Quick backstory, we recently bought an HDMI splitter to increase the amount of HDMI slots for our TV, it had issues displaying, so we returned it. The sales lady asked us “which end was connected to the input and which end was connected to the output?”
This is where the confusion began. I said the computer was the input and the TV the output, because the computer is inputting information that the tv then outputs for us to see.
My dad is arguing that the computer is the output and the tv the input because the information travels *out of the computer* and *into the tv*.
We’ve been arguing this shit for three days now, and I’m starting to lose my mind, because we’ve gone to best buy and talked to the computer guy, talked to one of their tv guys, called my dad’s friend who is an electrician, called my cousin’s husband who works at Google, and they’ve all told me I’m wrong. Now, to be clear, we never explained our reasoning, we just asked “is the tv or the computer the input?” And left when we got the answer. And on anything else I probably would have accepted correction the first time I was told I was wrong, but according to everything I find online I’m not.
Example: http://imgur.com/a/EVC1OvO
Clearly it states the monitor is the output, right? But my old man says I’m reading into and interpreting things that aren’t there, and what the article is really saying is that the monitor is displaying the *output of the computer* and is not it’s own output.
The actual cable we bought has “input” written on the splitter side where the computer connects, but my dad insists that that is just an extension of the ports on the tv, where the information is going *into the inlets* and therefore the tv is still the input and the computer the output.
…so, after so many people telling me I’m wrong, I’m not here to argue, I’m here for answers. Why are so many people telling me I’m wrong? Is all the information on the net about input and output devices wrong? Do I have this whole input output thing mixed up?
Tl;dr: what’s the difference between input and output?
In: Technology
Your dad is correct. When talking about input and output we are talking about information. So the computer outputs information into the cable which then inputs the informaiton to your TV which converts the information from electrical signals to images and outputs this information as images to you. This is where the confusion in the answer you found were. It was talking about the interaction between the user and the TV. In that sense the TV only provides output in form of images but it still receives HDMI input from the computer. The answer is also not completely correct as most TVs are able to take input from the remote control and they may also output this on the HDMI cable for the computer to use.
Your dad is correct. Output is where the signal originates (the computer in your case). Input is where the signal goes (the TV in your case).
Computer hdmi connector is the output because it is generating the signal. The TV hdmi connector is the input because it receives the output from the computer.
Bona fide: I am a computer systems engineer.
The problem here is the idea that a device is “the output” or “the input”. Most devices receive input *and* send output. In the case of the HDMI signal, your computer is sending the signal as output. Your monitor is receiving input from the HDMI signal, but it’s sending output via the screen.
>My dad is arguing that the computer is the output and the tv the input because the information travels out of the computer and into the tv.
Your father is right about this.
The output from your computer is the input to the splitter, the output from the splitter is the input to your monitor, and the output from your monitor is the input to your eyeballs.
It’s literally a matter of *perspective.*
The system from which you look at the environment is the HDMI splitter, correct? From that perspective, the display information comes **from the single PC** (which is the *input*) and travels to **several HDMI outlets** (which are, by process of elimination, the *outputs*).
Which begs the question… Is it a one-to-many *SPLITTER* or a many-to-one *HUB* or *EXTENDER*? Because therein might lie the root of your problem.
>My dad is arguing that the computer is the output and the tv the input because the information travels *out of the computer* and *into the tv*.
* Your dad is correct.
* The confusion comes from the fact that the monitor *accepts* an input and *displays* an output.
* Like others have said “input/output” is relative to the situation.
* The computer outputs a video signal that the monitor takes as input.
* But then the monitor outputs light that your eyes take as input.
* So which device gets which label depends on the context.
* In the context of your HDMI switch, the computer is the output and the switch is the input.
* In the context of the monitor, the switch is the output and the monitor is the input.
* In the context of your brain, the monitor is the output and your eyeballs are the input.
Output is the source (computer) input is the receiver (TV).
Your computer is sending **out** the signal and your TV is taking it **in**.
Your TV then sends out a display for you to see, so it’s considered an output device but has to take in a signal in order to output anything.
You have it wrong entirely.
Input is always what receives information and output is always what delivers information. If you connect a TV to a PC with a cable, the information gets *out* of the PC and *in* the TV.
If you have a splitter between them, the information goes *out* of the PC and *in* the splitter, that splits the signal, which goes *out* of the splitter and *in* the TV.
The computer is Outputting the Input for the TV. The TV is taking the Output from the computer as its source of Input from the computer. The TV is outputting nothing
Also unless I’m mistaken the cable is probably duplex and there’s data flowing both ways like error correction, that’s probably irrelevant to your argument, and also I haven’t read the standard it’s just an educated guess so don’t quote me on that
Computer sends output data to your HDMI splitter. Splitter receives input data from computer. Splitter sends output data to the TV. TV receives input data from splitter.
Computer output -> splitter input
Splitter output -> TV input
You can’t use a splitter to create more inputs for your TV because a splitter takes one data source and divides it into multiple destinations. You’d need a device that takes data from multiple sources and combines it into one destination, like a USB hub.
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