The Ole Switch-aroo
There's not much we ask of HDMI switches. Switch over to the high definition source I want, when I want it, and don't get in the way of the picture or sound quality. Oh, and be compatible with all of my various source devices, my receiver and my TV, even though the HDMI spec itself is a notoriously moving target. Come to think of it, we do ask a lot of our switches, and I bet you're wondering whether the OPPO Digital HM-31 HDMI Switch delivers. Well read on.
The Oppo HM-31 is certified by the manufacturer to be compatible with HDMI 1.3 devices (and below). This is not to say that it will not work with the next flavor of HDMI whenever that comes out, only that it has been tested and certified with the current state of the art in HDMI protocol. This is important if you're buying one of the latest generation Blu-ray Disc players as other HDMI switches have been found to exhibit compatibility issues with these newest players.
The HM-31 features three inputs and one output. You can use it to add HDMI inputs to a home theater receiver, or simply to add additional HDMI inputs to an HDTV. Using the switch over a period of several weeks, with a lot of gear coming and going, I was impressed at how trouble-free its operation was. For sources, I used two models of Panasonic Blu-ray Players, a Pioneer DVD player, Polaroid DVD Recorder, Sony and DISH Network High Def DVRs and a Sony PS3. From the switch, the HDMI signal was then fed into a receiver (an Onkyo TX-SR605 and a Pioneer VSX-94TXH), and from there into either a Panasonic PT-AE2000U projector or an Epson Home Cinema 1080 UB projector.
In all cases, the switch performed as expected, passing high bit rate audio codecs, such as Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD Master Audio, as well as 1080p/60 and 1080p/24 video through to the display device with nary a flicker or hiccup.
The HM-31 auto-senses an input signal and automatically switches over to a new device when an HDMI signal is detected (e.g., when the device is turned on). This is a nice feature overall, minimizing the number of additional clicks required when switching between devices, but it can make things a little confusing. When I turned on the device switched to input 1 (a PS3 Blu-ray Disc player), the switch automatically switched over to that input from the current one (input 2 or 3) though I would have preferred it did not as I was still watching something on input 2 (a High Def DVR). Also, while watching a movie on a Panasonic DMP-BD55 Blu-ray Disc player, I accidentally grabbed the PS3 remote and hit one of the buttons and this also switched the HM-31 over to the PS3. It can be a nice feature to have but I'd prefer the ability to turn it off.
Turn-Ons
Turn-Offs
Final Thoughts
The Oppo HM-31 is a reasonably affordable HDMI switch that works well with a variety of standard definition and high definition source components and displays. Although I would have preferred to disable the auto-switching feature, it could be useful to those who do not have an advanced home theater remote such as a Harmony which manages multi-device switching just fine on its own. Overall it's a solid component and will be extremely useful to those whose home theater receiver or display is one or two inputs short of what's needed. Less expensive switches are available but with many of these, device compatibility is much sketchier. Meanwhile the Oppo HM-31 should serve you well now and in the future.
Where to Buy
Manufacturer's Contact Details:
OPPO Digital, Inc.
2629B Terminal Blvd.
Mountain View, CA 94043
E-Mail: service@OPPOdigital.com
Phone: (650) 961-1118
Web site: http://www.oppodigital.com/
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