After some early doubt, the 4K video format is building momentum thanks the broadcast community’s increasing use of the technology and the consumer electronics industry’s aggressive promotion of the format.
The Skinny: Helping its commercial and residential dealers to enter the category, Crestron Electronics has announced a series of 4K media distribution products engineered to handle the bandwidth and data rates associated with a format that delivers four times the resolution of 1080p content.
The Specs: The new line of products includes:
- DMC-4K-HD Input Card and DMB-4K-I-HD Input Blade: The DMC-4K-HD input card enables 4K HDMI input to 8X8, 16X16, and 32X32 Crestron DM switchers. The DMB-4K-I-HD input blade enables 4K HDMI input to 64X64 and 128X128 Crestron DM switchers.
- Type 8 Output Cards and DMB-4K-O-C Output Blade: The Type 8 Output Cards enable 4K DM output from 8X8, 16X16, and 32X32 DM switchers. The DMB-4K-O-C output blade enables 4K DM output from 64X64 and 128X128 DM switchers. The output can be connected to a DM receiver or directly to any HDBaseT compliant device.
- DM-RMC-4K-100-C Receiver & Room Controller: The DM-RMC-4K-100-C provides a one-box interface for a single 4K display device as part of a complete DM system. In addition to lossless audio and 4K video, the DM-RMC-4K-100-C also provides Ethernet, RS-232, and IR control ports. Its compact low-profile design provides dealers the option of placing the unit behind a flat-panel display or above a ceiling-mounted projector.
- HD-XSPA 4K Professional AV Receiver: The HD-XSPA brings in 4K video from a matrix switcher through a Crestron DM input port and four local HDMI inputs. With a built-in eight-channel amplifier, the HD-XSPA is designed to make it easy and affordable to include high-quality 7.1 surround sound in a corporate media system or home theater as part of a complete AV distribution system. The receiver is rated to deliver 140 watts to each channel into 8 Ohm loads, and it includes a dedicated subwoofer channel for powering a passive in-wall subwoofer. In addition, the receiver also provides a two channel downmix to feed a distributed audio system or to feed two assigned amp channels (leaving 5.1 for surround).
Solutions: Crestron says that residential and commercial dealers can utilize the product line to meet the public’s growing appetite for 4K content.
