Hardware Compatibility
softOSD can work with any display device that supports the DDC/CI protocol, and can communicate via practically any host-side graphics controller from 3dfx, 3dlabs, ATI, C&T, Cirrus Logic, Intel, Matrox, NeoMagic, Number Nine, NVidia, Rendition, S3, Silicon Motion, SiS, Trident, VIA, VideoLogic, or XGI - regardless of the level of OS or driver support.

 More information
For information on licensing softOSD or on developing softOSD compliant firmware, please contact our U.S. Display Products Group at displaysales@entechtaiwan.com. Additionally, EnTech's softMCCS is built on the softOSD engine, and is freely available on request to aid in the development of software-controllable displays.

End-user Products
 PowerStrip
 EnergySaver
 MultiRes
 Monitor Asset Manager
 Legacy software

Implementing cost effective display communications and control

softOSD provides an OEM with the most efficient means of managing connected display hardware. Unlike solutions requiring host-to-display control paths via USB or special cables, softOSD directly controls the display device through standard video cables - and it’s fully interface-independent. softOSD removes the burden of additional hardware cost-adders in display control applications.

softOSD is the most compatible solution available today, enabling reliable control through a wide variety of graphics chips – all the way from Cirrus Logic and Tseng Labs to the latest Via Unichrome and Intel 915G. It’s compatible with all relevant Windows operating systems from Windows 95 through Longhorn - even in Safe Mode. Moreover, softOSD’s direct hardware support not only allows display control through all heads of a multi-headed graphics card, it’s also highly optimized, yielding what is easily the fastest solution.

Comprehensive compatibility is the critical element in the process of removing conventional control elements from display devices to achieve cost-down and design benefits. In addition, sending command sequences and scripts can enhance user interaction and on-the-fly display customization but doing so requires sufficient effective bandwidth. softOSD delivers both.

Universal architecture for seamless development

softOSD has been implemented from the ground up as a highly-efficient module – it runs in the background with minimal impact on system performance and resources. An API and examples are provided so that OEMs can quickly author their own OSD-replacement applications with a custom user interface. Superior, next-generation architecture in combination with the widest range of communication channels make softOSD the ideal choice. It’s equally well-suited for the creation of user-centric applications like OSD-replacement and color calibration; or remote ones like asset management and network control.

softOSD is universally accessible under multi-user Windows operating systems. It also accommodates multi-monitor configurations, and is equally at home on VGA, DVI or HDMI interfaces. Interface-independence is ensured by implementing control via the Display Data Channel between host and display device. And softOSD's unprecedented communications speed provides UI responsiveness even at first launch when all display control parameters must be read. It also provides the basis for applying sequences of commands that allows an OEM to quickly customize the display for different users or on-the-fly as applications launch.

softOSD is the key communications building block that enables Display and System OEMs to create control applications for their displays whether the target device is a CRT monitor, an LCD, a business projector, an HDTV or the display component of a home theater Media PC.