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Switch - 3 HDMI In - 1 HDMI and Toslink Audio Output

post #1 of 11
5/29/12 at 3:18pm
Thread Starter 
I am setting up a new Epson 8350 which is across the room from my equipment stack. I will have three input devices (Cable HD box, Blueray, and a game box to be determined, current a Wii). I need to have at least three HDMI inputs, but I need one HDMI output to the projector and a separate Toslink audio to go to my non-HDMI reciever for the theater sound system.

I have found several switches with multiple in and out of both HDMI and Toslink, but looking for one that I can control with my intelligent remote and will output the audio for whichever HDMI input is active.

Does something like this exist and could I get some recommendations.

Thanks
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post #2 of 11
5/30/12 at 5:36am
Thread Starter 
I did some more research and found this on Monoprice. Does this look like it would handle the HDMI inputs with output to the projector and Toslink to the receiver?

http://www.monoprice.com/products/pr...seq=1&format=2
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post #3 of 11
5/30/12 at 8:36am
The trick here is to confirm that A. your Source devices all have the option to Output 5.1 via HDMI and 2. The Switch can generate the required 5.1 EDID - otherwise the Projector will likely force' the Source devices to stick with Video + 2.0 audio!

A 4x1 HDMI + Optical switch with discrete IR for each Input/Function is likely a better option.

Joe
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post #4 of 11
5/30/12 at 11:39am
Let me expand a bit on what Joe said. If you go to the "Specifications" page on the Monoprice website for the switcher, you'll see the following in red,

"* The S/PDIF Optical (Toslink) and Digital Coax audio output formats are based on the HDMI audio output. If any of the sync devices (e.g., HDTV, Projector, etc.) connected to the output can only support stereo audio, then the S/PDIF Optical (Toslink) and Digital Coaxial outputs will be limited to PCM stereo audio. "

What they are trying to explain is that an HDMI source "senses" the capabilities of the sink device (the destination) and is only allowed to send out a compatible signal with the destination device. So, if you put a stereo TV as the sink, then the source will only generate stereo. Since HDMI only allows a single audio stream at any time, that means that there is no 5.1-channel signal for the Toslink outputs to use. So they will also send out stereo.

There is no way around this other than to either have a 5.1-channel sink or fool the source into thinking that the sink is 5.1-channel. If you fool the source, then in that case a stereo TV will provide no audio output since it wouldn't be able to decode the 5.1-channel signal.

Really what you need to do is to take the digital audio (not HDMI) outputs from each device and switch those signals and not use the HDMI signal for audio.
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post #5 of 11
5/30/12 at 8:44pm
Thread Starter 
Thanks Andy,

So, you are saying hook all the input devices with a separate HDMI and Toslink switch?

If it matters, the output HDMI device is a Epson 8350 and the two input devices are a Panny 220 Blueray and a Samsung HD cable box. The receiver is a 10 year old Sony.

They also sell a more expensive switch that does not have the disclaimer on the 5.1 input/output. Does this change the answer?

http://www.monoprice.com/products/pr...seq=1&format=2
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post #6 of 11
5/31/12 at 9:41am
Quote:
Originally Posted by milkman55 View Post

Thanks Andy,

So, you are saying hook all the input devices with a separate HDMI and Toslink switch?

If it matters, the output HDMI device is a Epson 8350 and the two input devices are a Panny 220 Blueray and a Samsung HD cable box. The receiver is a 10 year old Sony.

They also sell a more expensive switch that does not have the disclaimer on the 5.1 input/output. Does this change the answer?

http://www.monoprice.com/products/pr...seq=1&format=2

It might - check the customer reviews section for that switch. It looks like that switch has limited EDID spoofing capability where you can select 2-channel PCM *or* DTS with DIP switches. If it is limited to DTS for multichannel output, then that will be a problem for some Blu-Ray discs and certainly a problem for the cable box (which probably only has PCM or Dolby Digital).

But, I still wouldn't do that. I'd just run the audio through the Sony receiver and then just use the HDMI switch for the video. In other words, run a TOSLink cable for digital audio to the appropriate Sony audio inputs and then use an HDMI switch to go directly to the projector for the video. If you also use a univeral remote, you can then have it change the Sony input and the HDMI switcher input at the same time.

There is no other way cheap way for your system to provide 5.1-channel audio output *and* HDMI video. Of course, upgrading to a new receiver would be another way to do the same thing, but more expensive.
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post #7 of 11
5/31/12 at 12:27pm
Thread Starter 
Thanks, I understand. I have one follow on question.

My cable box and the blue ray have Toslink output and only one input on the Sony receiver. I have a manual Toslink switch now I used with the old TV I am replacing.

I have not found an IR swithable Toslink, so I still have that pesky manual switch unless you can tell me a way to connect the two devices to the receiver via Toslink.

Thanks for the help.
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post #8 of 11
5/31/12 at 2:23pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by milkman55 View Post

Thanks, I understand. I have one follow on question.

My cable box and the blue ray have Toslink output and only one input on the Sony receiver. I have a manual Toslink switch now I used with the old TV I am replacing.

I have not found an IR swithable Toslink, so I still have that pesky manual switch unless you can tell me a way to connect the two devices to the receiver via Toslink.

Thanks for the help.

A little pricey but something like this,

http://www.inday.com/da4x/da4x.htm
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post #9 of 11
5/31/12 at 5:48pm
Thread Starter 
I found this switch which handles three separate HDMI and Toslink in one remote enabled switch. Seems to have good reviews and one reviewer commented it worked with his Harmony 600. I am looking a the Harmony 650 for my project.

Anyone have any experience with this switch?

http://www.amazon.com/HDVio-Optical-...511292&sr=8-12
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post #10 of 11
6/1/12 at 6:13am
Quote:
Originally Posted by milkman55 View Post

I found this switch which handles three separate HDMI and Toslink in one remote enabled switch. Seems to have good reviews and one reviewer commented it worked with his Harmony 600. I am looking a the Harmony 650 for my project.

Anyone have any experience with this switch?

http://www.amazon.com/HDVio-Optical-...511292&sr=8-12

Reviews look positive except for the select buttons being "upside down". If you use this with one Proj/TV (HDMI) + AVR (Dig Audio) only you should be fine. If you use the second HDMI output you'll start running into lowest common denominator issues if the two TVs don't have the same capabilities. But, I believe, you were only planning to use one HDMI output, so you should be fine.

The only downside I saw was it isn't 3D compatible.
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post #11 of 11
6/1/12 at 6:25am
Thread Starter 
Thanks, Epson 8350 isn't 3D anyway, so I should be fine.

I am going to order this to minimize the switches.
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