HDMI splitters are widely used by media designers, office staff, and mostly by gamers looking for some extra space while keeping their workstations clutter-free. In recent years, online gaming forums have been flooded with rumors about HDMI splitters causing input lag, and in this article, I wanted to share with you what I found out when researching to see if HDMI splitters can cause input lag.
In general, HDMI splitters do not cause input lag. They are designed to only split the signal into multiple outputs without changing or corrupting the digital signals somehow.
The main culprit in case you do experience input lag when using HDMI splitters is your display or TV set. Manufacturers do not always state whether their displays do support gaming (low) latency modes and if they do how exactly to activate them.
Finding out if your display supports such features might be a trial and error process you’ll have to go through until you get lucky and find a match that works for both your setup and your personal needs.
Some of the brands that do support low latency gaming modes: Panasonic, Philips, Sony, Sharp, and Toshiba; while LG does not support any low latency gaming modes at all on their TVs. Both Vizio and Yamaha do not have any dedicated gaming settings on their TVs either.
As far as PC or laptop monitors are concerned, most manufacturers do mention if their displays do support low latency modes, but the settings to activate it vary from one model to another – some might require you to enable your monitor’s speakers for audio feedback, while others will play a short beep indicating that the mode is active.
If you do come across an older display that does not support low latency modes, but still want to use it alongside with your HDMI splitter for gaming purposes, consider investing in an external video card with its own input. You can connect your console directly to the external video card by way of VGA or DVI, which means you do not need the splitter.
If you do decide to go for an HDMI switch instead, make sure it can support low latency modes as well – there are splitters and switches on the market that do not do so.
Do keep in mind though that any setup configuration is subject to change as new hardware hits the market, so do check for the latest information before investing in a new setup.
The benefits of HDMI splitters outweigh any potential input lag issues, so do not hesitate to get yourself one if it’s your preferred method of connecting multiple devices. Sometimes you might have to do a little bit of experimenting to find out what works best for you, but once you do do, enjoy your newfound gaming setup!
Even if you do have some input lag while using an HDMI splitter, it does not mean that the splitter is actually causing the delay. With thousands of models on the market today, you’ll likely get an inferior one with bad quality control being shipped to your doorstep.
So do they really cause input lag? Well, no unless you are using a low-quality HDMI splitter model of course. You do need to keep in mind though that more often than not signal degradation might be the source of your problem and not necessarily the fact that you’re using a HDMI splitter.
What is input lag?
Input lag is the amount of time between a TV receiving a signal and it being displayed on the screen. There are two possible causes for input lag, the TV itself or the HDMI splitter, but do HDMI splitters cause input lag?
What do you do when you need to connect multiple devices to one TV? You use an HDMI splitter . As its name implies, it takes in one HDMI cable and splits that signal into two or more other cables. This allows you to share your single digital audio/video connection with other devices while keeping the original quality intact.
However, what happens if you find out after checking out your brand new display that there is no way for you to get all of your devices plugged in at once? They won’t all
Understanding HDMI splitters: What are they and how do they work?
Most people using HDMI splitters do not understand how they work and what they are used for. That’s why I explain everything you need to know about splitters and do not stress the decoding part of it – do keep in mind that a digital signal always stays a digital signal regardless of whether it did get decoded or not.
It all starts with a single HDMI cable running from your playback source device into the input of your splitter. The splitter’s job is do divide that incoming signal into two identical outputs.
It does so by reading each bit contained in that signal and then creating an electrical replica for the second output which is running into the TV. No bits are removed or added along the way – what you see on one side is exactly what do you get on the other side as well assuming do have do right HDMI cable.
do do not actually decode the signal do keep your picture splitting process running smoothly, do do not actually change it in any way, do do not do anything that might cause picture quality degradation.
So can HDMI splitters cause input lag?
Input lag is the amount of time between you pressing a button or moving a mouse and do computer or TV receiving do command and then acting on it. This time period may vary from one to several milliseconds depending on how fast do particular device is.
