Elan received its fair share of attention at the Core Brands booth at ISE 2017 as the company announced it has re-entered the resi video distribution space after a six-year hiatus.
Expected to begin shipping late Q1 through Q2, Elan's HDMI line includes matrix switchers, HDBaseT receivers and transmitters, a video over IP receiver and transmitter and a video over IP control module.
“Elan may be known as the pioneer of smart home control, but the brand’s inception is deeply rooted in audio and video distribution,” says Eric Herdman, product manager, ELAN.
Herdman says the products can be applied to light commercial applications as well as residential.
“With this introduction, we are configuring video distribution solutions that meet the specific needs of residential installations,” says Herdman. “Elan's new line of HDMI products provides custom installers with a complete range of state-of-the-art options for end-to-end home control and automation solutions.”
Elan's HDMI Video Distribution Line Includes:
- EL-4KPM-V88-A2416 4K 8×8 video matrix is HDCP 2.2 compliant and transmits HDMI, Bi-directional IR and PoH (PoE) up to lengths of 100m over a single CAT cable.
- EL-4KPM-V66-A1812 4K 6×6 video matrix is HDCP 2.2 compliant and transmits HDMI, Bi-directional IR and PoH (PoE) up to lengths of 100m over a single CAT cable.
- EL-4KM-V88 4K 8×8 matrix is HDCP 2.2 compliant with a combination of 6 HDBaseT and 2 HDMI Outputs that delivers HDMI, Bi-directional IR and PoH (PoE) up to lengths of 70m over a single CAT cable.
- EL-4KM-V44-KIT 4K HDCP 2.2 matrix package delivers HDMI, Bi-directional IR and PoH (PoE) up to lengths of 70m over a single CAT cable that includes 4 HDBaseT receivers.
- EL-4KHDBT-RX-40-IR HDBaseT receiver receives HDMI, Bi-directional IR and Bi-directional PoH (PoE) up to lengths of 70m (4K up to 40m).
- EL-4KHDBT-RX-40-IRS HDBaseT receiver receives HDMI, RS-232, Bi-directional IR and Bi-directional PoH (PoE) up to lengths of 70m (4K up to 40m).
- EL-4KHDBT-RX-70-E-ARC-IRS HDBaseT receiver delivers HDMI, ARC (Audio Return Channel), Ethernet, Bi-directional IR and PoH (PoE) up to lengths of 100m over a single CAT cable (4K up to 70m).
- EL-4KHDBT-KIT-40-IRS HDBaseT Extender extends HDMI, RS-232, Bi-directional IR & RS232 and Bi-directional PoH (PoE) up to lengths of 70m (4K up to 40m).
- EL-4KHDBT-KIT-70-E-ARC-IRS HDBaseT Extender delivers HDMI with HDCP 2.2 support, Bi-directional IR, RS232 and PoH (PoE) up to lengths of 100m (4K up to 70m) over a single CAT cable.
- EL-4KM-VW44 4×4 4K Seamless Switching HDMI/VGA Matrix with a video wall and Multi-viewer feature, and enables IR routing, RS-232, IR and TCP/IP Control.
- EL-4KPM-VIP-TX IP Multicast UHD Video Transmitter allows virtually latency free (1 frame) distribution of HDMI video over a 1GB Network switch.
- EL-4KPM-VIP-RX IP Multicast UHD Video Receiver allows virtually latency free (1 frame) distribution of HDMI video over a 1GB Network switch.
- EL-4KPM-VIP-CTRL IP Multicast Control module allows distribution of HDMI video over a 1GB Network switch and simple control of the VoIP system in Elan projects.
Elan 8 Software
Elan also used ISE 2017 to present its new software to the European market. Available now, Elan 8 adds a new user interface, voice control of all event maps via Amazon Echo, a new integration with the Denon Heos wireless sound system, and new user-managed features.
The Elan 8 software is now available worldwide. At CES 2017, it was named the ‘Human Interface Product of the Year’ at the Consumer Technology Association’s Mark of Excellence Award Ceremony. With Elan 8, custom installers can integrate voice control through the Amazon Echo to access Elan's common control functions. Already established in the U.S. market, Alexa is now rolling out across Europe.
“The Elan 8 software update allows custom installers to integrate more devices into the system than ever before,” says Tom McKeon, software product manager, Core Brands. “As the connected home market expands, so too does Elan's capability to control residential projects of all sizes and complexities. This new software reinforces the fact that ELAN is, and will continue to be, the most intuitive control hub for any smart home.
“Voice control through Alexa gives users one more intuitive way to interface with their Elan system,” says McKeon. “And of course, this functionality can be used to update existing systems as well as new installations.”
Elan 8 includes a new calendar feature that enables the integration of Microsoft Outlook, Google Gmail and Apple iCal into the ELAN calendar module, plus enhanced security functionality with a new dynamic video transcoding feature that enables Elan to pull high bitrate video from popular cameras and door stations, and transcode those videos in real-time.
“Security is an essential element in the connected home, so we’ve worked to make video monitoring even more comprehensive,” says McKeon. “In addition to the new high bitrate video transcoding, Elan's new virtual TV monitor feature enables the routing of encoded video directly to an Elan gTP4, gTP7 or gXP12 touch panel. Additionally, a new ‘door control node’ feature allows homeowners to activate their garage door and receive the status directly on their devices.”
More from CE Pro on Elan v. 8.0
This article originally appeared on CE Pro Europe.
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