This is also important when you have a subscription to a streaming service that limits the number of simultaneous streams you can watch. For example, if you have the Standard Netflix membership, you can only watch up to two streams at once.

For anyone with displays that support a different max resolution and refresh rate, you’ll want to find an HDMI splitter that supports downscaling. This feature allows your 4K@60Hz display to stay at that max resolution while the signal is downgraded for your 1080p@60Hz display.Though she is still writing for Android Authority, she went on to start writing for MakeUseOf, KOINO IT Solutions, and, of course, Review Geek. I'd rather not upgrade to a new AVR just for eARC and given the cost and teething issues with HDMI 2.1, so the solution seems to be a simple HDMI 2.1 splitter for the PS5 to allow the HDMI 2.1 video signal (4K/120Hz/VRR/ALLM etc) to go the TV, and the Hi-res audio (DTS-MA, DD-Tru HD, Atmos) to go to the AVR. Trouble is, with this setup, my PS5 can spin blu ray and 4k UHD discs, but I'm limited to Dolby Digital sound via the ARC or optical. Very pleased to avoid the need to upgrade my Pioneer LX-85 for now, as the only thing I'm missing out on is Atmos (and that would require me to mount ceiling speakers, so is not on the cards for now). My 2012 Pioneer LX-85 has everything else (region-free blu ray player, Nintendo Switch, HTPC, retro-games console) connected to it, then to the TV into HDMI 2, which supports eARC (but the receiver only has regular ARC).

For people looking to duplicate a video signal or a static image, 4K resolution at 30Hz will be plenty. However, the best bet for most people will be an HDMI splitter capable of supporting a 4K resolution at 60Hz. If you want to future-proof your setup, you can splurge on an HDMI splitter that supports 4K@120Hz, or even 8K@60Hz.

How we picked the best HDMI splitters

All the dip switches were set to "up", but I read somewhere it was preferable to set the first dipswitch ("legacy") down, so did that before hooking everything up (LG C9 OLED, PS5 into HDMI 3, HDMI eARC out to the sharc, then into HDMI 4 of my Pioneer LX-85). As per the instruction sheet, set the C9 to "passthrough". Set the PS5 to "AV Receiver", "5.1 channels" and "PCM".

In April 2020, she started writing for Android Authority, covering listicles, helpful how-to's for Android devices, and content on the Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X/S. Sarah has an Associate of Arts from Collin College and a Bachelor of Arts in English with a Creative Writing concentration from Nicholls State University. Alternatively, this OREI HDMI splitter is also capable of sending an 8K@60Hz signal, but it doesn’t support downscaling. This means all of your output displays need to support 8K@60Hz if you want to utilize this high resolution and refresh rate combo. If one of your output displays (or your input device) only supports 4K@60Hz, the signal sent to both displays will be the lower 4K@60Hz option.

Products at a Glance

I've got my PS5 connected directly to my LG C9 OLED through HDMI 3 input. Works well, great picture, reasonable sound through TV's optical out.

Supported Audio: LPCM, Dolby-AC3, DTS7.1, DSD/Dolby TrueHD/DTS-HD master audio, Essentially all available audio options are supported However, with multiple screens comes the problem of using your media devices – such as streaming devices, gaming consoles, DVD players, etc. – with those multiple tellies. Without buying multiple devices, that is…

Things To Consider

Please note that this hdmi 2.1 splitter will duplicate the source to the two output displays. It can’t be used to extend a desktop for PC or a laptop. If the connected displays do not support the same resolution then the splitter will lower the output resolution to the next best resolution supported by both displays and same goes with the audio signal. We recommend using this HDMI 2.1 splitter with high quality HDMI cables 30 feet or less. That’s where an HDMI splitter comes in – it’s a small box that lets you plug in one “Input” device – that’s your streamer/ DVD Player/etc.’– and connect TWO (or more) screens to the “Output” side, all via HDMI cables. LPCM, Dolby Digital/Plus/EX, Dolby True HD, DTS, DTS-EX, DTS-96/24, DTS High Res, DTS-HD Master Audio, DSD The splitter then “duplicates” the signal coming from your media device – and sends it to your two outputs. So you can watch the same stream on two TVs, a TV and a projector, and every other example you can think of. If you have features on your TV or computer monitor that you want to utilize, make sure the HDMI splitter you choose also supports those features. A few popular features to look out for are HDR compatibility and surround sound support like Dolby Atmos.