🎉 Elevate Your Setup with the Ultimate KVM Switch!
The TESmart 4-Port HDMI KVM Switch allows you to connect multiple devices seamlessly, offering 4K UHD video quality at 60Hz, audio output, and USB sharing capabilities. Compatible with a wide range of systems, it simplifies your workspace while enhancing your multimedia experience.
H**D
Now This is a product
Saved me space , and money, great product
P**Y
faulty
powered up and 4 blinking blue lights, shortly after no lights, no power at all. Unfortunately due to refurb of house did not test until the day after return period ended (yesterday)
A**R
Easy to configured and perfect for 4 machines 1 monitor
Smooth transition, easy to configure.
M**D
Excellent KVM HDMI+USB switch
This is a 5 star product despite a few problems in the packaging, shipping, and documentation.First, here are the problems:1. The remote didn't come with a battery2. There are only 2 cables for the 4 port switch, and they are too short.3. The documentation lacks detail: e.g. the batter type (CR2025) is not documented; all the keys on the remote are not defined, etc.4. the power cord is too short. It would be nice if the unit could be powered from USB, even if it was a dedicated USB rather than one of the 4 input ones instead of a wall-wart transformer.Those disadvantages are far outweighed by the performance and features of the switch itself. I'm using it with Fedora 28, installed on both a desktop and an IBM X220 laptop. The output monitor is a 34 inch Dell U3415W with 3440 x 1440 pixels.On the input side I'm using a Logictech wireless mouse and an IBM Model M13 trackpoint keyboard which is connected to the switch through a PS/2 mouse+keyboard to USB converter. (Two input cables, one for the trackpoint and the other for the keyboard and one output USB cable that surfaces both devices to the KVM's USB controller.)All this works great. I don't see any artifacts or ghosting on the display when driving at full resolution from either source. The keyboard, mouse, and trackpoint all work fine and switch without any problems between systems. The keyboard and trackpoint are handled through the USB port labeled 'keyboard' on the switch, and the wireless mouse adapter is plugged into the 'mouse' port. I'm not currently using the other USB switched port. In my view, they are a little risky unless you're using them for another input device like a bar-code reader. e.g. you don't want to connect a CD-writer to them and have it disappear from the system writing to it when you switch displays...I also verified that the 3.5mm audio jack carries the audio of the currently selected HDMI port.The Scroll Lock key is the hot-key used to switch sources. Pressing Scroll Lock twice quickly in succession and then number 1,2,3 or 4 switches the display to that source. Other combinations are also available -- e.g. pressing Scroll lock twice and then "page up" switches to the next higher computer (or back to 1). Likewise for page down. Pressing Scroll Lock and then Space bar starts "autoscanning" where the display automatically cycles between "online" inputs every few seconds. You need to press scroll lock twice and then number 1 to 4 to stop autoscanning (another undocumented item).It takes two or three seconds for the Dell to display the image after you switch sources.Autoscanning only switches to ports that are 'on' as defined by those connected to the switch with a USB cable. So if you connected Roku or Chrome sticks which don't have a USB connection, they would not display automatically when scanning unless you cabled that port's USB to some source so it would see power. But you can manually switch (Scroll lock + number) to any port, regardless of its 'on' status. Of course, this may be an advantage if you really do have a Roku connected -- you probably don't want to autoscan it anyway while you're monitoring your computers from across the room.The EDID feature on the input ports means the host computers don't know that the monitor has disappeared fromthe configuration. Normally, with a dual-monitor configuration, switching out one monitor would cause the O/S to reorganize its windows onto the remaining monitor. That doesn't happen with this switch -- when the switch documentation mentions "fast display switching" its referring to the fact that the O/S doesn't have to reconfigure the windows -- they are already in place when you switch the display back to that source.EDID has the same affect on HDMI sound. Ordinarily, if the HDMI monitor receiving the sound leaves the configuration, Linux routes the audio to another sink. That doesn't happen with this switch in place because Linux isn't notified that the HDMI video and audio sinks have been removed.So the EDID retention can be a benefit or a detriment depending on your situation.The mouse gesture switching does work -- moving the mouse to the side of the display causes it to switch to a different display. However, this doesn't work well in a dual monitor set up -- the switch doesn't know a 2nd display is involved and switches when it should not. Fortunately, you can turn off this feature.One important point -- even though Scroll Lock is the hotkey, you can still use it for 'normal' functions. On mysystem, I use Scroll Lock to toggle between US and an APL keyboard map. The only difference with the switch installed is that it takes 2 seconds or so before the system sees the scroll-lock keystroke -- because the switch is waiting to see if there are two in a row -- if so, it will suppress them and not send them to the computer. What's not quite right is that the KVM passes other keystrokes to the computer before sending the single scroll lock. (It should send the single scroll lock keycode as soon as it sees a non-scroll lock key...) So if you are using scroll lock to switch keymaps like I am, you need to wait a second or two after pressing scroll lock before typing, or the computer might generate the wrong key codes.Neither this minor issue, nor the problems mentioned at the beginning of this post prevent me from giving thisKVM a 5 star recommendation.Lastly, TESmart also makes 2 port, 8 port, and 16 port KVM switches. As far as I can tell, they all use the same remote and work basically the same. They also make a HDMI switch -- in the same form factor as their 2 and 4 port KVMs. Make sure you don't accidentally buy the HDMI switch instead of the KVM unless that's what you really want. The KVM version costs more.
