HDMI switch or Y cable?

[truckerCLOCK]

Ok my son just got an Xbox One for Xmas. After hooking it up to the cable box for the TV watching part I soon realized that the Xbox has to be on in order to watch TV. So Im wondering if I can use a switch or a "y" cable to split the HDMI cable from my cablebox to the TV? Something like this....our cablebox has 1 HDMI output, I use a switch or Y and send one HDMI to the TV labeled HDMI input 1 for watching TV while the Xbox is off. The other cable goes to the XBox HDMI input. Basically Im trying to not have to swap cables everytime he turns off the Xbox.

 

[EliteRetard]

Yep, they have cheap simple switches...that's what I would get.
A "Y" splitter wouldn't be good.

 

[EliteRetard]

Here's an example I grabbed real quick:

http://www.amazon.com/ViewHD-HDMI-Bi.../dp/B006CUIVTO

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[sciencewhiz]

Does the TV have more then 1 HDMI input?

 

[ViRGE]

Here's an example I grabbed real quick:

http://www.amazon.com/ViewHD-HDMI-Bi.../dp/B006CUIVTO

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Even better, here's a 3 port auto-sensing switch with a remote (not that you should need to use it).

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00...?ie=UTF8&psc=1

 

[masteryoda34]

I think a passive Y splitter would probably degrade the signal.

 

[sdifox]

http://www.monoprice.com/Product?c_id=101&cp_id=10110&cs_id=1011002&p_id=8463&seq=1&format=2

 

[truckerCLOCK]

Does the TV have more then 1 HDMI input?

Yes has 4 inputs ...but the number of inputs on the TV will not help. Its the number of outputs on the cablebox thats the problem. Thanks for all the help guys and it looks like I gotta go with a switch. My son bought a cheap Y cable off Ebay and it will only connect with one device...Im assuming its a HDCP handshake issue.

 

[sdifox]

Yes has 4 inputs ...but the number of inputs on the TV will not help. Its the number of outputs on the cablebox thats the problem. Thanks for all the help guys and it looks like I gotta go with a switch. My son bought a cheap Y cable off Ebay and it will only connect with one device...Im assuming its a HDCP handshake issue.

err, why don't you connect the xbox one to the tv directly without going through your cable box? you just need another hdmi cable...as in cable box goes to hdmi1 of tv and xbox one goes to hdmi2.


http://www.monoprice.com/Product?c_id=102&cp_id=10240&cs_id=1024008&p_id=3952&seq=1&format=2

 

[NutBucket]

That was going to be my question. No need to route through Xbox if it's only used for gaming.

 

[truckerCLOCK]

err, why don't you connect the xbox one to the tv directly without going through your cable box? you just need another hdmi cable...as in cable box goes to hdmi1 of tv and xbox one goes to hdmi2.

errr, I love how some people just miss the simple easy questions/answers .......Ok for the slow people. One of the reasons he bought the Xbone was to use its snap features. Oh and the cablebox plugs into the Xbone not the other way around.

Xbox One Snap features

 

[ViRGE]

errr, I love how some people just miss the simple easy questions/answers .......Ok for the slow people. One of the reasons he bought the Xbone was to use its snap features. Oh and the cablebox plugs into the Xbone not the other way around.

Xbox One Snap features

If that's what he's after then the whole idea is to leave the Xbox One on all the time (or at least on/off with the cable box). Otherwise if he's not interested in running both in tandem, he may as well not use the Xbox's HDMI passthrough functionality at all and save himself a headache.

You could get an HDMI Splitter, but then you're flipping between HDMI inputs on your TV for seemingly no reason.

Yes has 4 inputs ...but the number of inputs on the TV will not help. Its the number of outputs on the cablebox thats the problem. Thanks for all the help guys and it looks like I gotta go with a switch. My son bought a cheap Y cable off Ebay and it will only connect with one device...Im assuming its a HDCP handshake issue.

Y-cables don't really work in the HDMI ecosystem since HDMI has bidirectional communication. You're right that it's a handshake issue; it's two disparate devices connecting to something that only expects a single device. For a 1 input to 2 output configuration you need a powered splitter (ideally one that strips HDCP).

 

[truckerCLOCK]

If that's what he's after then the whole idea is to leave the Xbox One on all the time (or at least on/off with the cable box). Otherwise if he's not interested in running both in tandem, he may as well not use the Xbox's HDMI passthrough functionality at all and save himself a headache.

You could get an HDMI Splitter, but then you're flipping between HDMI inputs on your TV for seemingly no reason.

Y-cables don't really work in the HDMI ecosystem since HDMI has bidirectional communication. You're right that it's a handshake issue; it's two disparate devices connecting to something that only expects a single device. For a 1 input to 2 output configuration you need a powered splitter (ideally one that strips HDCP).

Your correct if it was up to my son he would leave the Xbone on ALL the time. But his mother uses that TV as well and that is one more thing that she has to learn how to use. So again thanks for all the help guys.

 

[sdifox]

Ok my son just got an Xbox One for Xmas. After hooking it up to the cable box for the TV watching part I soon realized that the Xbox has to be on in order to watch TV. So Im wondering if I can use a switch or a "y" cable to split the HDMI cable from my cablebox to the TV? Something like this....our cablebox has 1 HDMI output, I use a switch or Y and send one HDMI to the TV labeled HDMI input 1 for watching TV while the Xbox is off. The other cable goes to the XBox HDMI input. Basically Im trying to not have to swap cables everytime he turns off the Xbox.

errr, I love how some people just miss the simple easy questions/answers .......Ok for the slow people. One of the reasons he bought the Xbone was to use its snap features. Oh and the cablebox plugs into the Xbone not the other way around.

Xbox One Snap features

Show me where you mentioned Snap in the op.


Also, you can use a switch to do what you want to do. Cable box is source and xbox one and tv are destinations. you would put xbox 1 output as say input 2 on tv and switch output as input 1.


http://www.monoprice.com/Product?c_id=101&cp_id=10113&cs_id=1011310&p_id=8155&seq=1&format=2


so CB---HDMI Switch/Splitter----XBONE----TV HDMI2
|
----------------TV HDMI1

That ought to fix the complexity for your wife issue. Just make sure your son puts tv back to hdmi1 after playing. You should also edit the label on the input so HDMI1 shows as CABLE.