ChatGPT 5.2-Pro at maximum effort (thought 27m 40s). You should probably at least try some of the things it proposes:

https://chatgpt.com/share/697a6ec0-3d9c-8006-904f-5c1d25e21cfb

@IsaacKing Any progress?

Hmmm I wonder if a proper KVM would switch more elegantly somehow. I don't have the experience

@NivlacM It might! But the reason I use this setup is that I don't want the two laptops ever connected to each other, for security reasons.

If you unplug from a MacBook and replug into the same MacBook do you still see the issue?

@NivlacM Yes

Get two hubs, plug each in to one MacBook. Switch with monitor input switching?

@NivlacM I will accept the cost of another hub be subtracted from my bounty payout

The purpose of the hub is to let me switch all of my peripherals together, so this solution would not work.

I'm already going to try a displayport cable instead of HDMI, no credit for suggesting that one. I just need to wait on one to arrive.

@IsaacKing I also might expect this to work since it seems to me like it would eliminate one element in the chain since I believe you have to convert from display port to HDMI at some level if you're using USB C

K, this did not work.

@IsaacKing ooof

@NivlacM Having to convert formats is a good insight, I didn't know about that. But since the conversion is ongoing I would expect that to add latency globally, not only right after connecting.

@IsaacKing have you verified the maximum speed theoretically possible for switching inputs? Like just between two active HDMI sources

@NivlacM They can start displaying as soon as connected in some setups.

@IsaacKing both sides? Monitor and MacBook?