Multiscreen TV System is Like a Sports Bar in Your Home

Have you ever wanted to watch more than one TV program or sports game at once? A low-budget solution may be your TV’s picture-in-picture feature, but that’s clunky and not nearly big enough to enjoy properly. An article in the February 2015 issue of Electronic House explains the new and growing options for multiscreen home media rooms.

“We’re not talking about hanging a random assortment of screens in your family room and hunting and pecking through a pile of remotes controls to do it. The multi-screen solutions available to homeowners today are slick, stunning, and simple to operate,” writes Electronic House editor Lisa Montgomery.

What can you do with a multiscreen TV setup? One of the most common scenarios is for sports watching. Having several college sports games playing on the wall at once, especially on very large screens with friends over to enjoy the fun is a sports-fan’s dream. But that isn’t the only reason for a multiscreen TV home theater or media room.

The article explains that there are some very practical applications. Having the displays connected to a home security system with surveillance cameras allows the users to monitor the home and property from the convenience of their favorite TV seat or sofa. Some users have connected their baby monitor to the multiscreen display system in order to safely watch their newborn while enjoying a welcome TV break. Security cameras at the front door can alert a person to a visitor right on your TV screen, without interrupting whatever you’re watching.

Of course, it almost goes without saying that a family of avid video gamers would really get a lot of fun out of multiscreen gaming.

Is a multiscreen system complicated and expensive? Well, it can be. The article states that custom installed and programmed systems can cost several thousand dollars, and that’s because to do it right takes more than just installing multiple TVs on the wall. All the source components need to be properly installed and configured; source switching and control systems need to be programmed; remotes need to be managed.

There are two basic methods for achieving this kind of experience: a multiscreen system and a video wall. What’s the difference? One is made up of several individual displays (usually LED LCD TVs) and the second is one screen (usually a large projection screen) that gets divided into sections with software and processing. Some implementations will allow the user to move sources from one display to another, often via a custom programmed app.

To learn more about multiscreen TV systems and video walls, including the pros and cons for each kind of system, check out the article in the new issue of Electronic House.