Following the digital switchover here in the UK, almost every man and his dog now has a television that is at least HD ready. That means that demand for HDMI cables and accessories is going sky high. Even HDMI DVD players are available to take advantage of upscaling content and getting the most from your old discs, but what happens when you want to watch the same content on two TVs instead of just one?
TruLink’s 2-port HDMI splitter aims to solve your predicament by offering you an extra port to connect your peripheral in to, but how does it stack up when compared to the plethora of other options available out there? Let’s check it out!
The first thing that I noticed when I use TruLink’s HDMI splitter was the size of it. I’ve used a number of adaptors in the past that do the same job in a smaller package, and look nice and discrete next to your media equipment.
This product, however, isn’t the smallest adaptor you will ever see. In fact, it’s oddly wide for something that performs a seemingly simple task. Thanks to the black finish of the unit, though, it will still look at home next to all of your other media boxes, like many other TruLink products.
The connections on the back of the unit couldn’t be more straight forward. There is one HDMI port market “Input” where you connect your peripheral to, and two ports that are market “Output”. From each of these ports, you can connect a HDMI cable to a TV or other display, so that the content can be shown on more than one screen.
According to the product specifications, the box will bolster the signal enough for it to be sent to a display up to 45 metres away through a HDMI cable. Although I couldn’t test the signal over a 45 metre range, I did connect two displays which were both 19 metres apart, and the picture quality was flawless.
If you have 3D equipment, then you can be safe in the knowledge that the adaptor is also fully compatible with 3D video, so you can watch a 3D film over two displays at the same time without any issues. An LED light on the front of the casing will confirm that the signal is being sent properly and that everything is working as it should be.
The TruLink 2-port HDMI Splitter is a simple product, but it does the job well and without any drama. The only complaint I would have is over the size, and if it’s possible then it would be a good move by TruLink to try and reduce the size of the unit. Compared to many smaller adaptors, it does looks slightly bulky, which may put off prospective buyers.
It’s worth noting that there are no cables included with the unit itself, so if you don’t have enough HDMI cables then you’ll have to buy additional ones separately. If you want to buy the HDMI splitter for yourself, you can pick it up from around £80.
Hoping to study Computer Science at University in the near future, you’ll seldom see John without a computer in touching distance! His interests include building computers, reading all sorts of literature and of course writing for Zath to keep you updated on all the latest in the world of tech!
