Patent ID: 8457122

Claim:
A method in an audio/video network, comprising: receiving, at a first Ethernet physical layer device in a first audio/video device, communication from a second Ethernet physical layer device in a second audio/video device via a first Ethernet cable, said communication including first audio/video data that has said first audio/video device as its destination and second audio/video data that has a third audio/video device as its destination, said third audio/video device including a third Ethernet physical layer device that is coupled to a fourth Ethernet physical layer device in said first audio/video device via a second Ethernet cable; routing via a switch in said first audio/video device, said first audio/video data to an internal port in said first audio/video device, said switch being coupled to said first Ethernet physical layer device and said fourth Ethernet physical layer device; displaying an audio/video data stream based on said first audio/video data on a display of said first audio/video device; and routing via said switch in said first audio/video device, said second audio/video data to said fourth Ethernet physical layer device for delivery to said third Ethernet physical layer device, wherein said first audio/video device supports a network synchronization protocol that enables said first audio/video device to facilitate a connection between said second audio/video device and said third audio/video device through said first Ethernet physical layer device, said switch, and said fourth Ethernet physical layer device at a guaranteed level of bandwidth and latency.