Mac Mini and two monitors...Help!

[Big Debbie]

I'm currently using my mac mini as a home theater mac. Its hooked up to a 42" HP Plasma display using a dvi to hdmi cable. The resolution is set to 1280x720 (this is the only res that I can get to work with this display). I'd like to be able to switch from the Plasma to a smaller lcd (yet to be purchased). Does anyone have any thoughts on what I need to buy to split or switch between the two displays? It seems like a splitter will only be able to display one resolution, and the lcd is not likely to display the 1280x720. Any thoughts? It seems like a switcher would make the most sense, so that the mini can detect which display it is connecting to. Any help is appreciated.

 

[Big Debbie]

I found a possible solution, but I'm not sure if it will work. Any help would be appreciated. Would it work to buy a manual dvi switcher like this: http://www.sjmediasystem.com/dviab-1.html and essentially use it backwards? (instead of running 2 inputs, and 1 out, I'll be doing 1 in and 2 out). The way I understand it is these passive switchers will allow the signal to pass through. I found a few monitors that display the same resolution as my Plasma. Assuming that both monitors can accept 1280x720, then this should work, right?

 

[killerwhack]

Studied the Chips - I think it should work

I studied the chip specs for the video switching chips used in a typical hdmi switching box and I think it will work based on the information provided by the chip manufacturers. In short, they wrote that the chip supports bidirectional use.

If you do this, let us know how it works out.

 

[Big Debbie]

Thanks for the reply and the research. I actually ended up going with a powered DVI splitter from monoprice. It was only $15 more expensive than the switcher, and is actually a little more practical. It seems to autodetect the monitor that is plugged into the first input, so I plugged my plasma into that. It works wonderfully. No problems yet!