welwynnick
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If that was nerdy, this is terminally OCD. Once I get my beak in something I can't stop pecking.
So here are all the HDMI 2.1 switches that can feed an AVP, excluding splitters and HDBaseT devices (which only ever go up to 4k60 anyway).
These run from 1x1 up to 8x8 (there are a few 16x16 devices but they're $$$$).
4k60 seems to be the widely established standard for switches and matrices, but not so many support 4k120.
Those that do, often have eARC support. Manufacturers often promote eARC, without being clear about whether it's eARC input, or eARC output, or both.
I'm fascinated by the number of 4x4 and 8x8 matrices, though when you look hard there are only two types - the AVPro and everything else.
They're amazingly capable and a leap above everything else, with lots of independent user-configurable options for each input and output. Not only do they have a large number of EDID options, they're per-channel rather than global settings, and the audio & video output formats can be scaled individually for each output, and the user typically has the choice to set a variety of custom EDIDs, so the options are limitless. They can all be controlled remotely by PC using RS232 (if you're a 20th century guy) or WebGUI (21st century).
Although AVPro and BZB are American, Lindy is British, and FeinTech and PureTools are German, the reality is that everything is manufactured in China.
I contacted many vendors to ask questions, and the western companies offered very good technical support. EZCOO were not so good.
Related subject - one thing to watch out for is cooling fan noise. Some devices are noisy, but some are quiet with necessary firmware update, so support is important.
There seems to be one 4x4 and one 8x8 matrix that's sold by BZBGear, EZCOO, FourKay, Lindy, Orei, and XOLORspace. They're nearly identical on the outside, and they have the same specs. I downloaded and compared the owner's manuals and saw more similarity. The FourKay and XolorSpace manuals were absolutely identical, with no branding or even part numbers. The others were topped and tailed, but had exactly the same content. The BZB was the same but with their own formatting.
Although the BZB and Lindy are more expensive than the others, it's clear that they're all the same unit, with the same documentation, from the same manufacturer.
The AVPro gear is completely different and much more expensive. The AudioControl equipment definitely benefits from AVPro's undoubted expertise in HDMI engineering, but it seems to me that it must come at a cost.
EDIT: I'm such a nerd that I think I've found an error in the BZB Gear 8K-44MA user manual. On page 10, in the Defined EDID Settings Table, EDID Mode 44 is defined as "Copy Out 5". This appears to be copied over from the manual for the 8K-88MA, but the 8K-44MA doesn't have a channel 5. It must be time to get a life.......
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