Monoprice 5x1 HDMI switcher review: Monoprice 5x1 HDMI switcher

HDMI connectivity is quickly becoming a must-have connection type for all types of gadgets. But while the list of gadgets with an HDMI output is growing, the number of HDMI inputs on HDTVs and receivers is limited--you'll need to spend a lot of money before you see more than three inputs on either. That's where HDMI switchers come into play, allowing you to add more HDMI-enabled gadgets to your home theater setup without paying the big premium on your HDTV or AV receiver. The Monoprice 5x1 switcher features an extremely affordable price tag of $50 (available at Monoprice.com), and also offers the most ports of any of the HDMI switchers we've reviewed.

The Monoprice switcher is solidly built. The exterior casing is all metal, which makes it seem like it could survive a fall from your AV rack--which occasionally happens with all those HDMI cables hanging off the back. The front panel features five LED lights to indicate which source is connected, and an additional LED to indicate that the switcher is on. There's only one button on the front panel, which is an "input select" button for changing inputs when the remote goes missing. We were glad to see a full-size remote is included, unlike the "credit-card-style" remotes we're used to seeing with most other switchers. There are five buttons available for directly selecting an HDMI input, as well as Backward and Forward buttons to sequentially "flip" through your inputs.

The Monoprice switcher offers the most connectivity options of any of the switchers we tested, with five HDMI inputs and one output--enabling you to switch between five connected devices. As mentioned above, there are discrete remote codes for each input, which make it easier to program with a universal remote, and universal remotes make it much easier to integrate an HDMI switcher into your home theater setup. For example, with an activity-based universal remote like a Logitech Harmony, you can simply select "Watch TV" and it will change the respective inputs on the switcher, the TV, and the AV receiver without you needing to remember which input is which.

Despite its low price tag, the Monoprice 5x1 switcher did well in our performance tests. The switcher's HDMI ports are certified at "only" version 1.2 of the standard (not the newer 1.3); however, we had no problem passing 1080p/24 video with DTS-HD Master Audio soundtracks in bitstream format. Switching between inputs was fast, whether we were connected to a receiver or not. We had no problems with the Monoprice even when we hooked up a 65-foot HDMI cable.

A caveat to all HDMI switchers--and products with HDMI ports in general--is that we've found frustrating compatibility issues in a variety of scenarios. An HDMI switcher may work perfectly well in one setup and then not work in another setup because of a different combination of home-theater components. Because of this, we recommend buying a switcher from a retailer with a solid return policy, as it's impossible to know if it will work flawlessly in your setup ahead of time.

All in all, the Monoprice 5x1 should be your first choice if you're looking for an HDMI switcher. Its performance was comparable with the best switchers we tested and it's currently available for $50--an unbeatable price compared to the competition. The only other worthwhile alternative is probably the Accell UltraAV HDMI 4-1 switcher. It has the ability to work without AC power in some setups (drawing power instead straight from the connected HDMI devices), but it costs about three times as much as the Monoprice. Monoprice also offers a 4x1 switcher for $44--which includes a more recent firmware revision--but in our tests we found the older firmware on the 5x1 switcher offered faster switcher and better performance on long cable runs.