European Custom Installer

System Integration for the Connected Home

Networking & IoT

Techconnect HDMI-over-CAT5e Module

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TC2 HDMITP

Recently Vision introduced a cost-effective VGA-over-Cat5 transmitter and receiver set which integrates into their Techconnect faceplate: now they have added an HDMI product in the same format.

The HDMI-over-Cat5 transmitter is an HDMI module which clips into the Techconnect faceplate. The receiver is a compact 82 x 44 x 24mm box which can be hidden at the display device. It supports 1080P (1920 x 1080) over 30m of Cat5e cable or 50m of Cat6 cable. Power adaptors are included for each end.

Vision says their HDMI modules have doubled in sales in the last year, and their newly introduced 5/10/15m HDMI cables are selling well.

TC2 HDMITP is shipping (SSP 234 euro and GBP 198).

Go Techconnect TC2 HDMITP, HDMI-over-Cat5

Gefen Ships 4x4 HDMI Matrix

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Gefen MatrixGefen launches the 4x4 Seamless Matrix for HDMI-- able to handle seamless switching between up to four sources, with scaling and resizing for each picture without any switching delay or frame loss.

A built-in scaler scales non-HD content to 1080p, and resizes images to 16:9 aspect ratio.

Further features include the ability to assign names to all inputs and outputs, an easy to use on-screen GUI, configuration and recall of up to 10 presets and control via IR remote, RS-232 and IP (web server interface, Telnet and UDP).

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Wifi? Make Way for Li-fi

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UK-based researchers at the Ultra-Parallel Visible Light Communications (UP-VLC) project announce a breakthrough in visible light communications (VLC), reaching data transfer speeds of 10Gbps with a system using tiny micro-LEDs.

micro LED VLCThe researchers hail from the universities of Edinburgh, St Andrews, Strathclyde, Oxford and Cambridge.

Reportedly the system transmits 3.5Gbps through each of the 3 primary colours (red, green, blue) making up white light, this increasing the amount of data the light can "carry." This makes the the basis of what the researchers call light fidelity or "li-fi," a potential low-cost alternative to radio-based wireless internet.

"If you think of a shower head separating water out into parallel streams, that's how we can make light behave," Prof Harald Haas tells the BBC.

Allowing the micro-LEDs to handle millions of light intensity changes per second is Orthogonal Frequency Divisional Multiplexing (OFDM), a dgital modulation technique making what amounts to an extremely fast on/off switch.

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DVDO Intros 4K HDMI Matrix

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DVDO Matrix6DVDO launches the Matrix6-- a 6-input by 2-output HDMI matrix switcher capable of routing resolutions of up to 4K (4096x2160) ideal for both residential and commercial AV applications.

Two of the inputs are MHL-HDMI ports, while two digital (S/PDIF optical and coax outputs) audio ports are included for connectivity to external soundbars in addition to audio embedded in the HDMI ports.

Further more the switcher provides RS232, IR and USB control.

The Matrix6 should be available from Q4 2013.

Go DVDO Matrix6

Whole Home Preview at IBC

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Pace previews the Whole Home solution at IBC 2013-- a pre-integrated distribution solution pushing Pay TV services and on-demand content across STBs, tablets, smartphones, consoles and connected TVs throughout the home.

Pace Whole HomeAccording to the company the solution reduces the costs and complexity of rolling out Whole Home networking solution, with the Pace Elements platform providing a toolkit for the delivery of content protection (via Titanium Unified Rights Management), rapid integration of new services and broadband media services.

The Elements platform is integrated with ECO, a management, monitoring and troubleshooting platform.

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Control4 Takes on Distribution

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Control4 reveals a family of A/V distribution products-- one consisting of HDMI matrix switcher with HDBaseT, HDBaseT receiver, audio matrix switcher, a 4-zone amplifier and 8-zone amp.

Control4 DistroThe HDMI switcher is an 8x8 number, and transmits 2D or 3D HD video, multichannel audio, ethernet, RS-232 (serial) and IR signals over a single Cat5e or Cat6 cable via HDBaseT. As well as 8 HDMI inputs and outputs it also features 2 local HDMI outputs, 8 LAN passthrough ports, 8 b-directional stereo audio outputs and a control ethernet port.

EDID management handles switching between sources, while a zone-lock feature dedicates specific video sources to specific zones.

Allowing for speedier setup is Control4's Simple Device Discovery Protocol (SDDP), and installers can use Composer Pro software to automatically install correct drivers.

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Crestron Extenders Get HDBaseT, 4K Support

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Crestron launches a pair of additions to its HDMI extender family-- the HD-EXT3-C and HD-EXT4-C, both with 4K/UHD and HDBaseT support for long distance HDMI signal transmission over CAT5e/UTP cable.

HDBaseT extenderHDBaseT allows the transmission of uncompressed, HDCP-protected HDMI signals (including 4K video) for up to 100m without signal degradation.

The HD-EXT3-C includes IR and RS-232 transmission for a "complete" signal and control solution. Meanwhile the HD-EXT4-C offers separate analog audio in and out to support DVI or other devices lacking embedded digital audio support.

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