HDMI 2.1 Splitters/Audio Extractors?

schlitzbull

schlitzbull

Gawd
Joined
Feb 19, 2014
Messages
655
I'm guessing none of these exist but I figured i'd ask. I recently got a LG CX and didnt think things through completely. My soundbar acts as my HDMI switch and is only HDMI 2.0.

Right now I have the 3080 & PS5 directly connected to the TV for the 4k/120, but then I lose the ATMOS/DTSX compatibility because i'm forced to use the TOSLINK to the soundbar. Not a huge deal since most games don't use either and I have a Shield for all my media consumption.
My next issue is the conduit in my wall sucks. I have room for one HDMI cable. I could always try to tidy the wires up on the wall, but hoping for a cleaner solution.

I was wondering if anyone knows any HDMI 2.1 switches with audio extractors or if anyone else have any better suggestions. Basically i'd like to have my PC, PS5, Shield all connect to one "box". That "box" would run HDMI ports for each source to the soundbar for audio and one HDMI port to the TV for video. End goal being at least the PS5 & 3080 have 4k/120/lossless with one HDMI going to the TV.

I found this which kind of looks like what I want but appears to have a redundant port for my usage. Besides it only having one input, it seems like it would work. I assume I would connect the PS to the "SOURCE", the "ARC/e/ARC TV" to the TV for video, and the "AUDIO ONLY" to the soundbar for sound?

Edit:
Also would any splitter like this have to be "compatible" with something like VRR or ATMOS/DTSX to pass it through? Or as long as its a HDMI 2.1 port, you're good to go?
 
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I'm going to say you're overvaluing the ATMOS/DTSX crap. It's hardly worth it if you ask me, esp if you're dealing with just a sound bar. If you had a true surround system with proper speaker positioning to really take advantage of that I'd say maybe, but there's no way a sound bar will make any meaningful difference b/w 5.1 and anything higher. Even 5.1 is a stretch, really.
The device you're looking for is an HDMI matrix, something like a 4x2, with outputs duplicated to both TV and the sound bar. But, trust me, it's not worth the complexity or the cost. I have a 4x4 4k matrix with cat6 extenders, media closet, receivers, in-wall speakers - it's all cool and all, but frustrating as all hell to setup, not to mention the cost.
 
Id have to disagree on overvaluing the atmos/dtsx. I have a legit atmos setup in the garage. The soundbar is clearly not the same but it does give me more of a sense of "filling" the room vs standard DTSMA/DolbyHD if that makes any sense. My father in law got the high end Samsung soundbar and it definitely sounds meh. I have the Nakamichi Shockwafe 7.2.4 which I would highly recommend if you're stuck using a soundbar. That being said, after sleeping on it, I agree dropping a significant amount of money to get atmos/dtsx capabilities on my PC and PS5 is not worth the time or money. I was using a cat6 extender for the PC in this room and in the garage, but they are 18gbps bandwidth only. I also agree i'm not trying to invest in a matrix for one room.

Honestly I woke up and just said fuck it. I ordered some paintable cable channel that will cover the 5' of visible cable. I also ordered a GD08b and will combine my gaming PC and server and put it in the TV Stand so it can direct connect to the TV. The money I'll make selling the server will probably cover all costs. Versus spending $350+ for a new cat6 extender and probably another $200+ on a matrix.
 
My brother also said the same about using Movie Atmos on his Oppo 205 feeding only stereo speakers, it was clearer and more spatial.
He compared it to the PCM multichannel audio track.
He wont be mistaken but I wondered how the difference could be so stark with just stereo.
So the difference is there.
 
Well, if you have a proper set of speakers, setup the amp with the mic where each speaker distance is calibrated, have well positioned furniture in the room and no other crap that's going to bounce the sound around, maybe. Like, if you have a dedicated theater room, should you happen to be swinging that kind of cash around. You also have to watch source and movies that have that sound track. But, is it worth the trouble so that you could hear the several special effects they will put in the movie that utilize the extra speakers? I'm sure there are people that will say yes. But, for the vast majority of the mere mortals out there it's a waste of money.

And guess what happens 3 years from now? That's right, a new standard comes along and you're now sitting on outdated equipment. Says the proud owner of a 4k60 HDMI matrix that cost $1200 new 4 years ago but can no longer hang with the new kids on the block. Also, don't ask me how many high-end 1080p receivers I have that are now worthless because 1080p is not a thing anymore.
 
I get it. I bought a $700 reciever for the living room when I bought my house in 2015. It only does 4k/30.

There are few things in life that I want nice. I want a nice computer, tv and sound. So now that my receiver is outdated and I moved my KS8000 to that receiver, time to sell it and buy a new one.

Any particular reason your so negative on top of the line tech? Seems like an odd response for [H].
 
schlitzbull said:
I get it. I bought a $700 reciever for the living room when I bought my house in 2015. It only does 4k/30.

There are few things in life that I want nice. I want a nice computer, tv and sound. So now that my receiver is outdated and I moved my KS8000 to that receiver, time to sell it and buy a new one.

Any particular reason your so negative on top of the line tech? Seems like an odd response for [H].
Click to expand...
I drank the coolaid and went all-in. Have a 36U server rack in my media closet that houses 3x receivers, 2x 4x4 matrix, 3U NAS/HTPC, RTI control system, networking patch panel, firewall, switch, POE switch, DVR for 8x security cameras incl a PTZ camera, individual room thermostats, battery back up, cable equipment, whole hours audio stuff, etc. 3 trunks of 2" diameter bundles of wires going into that thing. This drives 5x TVs, speakers, in-ceiling speakers for kitchen and bathrooms, electric fireplace, HVAC, POE doorbell, and so on. One of the rooms has in-wall TV cavity, in-wall speakers, even in-wall sub - very clean looking room.

Why the hate? It's a headache to maintain. Changing a piece of equipment always turns into an ordeal. A cable guy showed up to change internet service, looked into that closed and said no way he's touching anything in there. (I had to do all the wiring, he just pushed buttons on his tablet). Then you end up buying extra crap to solve problems that should not have existed in the first place, like audio lip-sync issues, remote latency issues, connectivity issues because crap doesn't work as it was advertised but you only discovered that past the return period because it took you so long to hook it up and troubleshoot.

In summary, I guess you could say that I'm bitter after spending a ridiculous amount of time and money on a system that only kind of works and would be expensive to upgrade or replace. It's like, I bought a Bentley and then realized that I can't afford the running costs. Recently, I've been improving the system by yanking parts of it out and simplifying every feature I touch. Hence I preach "simpler is better".
 
I can appreciate that lol. I have the luxury of not having a large house to put all that in.
 
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