How can i make an epson h335a projector always stay on hdmi input? Hdmi cec doesn't work. It defaults to dvd when turned on. List all possible methods of automating it always switching to hdmi.

Grok 4.3

Answer: The most reliable methods involve using the projector's RS-232 serial port for direct input selection commands triggered on power-on or via external automation like a Raspberry Pi or programmable remote.

The other models' responses largely reinforce that RS-232 (via ESC/VP21 commands) provides the most dependable, direct control without relying on timing-sensitive IR or firmware quirks. While methods like disabling Auto Source Search, ejecting DVDs, disconnecting other inputs, or using IR blasters with delays are viable workarounds, they are less consistent because the projector is explicitly designed to default to DVD and HDMI CEC is confirmed non-functional. Home Assistant integrations, smart plugs with power monitoring, and HDMI signal emulators add helpful layers but still benefit from pairing with serial control for guaranteed results. No response presented evidence of a superior built-in menu lock or firmware fix that would override the need for external automation, so the emphasis on RS-232 as the core reliable solution holds.

Gemini 3.5 Flash

Answer: To automate your Epson H335A projector always starting on the HDMI input, the most effective methods include setting up an IR blaster macro with discrete HDMI codes, disabling 'Auto Source Search' in the system menu while disconnecting other inputs, or using an active HDMI switch/EDID emulator.

The Epson H335A (MovieMate 60) is an integrated DVD projector designed by default to boot into its internal DVD source. Because HDMI-CEC is non-functional and the firmware hard-codes the DVD player as the startup priority, internal settings alone are often bypassed. To overcome this, you must use a combination of signal isolation and external automation. First, attempt the Menu and Signal Isolation Method. Navigate to the projector's menu, locate 'Auto Source Search' (typically under 'Extended' or 'Signal' settings), and turn it Off. Crucially, physically disconnect all other inputs (such as Component or Composite cables). Ensure your HDMI source is powered on before the projector. Without active competition, the firmware is much more likely to retain the last-used HDMI input on boot. Second, the most foolproof automation is an IR Blaster Macro (using a Broadlink RM4, SwitchBot Hub, or Home Assistant). Because the H335A lacks an RS-232 serial port, serial control is not possible. Instead, program an automation sequence: 1. Power On the projector. 2. Insert a delay of 15 to 20 seconds to allow the lamp to warm up and pass the splash screen. 3. Send the discrete 'HDMI' IR command (using discrete codes rather than 'Source Toggle' prevents input mismatching). Third, use an Active HDMI Switcher or EDID Emulator. A powered HDMI switch or EDID emulator maintains a constant, active 'handshake' on the HDMI port. This tricks the projector's video-sensing logic into recognizing a live HDMI feed immediately upon boot, which can trigger an auto-switch to HDMI if 'Auto Source Search' is kept On. Finally, for hands-free convenience, you can combine a Smart Plug with Power Monitoring and your IR blaster. Create an automation rule: when the smart plug detects the projector's power draw spike past 50W (indicating the lamp has fired up), wait 15 seconds, and trigger the IR blaster to send the HDMI input command. Ensure you never cut the mains power via the smart plug until the projector's cooling fan has finished its shutdown cycle.

GPT-5.5

Answer: The best solution is to make the projector select HDMI after every power-on using either a built-in source-memory/search setting, a delayed IR macro, or—if available—RS-232/network control, with power-monitoring and HDMI-signal tricks as useful secondary automation methods.

I would keep my previous position because the other answers mostly reinforce the same hierarchy: first try projector settings, then use IR automation, then use serial/network control if the hardware supports it. For an Epson H335A that defaults to DVD and has non-working HDMI-CEC, there may not be a true permanent “always use HDMI” setting, so the practical goal is to make HDMI selection happen automatically every time it turns on. The methods I would check, in order, are: 1. Check the projector menus for source behavior settings. Look for options such as “Source Search,” “Auto Source Search,” “Startup Source,” “Last Input,” “Direct Power On,” “Quick Startup,” or similar. Depending on firmware, either enabling source search with the HDMI device already awake, or disabling auto-search so the projector remembers the last selected HDMI input, may help. Also eject any DVD and remove discs, because an internal DVD source may be prioritized at startup. 2. Always leave the projector on HDMI before shutdown. Some Epson projectors remember the last input only if source search is disabled. This is not true automation by itself, but it is the simplest no-hardware workaround if the unit supports last-source memory. 3. Remove or disable competing sources. Disconnect composite/component/VGA/other inputs and make sure there is no DVD inserted. If HDMI is the only active external signal, auto-source behavior has a better chance of landing on HDMI. 4. Use a programmable IR blaster or universal remote macro. This is usually the easiest reliable solution. Devices such as BroadLink RM4, SwitchBot Hub, Logitech Harmony, Global Caché, Home Assistant with an IR transmitter, or another smart remote can run: Power On → wait 10–30 seconds → send “HDMI” or “Source/Input” commands. A discrete “HDMI” IR code is best; if unavailable, use a repeated source-cycle sequence timed to land on HDMI. 5. Trigger that IR macro automatically using power monitoring. Gemini’s answer usefully emphasized this variant: plug the projector into an energy-monitoring smart plug, then create an automation such as: when power draw rises above a threshold indicating startup, wait 15–30 seconds, then send the HDMI IR command. This works even if someone turns the projector on with the original remote or physical button. 6. Use RS-232, LAN, or another control port if your exact H335A has one. Some Epson models support ESC/VP21 commands over serial or network. A Raspberry Pi, PC, Home Assistant, Control4, Crestron, Node-RED, or serial-to-IP adapter can send an input-select command after power-on. This is more dependable than IR because it directly tells the projector to switch input rather than simulating a remote button. 7. Use Home Assistant or another automation hub as the coordinator. The hub can detect projector power state by smart plug wattage, network presence, a button press, a schedule, or an activity scene, then fire the HDMI-selection command by IR, serial, or network. 8. Use an HDMI device or switch that keeps HDMI “alive.” A powered HDMI splitter/switch, EDID emulator, HDMI dummy/keep-alive device, or always-on source may make the projector detect HDMI earlier during boot. This is not as guaranteed as IR or serial control, but it can help if the projector’s auto-source logic only chooses HDMI when it sees a stable signal immediately. 9. Use an auto-switching HDMI matrix/switch for the HDMI side, though this only solves selection among HDMI devices, not the projector’s DVD-versus-HDMI choice unless it helps keep a constant HDMI signal present. 10. Check for firmware updates or service-menu behavior, but be cautious. Firmware may change source-memory behavior, but service-menu changes or internal modifications can cause problems and are not recommended unless you have documentation for the exact model. 11. Avoid relying on HDMI-CEC if it already does not work. A CEC injector, Pulse-Eight adapter, or HDFury-type device might help in rare cases, but if the projector does not respond to CEC source commands, this is less reliable than IR or serial automation. So the most practical recommendation is: first try menu/source settings and remove any DVD; if that fails, set up an IR blaster macro with a delay after power-on; if the projector has RS-232 or LAN control, use that instead for the most robust automation.

