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HDBaseT Alliance needs just one LAN cable to bind them
Add one more HD connectivity standard to the many clamoring for attention, as the HDBaseT Alliance has linked up to promote whole-home distribution of uncompressed HD content over simple network cables. Valens Semiconductor, the company behind HDBaseT and proponents of 5Play convergence -- that's video, audio, internet, power and various controls over a single Ethernet cable for the uninitiated -- has drawn LG, Samsung and Sony into the fold as founding members, with details about more global leaders joining due in "the upcoming weeks." The tech already had a demo at CES '09, and we've no doubt there's a few more examples of what to expect from a one cable connected multiroom future waiting for us next month in Las Vegas.
Gefen's 8x4 CAT-5 HDMI Matrix is probably overkill for you
Be warned -- unless you seriously need eight HDMI sources hooked up to a single matrix switch in order to activate four at a time on an array of panels, you should probably skip right over this one. If we just rung your bell, however, read on. Gefen's latest HDMI distribution box is definitely catering to the high-end / commercial market by being entirely rack-mountable and supporting up to eight HDMI inputs and four outputs. High-def signals can be transmitted over CAT5 cabling, and there's even an RS-232 port for additional control capabilities. As for distances, you can expect 1080i material to travel up to 300 feet without degradation, while 1080p content will flow 150 feet. The only problem? The $4,499 price tag. Full release is after the break.
Gefen reveals 1:5 Splitter for HDMI over CAT5
While Gefen tries to decide if it likes UWB or WHDI better, it's getting back to its bread and butter with the 1:5 Splitter for HDMI over CAT5. The rack-mountable unit allows any single HDMI source to be split and delivered to five displays simultaneously and can also extend four displays up to 45-meters over CAT5. At the aforesaid distance, 1080p content can be streamed, but if 1080i is sufficient, you can reach up to 90-meters. Unfortunately, these privileges don't come cheap, though it's available to pre-order this very moment if you've got the $2,249 to burn.
Sony's STR-DA6400ES and STR-DA5400ES receivers hands-on
Sony's ES line of AV receivers has been growing for months now, but it was the CEDIA-announced STR-DA6400ES and STR-DA5400ES that we were most interested in. As predicted, these buggers were pretty beefy, but it's hard to gripe with all those ports around back. We thought the no-frills styling looked pretty sophisticated in person, and when we got real close, we could almost feel those seven channels of amplification just emanating. You know the drill -- peep the gallery below when you're good and ready. %Gallery-31209%
Sony's NHS-A30C / NHS-70C AV racks and HomeShare hands-on
At CEDIA, home install is king. Thus, it shouldn't come as any shock to see Sony introducing a few products not exactly aimed at the consumer crowd. Enter the NHS-A30C / NHS-70C home automation racks and the HomeShare multi-room entertainment solution, both of which were generating a bit of buzz while we were bobbing and weaving in an attempt to snag a few shots. The HomeShare system seemed particularly amazing, with the wall-mounted touch panels being among the most attractive at the show. Check out the full walk-through below. %Gallery-31211%
Sony's STR-DA6400ES and STR-DA5400ES receivers do HD streaming over CAT5e
Sony's got a smorgasbord of new kit comin' atcha from the heart of Denver, so we'll get things started with two new ES-series receivers. Just when you thought you'd seen the last of Sony's 2008 ES lineup, along comes two more making their US debut. Both the STR-DA6400ES and STR-DA5400ES offer up second room high-def video / audio distribution via CAT5e wiring, meaning that you can zip along HD content over your existing home network. Additionally, the former unit packs two CAT5e inputs and is DLNA-compliant. Wondering what that means for you? It means that Sony now has an AVR that can stream music, photos and video from a DLNA-compliant PC while accessing online music content from Rhapsody and Shoutcast sans a PC. Beyond that, there's the Faroudja DCDi Cinema chips, support for x.v.Color / Deep Color, Direct Stream Digital decoding, BRAVIA Sync and a 120-watt x 7 internal amplifier in each device. Catch the full release after the jump, and catch whichever unit suits your fancy within the next month for $2,500 / $2,000.
