This is a cheap 1-in, 2-out HDMI splitter sold under a rotating cast of brand names — U9, ViewHD and others — usually a small metal box with a micro-USB power lead.
The useful side effect
Its intended job is to send one HDMI source to two displays. But to do that it has to re-clock the signal, and in the process it drops HDCP. The output is a clean, unprotected copy of the input.
That matters because some devices force HDCP on all output, even menus and non-video content, which blocks most capture cards. The PlayStation 3 and PlayStation TV are the usual culprits. Put one of these splitters between the console and the capture card and the picture comes through fine.
Notes
- it does not change resolution, frame rate or anything else — it just passes the signal
- both outputs are active at once, so you can feed a display and a capture card together
- these are commodity boxes; the exact PCB and branding vary, and not every unit behaves identically, but the U9 / ViewHD ones have a good track record for HDCP stripping