All Products Filed in Video

Wednesday, February 22, 2012

Meridian has traditionally set the performance bar in the world of residential audio/video and a good example of its ability to benchmark the market is its HD621 HDMI Audio Processor. When this product was originally released a couple of years ago it was one of the few products that was specifically engineered to upgrade the sound quality of the HDMI format without diluting the quality of a digital video signal.

The HD621 HDMI Audio Processor can handle signals from as many as six HDMI source components and it performs up and down sampling of HDMI audio signals after they've been separated from video. Meridan says the product employs the company's proprietary buffering technologies that remove jitter and other distortions from the audio signal that negatively affect the sound quality of the HDMI format.

Recently the company announced that it has augmented the capabilities of the HD621 through the release of a firmware update that supports the product's ability to work with 3D video content. The U.K.-based manufacturer says the new firmware update helps the unit maintain its state-of-the-art A/V signal processing capabilities, and that the firmware update can be executed by authorized Meridian dealers in the field to ensure that existing HD621 owners keep up with the market's continuing advancements.

Tuesday, February 21, 2012

In a pretty short amount of time Control4 has grown quickly within the professional electronics community because of its advanced technologies, affordable prices and growing array of products.

Adding to its product family, the Salt Lake City-based manufacturer recently rolled out two new automation controllers: the single room HC-250 and the flagship HC-800 whole-house solution. Control4 says the HC-800 provides electronics professionals with a powerful control device that can serve as the cornerstone for any multiroom control system and it's powered by a 1.8GHz dual-core processor that drives the product's ability to instantly react to onscreen control and media browsing commands. The unit is 1U high and it offers installations features such as two RS-232 ports, six IR ports, four contact relays, analog audio/video provisions and HDMI connectivity.

The single-room HC-250 is designed as a step-up solution from typical remote control devices. Control4 says the HC-250 supports HDMI and it includes 802.11n Wi-Fi and Power over Ethernet (PoE) for single Cat-5 runs that facilitate simple connectivity.

Friday, February 17, 2012

Since the advent of HDMI and the electronic industry's growing adoption of the format baluns have become an important part of many A/V installations.

The New York-based manufacturer Key Digital is one of the industry's leading providers of connectivity and A/V processing products and its new KD-CATHDX Cat-5e/6 balun is engineered to enable electronics professionals to send and receive control signals, as well as audio and video signals long distances. Key says the balun supports the HDMI and DVI formats, which includes video resolutions as high as 4,096x2160/24Hz, and 3D video content. The product also includes bi-directional IR and the ability to support uni-directional RS-232. In addition, it supports the lossless audio formats Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD Master Audio, and 12-bit Deep Color at resolutions of 1080i, 720p and 480p.

Key says the KD-CATHDX is capable of transmitting 1080p/60Hz signals as far as 150 feet and 1080p/24Hz signals more than 300 feet. The product is HDCP compliant and it is powered by a 5-volt power supply.

Thursday, February 16, 2012

It may be cold in most parts of the country right now, but that doesn't mean that American homeowners aren't thinking about the spring, summer and fall seasons.

For homeowners thinking of remodeling their homes with the addition of electronics, one of the most enticing options is an outdoor A/V system. SunBrite's new Signature Line of outdoor HDTVs facilitate these homeowner dreams without tapping out their respective bank accounts. The newly announced line features a choice of three screen sizes: the 32-inch SB-3260HD, the 46-inch SB-4660HD and the 55-inch SB-5560HD models.

SunBrite says the TVs are engineered to withstand the environmental conditions of outdoor placement with features that include anti-glare screens and ASA outdoor-rated resin enclosures that are designed to protect the TVs' internal components from moisture, rain, dust, snow, insects and temperatures that range from 10 below zero, all the way up to 122 degrees. Other features built into the products include water-tight cable-entry channels, multi-fan airflow systems and a choice of black or silver finishes.

Wednesday, February 15, 2012

Most electronics professionals know the name DVDO through its years of manufacturing video processing devices.

The Sunnyvale, California-based company's latest product ventures outside of the video processor category to provide existing homeowners a means to efficiently connect their HD source devices to an HDTV without the need for custom installers to pull long cabling runs. The company's new Air WirelessHD is a wireless transmission system that offers electronics professionals a solution that is capable of sending 1080p video, 7.1 surround sound and HDMI's Consumer Electronics Control (CEC) protocol distances up to 30 meters.

