Lag can be quite annoying, especially when you have become accustomed to advancing technology in all aspects of your life. Can HDMI splitters add lag to your video?
HDMI splitters can add a lag, but this lag is minimal. It is essential to understand that this lag is so small that you probably won’t even notice it in your movies and TV shows. You may notice a lack of responsiveness in video games. It also depends on what type of HDMI splitter you use as well.
Sometimes some additions can add a lag, and HDMI splitters are one of them. However, you have no choice but to use an HDMI splitter, but you don’t want to add additional lag. Here is everything you need to know about HDMI splitters and to make the best out of using one.
Table of Contents
Do HDMI Splitters Add Lag To A TV?
Yes, they can. The least amount it will add is about 2 milliseconds of lag, which is not very much. Most, if not all, people wouldn’t even notice this type of lag. But some HDMI splitters could cause more of a noticeable delay.
It depends on the quality. Some splitters are better than others, and some may cause more lag. You just need to pay attention to the details and recommendations of that product.
Which Splitters Are The Best?
The HDMI splitter’s quality depends on the brand. Many out there will provide minimal lag that isn’t extremely expensive. But if you want the HDMI splitter with the least amount of lag, you should opt for one that is powered.
A powered HDMI splitter will provide high-quality, high-speed copying power and boost the signal simultaneously. You can’t even tell if there is a lag from your device to your monitors. It may be a little bit more expensive, but it is worth it if the lag is significant to you.
Benefits Of An HDMI Splitter
There are many benefits to an HDMI splitter. It helps you display your content on multiple screens. This is great for gaming, home theaters, and so much more. Here are the many other benefits of getting this device:
- Watch content on multiple screens.
- Saves space.
- You don’t need multiple TV boxes or other streaming devices for multiple TVs.
- Saves you money.
- It can support a range of resolutions.
- Great for entertainment purposes, including gaming.
- Easier for you to control.
You can get a lot out of an HDMI splitter. You’d be surprised how much it can save you money when you don’t have to purchase multiple streaming devices and instead use just one!
Cons Of An HDMI Splitter
Although having an HDMI splitter has many benefits, there are a few downfalls. This goes for any product you buy. You just need to figure out if these are cons you can live with or if you want something more suitable to your tastes. Here are the cons:
- Some have noticeable lag.
- Resolution limits on some.
- Cable interference.
- You can’t watch different shows on the same device, you have to watch the same show if you are trying to watch the same device through different screens.
- It can cause quality degradation.
Not all of these apply to every HDMI splitter. There are more advanced splitters that won’t have any resolution or quality difference. You just have to research HDMI devices that don’t cause this type of degradation.
There is the downfall that if you and another person want to watch a Blu-ray player hooked up to two different screens but want to watch different movies, you can’t. You have to watch the same thing because it will display the same picture on both screens.
Remember, an HDMI splitter provides a mirror or copy the image to multiple screens. It is excellent if you need a game playing on multiple screens in different rooms, but it isn’t great if you all want to watch other things on the same device but on multiple screens.
Alternatives To An HDMI Splitter
If you aren’t sold on an HDMI splitter, there are other alternatives to this device. Some of those alternatives are the following:
- HDMI Switch: Allow multiple devices to a single HDMI input.
- HDMI Matrix Switches: A combination of an HDMI Switch and an HDMI splitter providing both inputs and outputs.
Depending on your use case, you can choose these instead of a regular HDMI splitter.
Outro
Yes, an HDMI splitter will add a little bit of lag, but nothing that isn’t too noticeable. You just have to decide whether the lag cost outweighs the benefits you need from it. It could be easier just not to use an HDMI Splitter.
