JOYTECH HDMI TriLink

Today’s gamer has more ways to connect their console to the TV than ever before, the latest of which is HDMI, a digital interface which is able to carry high definition video and sound.

You’ll find HDMI on a host of modern consumer electronics including DVD players, HD DVD players, Blu-ray players, SKY HD and Sony’s PS3. It’s also quite likely for consumers to want to connect more than one of these devices to a TV; this is where problems are likely to arise.

Many of the more recent HD TVs feature a couple of HDMI inputs, but you’ll still find a lot of sets with only the single input. What’s more, these HDMI inputs are often found on the rear of sets, making easy switching of cables a hassle for those with their TV up against a wall.

So, you’re left with the problem of constantly having to swap a cable between numerous devices, be it a PS3, an HD DVD player or a SKY HD box. To get around the problem a switch box of some kind can be used, essentially taking inputs from numerous devices and feeding them through a single cable.

HDMI is a relatively new format and as such these switch boxes are quite expensive, that is until JOYTECH released the HDMI TriLink. This dinky little box enables up to three HDMI compatible devices to be connected to a single HDMI input on a TV. With full HDCP, HDMI 1.3 compliance, support for 1080p and a retail price of only £39.99, the HDMI TriLink sounds like a no-brainer.

And that’s exactly what it is. Sure, it’s a fairly no-frills device but as the solution to a common problem it serves its purpose wonderfully.

For £39.99 you get the small TriLink box which handles the HDMI inputs and output, an IR extender, remote, power adapter and a USB cable. Nothing too unusual there, other than the USB cable that is. You see, the TriLink can draw power from the supplied power adapter or via a powered USB port. This means if you have the box near a USB equipped device you can get away without having to plug yet another device into the mains.

Unfortunately our tests ruled out the use of USB power in most situations. We tested powering the TriLink using a USB port on a PS3, Xbox 360, PC and SKY HD box. The problem is that the PS3 and Xbox 360 need to be turned on (not just in standby) in order to power the TriLink. It’s not a fault of the TriLink, but it’s still a great pity. Owners of a SKY HD box are in luck though as the USB ports on the back did the trick. If you’ve got a PC nearby that’s always on then this would also be an option.

Once you’ve connected up your devices (it’s worth noting that you’ll need to buy HDMI cables separately as none are included with the TriLink) the simple remote enables quick and easy switching between them: press button 1 for device 1, button 2 for device 2 and button 3 for device 3. The TriLink has a built-in IR Receiver, but also comes with an IR extender which can be plugged in and stuck somewhere more in sight of the remote. There’s also a button on the TriLink which can be pressed to move to the next input, although this is really only needed if you mange to lose the remote.

It’s pleasing to say that we noticed no drop in visual quality when using the TriLink. We hooked up a SKY HD box outputting in 1080i, a PS3 (tested at 1080p and 720p) and a PC hooked up using a DVI to HDMI cable and results were, to our eyes, exactly the same as directly connecting the devices to the TV.

The TriLink also did a good job at passing the audio, meaning those that use their TV’s speakers for sound should have no problems whatsoever.

It’s very hard to say anything negative about the TriLink, so I won’t. The picky among you will bemoan the lack of auto switching, but at a price of £39.99 or less there isn’t a more cost effective way to solve your HDMI input problems.

You can find the HDMI TriLink, along with lots of other JOYTECH products, at joytechstore.net.