Features, settings & updates

[frosttr]

I have a streambar and use the USB outlet for a pocket HDD I have videos on. The HDMI plugs into the TV, which leave me no additional outlets. I'd like to attach my DVD player's HDMI to the Roku so that I can use Roku to control the DVD player. I know that there are HDMI splitters, but will this work? Are there any other options so that I can connect the DVD to the Roku?

Thanks

[Strega2]

Have you checked the TV all over?  Many TVs have more than one place with connectors.  Typically, one place on the side for quick temporary access and another place on the back with more connections for daily use. 

[makaiguy]

If you really have only one HDMI port on the TV, you want an HDMI switch, not a splitter (although you can find some that can be configured either way).

[frosttr]

Sorry, I wasn't clear in my question. My TV actually has 3 HDMI outlets, one of which is an ARC. The Roku streambar only has 1 HDMI outlet. My question is can I use a switch or splitter on the Roku streambar to include an additional HDMI outlet that I can plug my DVD player into?

[Strega2]

I’m not sure what you are trying to do.  It sounds like you have two open HDMI inputs into your TV, and ARC should send audio to the streambar for whatever is playing through the TV.  So, plug the DVD player into one of those ports and hopefully everything just works.

You could add a splitter if you wanted a source device to play on multiple TVs.  You could add a switch or AVR if you ran out of inputs on your TV, (ie after you connect your Roku, Apple TV, Shield, TiVo, satellite box, Blu Ray player…) But it doesn’t sound like either applies.

You mentioned something about “use Roku to control the DVD player” but I don’t know that means.  No combination of HDMI gizmos is going to make a DVD player behave differently.  Ie: it will continue to expect to be driven by its remote and will send video and audio over HDMI.  These styles of players aren’t like the drives that connect to computers.  Ie: HDMI switches won’t change it into something like a USB hard drive that expects to be controlled by what it is connected to.  There are such things as USB DVD players (and more modern devices like USB BD players) but I don’t think Roku claims to support devices like those.  Those are normally connected to laptops.