Who here wants to watch Hulu.com’s free movies and TV shows on their big-screen HDTV?
IOGear HDMI Control Center
Irvine’s IOGear may have something of interest. Its upcoming HDMI Control Center, part of the company’s new audio-video AVOIR product line, simplifies the union between PC and TV and other high-definition video sources by relying on what IOGear knows best: a KVM switch.
I know I may have lost half of you with that abbreviation. But bear with me. KVM is short for Keyboard Video and Mouse and, in the past decade, the technology was popular with people who worked on multiple computers but only wanted to use one keyboard, one monitor and one mouse. A KVM switch lets someone switch back and fourth between two or more computers.
Now turn that monitor into an HDTV and add in a few high-definition video players, like a game console and Blu-ray disc player. This is what IOGear’s new HDMI Control Center does. It offers a way for consumers to easily switch between a computer, PlayStation 3 and other video device, but use the same keyboard and mouse. That’s right — pull up Hulu on your laptop and you’ve got big-screen happiness. There’s also a USB port on the front (and two more in the back) for that occasional slide show of digital photos.
Ruben Lugo, IOGear’s product marketing manager for the HDMI controller, demonstrated the technology for me on a recent afternoon and I wanted to share my first look at the HDMI Control Center. I took my point-and-shoot camera and shot some video. Far from professional, but hopefully you get the idea:
Click here to view the embedded video.
More thoughts and lots of photos after the jump…
IOGear wireless keyboard
Lugo had plugged a PlayStation 3, Sony Blu-ray player and his laptop into the Control Center and started showing how easy it was to move from web surfing to TV to Blu-ray movie. There’s room for one more high-def video source, like an HD DVR, if you’ve got it.
The nice thing is that it’s plug and play. No installation, no tweaking of settings, not much fuss. To move between video sources, just hit “Scroll Lock” and the number of the video port on the keyboard. You can just sit back on the couch and flip between the TV, movie, Excel spread sheet and whatever else.
Now I know that more HDTVs are coming out with four HDMI ports, but what about the keyboard and mouse? I really hate controlling my PlayStation 3 with just the remote or game controller.
IOGear began offering the kit this week at its on online store and the Control Center is expected to be in electronics stores this month. What I don’t like is the price: It’s $399 for the control center plus another $63 for the keyboard. IOGear’s tactic, however, is to aim for the custom home installer, who may be installing a similar piece of equipment that costs thousands of dollars.
There are cheaper gadgets available, like this $45 one at Amazon, but I don’t know of another product that lets users use the same keyboard to control several gadgets. Being able to use the same keyboard for the PlayStation and computer is a big plus for me and probably others.
I haven’t been able to keep up with the latest on HDMI controllers so if someone has a better one to suggest, please share. Thanks!
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