HDMI Kill Switch?

tedjames

Does such a thing exist? I want to be able to kill the signal at the touch of a button rather than have to unplug the cable every time. The closest thing I've found is an HDMI splitter with a channel selector button: https://www.amazon.com/Monoprice-108150-Switch-Optional-Output/dp/B0097K49VK

JDMurray

A hardware kill switch only or would dis/enabling the HDMI port via software do for you? If hardware-only then one of these for $8 seems your best bet.

tedjames

Thanks for your reply. A hardware kill switch seems like the best and easiest option. I want to be able to do this at will.

SteveLavoie

What is your use case.. I am imagining something as shutting down a display when someone is entering your office? 

tedjames

SteveLavoie said:

What is your use case.. I am imagining something as shutting down a display when someone is entering your office? 

Kind of like the old manager key (I think that's what it was called.) from the '90s? You're playing a video game and then you hit a function key to display some fake work when the boss walks in. Actually, no. I'm working from home full-time for awhile because of COVID-19. I use GoToMyPC to connect to my office computer. I have two monitors at home and two at work, so I can get a two-for-two display at home. I recently added a third monitor at home. I thought it would be great to have two monitors devoted to work and then leave one open for personal stuff. Unfortunately, when I maximize my GoToMyPC display, it spreads my two work screens across all three home screens, and that's impossible to work with. So I have to unplug my third monitor from the HDMI port on the back of my PC in order to get two monitors again. I figure that if I use a kill switch of some sort, it'll save some wear and tear on that port, not to mention save me the trouble of having unplug and replug every day.

I checked GoToMyPC's forums for a solution. Turns out somebody else is trying to do the same thing and has not yet received a response: https://community.logmein.com/t5/GoToMyPC-Discussions/Two-monitors-remote-three-monitors-local/td-p/219816

wd40

I have a different issue but it might help you.

I have 3 screens connected to home PC through Display Port

Work Laptop is connected to 2 of the monitors through VGA and DVI.

when I want to connect the laptop I run this script, end of day hit the space bar to switch to PC input again.

So for you it could be as simple as switching off the monitor, changing the input or disabling it via a script.

@echo on
"C:\Program Files (x86)\Dell\Dell Display Manager"\ddm.exe /2:SetActiveInput VGA
"C:\Program Files (x86)\Dell\Dell Display Manager"\ddm.exe /3:SetActiveInput DVI
pause
"C:\Program Files (x86)\Dell\Dell Display Manager"\ddm.exe /2:SetActiveInput DP
"C:\Program Files (x86)\Dell\Dell Display Manager"\ddm.exe /3:SetActiveInput DP
pause

usoop

JDMurray said:

A hardware kill switch only or would dis/enabling the HDMI port via software do for you? If hardware-only then one of these for $8 seems your best bet.

Agreed

JDMurray

tedjames said:

Kind of like the old manager key (I think that's what it was called.) from the '90s? You're playing a video game and then you hit a function key to display some fake work when the boss walks in.

That was called a "boss key" and dates from the 1980's. Some MS-DOS games had a command to quickly display a VisiCalc spread sheet mockup over the game.

tedjames

wd40 said:

I have a different issue but it might help you.

Thanks! I'll try this. Incidentally, I have three display ports and one HDMI port. When I plug the third monitor into the third HDMI port, it starts to blink on and off. A problem for another day...

tedjames

JDMurray said:

tedjames said:

Kind of like the old manager key (I think that's what it was called.) from the '90s? You're playing a video game and then you hit a function key to display some fake work when the boss walks in.

That was called a "boss key" and dates from the 1980's. Some MS-DOS games had a command to quickly display a VisiCalc spread sheet mockup over the game.

Yes, that was it! That kind of thing wouldn't work today because so many offices have half-height cubes or open office layouts.