Review on 🔀 HDMI Switcher 4k | GANA Intelligent 3-Port HDMI Switch with IR Remote | Supports 4K, Full HD1080p, 3D by Phillip Brown

This Gana 3-port HDMI switch works great for us. It's easy to turn one HDMI port into three, and the remote control feature makes setup easy, especially when using a universal remote like the Harmony 650 (more on that later). This item takes up very little space which has allowed me to mount it on the back of the TV. I used 12 pieces of VHB 3M double-sided foam tape, high-strength acrylic adhesive replacement kit, 1.5" x 3" rectangular, plus an alcohol swab to complete the installation, but this miniature switch can certainly be applied a variety of ways. There are several brands. out there that look pretty much the same and work exactly the same. In fact, I bought this switch to replace another that looks and works the same, but failed after 4 1/2 years. I tried another brand first (looks the same too), SMARTOOO 3 in 1 Output HDMI Switch 1.4v 3 Port HDMI Switch 4K/3D Auto Switch/Remote, but it didn't switch smoothly from input to input and had to be returned. On the other hand, this Gana Switch is very responsive and works better than my original Switch and definitely better than the one I had to return. I also like that the display on this unit is red instead of light blue. This make/model comes with a power cord, but this is not needed for my application as power is supplied from devices set as inputs (Roku 3 in my case). This switch works as described - I need the remote function because the auto toggle function isn't that useful if you have inputs that aren't muted (like Roku). I don't notice any difference in the picture quality this unit goes through (I don't have a TV or 4K signal so I can't comment on that). Although I need the remote function, I'm not using the remote that came with the switch. Instead, I use a universal remote control (otherwise I would need 5 remote controls for the installation shown in the photo). I prefer the entry-level Harmony remote: Logitech Harmony 650 All-in-One Infrared Remote, Logitech Universal Remote, Programmable Remote (Silver). There are more expensive Harmony remotes out there, but for line of sight it's good enough! This switch is compatible with the Harmony 650 remote but is not recognized by the MyHarmony app that programs the remote (this is the first device I've found that isn't in the Harmony database). That means the switch has to be added manually, but there's a small catch. If you follow the MyHarmony's on-screen prompts, you'll get an error message stating that the model number refers to a remote device (not a switch), so you'll never be able to navigate to the options to manually add a device. The Harmony help forum and google didn't help and I almost got the switch back. However, I realized that since the Switch wasn't recognized as a device in the Harmony database, all I had to do was enter a dummy model number (one that wouldn't be mistaken for a remote). After entering the fake number, the on-screen instructions helped me add the radio button manually. Since then it's been working great. Summary: Pros: Small, responsive, remote controlled, sensitive remote control, red (instead of blue) indicator light, 3 HDMI ports in one. Cons: Not in the Harmony device database, so more difficult to add to a universal remote (but it's really a con for Harmony, not a gana). I recommend the product. The four star rating will go up based on durability (for a higher rating I would like a lifespan of at least 4 1/2 years).