Posted on June 5, 2015 By Art Feierman
The DVDO Quick6R supports 4K switching and has MHL support.
This stylish switch box could be the center of your home theater source and display switching. It should be equally competent as a small commercial switcher. DVDO has been making the Quick6 for about 3 years, more recently adding MHL support (the R in the name).
The key capability that got my attention is that it switches 4K material. That’s what I was looking for, but there are limitations. Let’s get started!
I have been using the Quick6R off and on for about three months now. I’m already a fan of DVDO’s Wireless HDMI devices, having reviewed 3 over the years and typically using one for my own use.
Here are some of the capabilities:
The good folks at DVDO suggested that I take a close look at the Quick6R switcher, when I was talking with them during my review of their AirC Pro wireless HDMI devices. At that moment in time I had both the Sony VPL-VW1100ES here, and also the Epson Pro Cinema LS10000, two of my favorite home theater projectors.
Both of those are capable of handling 4K source material, in fact, are about as friendly to 4K as any projectors out there.
That is, the Epson and The Sony both have HDMI 2.0 and HDCP2.2, which are required for the new Blu-ray UHD standard.
So naturally I said “ship me one of those 4K switches!” so I can try it out with the two projectors, and my (occasional) 4K sources.
Let’s start on the front.
The Quick6R is a long, slim switch box with all of the connectors on the back. It sure is pretty!
The front offers up a power switch, and next to it, an Input selector. Then over to the left slide of the front are the indicator lights, and the infra-red sensor for the remote control.
Taking a look at the back, from the right, we find that this DVDO 4K switcher has six separate HDMI inputs, and then, come two HDMI outputs (main and aux – same signal).
Next comes a Serial port for command and control, a USB, and finally the jack for the power.
The DVDO switcher does not have a built in power supply. Rather, it uses an external power brick. All considered, I’d rather have as few power supplies right next to most of my gear, so I approve.
Two of those six inputs support the MHL standard over HDMI, allowing for use with MHL compatible devices such as Roku sticks, GoogleTV, etc. The R in Quick6R is apparently for Roku – after all, it was the dominant early MHL device available back in 2012. My only streaming stick is a Roku, so I did not try it with any others.
The remote control is surprisingly large, (but light) with buttons well spaced out. This makes me think more of a commercial unit than a home one, where I’d expect a smaller remote control although hopefully not so small as to be the credit card type. But even that wouldn’t be the end of the world.
You just read it–now watch it! Tune in below as we walk through the hardware of the Quick6R.
DVDO pitches the Quick6R primarily as a home device.
I see this switch as suitable for both basic business/education use, as well as for the home. In fact in the near future there will probably be lots of 4K content to switch in the business and education world, and I doubt that most of it will use copy protection (we’ll discuss that later, in depth). My opinions aside, DVDO sees itself as more of a consumer company so their brochures, website, and documentation are focused on this as a home AV switcher with 4K capability.
DVDO also highly recommends using it to replace the switching many of us do currently, where we rely on our AV receiver for the switching. It’s almost certainly faster than most AV receivers.
I’m definitely good with that recommendation, since I don’t use my receiver, (it’s an ancient Marantz THX model over 10 years old with DVI only). Mine needs replacing. For that reason, I’ve used a variety of HDMI switches, and also Digital Audio (Toslink) switches as normal in my home theater.
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