CEDIA 2016 is coming to Dallas on September 13-17. CE Pro spoke to Ed Qualls, president of Just Add Power, about the company's plans for the show and what to expect in booth #6626.
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What would you say to dealers who are already familiar with your product line?
Last year we launched 3G Ultra HD over IP, which was a real game-changer in terms of providing a more practical and flexible 4K HDMI distribution system, because it could distribute a combination of 4K HDCP 2.2 encrypted sources and Full HD 1080p sources, to a mixture of 1080p and 4K displays- which is what many homes now have.
This year, we’re making this platform more cost-effective and easier to tailor to your clients’ budgets by introducing a new, smaller-sized and more affordable Just Add Power 3G Ultra HD over IP PoE transmitter and PoE receiver model.
These offer an essential feature set for 2016 and beyond: 4K with HDR support, HDCP 2.2, optional 4K to 1080p scaling at the display location, two-way RS232 and IP control, as well as support for all audio formats up to and including Dolby Atmos and DTS:X.
The ability for these new entry-level models to to be mixed and matched with the more advanced 3G Ultra HD over IP models, allows integrators to save on cost without sacrificing enhanced functionality (like audio extraction, downmix from 5.1 and CEC control) in zones where these features are needed.
What would you say to dealers who are stumbling across your company for the first time?
We are the global leaders in HDMI over IP. You rarely hear a discussion of this topic that doesn’t mention us, as since 2009 we’ve focused our efforts solely on developing dependable network-based HDMI distribution products that directly meet the needs and solve the problems of residential integrators working on the ground.
When it comes to the world of 4K, we’re dedicated to delivering a practical solution that can be easily implemented to meet the real-world requirements of your clients. Our 3G Ultra HD over IP series of transmitters and receivers allow you to create a fully HDCP compliant, Ultra HD video matrix of any size, from 2×2 to 4000 x 65,000. The built-in 4K scaler (on the 3G receiver) facilitates the distribution of 4K content to 1080p displays, meaning you don’t need a mandatory upgrade every 1080p TV to 4K.
Plus, new features of the HDMI 2.0a spec don’t necessarily mean new hardware with Just Add Power. For example, the same 4K over IP solution we launched in Q4 of 2015, now supports HDR in 2016- with no hardware upgrade needed! When we do release new hardware, it’s with a mind to delivering things that our installers have said they want. The new model of 3G Ultra HD over IP transmitter and receiver we’re unveiling at this year’s CEDIA is smaller in size and more affordable: two things installers said they wanted to see, so we made it happen.
If an integrator stops by your booth with only 5 minutes to spare, what’s the one product he should examine or one question he should ask?
They should definitely ask “what makes your HDMI over IP system better than others that have been released in the last year by other manufacturers?”
Eight years of experience as HDMI over IP pioneers (something that no other manufacturer can claim), means that there are key differences that set Just Add Power products apart from competing solutions. Many of these key differences can have a major influence on things like image quality, product life-span, and system performance, so make sure you talk to us about these!
What’s your most memorable CEDIA moment?
Probably our first CEDIA at Atlanta, in 2009 when CE Pro broke the news about our first generation 1G products being a “game changer.” Since that time we have come back to CEDIA every year with a dedication to constantly improving HDMI over IP while keeping our promise to build a system that is evolutionary, not revolutionary.
Do you have any giveaways, contests or quirky features planned for CEDIA?
You can win 1 of 6 custom-made Electric Guitars by Dean Zelinsky, worth $750, by dropping by Booth #6626 to enter. Two guitars will be given away each day on our booth, and we are also donating 12 guitars to US Veterans via the Guitars4Vets program.
Think of your closest competitor. What is one thing you do offer that they don’t?
We offer a more cost-effective 4K over IP platform with baseline models that are fully PoE, have on-board 4K to 1080p scaling, support HDR, pass all audio formats, and let you integrate video walls for commercial jobs too.
Uniquely, these baseline models can be mixed with our more advanced models (launched last year at CEDIA), which are designed for specific residential audio handling scenarios: the need to extract audio at the rack, the need to extract audio at the display, the need to deliver 5.1 and 2.0 channel audio simultaneously from the same source to different zones.
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