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"HDMI-CEC" is the abbreviation of HDMI Consumer Electronics Control, which is an HDMI function that many TVs and peripherals have. This feature allows your devices to work better together, but it is usually disabled by default.
To make things more confusing, manufacturers usually don't call this feature "HDMI-CEC". Like with
, Even if this is an interoperable standard, every manufacturer wants to call it its own brand name.
HDMI-CEC allowed
Communicate back and forth with the TV. These devices can control the TV, and the TV can control the device. For example, this means that you can control a Blu-ray player with a TV remote control. Or the device can automatically change the TV's input when it needs to perform certain operations.
For example, suppose you have a
Connected to the TV, but you are not using Chromecast now. Instead, you are watching TV or playing Xbox. Using HDMI-CEC, you can start casting to Chromecast from other devices, and then Chromecast will send a signal to the TV, forcing the TV to switch to the Chromecast input. You don't have to worry about watching the TV remote control, you can also switch to the appropriate input yourself.
HDMI-CEC also has advantages in game consoles. For example, use
, You can press the button on the controller or the game console itself to make the game console exit the rest mode. After completion, PlayStation 4 can automatically switch the TV to the correct HDMI input, thus saving trouble. Or, if you switch the TV to PlayStation 4 input when the PlayStation is in rest mode, the PlayStation will understand that you want to use it and automatically turn on. Unfortunately, neither Xbox One nor Wii U currently supports HDMI-CEC.
The device can also tag its input, so your Chromecast will automatically appear as "Chromecast" instead of just "HDMI 2". Yes, you can usually type in your own label, but the device can do this for you when you use HDMI-CEC.
You will usually not see the words "HDMI-CEC" on the specification list. Instead, you will see the "brand name" of the brand. These names all refer to HDMI-CEC, so they exist only to confuse customers. If your TV has any of the above features, it supports HDMI-CEC. You need to know the name used by the TV manufacturer in order to search for and enable the disguised HDMI-CEC option on the TV.
You can find this option in the TV's menu, options or settings. Use the TV remote control to select the settings menu and look for options. You may also need to check the TV's manual, or just try a network search for the TV model and "enable HDMI-CEC".
On our recently set up Vizio TV, this option is located under Menu>System>CEC. Although it is disabled by default for some reason, it is at least easy to find and well explained.
Some individual devices also do not have HDMI-CEC enabled by default, so you may need to check the settings of each device. For example, HDMI-CEC is automatically enabled on the Chromecast, so as long as your TV has HDMI-CEC enabled, this will "just work".
On PlayStation 4, it is also disabled by default for some reason. We must go to "Settings"> "System" and enable the "HDMI Device Link" option. You may need to look at a similar location on the device, or just search for the device name and "HDMI-CEC" on the network to find out if the device supports HDMI-CEC and how to enable it without HDMI-CEC. by default.
HDMI-CEC is very useful, although you may need to understand it and enable it yourself. Make sure to do this on any new TVs and devices you set up to save some time and hassle, at least when switching between inputs.
Depending on how the TV manufacturer and device manufacturer implement HDMI-CEC, more advanced functions (such as using the TV's remote control to control connected devices) may or may not work. Either way, separate input switching makes HDMI-CEC worth enabling.
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