Luckily, TV manufacturers are beginning to compensate for the growing number of High-Definition Multimedia Interface (HDMI) appliances, by including 2, 3 or more HDMI ports on their product. I have a fairly recent TV (about a year old) which only has 1 HDMI port, but my PS3, Xbox 360 and laptop all use HDMI. Sure, I don’t use them all at once, but having to swap the cords over all the time proved a real pain in the proverbial.

The answer? An HDMI switching unit with 3 inputs and 1 output. Forget those cheap HDMI splitter adaptors that degrade quality and defeat the purpose, Belkin have provided the perfect answer with their HDMI Interface 3 to 1 Video Switch.

This small (19cm x 8cm x 3cm) but surprisingly solid and heavy unit slots anywhere in your entertainment setup and comes complete with a high quality PureAV HDMI cable, which weighs quite a bit by itself. You can switch between inputs using the solitary button on the front of the unit or using the accompanying remote control (yes, yet another remote control for the collection!) But for some bizarre reason, the unit doesn’t have a power on/off switch – meaning it’s always on, unless you physically pull the power cord out. In these times of hardship and power saving, this feature (or lack of) left me scratching my head.

Although there are only HDMI connections on this device, you can use an HDMI Interface-to DVI cable to connect and switch between DVI components if need be. The unit also supports 480i, 480p, 720i, 720p, 1080i, and 1080p resolutions.

The PureAV HDMI Interface 3 to 1 Switch has been a Godsend for me, eliminating the need for stretching my arms behind the TV and in small gaps between shelves and also reducing the chanced of scratching my entertainment unit with flailing cords.