Review: 'Awesome' New HDMI/Audio Switcher for Control4
By Joe Whitaker
Built for Control4 home automation systems, HydraConnect has high-end HDMI switching features offered by the “other guys” but provides unique twist with audio and CEC control.

We have been blessed lately with a plethora of HDMI switchers that solve some of the worst deficiencies of HDMI: key limitations, switching lags, EDID support, and so many others. Indeed, I’ve written glowing reviews of some of them.

But for the most part they don’t solve a big problem that plagues home entertainment systems in general: pesky IR emitters and RS-232 contraptions on the A/V components themselves.




Start-up HydraConnect solves all of these problems with the new HSS-1 HDMI switcher ($9,000), shipping this year (specs below).

I discovered this awesome gem at CEDIA Expo 2011 in September. I almost passed it up – it was a strange-looking 2u blue box with two large fan vents on the front -- but I thought to myself that a box that ugly has got to have some good stuff inside! (Thankfully, the shipping model has a black case.)

Scoping out the rear side of the rack, I witnessed 8 HDMI inputs, 8 HDMI outputs, 8 analog audio inputs, 8 analog audio outputs, and a single Ethernet connection.

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