OPPO HM-31 Review

The User Reviews

Average User Rating: 8.0

1. The HM-31 also has auto-switching...

   

   By: Al Taylor
   January 21, 2008 @ 10:18 AM

   This unit will also auto switch between inputs based on a couple of factors…

   Since some units output an HDMI signal even when they are turned off, or are devices that you want to leave on at all times, like a DVR, you can use that info along with the built-in priority port assignment set by Oppo to ports 1 through 3 to avoid having to use the remote.

   This is how:

   First power down and connect each of your three component HDMI cables to an input port on the HM-31. Next determine whether any of your components output a signal continuously regardless of powered-on state.

   If you see no light that means either nothing is connected to the port or that the connected component is not sending any signal. If you see a red light on a port that means that a device is connected and it is sending a signal to the HM-31. Ideally you will only have one of your three components sending a continuous signal at any one time.

   If you see a blue light on a port, that means that the HM-31 is forwarding that sensed signal to your TV or A/V receiver via the output HDMI port. (A blinking blue light means that you have selected a specific port that has no signal present.) Without pressing any buttons or using the remote, look at the lights on the front of the unit. If you see a blue light on port 1, and a red light on ports 2, and 3, that means all three components are on and sending HDMI signals to their respective ports, and the HM-31 is forwarding the highest priority port signal to the TV-A/V Receiver.

   Plug the component you usually leave on at all times (probably your DVR or TiVo) to the last port (3), the next component that you can turn off completely to port 2, and the last component to port 1.

   This way the Oppo HM-31 will pass through the signal on the first port it sees as active. If you keep the source components connected to the first two ports off, the HM-31 passes through the signal from the DVR on port 3 to the TV (or A/V receiver if you have one.) If you want to watch a DVD on a component connected to port 2, just turn it on and the Oppo will immediately switch to the higher priority port number 2, and pass its signal to the TV (A/V receiver.) If you have a Game system connected to port 1, when you turn that one on, its signal is sent to port 1 which has the highest priority. That HM-31 automatically switches to that highest priority signal and sends that on to the TV-Receiver regardless of the signals found on ports 2 and 3.

   When you want to watch the DVR again, just make sure that both devices connected to ports 1 and 2 are turned off.

   When you have more than one device that produce an HDMI signal even when turned off, you must use another method to interact properly with the HM-31 and your TV… use the remote and actively switch to the port you want to watch.

   Rating: 8 :: 0 out of 0 people found this user review helpful. Was this user review helpful? Yes | No