DVDO says the solution is compatible with 3D content and that it is engineered to coexist in environments that already include wireless home networks, cordless telephones and microwave ovens. The Air WirelessHD Video transmission system ships with a transmitter, receiver and mounting hardware that enables electronics professionals to place the receiver on top of a HDTV or hide it behind a TV as a wall mounted device.

Tuesday, February 14, 2012

Friday, February 10, 2012

In the world of equipment racks and accessories no company offers residential and commercial electronics professionals more products and support than Middle Atlantic.

The Fairfield, N.J.-based company's latest product series taps into the growing trend of space-conscious electronics installations by offering installers a choice of products that fit into small locations. Middle Atlantic's new HRF Series Half Rack Systems are engineered to provide electronics professionals with a line of products that comply to the Electronic Components Industry Association's (ECIA) increasingly relevant half rack size standards.

Middle Atlantic says the racks utilize the standard's proposed dimensions, as well as an offset cable tie area that keep the products' overall width under 11 inches. The HRF Series products are constructed with welded frames, and they are manufactured in a choice of eight or 12 rack space options with companion mounting holes and slots.

Wednesday, February 08, 2012

For decades NAD has been lauded by audiophiles for its high performing and affordable product line. Over the past few years the company has put a considerable amount of effort into updating its product line through new industrial designs, proprietary technologies and other innovations that are ahead of the market's technology curve.

One of the company's latest product releases is the Masters Series M51 Direct Digital DAC. This new digital-to-analog converter (DAC) employs the same digital processing circuitry as its M2 Direct Digital Amplifier and it is engineered to provide electronics professionals with a solution that enables them to bridge their clients' existing A/V systems into the world of digital audio. NAD says the product is designed to perform with low noise levels, low levels of distortion, low levels of digital jitter; overall signal linearity and a wide dynamic range.

NAD says the product accepts PCM data rates up to 24-bit/192kHz, and it includes a choice of inputs such as USB, HDMI and optical, as well as balanced (XLR) and single-ended (RCA) outputs.

Monday, February 06, 2012

Meridian has earned a reputation within audiophile circles for producing some of the consumer audio industry's finest digital components.

At the recently completed Consumer Electronics Show (CEA) the British A/V company announced its new 818 Reference Audio Core preamplifier that it says will enable its dealers to easily combine its flagship 800 series components with its Sooloos line of digital audio components. The preamplifier incorporates the latest in standard consumer electronics technologies such as XLR (balanced) and RCA (unbalanced) connections, as well as proprietary technologies that include advanced digital signal processing (DSP) and the company's SpeakerLink outputs to facilitate connections to its active DSP line of loudspeakers.

With the 818 Reference Audio Core preamplifier and a choice of Sooloos series components Meridian says that electronics professionals can create a customizable, state-of-the-art audio system for their clients, or they can use the component with standard A/V components to create a system that utilizes the best traditional and digital electronics.

Friday, February 03, 2012

Runco has established its top level, 73d projector as arguably one best performing 3D projectors in the entire residential market. The company's latest projector, the newly announced LS-12d maintains many of the 73d's performance characteristics, but at price levels that are considerably lower than its flagship product.

The LS-12d is an active-shutter, three-chip DLP projector that Runco says can be used situations in which homeowners want a high-performance projector that aesthetically doesn't detract from their home's interior design. To ensure the projector's visual compatibility with today's modern home designs, Runco dresses the projector with its LightStyle industrial design and backs it with its FinishPalette color program that allows consumers a full choice of exterior color choices.

Runco ships the LS-12d projector with is 2U outboard DC-300 controller unit, which provides authorized installers with a convenient means to setup and calibrate the projector, and three pairs of active-shutter 3D glasses.

Thursday, February 02, 2012

Over the past several months the momentum behind the HDBaseT transmission technology has grown with several manufacturers adopting the format and releasing new products into the marketplace.

The latest company to launch a new HDBaseT product into the professional electronics market is Audio Authority. The Lexington, Kentucky-based manufacturer's new HBT200KIT is a HDBaseT solution that electronics professionals can use to address long-range signal transmission issues in commercial and residential system environments.