Claude Opus 4.7 (changed mind)

Answer: I'm updating my answer: the Epson H335A is the MovieMate 50/55 DVD-projector combo, so the most reliable automation methods are (in order) an IR blaster macro with a delayed HDMI command, a power-monitoring smart plug + IR trigger, ejecting the DVD so Source Search falls through to HDMI, and — if your unit has the port — RS-232/ESC/VP21 control.

After reading the other responses, I need to correct a key assumption in my original answer. I treated the H335A as a generic PowerLite/EH-TW home cinema projector, but Gemini 3.5 Flash correctly identified it as part of the Epson MovieMate series — an integrated DVD/projector combo. That changes the problem significantly: the unit defaults to DVD not because of a generic 'last source' issue but because the internal DVD deck is hardwired as the priority source on boot. That reframing makes several of my original suggestions (like 'disconnect competing inputs') irrelevant, since the DVD drive is internal and cannot be unplugged. With that correction, here is the consolidated, ranked list of every viable automation method: 1. **Eject the DVD before shutdown** — Simplest fix. With no disc loaded, the MovieMate's DVD source has nothing to display, and Source Search (if enabled in the Signal/Extended menu) will fall through to the active HDMI input. Combine with 'Auto Source Search: On'. 2. **IR blaster macro with delayed HDMI command** — The most reliable universal solution. Use a Broadlink RM4, SwitchBot Hub, Logitech Harmony, Global Caché iTach, or Home Assistant with an IR transmitter. Learn the remote's discrete 'HDMI' or 'Source' button, then build a macro: Power On → wait 15–25 seconds for boot → send HDMI (or cycle Source until HDMI). Discrete codes beat toggling. 3. **Smart plug with power-monitoring trigger + IR blaster** (Gemini's contribution I want to credit) — Plug the projector into a Kasa/Shelly/Tuya energy-monitoring smart plug. When wattage exceeds ~50W (lamp ignited), trigger the IR blaster to send HDMI after a delay. This automates the switch regardless of how the projector is powered on. Important caveat: never cut mains power before fan cooldown completes. 4. **RS-232 / LAN ESC/VP21 control** (if the port exists on your unit) — Grok and GPT-5.5 both raised this. Connect via serial-to-IP adapter or LAN to Home Assistant, a Raspberry Pi, or Node-RED, and send the Epson ESC/VP21 'SOURCE 30' (HDMI) command after boot. More dependable than IR (no line-of-sight), but the MovieMate 50/55 may not expose this port — check the back panel. 5. **Keep HDMI signal always alive** — Use an HDMI EDID emulator/dummy plug, a powered HDMI splitter, or an always-on HDMI switch so the projector sees constant HDMI sync. This can bias Source Search toward HDMI. Won't help if the firmware hard-forces DVD, but it's cheap to test. 6. **Coordinate source power-on timing** — Make sure the HDMI source (Apple TV, Fire TV, console, PC) is awake and outputting video *before* the projector boots, so Source Search detects it on first scan. A smart plug sequence can enforce this: source on → 10s delay → projector on. 7. **Physical button-pusher (SwitchBot Bot)** — Last resort if IR isn't accessible. Mount a SwitchBot on the 'Source' button and trigger it after power-on. Fragile, since the required number of presses depends on current state. 8. **AV receiver / HDMI matrix orchestration** — If you have an AVR with RS-232, IP, or IR-out, let it coordinate the whole startup sequence including projector input selection, even without working CEC. 9. **Service menu / firmware tweaks** — Truly last resort; risks bricking the unit and likely won't expose a 'default to HDMI' option on a DVD-combo model. Recommended test order: eject the DVD and enable Source Search first → if that fails, deploy an IR blaster macro → add power-monitoring smart plug for full automation → escalate to RS-232 only if your unit has the port.

Final Summary

The AI Roundtable identifies the H335A as a MovieMate DVD-combo unit that by design prioritizes its internal drive. Claude Opus 4.7 and Gemini 3.5 Flash highlight that ejecting the disc is the first step to allowing 'Source Search' to find HDMI, while Grok 4.3 and GPT-5.5 advocate for serial or IR automation to override the firmware. Claude Opus 4.7 notably revised its stance after the first round to account for the integrated DVD hardware.

All 4 models agreed