Page 2 - A Closer Look - Hardware and Software
The overall design of the SilverStone HSW41 is very simple and straightforward. It looks almost like a small brick, with a clean rectangular shape and no unnecessary design elements. As you can see from the photo above, the top and adjacent sides are made out of aluminum with a brushed gunmetal finish, giving the unit a solid and understated appearance. The SilverStone logo is printed on the top, followed by the words "HDMI Switch" and "4 Input 1 Output", which clearly describe what this product is. Near the bottom, it also indicates support for HDMI 2.0, HDCP 2.2, and 4K Ultra HD. Overall, there are not too many quirks to talk about, but everything feels sensible and purposeful.
Now let us move on to the front side, or the side with the control switch and LED indicator panel. As you can see, the entire front panel is black, including the switch button and the infrared remote sensor. This gives the HSW41 a stealthy and clean look, but I do have one suggestion. It would be great if the switch button and the infrared sensor were better differentiated. There were several times when I tried to press the switch button, but accidentally pressed on the infrared sensor instead. Other than that, I do like the subtle labeling on the black panel.
Moving on to the I/O panel, this is where the business happens. As you can see, we have four HDMI input ports and one HDMI output port here. There is also a 5V power input on the left side. The included USB cable can be used to provide power to the HSW41 through this port, although a power adapter is not included in the box. However, there is no need to worry too much about this in most cases, since many HDMI source devices can supply a small amount of power through the HDMI connection itself. For a simple HDMI switch like the HSW41, this may be enough for normal operation when connected to active HDMI inputs, while the dedicated USB power input is still available if extra or more stable power is needed. As you can see, the ports are gold-plated, and all the connectors are properly labeled, making setup quite straightforward.
Now let us take a look at the remote controller. It looks very clean and sleek, with a compact body made out of black plastic. In total, there are four rubber buttons, corresponding to the four HDMI inputs on the HSW41. The buttons feel a bit mushy, but this is not a major concern, since we do not need to use the remote as often as something like a keyboard. These buttons do not illuminate when a certain port is selected, which is understandable, as preserving battery life is more important for a simple remote controller like this. Speaking of battery, the remote requires two AAA batteries, which are not included in the package.
Page Index
1. Introduction, Packaging, Specifications
2. A Closer Look - Hardware and Software
3. Tests and Usage Experience
4. Conclusion
