All Products Filed in Multiroom Video

Wednesday, August 25, 2010

There's no question that powerline technologies have advanced far beyond the Clapper.

A good example of how far the technologies have advanced can be found in Western Digital's WD Livewire Powerline AV Network kit.

Western Digital says the product is compatible with the HomePlug AV powerline networking standard and it allows CE Pros to retrofit a home with network connections by using its existing electrical outlets.

The Lake Forest, Calif.-based computing company says the system offers 200Mbps of data transfer speeds and enough ports to support the connection of seven networked devices, which could be anything from a console gaming system, to a Blu-ray Disc player with BD Live technologies.

Western Digital adds the powerline solution also supports 1080p video streams and its set up is plug-and-play to facilitate quick installations.

Friday, August 20, 2010

Within the world of custom electronics the mere reference of the manufacturer VIZIO usually elicits a variety of opinions.

There is however no disputing the company's popularity. The Calif.-based company is one of the most popular manufacturers in the entire world of consumer electronics.

On Aug. 20 the company announced that its Xtreme VIZIO Technology (XVT) TruLED LED LCD televisions have started to ship. The line of products includes a range of five screen sizes: 32 inch, 37 inch, 42 inch, 47 inch and 55 inch, and they incorporate the company's Smart Dimming LED dimming technology, dual-band 802.11n wireless Internet connectivity, VIZIO's Web apps, and multiple HDMI inputs.

In addition, all of the TVs offer VIZIO's Smooth Motion video processing, IR/Bluetooth remote controls that include QWERTY keyboards and full backlit LED lighting for improved contrast ratios.

Thursday, August 12, 2010

With devices like Blu-ray players, HDTVs and streaming devices becoming commodity items, these products are more accessible than ever to a broader range of consumers.

Audio Authority's new HXE-11 HDMI over Coax system provides installers a simple way of connecting those devices and facilitating their clients' high-definition home theater needs.

The system is capable of transmitting and receiving 1080p video and lossless audio over a single RG-6 cable for more than 200 feet.

The Lexington, Ken.-based manufacturer says that the system, which is comprised of a Model 1341T Transmitter and the Model 1341R Receiver, provides installers with an alternative to balun-based Cat-5 solutions.

Audio Authority adds the coax system is HDCP compliant, and that it's set up is plug-and-play with no programming required.

Wednesday, July 14, 2010

Vaulting ahead of the other media server companies, the N.J.-based Windows Media Center (MCE) company, S1Digital has updated its product line through the addition of 3D video playback, lossless audio and the announcement of its new P250 MCE client.

S1 had addressed its ProLine Series, which includes the S800, P600 and P500 by adding 3D Blu-ray disc playback capabilities and HDMI 1.4 connections.

The company has also added 10 terabytes (10 TBs) of internal storage with six hot-swappable RAID drives, along with the latest Intel Core i7 processor and Microsoft's Windows 7 64-bit operating system (OS) to its flagship S800.

Beyond the 3D options for the P500 and P600, S1 has added DTS Master Audio and Dolby TrueHD lossless audio and HDMI Deep Color video capabilities to its mid-level Media Center machines. On top of those additions, the N.J.-based manufacturer has added RAID-enabled internal storage, Intel Core i5 processors, and the Windows 7 OS to the P500 and P600 to ensure the products' performance.

Rounding out its product line is the P250 client. This unit supports HDMI 1.3, the Dolby and DTS lossless audio formats, 1080p video resolutions, and seamless network access to the company's ProLine Series of products to allow the device to playback Blu-ray, music, videos and photo media.

Wednesday, July 07, 2010

Over the years Extron has built a reputation as a premium manufacturer of commercial audio/video equipment.

The company's new SSP 7.1 Surround Sound Processor should continue to reinforce its reputation through its inclusion of many installer-friendly features.

Highlighting some of the processor's features are a seven-channel, nine-band parametric equalizer, operating modes like "Live" and "Emulate" with file saving capabilities, 100ms of lip sync correction, a full choice of Dolby and DTS surround processing modes, RS-232 and the company's 2.0 setup software.