T**O
非常によい
非常によい。HDMIケーブルを接続端子分付属してくれるともっとよい。
J**Y
For the price, it's outstanding
Thought I should write a review since I have a fairly complicated setup that might be similar to what others are looking to do with this. I have a single LG 36" monitor, a single wired Dell keyboard, a single wired Dell mouse, and a single wired Epson USB printer. Connected to those through this device I have an older (vintage 2016) Macbook Pro laptop, a new Dell Windows desktop, a new Lenovo Windows laptop, and a 2017 Dell laptop running Debian (Kali) linux. Sometimes I swap out a Raspberry PI running Debian (Kali) linux for the linux laptop. All machines are fully updated to latest patch levels.1. Setup: setup was straightforward. HDMI and USB out from each device to the KVM switch, one HDMI out from the switch to the monitor. USB peripherals all plug into the USB ports in the back of the switch. The switch comes with cables for two devices, but I went ahead and ordered a set of color coded cables of the right length for my setup (Cable Matters 3-Pack USB 2.0 A to B USB Printer Cable - 3 Feet). The color coding really helps keep things organized as it turns into a jumble of cables behind the desk. All of my devices worked immediately with the switch once they were connected. I was concerned that it may have issues driving the big monitor I have but it worked fine. Just note that the switch only has one HDMI out, so if you have a multiple monitor setup this switch is not for you. I highly recommend this LG monitor (LG 32QK500-W 32-Inch QHD (2560 X 1440) IPS Monitor with Radeon Freesync Technology and On-Screen Control) for this setup.2. Function. The switch works great, almost all of the time. The only issue I've had is that it occasionally won't "wake up" after an extended period of downtime, usually Friday to Monday on those weekends when I don't work, but I've had it happen in as little as 4 hours. Specifically, the devices won't recognize the keyboard or mouse input to wake from sleep. It most commonly happens on the Macbook but has also happened occasionally for the other devices. Usually, rebooting the switch fixes the issue. Rebooting is easy as the power switch is conveniently located on the front of the switch, and the switch reboots in just a few seconds. I've also fixed it by unplugging/plugging the USB cable to whichever device won't wake up but rebooting the switch has been more consistently effective for me so that's what I do. I've tested with both wireless and wired keyboards, and it seems to happen a little less often on the wired keyboard but still occasionally happens. The wireless keyboard (FENIFOX USB Full Size Quiet Compact Compatible with iMac Mac PC Laptop) worked just fine otherwise. This is a minor inconvenience and wouldn't even be worth mentioning, except for the fact that it means I have to keep the switch somewhere that I can reach it easily. Not a problem with my setup, but something to consider if you're planning on burying this behind the desk and using the remote.3. Ergonomics/use: the switch looks great, very clean look. All the cables connect in the back, which helps hide them from view. The button to switch between devices is bright yellow which makes it easy to spot in lower light even though it's not backlit. The button is very "tactile"; it has a nice clicky feel to it so you know when you've clicked which I love. The LED indicators very clearly tell which devices are connected (numbered 1-4), and which device is the switch is currently connected to (using the same 1-4). The 1-4 is determined by the left to right (looking at the switch from the front) order of the ports in the back. My only complaint, as others have mentioned, is that the LED lights are insanely bright. My office is in my bedroom, and when 4 devices are connected that means 5 blue LED lights are on, and it's bright enough to give me trouble sleeping. I took an old black t-shirt out of the drawer and I cover the switch up at night. I think having a white light at about half the brightness would be better, but I have no interest in taking the device apart to try and change the bulbs. Not a big issue, and could be mitigated by burying the switch behind the desk and using the remote if it weren't for the USB wake up issue. I have never used the remote because my switch is positioned within easy reach and I just click the button on the front to switch between devices so I don't need the remote. The remote does not come with a battery so if you're going to use the remote get a battery.4. Overall: for the price, this switch is amazing and I highly recommend it if you're looking to have multiple machines hooked up to a single keyboard and monitor. I expected to pay a whole lot more to get the functionality I need. I'm used to buying KVM switches for data center builds, and they typically cost upwards of $2k. This thing is a steal at this price. It seems well built, and I have no concerns about the power switch or the input switch buttons wearing out.
