1 Monoprice switcher the other day. I needed it because my Onkyo receiver only has two inputs and I recently purchased a CinemaTube media player. I have my PS3 (port 1) and CinemaTube (port 2) and the Tube will not accept 1080p/60 in the resolution settings.

I can take the switcher out of the loop and it accepts it just fine. The PS3 appears to work just fine with the switcher however I have only turned the PS3 on...I haven't tried to play a blu-ray or game with it through the switcher. I am using the suggested 24-gauge monoprice hdmi cables so it sounds like I'm doing everything I could do...it's not me.

This would mark the first time I've ever had a problem with a monoprice product. It's been my experience in the past that their "cheap" products are often way better than stuff that costs a good deal more.

The Xbox360 had a blank screen depending on the cables. However, I was able to come up with a combo that worked ok through the 4x1


Update to my experience with the 4x1 switch. The Xbox360 has proved to be finicky. After getting Modern Warfare 2 I quickly fired up the machine and had to update all the software for the Xbox since I hadn't used it in a while. It appears after these updates I am now having random issues through the switch. It appears to flickr in and out and sound keeps changing back and forth from Pro Logic to Dolby Digital (as displayed on my receiver). I have to turn things on/off or plug/unplug cables to get it to work sometimes. Other times if I get lucky it will come up. Very frustrating. I thought HDMI was supposed to "just work". Wishful thinking...

I may be faced with switching either my Cocmast cable or Xbox back to component to avoid these issues. :(

I'll be getting the Monoprice 5x1 probably tomorrow along with two of their three-foot HDMI cables. My Sony KD34XBR960 only has one HDMI input. Don't need five intputs (at this point only have a SA 8300 DVR and recently purchased Panasonic AE18 DVD recorder with 1080i upconversion) but saw the many complaints of the 4x1 unit with much more satisfaction posted for the 5.1.

Temporarily have the DVR hooked up via component but the picture has a bit more punch coming through HDMI, hence the decision for the switch box.

Wish me luck. Will let you know in a day or two how it works.

The issue I'm having is that any time I turn the TV (Sharp Aquos 52") off, or switch channels, the switch stops broadcasting a signal the led in front goes red (which is normal, I guess, since the hdmi port on the TV powers down)... however, turning the TV back on, or going back to the hdmi input (input 4 in my case) does not bring the picture back.

The led in front stays red and I have to unplug everything from the switch, plug it back in and then do a power cycle to get a signal.

Has anyone else experienced this problem?
I am experiencing the same problem as namlas. I have to unplug/plug the switch to activate the connections. Any solutions? I have a DYNEX HDTV-DX-LCD42HD-09, AppleTV, ATT U-verse box and a Samsung BD-P1500.

Got it today and so far so good. Picture quality as superb as before. Both inputs go on and no problem changing between them. Remote works perfectly although I had to tape up the lid for the remote's battery compartment for it wasn't holding on it's own (let that be the worst of my problems :).

UPDATE: Nearly three weeks later and no problems. The switch is great.

In my home theater setup, I need to add two more HDMI devices but my Sony A/V STR-DG810's three HDMI ports are already in use.

I configured the Monoprice HDX-501 switch to accept the two additional inputs and one of the input that had been going though my receiver and fed the output HDMI back into the receiver's input. The switch's input red lights worked great to indicate they were receiving signal, but the output (green light) did not work at all. I was not able to manually select an input to use via the push button on the switch or via the remote.

If I connect the switch output directly to my Vizio HDTV, it works great. Unfortunately, that won't work for me since I need the sound and switching to go through my HT setup.

Monoprice tech support had me try some different cables, but that didn't solve the problem. They are going to swap the unit out in case it is defective, but I think there is an incompatibility issue that I will have to solve perhaps with a different brand of HDMI switch.

My experience has been that perhaps one switch will work great by itself (either AVR or Monoproce) but when combining them there are issues. I gave up on mine after trying to do what you are with a Yamaha receiver with 2x1 HDMI (RX-V1700) and the 4x1 Monoprice switch. I have since upgraded to a new AVR with 5x1 HDMI and I even have issues sometimes with that alone. I think HDMI just didn't live up to the ease of use it was supposed to bring with the single cable solution...

As everything veered from the original topic, I'll put my two cents in and mention that my 4x1 HDMI 1.3b switch works just fine. However, my display (Mits 57732) and receiver (HK AVR 247) are both HDMI 1.2. I do no deep color or high-res codec bitstreaming--only multichannel PCM, DTS and DD from my Dish Network vip 622 HD DVR, my LG BH200 Blu-ray/HD DVD player, my Tosh A20 HD DVD player and my Philips upconverting DVD recorder.

I own the 47pfl7403D/f7 tv, onkyo 605 receiver, rca vcr, panasonic 80 bluray player, toshbia bluray, ps3, roku, direct tv HD, and a philips upconversion dvd player. I have 2 meters HDMI cables from from my stuff to the tv and receiver. I have ordered the switcher and hope to get it on tuesday. I also have the harmony 720 remote. Iwas having problems setting it up. do I really need to leave everyone on with I use the switcher? I will have the toshiba, ps3, direct tv, roku, philips dvd player hooked up to the switcher.

thanks.
Jacob

I own the 47pfl7403D/f7 tv, onkyo 605 receiver, rca vcr, panasonic 80 bluray player, toshbia bluray, ps3, roku, direct tv HD, and a philips upconversion dvd player. I have 2 meters HDMI cables from from my stuff to the tv and receiver. I have ordered the switcher and hope to get it on tuesday. I also have the harmony 720 remote. Iwas having problems setting it up. do I really need to leave everyone on with I use the switcher? I will have the toshiba, ps3, direct tv, roku, philips dvd player hooked up to the switcher.

thanks.
Jacob

No you will not have to leave the non active sources powered on when using the switch.

thanks.. how do I go about programing the harmony for it? I cannt get the ustily thing to work. where I list the 5 items.. then it wants me to list the channel that the direct tv will be on.. but does not give me an HDMI 1 option.
do I go into the toshiba and other stuff and tell it to be on dvd from the receiver and the HDMI 1 for the tv? the harmony remote set up.

I got the HDMI switcher today. I got it working for the most part with the harmony remote. hopefully get in touch with harmony and ask some questions.

Jacob

I am experiencing the same problem as namlas. I have to unplug/plug the switch to activate the connections. Any solutions? I have a DYNEX HDTV-DX-LCD42HD-09, AppleTV, ATT U-verse box and a Samsung BD-P1500.

I am also having this problem. Very annoying to have unplug/plug-in switcher every time. Anyone know if there's a fix for this?