When ZeeVee announced the first release from its HDbridge 2000 Series—the Hdb2380 8-channel SD modulator—it was clear that some HD versions would follow.

They have, and four new solutions are being unveiled during ISE 2013 in Amsterdam at price points 10 to 15 percent lower per channel than that of ZeeVee’s existing Hdbridge line.

While the original 2000 Series offering, the Hdb2380 8-channel SD modulator, was presented as “disruptively priced,” by co-founder and CEO Vic Odryna, at $2,299 or $288 per channel and less than one third the cost-per-channel of predecessor Hdbridge 420, the new solutions offer integrators and their clients a similar value proposition in an HD form factor.

“It’s so much bang for your buck,” says Bob Michaels, ZeeVee’s senior VP, worldwide sales.

The next evolution of HDbridge boasts “higher channel density, advanced management capabilities, more output power, killer sound and a cleaner cabling system”—all at lower prices than its existing bridge line, ZeeVee says.

Speaking of that existing bridge line, the newly rounded out HDbridge 2000 Series essentially replaces and improves upon it, but ZeeVee says integrators and clients that bought the HDb-420, HDb-520 and HDb-620 won’t be neglected and it will continue to service and support those products.

The new products include:

• HDbridge 2640 (4 channels, 1080p, component, dual QAM)
• HDbridge 2620 (2 channels, 1080p, component, single QAM)
• HDbridge 2540 (4 channel, 720p, component, dual QAM)
• HDbridge 2520 (2 channels, 720p, component, single QAM)

Getting the price down wasn’t ZeeVee’s primary goal in developing the HDbrdige 2000 Series, says director of marketing Kai Rostcheck.

“These are feature rich products. This is going to do some damage to our competition,” he says.

ZeeVee is now able to offer good (analog)-better (SD)-best (HD) modulation solutions, which Rostcheck says will benefit integrators selling to clients across various vertical markets.

Another benefit for integrators, he adds, is the new capabilities of the Maestro head-end management software, which is integrated in all HDbridge 2000 Series solutions. It allows integrators to set all channels at once and manage them remotely.

Other features that span the HDbridge 2000 Series include:

• Front-panel color LCD for channel status
• Frequency agility so installers can independently select and set broadcast channels
• Integrated Closed Caption Support, which is required for ADA compliance in many environments
• Single 1RU Chassis
• 45dBmV output, which notably provides plenty of signal strength for campus environments
• Clear QAM broadcast to ensure compatibility with any HDTV
• Ability to use the tuner built into every HDTV
• Steel rack-mount enclosure, robust internal power supply, fan cooled

Watch ZeeVee director of marketing Kai Rostcheck introduce the first HDbridge 2000 Series entry, from September 2012:

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About the author

Tom LeBlanc - Editor-in-Chief, CI,

Tom has been covering electronics integration since 2003. Prior to being named editor-in-chief of CI, he was senior writer and managing editor of CE Pro. Before that, he wrote for the sports department of the Boston Herald. Migrating to magazines, he was a staff editor for a golf publication and an outdoor sports publication. Follow him on Twitter @leblanctom.

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