It is perfectly normal to have a certain level of input lag because there are simply too many different components involved in processing every command from your TV remote or console controller, all the way to getting those commands processed by the built-in CPU device do have.
You do not need to worry about input lag for the most part since modern TVs do come with an extremely fast response time. For all intents and purposes, do do not really need anything faster than half a millisecond in terms of lag in order for today’s TVs to be considered responsive enough.
With that in mind, do HDMI splitters are always going to cause some amount of input lag when you do use them .
The nature of what they do makes them inherently slower than simply plugging everything into one TV at once. However, even if you take all other factors into consideration, there are much more important parts involved in setting up your gaming room which may be way more crucial for your gaming performance do do input lag issues do do you have at do current time.
No matter how good the HDMI splitter is, do not expect it to be as fast as your TV itself – that’s just not the way things work in general. Even if do TV does feature a faster response time than any decently made splitters, there are so many other factors involved that may slightly diminish your picture quality, but nothing worth worrying about right now since your input lag should still be low enough to keep today’s games feeling responsive.
Understanding input lag numbers:
Generally, input lag or delays is measured in numbers to represent the number of half frames device is adding to your gaming experience.
1 frame = 16ms = A delay, so do you want to have 0.5 frames or less.
So if an HDMI splitter adds 2 frames of latency to the output side, you may feel it difficult to play certain games with specific controls – that’s how input lag works in general.
Many splitters do not usually present enough delays for any normal users to notice them at all . It depends mostly on how fast do TV itself is and which type of cables are running between components involved in this picture splitting process.
If you run two different displays (TVs) with one input source (PlayStation 4), you definitely need splitters in the mix. There’s no way around the issue short of buying two separate consoles or one capable of handling the task by itself (in case TV is only wired input you have for your PS4).
If you do not want to mess with HDMI splitters, you can always use game mode, game style settings and other tricks which will automatically turn on all low-latency options available in your TV set.
This may reduce response time in certain cases, but it does nothing in regards to what kind of signal splitting hardware you are using – it simply makes your gaming experience more streamlined without many compromises involved because there’s basically no noticeable degradation in picture quality when playing games this way.
How to measure input lag from a device’s specs
Because every streaming device has different specs, the input lag when an HDMI splitter is used is likely going to be different.
The best way to measure the input lag is to do a search online with the streaming device’s specs.
Many sites have articles dedicated to numbers for different gaming consoles or other video devices so you can find out the exact number of input lag.
Input lag from an HDFury 2
In this case, we do a quick search on HDFury 2’s input lag and see that it is 20 milliseconds (ms). This means that after a signal comes in from your device, there will be a delay between what you do on your streaming device and what shows up on your TV screen. It doesn’t sound like much but if you’re using this type of splitter for fast-paced games, then an HDMI splitter might not be a good option for you.
Input lag from an HDMI splitter
If the streaming device doesn’t have its input lag listed, do a quick search on different sites to find out how much input lag it has. In this case, we do a search on Google and see that the Fire TV Stick has 22ms input lag. Because this is close to the HDFury 2’s 20ms input lag, then using an HDMI splitter would likely cause similar problems during video gaming sessions.
Is there an ideal amount of input lag?
There isn’t really a “sweet spot” when it comes to choosing a streaming device or an HDMI splitter because everyone has their own preference in regards to gaming. If you can’t do without a great gaming experience, then do the proper research on your streaming device or HDMI splitter to make sure that it won’t cause input lag.
The best way to do this is by using different internet sites and do a quick search on each one to find out what kind of specs they have. After finding the specs you need, do a comparison between this number and your current device’s latency/lag rate to see if it will be compatible with your current video games.
In addition, do another quick Google search for reviews about these devices so you can get an idea on what other customers are experiencing.
If it seems like there isn’t much information about the latency rates, do some more searching online and look at several different sources so you can make a decision as to whether or not it is compatible with your needs.
What do you do if you only have an HDMI splitter?
If the device that you want to use has way too much input lag and doesn’t have comparable specs, then do some more research on other options like an HDMI converter instead of buying an additional streaming device.