J**S
Great specs and price, but quality control issues in manufacturing
UPDATE (see original review below):I returned the initial 4-port KVM after receiving a replacement from Amazon. Very pleased with the Amazon return policy. Can't say the same for TESmart products.The replacement KVM was just as flaky as the one I sent back. Same problems as before. In short:- The screen flickers all the time when using a 60Hz refresh rate. It is beyond aggravating. You are in the middle of something and the screen just goes dark for about 5 - 7 seconds. Sometimes it goes dark, comes back briefly, then goes dark again... several times in a row. Happens at least once every 5 minutes. Forget about playing games with this KVM, the screen will blank at the worst possible times and you will end up dead. I am using the cables supplied by the manufacturer, so can't blame my cables.To be fair, the screen does not seem to go dark as often (or at all) when running at 30Hz.- Incessant noise coming out of the speakers. Again, not prominent when running at 30Hz, but when you crank the picture up to 60Hz the noise is unbearable. It sounds like a radio with a broken speaker and loose connection - endless clicks and pops. I had to mute my sound system when using the 60Hz computer - which happens to be my gaming computer. How much fun is it to play games with no sound?- Gaming keyboard and mouse not well supported. Keyboard hotkey switching and special key binds did not work at all when connected to the keyboard-switching eligible port. I had to connect keyboard to the general-purpose USB plug, but lost the ability to switch computers via key strokes. My gaming mouse did not work at all when sensitivity was raised beyond the lowest setting, and special mouse controls did not work. Both worked fine when plugged into the general-purpose USB port. Unfortunately there is only one general-purpose USB plug.Connecting a standard keyboard and mouse to the dedicated ports works fine.- Little green singular pixels scattered randomly wherever there is a darkly shaded area in the picture. Not prevalent when running at 30Hz. Enabling HDR at 60 Hz, the rogue pixels are even more abundant. This is not a killer problem, but it provides more evidence that the KVM is not suitable for 60Hz operation.Overall, the KVM seems to work fine at 4K, 30Hz and standard keyboard/mouse. It all goes to hell when you plug in a 4K, 60Hz video feed, or try using gaming accessories.Functionality is good otherwise. It does maintain icon position at both refresh rates, and does pass HDR color signals at both refresh rates as well. I used the third USB port for a printer and it was properly shared among all computers.As a 30Hz KVM this works fine. However, there are tons of 30Hz KVMs out there, many are much cheaper. The selling point of this item is the ability to run at 60Hz. While it technically does work at this rate, quality is terrible and practically unusable.In summary, fine for office work, but unsuitable for gaming.--------------------------------ORIGINAL REVIEW:--------------------------------This is my second purchase of a TESmart product - and my second return of a TESmart product.I originally purchased the dual-monitor KVM model that supports two computers. Worked fine for about 3 days before completely dying. There was no option to replace this item, only choice was for a full refund. Other reviewers of that model also complained about their units dying suddenly so I decided to try something different.This review is for the TESmart single-monitor KVM supporting four computers (red model).My requirement is simple - 4K video at 60 Hz. Most inexpensive KVMs in the sub $200 price range only support 30 Hz refresh rates; fine for watching TV or movies, but terrible for gaming. KVMs from legitimate brands supporting 4K at 60Hz usually cost well over $300. TESmart is unique in offering high refresh rates (and advanced display capabilities) at a relatively low price range. As such, I really, truly, want to like these items and give them a 5-star review. Unfortunately, TESmart products seem to suffer from terrible quality control.After trying the 2-monitor model without success, I decided to try TESmart's single-monitor models. There are so many KVMs to chose from on Amazon, but based solely on price and advanced specs TESmart is among the least expensive. If only they would manufacture a reliable product.Both of TESmart units I purchased looked great and are solidly constructed. The shells are made of metal and buttons seem to be durable and high quality. Some reviewers did not like the loud beep when changing between computers, or the really bright LED indicators, but I actually prefer this. Both units came packaged with every cable you will need, which is greatly appreciated. The remote control is IR-based, so you need line of sight between the controller and the KVM to actuate a switch. However, remote controls from both my ordered units did not come with a battery.As stated earlier, my original purchase (dual-monitor, two computer KVM) worked well for a grand total of three days. I was very happy with the purchase and was ready to give it a 5-star review. Then it died completely. No