Over the past few months, Sony and Microsoft have done their best to introduce their next-gen consoles to gamers around the globe. Sony got in early with its PS4 reveal in February, and Microsoft dropped its Xbox One reveal in May. Both of the console giants also made waves at E3 by revealing game lineups, policy restrictions, closer looks at the hardware, and pricing models. Microsoft handed Sony an easy victory in the first round of the PS4 vs. Xbox One war due to its odd used games policies and 24 hour online check-ins (MS has flipped its stance since the show), which has put the One behind the 8-ball in the minds of a large number of gamers.
It’s safe to say that both consoles have pros and cons, and in the long run Microsoft’s Xbox One will more than likely be able to wipe the stink from its botched reveal. Fanboys on each side of the proverbial fence will continue to fling poo at the other team’s game machine, because that’s just how passionate gamers roll – angry and full of venom. Regardless of which team “wins” the hot air debate about new console superiority, both camps need to prepare for a potential home entertainment center issue that has been overlooked up until now.
The Open Port Problem
One feature that both the PS4 and Xbox One share is the lack of backward compatibility, meaning neither console will be able to play titles from the previous generations. PS3 games will not run on a PS4, and Xbox 360 games will not run on the Xbox One. Sony and Microsoft have said that a portion of these titles may one day be available to download digitally, but for a price, so it’s unlikely that frugal gamers will pony up additional cash just to play their favorite PS3 and Xbox 360 games on the new consoles.
Considering that neither of the current-gen game machines are scheduled to be put out to pasture any time soon, there’s a great chance that most early adopters of the PS4 and Xbox One will still want to leave their old devices hooked up. Herein lies an issue that most people aren’t probably thinking about, which is the lack of open HDMI ports to use in their entertainment centers this fall.
Most current flat screen TVs and audio/video receivers sport 4-5 HDMI ports at best, so real estate is precious. Current consoles already vie with other HDMI enabled devices for open ports such as blu-ray players, Apple TVs, Slingboxes, and many other HD gadgets, so when you throw the next-gen consoles into the mix, there won’t be many TVs or A/V receivers that will be able to handle all of your HDMI port needs. This leaves gamers with two options: pack up the old consoles even though the games are still fun to play and your non-early-adopter friends are still actively using them, or invest in an HDMI splitter device.
Will your entertainment center be ready for an influx of game consoles this fall? (source)
The Band-Aid
Audio and visual purists alike may cringe at the thought of degrading an HD device’s signal by having it pass through a splitter, which is a reasonable concern for anal-retentive fanatics such as myself, but most humans won’t even be able to notice a difference in picture or sound quality. HDMI splitters have been around for a while, and there’s even a site dedicated to reviewing them, so gamers that need a few added ports this fall for their old and new consoles to harmoniously exist together will have some respite in the “No Free HDMI Port Crisis of 2013.”
Most HDMI splitters all feature the same abilities, so there’s a few things to look out for if you need to buy one. First off, you need to decide how many open ports your entertainment center will need. Most of the splitters featured on the review site above sport 3 HDMI-in ports and one HDMI-out port, but there are others that offer even more.
Example of a 4-port HDMI splitter
The next major feature you’ll need to consider is the cable speed rating. HDMI cables are rated for their transfer speeds to pass audio and video signals from the device to the display. Things like 3D or 4K video sources require more speed than just a regular blu-ray player, so whichever splitter you’re thinking of buying should be able to handle the needs of your devices.
Auto-switching, which is the ability of an HDMI splitter to dynamically change to the active device’s connection, is the next feature to take note of while shopping for a splitter. Getting up and switching inputs manually sounds as fun as having your game interrupted by a “Change to disc X” message, so having a device that will do it for you on the fly is definitely a bonus. If a splitter doesn’t offer an auto-switch feature, at least make sure it supports remote control functionalities.
The final thing you should pay attention to while picking out your multi-device HDMI input unit is the power requirement of said unit. Some splitters can draw the power they need to function from the device they’re plugged into, but some need a separate power source. This may not seem like a big deal, but when is the last time you looked at the rat’s nest of power cables resting behind your entertainment center? That’s what I thought. I know I don’t look behind mine unless there’s a missing person bulletin posted in my area of residence. Anything to prevent running another power cable through the maze of your entertainment center’s nooks and crannies is a bonus, so take heed of the power requirement while shopping for an HDMI splitter.
Not needing to add to a mess like this is a plus (source)
Recommendations
If you’re like most video and audiophiles, then there’s a great chance you’ll spend an obscene amount of time making sure you purchase the best HDMI splitter possible, so it’s recommended that you check out Top Ten Reviews’ break down of 2013′s best HDMI signal splitting units. The site does a great job of breaking down the ten best devices, and conveniently lists them in a table that allows for easy comparison of features. It’s easy to see which devices contain the recommended features from the previous section of this post, and there’s an in-depth analysis for each of the ten units. Prices range from under $10 to over $100, so it all comes down to which device suits your needs and desires best.
The Xbox 360 and PS3 still have some life left in them, and considering that most new consoles lack a robust lineup of launch titles, there’s a great chance these soon-to-be dinosaurs will still be in use by thousands of gamers who adopt the new consoles early, not to mention those gamers who still want to enjoy the hundreds of dollars they sunk into their Xbox 360 and PS3 game collections.
But while the PS4 and Xbox One both share a lack of backwards compatibility that has led to this whole entertainment center conundrum, there are many options for early adopters of the systems to pursue if they want to keep current-gen consoles in the mix this fall. Hopefully this article serves as a launching point for your quest to keep a harmonious console setup as you transition into the next era of gaming!
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