An HDMI converter will transfer any signal coming in from another video source so this would be one possible option if your goal is to get rid of latency/input lag for fast-paced games. However, unless your streaming device has its own tuner, do some quick research to find out what kind of TV channels it supports so you can still catch all the shows and movies that you want to watch.
In addition, do the proper research and make sure that it is compatible with your streaming device and what kind of input lag it has before choosing this as a solution. HDMI splitters will likely cause some latency/input lag but won’t do as much damage as other video game accessories like monitors or TV screens because input lag can vary depending on different devices.
If you’re still uncertain about whether or not this is an optimal choice for your gaming sessions, do more online research and look at reviews from previous customers who bought the product you’re looking into buying. This will allow you to see if they’ve encountered any problems using their gadgets or video gaming accessories. If possible, check out videos of gamers playing certain games so you can get an idea of what kind of problems they might face.
In addition, do the proper research and make sure that it is compatible with your streaming device and what kind of input lag it has before choosing this as a solution. HDMI splitters will likely cause some latency/input lag but won’t do as much damage as other video game accessories like monitors or TV screens because input lag can vary depending on different devices.
If you’re in a situation where you have to choose between either a new streaming device or a converter, do more research online so you can be more knowledgeable about what each one offers when it comes to eliminating latency/input lag from your gaming sessions.
Input lag as consideration for gamers
As an online gamer, you know that streaming online games setups are just going to have some level of input lag whether you choose to use an HDMI input or not. That’s why as a gamer you need to take input lag into consideration. You’ll be using your streaming device or HDMI splitter for hours on end so do the proper research and make sure that it will not affect you in a negative way. It’s also important to do some additional research about these other devices like HDMI splitters, converters, or similar products to make sure that they do their job properly.
If you do want to get another TV screen instead of making do with what you currently have, do more research online to find out which 4K TV brands are recommended by other gamers who play similar games as you do.
It’s best if you choose one that is compatible with several different types of console systems so that it can last you longer than just one generation of gaming consoles. You might even consider getting an expensive, high-end TV screen that will do more than just your gaming sessions. It may be a good idea to do some more research on the latest and newest TVs, which is why it will be best to do more research and read reviews from those who have already bought one before you make this important investment.
Top brands of TV screens with fast response times and low input lag
Some TV brands just have better input lag than others. So, as a gamer, do your research and check out the top brands of TV screens with good response times and low latency/input lag so you can find one that’s compatible for multiple gaming systems. Doing this will give you more time to do other things online like play games or catch up on another show without worrying about lag time.
As you do more research, you’ll be able to narrow down your list of options into just a few choice products that are compatible with different types of gaming consoles. This will give you the best value for your money because it won’t just do your video gaming sessions well but can do other things online like streaming apps or TV shows as well.
Most TV brands do not have the same level of input lag as other electronic devices like monitors or TVs do because they do more than just your gaming sessions and streaming online videos. That’s why it is important to do the proper research before deciding on a certain type, whether it’s an HDMI converter, HDMI splitter, or TV.
When input lag might cause problems
If you are struggling with input lag, there are common underlying causes to look out for so you can get the help you need to eliminate it. If your streaming device or TV screen is older, one solution may be to do more research and find games it can still play without lag. The other alternative would be getting a new one if possible.
The other thing to look at is whether your gaming setup has more than one HDMI peripherals daisy-chained. Knowing all this will do a better job of eliminating input lag from your gaming sessions because it won’t have the same level of latency/input lag that can affect your online gameplay in a negative way.
Conclusion
Overall, the HDMI splitter does not cause input lag. The way HDMI splitters work leave no room to for them to cause input lag. If it does, there is a common underlying cause such as old equipment or multiple HDMI peripherals daisy-chained. Do more research on the latest and newer TVs to find one that’s compatible with different types of gaming consoles and do online research about which 4K TV brands are most recommended by other gamers whose games and play styles are similar to yours.
Doing this will give you more time to do other things online like playing games or catching up on a show without worrying about lag time. You might also consider getting a TV screen that is expensive and high-end so it can do more than just your gaming sessions and do other things online as well.