Sony's HomeShare multi-room entertainment solution spreads HD over CAT5e
While most of Sony's offerings thus far at CEDIA have catered to the general electronics consumer, this one is pointed directly at the custom install market. The new HomeShare HD multi-room entertainment solution delivers up to 16 zones of entertainment (four zones of HD video) to any room in the house via standard CAT5e wiring. The neatly packaged, um, package includes the HS-KP1 keypad (4.3-inch screen to display the XMB-based UI; pictured), the HS-MB1 distribution panel, HS-WV1 audio / video wallport, HS-AC1 power supply, HS-WA1 local audio wallport and the HS-WD1 digital media wallport for connecting an iPod (or similar). The kit will be available early next year through Sony's network of installation dealers, and pricing is expected to be between $1,000 and $2,000 per room. The whole release is after the jump.
IOGEAR unveils new HDMI switches and DVI / HDMI extenders
Here lately, it's been the more prosumer / professional-focused brands kicking out the extenders and switches, but IOGEAR is returning to the fold by introducing two CAT5e / 6 MiniExtender Kits and a pair of HDMI switches to boot. As for the extenders, you'll find one for HDMI ($279.95) and one for DVI-D ($69.95); the former provides "an additional 100 feet between a 1080p display unit and media source or an extra 200 feet for 1080i display units," while the latter "extends a DVI PC source 100 feet away from a single link DVI-D display with resolution of 1920 x 1080 at 60Hz." Closing things out are the 3-Port HDMI Automatic Switch ($89.95) and the 4-Port HDMI Switch with Remote ($89.95), both of which are fairly self-explanatory. The whole lot is available as we speak.
Octava unveils HDMI over Ethernet extender
If slinging HDMI signals over Ethernet sounds appealing to you, look no further than Octava's newest box. The HDMI over Ethernet extender enables users to transmit 1080p HDMI signals up to 150-feet over Ethernet (300-feet for 1080i), and while CAT6 is recommended, CAT5 should do the trick in a pinch. Of note, two Ethernet cables are necessary in order to carry audio / video as well as HDCP data, and both the receiver and transmitter are bundled with dedicated power supplies to ensure maximum performance. Expect the kit to ship next week for $199.
Gefen's latest extender sends HDMI, RS-232 and IR over CAT5
If you've been on the hunt for a multifaceted extender to handle just a bit more than HDMI, look no further. Gefen's HDMI RS-232 Extender is able to casually transmit HDMI, RS-232 control commands and IR signals up to 150-feet at 1080p (300-feet at 1080i) over standard CAT5 cabling. As expected, the device is HDCP-compliant, and it'll play nice with any IR unit you feel like attaching. Unfortunately, such convenience demands a serious premium, as this five-pound box will erode your savings account by $599. %Gallery-22330%
Apogee reveals HDMI 1.3 CAT5e / CAT6 Extenders
Not like you really needed another option when selecting a HDMI 1.3 extender, but Apogee's giving you just that, anyway. The firm's new HDMI 1.3 CAT5e / CAT6 Extenders enable users to stretch 1080p signals up to 60 meters and 1080i signals up to 120 meters, and if you're serving up 480p / 720p, you can string those over 200 feet without degradation. Additionally, it's backwards compatible with older HDMI versions (and DVI, too), and it appears to function with CAT5e or CAT6 cabling. You can get yours this very moment for $109.99.
Cat 5 wedding rings help nerds couple
There you have it, the single most profound expression of your love and superiority over token ring in a $175 package. Presumably, these Ethernet rings come in both straight-through and cross-over pin-outs for traditional and same-sex nerding.[Via Engadget Spanish]
IOGEAR extender takes DVI signals 100-feet over CAT 5e / 6
Granted, we've cast our glances upon DVI Extenders before, but IOGEAR's latest comes in just south of the magical $500 price point and is apt to warm the hearts of digital signage professionals everywhere. The simply titled DVI Video / Audio Extender Kit consists of a pair of DVI units, a local transmitter and a remote receiver, which owners connect with a CAT5e / 6 Ethernet cable. You'll also find an analog 3.5-millimeter jack for hooking up stereo speakers, and the three-year warranty should help you rest easy all the while. Available as we speak for $499.95.
En-Twyn's En-Compass incorporates Powerline into socket
CeBIT and Powerline seem to have a thing for one another, and sure enough, this year we're seeing yet another firm storm onto the scene in an attempt to advance the flagging technology. London-based En-Twyn set up shop in Germany to showcase its En-Compass, which doesn't require any special wall cutouts and differs from most other Powerline systems by packing its electronics on the backside. In other words, you won't have any unsightly adapters protruding from the front. Beyond that, everything else works as expected -- Ethernet signals travel over your existing home wiring setup -- but unfortunately, the product is still stuck in prototype stage at the moment.
