Splitters vs. Switches

A lot of people wonder what the difference is between a splitter and a switch. Basically, a splitter will take one source (such as a satellite receiver, a cable box, a computer, etc.) and splits the signal between two outputs. So if you have a HDMI splitter, you can connect one HDMI source, such as a DVD player, to two HDMI monitors. Notice that this will not extend your desktop - it will just show the same image on both screens.

A switch is the opposite of a splitter - it allows you to take two sources and use the source on one output without having to move cables around. So if you have a HDMI switch you can take two HDMI sources and easily switch back and forth on one monitor.

Check out our DVI Switches, HDMI Switches, USB Switches, KVM Switches and Audio Switches. We also carry DVI Splitters, HDMI Splitters and VGA Splitters.