HDMI ports (or lack thereof)

I'm a man who loves his electronics. I like having things that allow me to many things through my TV. Here's the real problem: HDMI ports.

HDMI is a great invention. High quality sound and high definition picture in one convenient cable. the cables themselves are a little fragile, but I guess people shouldn't be yanking cables out of various receptacles anyway.

My TV has 3 HDMI slots. This poses a problem, as I have 5 devices that require an HDMI connection (or at least, get better picture with HDMI). This means that whenever I have to use one of my devices that isn't currently plugged in, I have to pull my TV away from the wall, gently pull out one of the current devices (remember, I can't yank, because the cords can be fragile), safely stash the cord somewhere easily accessible for future use, find the cord to the desired device, and gently plug it in before pushing the TV back against the wall. That's a lot of steps to switch between my bluray player and my chromecast.

On top of all of this, if I forget to check which input I switched (as I frequently do) I have to spend time going through each HDMI input in the TV settings to see which one has something on it. It's a small inconvenience, but it's one I have to deal with almost every time! Oh, and then, sometimes I forget to turn on the desired device, which means I end up scrolling through the inputs several times (looking like a moron the whole time) before I finally realize that the little light on my device is red instead of green or blue.

Now, I know, there are a lot of devices that allow me to consolidate functions. I can get a bluray player that can also stream, or I can use my video game console to play movies, etc. etc. etc. I get it. But I didn't, so I"m stuck with what I have. Maybe when I get my grand theater space (Oh, I have such great plans! *giggle*), I'll plan better, but for now, I'm stuck with what I have.

I could easily avoid this problem with a receiver, which allows me to switch between inputs, and only requires one output. That's an extremely viable option, and I have to admit, has some serious draw. But I'm a poor college student and I can't drop 200 bucks on a good receiver, and I'm too proud to buy a cheap one.

So, I guess I'll have to keep switching my cables back and forth, hoping to find the balance between the devices I use the most and the devices that I use less, but still frequently enough to make me go through this little song and dance. Maybe I just need another TV.

Or my theater...