Gefen unloads two new component video distribution amplifiers
Shortly after dishing out a v1.3-compliant 1:10 HDMI distribution amplifier and 1:5 HDMI splitter, Gefen is hitting us up with two new signal pushers for the component lovers in the house. The 1:4 Component/Audio CAT-5 Distribution Amplifier and the 1:8 Component/Audio CAT-5 Distribution Amplifier each enable component video to be delivered to a multitude of displays (four for the first, eight for the second); additionally, each box is equipped with RCA, S/PDIF and Toslink optical audio jacks. The duo promises to carry both audio and 1080p video signals over CAT5 cables to displays some 1,000 feet away, and while they'll run you $799 and $1,499, respectively, receivers are sold separately at $200 a pop.
Brando offers up CAT5 / CAT6 HDMI extenders
The same folks bringing you a colorful line of HDMI cables are also doling out a new set of HDCP-compliant HDMI extenders. Up first is the VP3OT001200, which enables 1080p signals to be carried an additional 30 meters over CAT5, promising signaling rates up to 2.2Gbits / second. If 30 meters won't quite cut it, the VP3OT001300 enables transmissions to go an additional 20 meters by utilizing CAT6 cabling instead. Both choices come with a power supply, sender and receiver module and can be snapped up now for $59 and $71, respectively.Read - 30 meter VP3OT001200 HDMI extenderRead - 50 meter VP3OT001300 HDMI extender
National Breast Cancer Foundation CAT5 cable in pink... with crystals
If you want to get really serious about supporting the National Breast Cancer Foundation (and we can't say that would be a bad idea), you need to check into Cables Unlimited's Ka-Bling CAT5 leads. That's right folks, it's snagless ethernet cabling in pink or hot pink, fully tricked out with handsome, bling-tastic crystals on either end. Go ahead, fierce up your networking situation -- we won't judge you.
Honeywell intros HDMI over CAT5 in-wall baluns
We've griped about HDMI before, but it's not a standard that's going to go away anytime soon and it does make for a convenient, all-in-one A/V connection. But non-captive plugs aside, cable lengths beyond about 50-feet are a dicey proposition without resorting to extra hardware. Enter Honeywell's new HDMI-to-CAT5 baluns, which enable you to distribute your HDMI whole-house stye in a package that's more decor-friendly than other solutions. The single gang wall plate style devices allow you to pipe 1080p signals up to 125-feet over CAT5 cable, and 200-feet if you've pulled CAT6 through the walls. The baluns have Honeywell's CURxE "self-healing" technology, so corrupted EDID or HDCP data is restored at the receiving end and troubleshooting of other signal issues is available. If you're building a new home or pulling new wires through old walls, look for these in mid-December (hey, that's now -- start looking!).
Meridian announces DSP7200 speakers
Meridian announced the successor to their DSP7000 speakers, the DSP7200. Meridian has always been happy to forge their own path in coming up with technical solutions for digital audio, and the DSP7200 is no exception. These are digital active speakers, meaning a digital bitstream is fed to the speakers and D/A conversion and amplification tasks are handled internally. There are real-world advantages to this approach -- vastly simplified cabling (both audio signal and control signals are passed around via standard daisy-chained CAT5), signals are kept in the digital domain as long as possible, and all processing can be done in the digital realm. The downside is the whole-system approach you have to commit to, which discourages mix and match. Membership in the Meridian club at this level isn't cheap, either. Pricing for the new DSP7200 was not announced, but the DSP7000 speakers being replaced cost about $25000 per pair. Ouch. We'll keep moving down the aisle to some of their other offerings.
Raritan intros smart card-reading KVM switch system
The days of casually interfacing with uber-secure servers without unduly amounts of red tape holding you back could be coming to an end, especially if you work at a government or financial institution that has a contract with Raritan. The latest paranoia-curing gizmo to escape its labs is the Paragon II KVM Smart Card Reader solution for a KVM switch, which supports the US Federal HSPD-12 standard and aims to "enhance an organization's security approach" by requiring smart cards to be inserted before access is granted to machines via KVM. More specifically, the all-in-one solution "does not store or cache card data, requires re-authentication when changing targets, and allows access of servers by only one user at a time." So much for snoopin' on your lunch break, eh?
