You can make a difference in the Apple Support Community!

When you sign up with your Apple Account, you can provide valuable feedback to other community members by upvoting helpful replies and User Tips.

Looks like no one’s replied in a while. To start the conversation again, simply ask a new question.

Using an HDMI splitter with two computers and a KVM switch

I'm trying to figure out if what I'm picturing in my head is really possible.


What I have is two computers, a Dell Latitude 5400 and a 2023 Mac mini with M2 Pro. I have dual 24" Dell monitors I want to share between the computers at the flip of a switch. I bought the Sabrent USB Type C Dual KVM Switch because it advertised being able to do this for both computers. Since this switch has two HDMI outputs, I connected those to my two monitors. And for the two inputs on the switch, I used a USB-C cable for both the laptop and Mac mini. When I switch to the laptop, it works perfectly, allowing me to extend the display to the two monitors, and using the laptop screen as a 3rd. But the Mac mini only sees a single monitor, even though both monitors are on, but they are mirrored. I now know this is because the Mac mini does not support MST. It's not the end of the world, I mainly needed the dual monitor support for the laptop. But I'm still trying to make it work for my Mac mini, so, here's what I'm thinking.


I still have the HDMI slot on my Mac mini opened, and I know the Mac mini can support up to three monitors. I'm wondering if I can use an HDMI splitter to take the HDMI cable out of one of the two monitors I have and put it into the input of the HDMI splitter, then the two outputs would go to that monitor and my Mac mini, and I'm wondering if when I use the switch the same way I'm using it now, will that second monitor properly switch between both computers.


I'm hoping someone here can let me know if this is possible how I've described, or if I need to do something different, or if this is not possible at all.

Mac mini

Posted on Sep 1, 2023 7:08 PM

Reply

Similar questions

4 replies

Jul 11, 2024 1:47 PM in response to djluis2k7

djluis2k7 wrote:

I still have the HDMI slot on my Mac mini opened, and I know the Mac mini can support up to three monitors. I'm wondering if I can use an HDMI splitter to take the HDMI cable out of one of the two monitors I have and put it into the input of the HDMI splitter, then the two outputs would go to that monitor and my Mac mini, and I'm wondering if when I use the switch the same way I'm using it now, will that second monitor properly switch between both computers.


I would assume that there are many splitters that are splitters only – whose one and only purpose is to duplicate a single HDMI input signal for simultaneous display on two screens. They would be useless for your application.


Here's a device that the seller calls a "splitter" but that seems to be more along the lines of what you want. If you connect one computer and two displays to it, one display remains dark. That's the behavior I would expect from a device that always acts as a switch, never as a splitter.


https://www.amazon.com/Splitter-GANA-Bidirectional-Supports-Passthrough-HDMI/dp/B07K2NZX8L

Sep 2, 2023 12:34 AM in response to djluis2k7

you may not need a switch at all depending on the monitor


I have an asus 27" monitor it has 2 hdmi inputs and 1 dvi


my mac mini connects to it's dvi port, my xbox connects to 1 hdmi and my windows desktop connects to the other hdmi

I use a button on the front of the monitor to switch between active input source of the monitor, same dead with an old samsung 19" monitor also shared between the mac mini and the windows desktop

Using an HDMI splitter with two computers and a KVM switch

Welcome to Apple Support Community
A forum where Apple customers help each other with their products. Get started with your Apple Account.