Extron designed the rack-mountable processor for use in commercial and corporate environments, and it's included a full selection of inputs to provide installation flexibility.

Thursday, June 03, 2010

With the Memorial Day weekend holiday now in the rear-view mirror the summer season is in full swing.

One of the newer activities to join the likes of cookouts, Bocce and sunbathing among other things is video watching. Products like Runco's new CP-42HD and CP-52HD outdoor LCD televisions enable homeowners to watch 1080p movies, sports and network programming under a starlit sky or bright sunny day without having to go inside their homes.

The outdoor TVs are the latest additions to the company's Climate Portfolio line of weatherproof televisions and they include features such as 176-degree viewing angles, anti-reflection glass and they are available with the company's optional ColourPalette custom finish options.

Wednesday, June 02, 2010

Apple TV has always been viewed as a niche product for do-it-yourselfer (DIY'er) A/V enthusiasts, computer geeks and custom installers.

Now as rumors swirl about a new cloud-based Apple TV product announcement from the Cupertino, Calif. electronics company, specialty electronics manufacturers like Autonomic Controls are producing Apple enhancement products that enable installers to integrate Apple products into their system solutions.

Autonomic Controls' new Apple TV module for Crestron is SystemBuilder compatible, which the company says increases installers' ability to utilize Apple TV in their Crestron-based home control, home theater and whole-house A/V designs.

The module also enables installers to implement multiple Apple TV units running PC and Mac versions of iTunes, and it also recognizes Apple AirTunes via Ethernet to facilitate multi-zone control and media browsing from any touchpanel in the system.

Thursday, May 06, 2010

Adding to its ever growing line of products, SnapAV has just introduced its AniWareBox series of digital video/audio over Cat-5 devices.

SnapAV engineered the products, which measure less than one-inch tall to fit into small spaces that include within a wall and equipment racks.

The company says the product is available in single and multiple component video/HD Audio versions, and it says the boxes are capable of sending HD signals up to 350 feet.

Wednesday, May 05, 2010

With custom installers moving into commercial installations and dealing with new, Web-based technologies, it's only logical that they see products like the 2800 Series from Audio Authority using IP technologies to address video distribution.

Audio Authority says the 2800 Series is a product that's engineered to address the commercial video distribution market in a wide variety of ways to enable installers to easily address a number of job scenarios without having to learn a new piece of equipment.

The 2800 Series Audio Authority includes the single-source transmitter unit, the Model 2801 and the single-output Model 2811 receiver. According to the company, CE Pros can use these devices to build a system that has the capabilities of supporting up to 127 displays when used in tandem with ordinary off-the-shelf Gigabit Ethernet routers. The system is said to comply with the latest HDCP specification, version 2.0 and it utilizes 128-bit AES encryption for security purposes.

Monday, April 19, 2010

Low-level noise is an intangible element that separates good audio products from great audio products, and with the release of its new Cinema Rhapsody Mach IV B home theater preamplifier/processor, Audio Design Associates (ADA) is providing CE Pros a way of lowing a system's noise floor without adding extraneous, unused features.

The company's newly launched pre/pro incorporates balanced (XLR) outputs to enable installers to sell their clients into a higher performing option that's proven to produce higher levels of detail and transparency.

In addition to the XLR outputs, the Mach IV B also includes eight HDMI inputs, two HDMI outputs, HDMI equalization for each input and output, a secondary crossover setting, which allows CE Pros to set up the pre/pro with full-range speakers, while sending low-frequency data to a system's subwoofers, a built-in multi-band parametric equalizer, and a full selection of home theater processing modes.

Wednesday, April 07, 2010

With the commercial audio/video market diversifying to accommodate the influx of new technologies, it's important for installers to be able to offer solutions with some flexibility.

Atlona Technologies' new 16x16 AT-DVI1616-A matrix switch builds upon the features of the company's original AT-DVI1616 through the inclusion of audio distribution.