Audio Authority says the HBT200KIT is capable of sending uncompressed HD video, lossless audio, IR and RS-232 control signals distances as far as 330 feet with a single Cat-5e/Cat-6 cable. The company says the kit includes a transmitter and receiver and the components are compliant with HDCP/EDID protocols to ensure the system's compatibility with a variety of displays and source components.

Wednesday, February 01, 2012

In the world of networking it's not too often that a custom installer can say that there's a networking component specifically for the custom electronics industry.

In the case of the newly released Pakedge S8W 8-port gigabit switch however, electronics professionals will find a networking device with home theater, security and traditional networking in its DNA. Pakedge says the switch is equipped with eight auto-sensing 10/100/1000Mbps ports and it can be implemented without any preconfiguration. The Foster City, California-based company also says the high-speed, compact switch is compliant with all of the latest networking protocols to ensure its compatibility with all of the latest networking technologies.

Pakedge ships the 8-port gigabit switch with a wall-mounting bracket and it incorporates custom installation features such as the ability to automatically negotiate network speed and duplex mode with connected devices. The company adds the switch is made with a metal enclosure that can be placed on a table, in a rack or hung on a wall.

Tuesday, January 31, 2012

Ludacris is one of the sharpest and most successful entertainers in both the world of music and in movies. The entertainment mogul's latest venture is SOUL by Ludacris, which is a line of headphones and other audio accessories, and recently the line was upgraded with a new pair of headphones that are as sharp as the man they are named after.

The newly released SL150CS chrome silver Limited Edition headphones build upon the basic feature set of the company's SL150 products with the addition of a sharp chrome finish. The headphones are trimmed with black padding on the headpiece and gloss black accents along the ear pieces to provide music lovers, DJs and sound engineers with a stylish sound solution that also rocks.

SOUL by Ludacris has engineered the speakers to produce a balanced, full sound and the headphones can be used for a variety of applications. The headphones work with Apple's iPod, iPhone and iPad products, as well as other portable devices, including Android products, and the SL150CS headphones ship with two cables and 1/4-jack accessories to allow music fans to use the headphones with traditional stereo components.

Monday, January 30, 2012

Beyond the obvious attraction of the four major sports leagues (NFL, NHL, MLB and NBA) it's surprising that Americans can get their competition fix through seemingly innocuous activities such as eating or video games.

Oddly enough however, there are competitive eating leagues and video gaming leagues. Unlike the competitive eating events which could be potentially messy and hazardous to the participants' health, competitive gaming doesn't burden those athletes digestive tracks. All gaming participants need are nimble thumbs and state-of-the-art computer displays. BenQ's new XL Series monitors can't help competitive gamers improve their gaming controller clicks-per-minute times, but these new monitors can help them resolve the action better. The company's XL2420T and XL2420TX are designed to provide users the highest levels of performance with features such as 120Hz refresh rates, 2ms GTG response times and dynamic contrast ratios as high as 12M:1.

BenQ worked with famous gamers such as Emil "HeatoN" Christensen, Abdisamad "SpawN" Mohamed and Michael "ahl" Korduner to engineer the products to meet the requirements of the competitive gaming community. The monitors incorporate BenQ's proprietary color engines, unique display modes and customized memory settings to store specific calibrations for specific games. The XL240T is NVIDIA 3D Vision 2 ready for those that want an upgrade path to 3D and the XL2420TX offers an embedded 3D IR emitter and two pairs of active 3D glasses.

Friday, January 20, 2012

Bang & Olufsen (B&O) is one of the most recognizable and unique manufacturers in the entire world of consumer electronics, and the Danish company is well known for its sleek industrial designs and pursuit of high performance.

The company's new BeoSound 5 digital music system is the company's latest product and it enables homeowners in new construction or existing structures to enjoy the benefits of whole-house audio without the need to pull cables. The BeoSound 5 incorporates B&O's proprietary playlist technologies, as well as a built-in CD ripper that allows homeowners to rip their CD collections into a digital library for easy access and management.

In addition, the BeoSound 5 can be used with one of the company's Encore components to create a whole-house audio system that employs wireless technologies to transmit audio and control signals. The BeoSound 5 can be wall mounted, stand mounted or it can be used as a tabletop unit.