Picture-in-picture
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Image:Picture in Picture (Photomontage).jpg
Picture in Picture (PiP) allows you to watch more than one TV program(channel) at the same time on television sets or other devices. With PiP feature of TV, one program will be displayed on the entire TV screen, and another program or programs will be displayed in individual smaller squares on the screen.
Picture in Picture is a function of the TV that requires two independent tuners to supply the large and the small picture. Two-tuner PiP TVs have a second tuner built in for this purpose, single tuner PiP TVs however require the use of an 'external tuner' to provide the second signal. A VCR is commonly used for a second tuner. Some people find using the DVD as the second tuner can be difficult to hook-up and confusing to use. However, Picture in Picture can also being used on a player for the purpose of watching a recording while using the secondary frame to show the viewer that desired broadcast programming is on.
One of the early attempts at commercial Picture-In-Picture was the Multivision set-top box. The unit was available for consumers to purchase, for integration into existing entertainment centers. Multivision, however, was not a commercial success.