Hama SCART Switchbox 42957 Review

Hama have a reputation for producing high quality, no-frills AV equipment and the somewhat drably named 42957 certainly feels high quality. One of the more expensive manual switches, the switch has a weighty feel to it. The four available inputs are selected by a dial, which has a heavy, quality resistance to it as you turn it. There’s a space next to each input on the dial which is ideal for placing an identification sticker. Unlike a lot of other switches, this one does not have a SCART cable directly wired into the output, meaning you can use a cable of your own choosing to connect it to the display or to another switch.

Brightness/noise test:– Failed, no noticeable noise added but some brightness loss is evident in our capture card picture quality tests (see below). Some users report some sharpness loss.

Isolation test:– Passed, zero crosstalk from other inputs.

Conclusion:- Although it can be expensive (you may need to import it from Germany), this switch is good quality and generally recommended. Considering the small drop in picture brightness under more careful scrutiny with the capture card, you should probably consider other switches available at cheaper price points.

This switch has now been tested for picture quality using a capture card, click here to see how it performed.