Solved! Adding extra USB port to HDTV

[berniefs]

I have a Samsung UE40ES7000 HDTV 3d smart TV, (bought in 2012) with three HDMI ports which are all in use (V6 box, sound bar, and DVD player). I want to also use an Amazon firestick and think, but not sure, that what I need is an HDMI switcher. I've got the manual for the TV but frankly don't understand it. Can anyone suggest what is the best option? Thanks in advance!

 

[stevenjemint]

If it was me id plug the firestick in place of the DVD player and just manually switch them out on the rare occasion you use a DVD player.

 

[kanewolf]

The other option would be to see if you can move your soundbar to an optical interface. Your TV has an optical output but you would need to check your soundbar.

 

[americanaudiophile]

kanewolf's suggestion is the easiest if the soundbar has an optical input.
If you wanted to expand the number of HDMI inputs you would do that with an HDMI input selector. The output of that would connect to one of the HDMI inputs of the TV (not the ARC input though). You could connect two of your least used sources to it and continue to use the other TV HDMI inputs for all the others. You could also connect all your sources to the selector and just leave the soundbar connected to the TV. HDMI input selectors come with any number of inputs. Some will even switch automatically when you turn on a source.

 

[berniefs]

thank you both. However since I investigated further, I found that two of the hdmi ports are used by the sound bar and the other by the V box - the DVD player has a strange sort of connection which isnt an hdmi. So I'm not sure either of your solutions work for me so far.