The rack mountable switch features options like RS-232 control, the ability to support resolutions up to 1900 x 1200, signal reclocking capabilities to ensure signal integrity, Ethernet compatibility for IP-based control and an EDID learning function to facilitate the "handshake" between components.

Atlona says the unit can be used for a variety of commercial applications that includes digital signage, video walls and installations where audio is an important priority.

Friday, April 02, 2010

Crestron has released the HD-TX3-F and HD-RX3-F transmitter/receiver pair, which provides a simple, reliable solution to extend uncompressed HDMI, analog audio, Ethernet, USB HID and control signals up to 1,000 feet over single multimode fiber.

The pair supports HDMI 1.3a with Deep Color and 7.1 channel lossless audio; manages EDID and HDCP, handles resolutions up to 1920x1200 and 1080p60, and is compatible with both DVI and DisplayPort Multimode.

No special configuration or programming is required – just connect the source and display. The HD-TX3-F and HD-TX3-F are both housed in sleek, compact enclosures, with provisions for mounting to any flat surface or on one rail of an equipment rack.

The HD-TX3-F and HD-RX3-F extend networking and control signals for a one-wire A/V interface solution, and high-speed LAN connectivity enables system integration with Crestron RoomView asset management and help desk software. With the USB HID port, a keyboard and mouse located at the podium by the display device, for example, can control a computer in the equipment room with the transmitter. Additional IR and bidirectional RS-232 control signals may also be routed to control a display device and other equipment.

For new installations, plenum or non-plenum rated CresFiber may be pulled through conduit and terminated at any length up to 1000 feet. For retrofit projects, CresFiber CLEAR looks just like fishing line, so it's virtually invisible when run along baseboards and around moldings.

Wednesday, March 17, 2010

People don't realize it because of aesthetic concerns, but it is important to set a television set up in a manor in which it is comfortable to watch for long periods of time.

Sanus Systems' Three new Vision Mount VLF220, VMF220 and VLF210 are now available and they facilitate homeowners' ability to watch television in a comfortable position.

The mounts are designed for full-motion movement that extends the TV, tilts and swivels its to provide comfort and convenience. The mounts also incorporate the company's QuickConnect, FollowThru and Virtual Axis technologies, which Sanus says help to expedite the installation process while making it easy to position a television once the television is hung.

The mounts are available in versions that support televisions with screen sizes as small as 26 inches and as large as 56 inches.

Tuesday, March 02, 2010

Texas-based AMX has just introduced a new line of digital television (DTV) products that are designed to distribute DTV content over an Ethernet network.

One of the products within the AMX Television Distribution System (TDS) line of products is the DTV Gateway. This product delivers TV content to the AMX Vision² system by pairing TDS transmitters with the DTV Gateway. It works by converting the DTV signals to a format compatible with Vision² to allow the content to be made available for later
playback on demand.

The gateway supports as many as six streams with multiple channels per stream. AMX says the solution can be used for education installations such as schools and colleges that need to distribute content to video displays and PCs.

Thursday, February 18, 2010

Crestron is now shipping its DigitalMedia (DM) line that delivers a source-to-display digital solution. The newest DM output card is available in 20 versions, expanding the capabilities of the modular 8X8 and 16X16 DM matrix switchers.

The new DM-TX-300N and DM-TX-300N-F are 3X1 transmitters that accept and transmit any analog or uncompressed digital HD signals long distance over copper or fiber. Crestron’s DigitalMedia line is designed to provide a seamless transition from analog to digital systems without redesigning existing systems or replacing installed equipment.

The new output cards are part of a line that allows combinations of DM Fiber, DM CAT (twisted pair), HDMI, and stereo analog audio to be installed on a single DM matrix switcher chassis.

With a dedicated HDMI output accompanied by a balanced analog stereo audio output, any 2-channel audio signal is available to feed an analog audio mixer, processor, or amplifier.

The units connect multi-format analog video, HDMI, DVI-I, balanced or unbalanced line-level audio and SPDIF digital audio source signal to a DM switcher or receiver and have transmitters that send uncompressed signals hundreds of feet over a single copper cable or up to 1,000 feet via dual fiber strands.