picture or audio showed up on either of the two outputs. Would have preferred a replacement, but that was not an option. Returned to Amazon for a full refund.This unit (single-monitor, four computer KVM) is still working after a week, but is exhibiting three issues many other reviewers are complaining about: (1) Screen randomly goes completely black for a few seconds. It can happen several times in a row, and then be clean for hours, followed by a single hit here and there. No telling when the screen will go black - it can happen when the screen is idle or when there is movement. Happened a few inopportune times in-game while being chased through a dungeon by a horde of angry undead orcs. (2) Darkly colored sections of the screen will display random bright red pixels. Sometimes it's just a small handful of pixels scattered throughout the dark regions, but often there are lots of stray pixel in there and it's quite annoying. (3) When there is no sound being generated by the computer (like when you are working on a spreadsheet for example), the unit outputs audible clicks and pops. It's not so bad when there is actual audio playing at the time (which drowns out the distortion), but is torturous otherwise. You expect silence but instead hear this annoying non-stop noise coming out of the speakers. Not sure if this is a bad design or poor manufacturing.These three complaints are not unique to my purchase. Others have reported the same issues. I was able to return this item for replacement, so TESmart will have a third shot at gaining my trust. Will update this post when the new unit arrives and is fully tested.
M**N
Some opportunities for improvement, works well in all the important ways. Awesome value for money
My current setup involves the following sources- A macbook pro (4K @ 60Hz)- A windows 10 PC w/ a gaming video card (4K @ 60Hz w/ HDR10)- A windows 10 PC (4K @ 60Hz)- A linux PC (4K @ ??)The following devices- USB hub - Apple Magic Keyboard 2 - Apple Magic Trackpad 2And the following output- A 32" MSI HDR 4K 60Hz monitor (mag321curv)First the most important aspects:- Everything critical about this whole setup works- I have been using it for about two months now- HDR works as advertised- There's some sort of USB audio interface that works surprisingly well, so you get sound from the currently active source- I keep the KVM switch running for long periods of time and switch between sources on a regular basisAs far as I'm aware, there's nothing even close to this product on the market from a value-to-money standpoint. Many *much* more expensive alternatives involve downsides like- Inability to operate over 4K @ 60Hz- Inability to pass a HDR signal through properly- Interference with generic usb device usageHere are the reasons I didn't give this 5 stars:(1) Strangely, the physical button on the device used to change the active source does not work 100% of the time. It has to be pressed "the right way", which may require 2+ attempts. I also mounted the device upside down under my desk, and it appears that the button does not work at all when the device is oriented this way. Normally, I would be really annoyed by this, but the high "value for money" factor has me still impressed that it works as well as it does in all of the important ways.(2) Despite this being a 4-device KVM, they only include 2 sets of HDMI/usb cables. I would have happily paid a little more to have a complete set of cables. Having to order another set of accessories before being fully-operational is always disappointing(3) The remote control appears to be intended for a wide range of devices. It has 21 buttons, but literally >80% of them are non-functional for the use of this particular device. Seems kind of goofy(4) The little audio "chirp" that accompanies a change of device is apparently configurable, but I literally do not own a keyboard (104 or 110 key) that can provide the sequence of keystrokes required to do so(5) Sometimes if I switch between video sources too quickly, some aspect of my setup (may not even be the KVM) is left in a strange state and my display won't come on. Thankfully the nice on/off switch on the KVM allows me to power cycle in about 1 second, which resolves this problem 100% of the time.(6) There are three USB inputs: 1 each dedicated keyboard and mouse inputs, and 1 generic USB 2.0 input. Probably because I'm using a mac keyboard and trackpad, the keyboard/mouse inputs don't work properly for me. Thankfully, I can plug a USB hub into the "general USB 2" port and everything can go into that one hub.(7) One of the LEDs indicating "good signal from source 2" does not work. To be clear, the inputs work fine -- it's just the LED is broken, so no big dealAnd finally, my wish list for future changes (limitations I was aware of before my purchase)- I'd love to see USB 3.0 or 3.1 support, so that I could connect a 4k webcam and "bring it with me" as I change video sources- I'd like some mounting holes on the bottom of the device, to support an "under the desk" use case. I had to use double-sided mounting foam (adhesive)- I'd gladly pay 200% of this item's price for a dual-monitor version (2x 4K @ 60hz HDR)
Trustpilot
1 week ago
1 day ago