One USB-C Cable at the Table for Video, USB Devices and 60W Charging
How one 2-gang wall-plate carries laptop video, USB camera and mic, and 60W charging to a distant display over a single CAT6/6A run.
Stop handing the table an HDMI cable and a dongle bag
The usual meeting-room build puts an HDMI cable on the table, maybe with an adapter ring on the end, and treats the job as done. Then the laptop arrives. It has no HDMI port, or it has one but needs power as well. The camera and speakerphone plugged into the room need a separate USB cable to reach it. So the table fills up with adapters, a charger and a hub, and the room only works if every one of those pieces is still there.
Our view is that on a presentation switch, the input where a laptop connects should be USB-C, and that one input should do all of the work. That means one cable carrying picture and sound, charging, USB for the room's peripherals, and the wired network. HDMI stays in the build for the sources that need it. It just stops being the main thing a visiting laptop plugs into.
This isn't about which connector is more modern. It comes down to how many separate jobs one plug has to do when someone sits down and wants to present.
Why one cable beats four
A laptop in a meeting room needs four things: its screen shown on the display, power so it doesn't die mid-meeting, the room camera and microphones over USB, and often a wired network connection. An HDMI cable only covers the first one. Every other need turns into another cable, another adapter or another thing someone has to remember to plug in, and each one is a separate point of failure.
A USB-C input that supports DisplayPort Alt Mode, USB data, network passthrough and Power Delivery covers all four through the one connector users already expect to find. The user plugs in once. The integrator supports one cable per seat instead of a set of accessories. And when the switch changes the displayed source, it can move the USB peripherals to that laptop at the same time, so the camera and microphones follow whoever is presenting.
The evidence: how the SW-4X2PS-70M does it
The SW-4X2PS-70M is a 4×2 seamless presentation switch with two USB-C inputs and two HDMI inputs, routed to two HDMI outputs plus an HDBaseT 3.0 output that mirrors HDMI OUT 2. According to its specifications, each USB-C input carries:
- Video and audio over DisplayPort Alt Mode, up to 4K@60Hz 4:4:4, with DP 1.4 and HDCP 2.3 compliance
- USB 3.2 Gen 1 data at up to 5 Gbps
- 1G LAN passthrough, so the laptop gets wired network through the same cable
- 60W Power Delivery charging on each port
The USB side is set up for a presentation room. There are two USB 3.2 host ports and three USB 3.2 device ports for room peripherals, plus two USB 1.1 KVM ports for a keyboard and mouse. By default, USB KVM switching follows the active video source. It can also be set to manual or auto, and keyboard hotkeys (Scroll Lock + Scroll Lock, or Ctrl + Ctrl, followed by output and input) change the selection from the keyboard.
At the display end, the HDBaseT output carries uncompressed 4K60 4:4:4 up to 40m over CAT6A F/FTP. It also extends USB 2.0 to the included receiver, which is powered over the HDBaseT cable through the transmitter's 48V PoE port. With multiview layouts (PIP, PBP, Triple, Quad and custom) and seamless switching, two laptops on USB-C and two HDMI sources can share one screen without the display blanking between them.
When HDMI is still the right call
USB-C at the table isn't the answer to everything. Keep HDMI in the build in these cases:
- Fixed sources that only output HDMI. Media players, room PCs, cameras with HDMI out and document cameras belong on the two HDMI inputs. That's why the switch keeps them.
- Laptops whose USB-C port does not carry DisplayPort Alt Mode. Some USB-C ports only carry data or charging. If the client's laptop fleet includes these, the HDMI inputs are the fallback.
- Laptops that need more than 60W to charge. Each USB-C port provides 60W Power Delivery. A heavier machine will still show video, but it may drain slowly under load and need its own charger.
- More than two laptop seats. This switch has two USB-C inputs. A room that has to take four laptops at once needs a different layout, or some guests will be on HDMI.
What to check before you specify
- Display distance and resolution. The HDBaseT output reaches up to 40m at 4K60 4:4:4, and up to 70m at 1080p, both over CAT6A F/FTP. If the display is beyond 40m and the client expects 4K60 4:4:4, the run needs rethinking.
- Cable type and termination. Use CAT6A F/FTP wired straight through (T568B) from HDBT OUT on the transmitter to HDBaseT IN on the receiver. Do not cross-connect.
- Source cable length. The USB-C and HDMI source runs are short. Mount the switch at or under the table, not in a rack across the room, and check the source-cable limit on the specification sheet against your furniture layout.
- Power budget. The transmitter runs from AC 100-240V 50/60 Hz through the supplied DC 24V/8A adapter, with 170W maximum consumption. That covers charging on both USB-C ports and PoE to the receiver. Leave space and an outlet for the desktop power supply.
- Laptop fleet. Confirm that the client's laptops support DisplayPort Alt Mode on USB-C and charge within 60W.
- Control. Plan for front panel, IR, RS-232, or TCP/IP and Web GUI control. CEC and RS-232 can handle display power.
Questions integrators ask
If users often connect to projectors, which port gives the most versatility: HDMI or USB-C?
On this switch, USB-C does the most per cable. Each USB-C input carries DisplayPort Alt Mode video up to 4K@60Hz 4:4:4, USB 3.2 Gen 1 data, 1G LAN passthrough and 60W charging. HDMI carries only picture and sound. The projector itself connects to an HDMI output or to the HDBaseT receiver, so the user never deals with its input.
Is this a matrix switcher?
It routes four sources (two USB-C, two HDMI) to two HDMI outputs, and each output can show a single source or a multiview layout. The HDBaseT output mirrors HDMI OUT 2 rather than acting as a third independent output.
Does the KVM switching need a separate KVM box?
No. USB 3.2 KVM switching is built in and follows the active video source by default. It can be set to manual or auto by command, and keyboard hotkeys can change the host.
Does the HDBaseT receiver need its own power at the display?
No. The transmitter's HDBT OUT port provides 48V PoE, and the receiver's HDBaseT IN port takes power from it over the same CAT6A F/FTP cable.
How far can I put the display at full 4K60?
Up to 40m at 4K60 4:4:4 over CAT6A F/FTP. For longer runs, the HDBaseT output reaches up to 70m at 1080p.
