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For Home theater enthusiasts who have 2 HDTV displays there are now a solution to allow you to switch and display 2 different HD sources on both displays for a picture by picture setup.

As the price of flat panel technology continues to drop, many home theater enthusiasts will install multiple displays. For example, high-end home theater owners may install large Front Projection DLP for weekend viewing of movies and a smaller Flat Panel Display (Plasma, LCD) for daily use.

A 3x2 HDMI Cross switch can be used in Dual Display Theater systems. Users can create a Picture By Picture system. The picture by picture feature allows viewing of 2 different video sources simultaneously. For example, you may watch a sporting program on a large Projector and watch a second different program on a secondary display.
A 3x2 HDMI Cross Switch has 3 Inputs and 2 outputs.

The 2 Outputs allows users to switch between 2 displays. Owners of large screen front projectors system and flat panel display can easily select which display they wish to view. For example, day to day HD programming can be switched to the LCD and weekend viewing (movies, major sporting events) can be switched to the Projector system thus allowing the user to share video sources and cut down projector bulb wear and tear

The outputs of the HDMI Cross Switch can be independently selected from 3 video inputs. The HDMI Cross switch does not split the input to both displays, which merely shows same video on both display. The significant advantage of the HDMI Cross Switch is flexibility such as picture by picture viewing, independent EDID communication between display and source, and Dual Display switching which maximizes user flexibility.

Jeff Su is product development manager at http://www.octavainc.com. Jeff is a graduate of the Georgia Institute of Technology (BSEE, MSEE) and has over 10 years of experience in CATV systems, RF, and microwave designs. He may be reached at info@octavainc.com.

Would you believe that scientists created the plasma TV while trying to come up with a better computer monitor? Well, this is the truth. The LCD and plasma televisions are a product of the development of computers. In fact, we owe so many advances in technology directly and indirectly to the development of the computer. It shouldn't be a surprise that our viewing pleasure is directly improved by the insatiability and constant inventiveness of scientists who are trying to solve their own daily annoyances and questions.

Way back in 1964 the development began at the University of Illinois. Back then monitors for computers were actually just simple televisions. You have to remember that TVs at this time were actually cathode ray tubes. In order to correctly display, they had to refresh themselves all the time. That was a huge obstacle when trying to use the television as a computer monitor. It was fine for watching television, but the resolution was awful for computers. Within the first year, the very first plasma screen was working.

Today, plasma TVs have millions of cells that make up the color and screen's resolution. The first plasma monitor consisted of only one cell. However, it was still moving in the right direction. As Liquid Crystal Displays became the norm for small monitors, plasma technology was halted. A few years later, large flat screen televisions became very popular. At the time, only the biggest flat screens could be made economically using plasma technology. These days, LCD screens as well as plasma flat panel televisions are popular and they are available in various sizes.

Plasma TV has made a big difference in how people view TV and use their computers. HDTV has become a sought-after item, as indicated by the number of plasma television screens being sold in retail stores. The cost of a flat screen, which was once too high for the average consumer, has since lowered substantially. Now, lots of people have these incredible flat screen televisions, and they're hooked on their clear high definition television programs, especially sporting events.

The world owes the scientists working at the University of Illinois a huge debt of gratitude. Because of their need for a new computer monitor, the world was introduced to plasma TV. Without them the large, unwieldy projection sets of old will still be standard and a clear, beautiful picture wouldn't be a reality. These scientists created a remarkable viewing experience some 30 years ago, and now individuals have the opportunity to view superb quality programming at an affordable price. What do you think the next great advance in entertainment viewing will be?

Vic Metten a home theater installer knows the connectors and cables make the difference in picture clarity for Plasma TVs. He recommends the folks at Best Deal Cables for their innovative HDMI cable, certified for 1080p and also has a unique clip to keep it secured. They don't have huge advertising budget so their HDMI, DVI, and Component video cables are reasonably priced.