What Is Crestron DigitalMedia?
Crestron DigitalMedia or Crestron DM is its branded line of solutions for processing, transmitting and distributing digital video. Creston calls DM the only fully-engineered, field-proven, end-to-end solution for managing and distributing digital AV and control signals.
Crestron touts DM as the industry standard, citing the following traits:
- It’s flexible: “Only DM gives you the ability to deliver standalone and hybrid solutions that mix 4K60 HDBaseT, 4K60 fiber, H.264 streaming AV, and 4K60 4:4:4 HDR over your existing 1Gb Ethernet infrastructure.”
- It’s scalable: “DM NVX Series gives you an unlimited software-defined matrix, from a simple point-to-point setup, to thousands of endpoints.”
- It’s secure: “Anything that goes on the network must be secure. DM NVX leverages 802.1x authentication, AES encryption, and Active Directory to provide network security at the product level.”
- It’s managed: “The DM XiO Director enterprise-grade appliance gives you a centralized ‘virtual switcher,’ to facilitate configuration, control, and management of large-scale DM NVX AV networks.”
- It’s reliable. “All DM products are designed, built, and guaranteed to work together flawlessly as a complete system, rather than a collection of unrelated parts.”
Watch Crestron’s Jeff Singer explain Crestron DM:
Then Came Crestron DM NVX
Just prior to InfoComm 2017, Crestron DigitalMedia NVX Series was launched. The next-generation DM solution was presented as the industry’s only 4K60 4:4:4 HDR 1Gb network solution.
The NVX line mad it possible to transmit 4K60 4:4:4 HDR video over standard 1 Gigabit Ethernet with no latency, according to Crestron.
The introduction of NVX opened the AV industry up to a 10G vs. 1G debate. Attendees at AV tradeshows such as InfoComm and Integrated Systems Europe were treated to countless av-over-IP 1G vs. 10G side-by-side demos at Crestron competitors’ booths.
Then Came Crestron DM NVX with Pixel Perfect Processing
If Crestron was indeed engaging in the 10G vs. 1G debate, it indeed doubled-down on 1G by introducing a next generation of Crestron DM NVX network AV that includes newly-developed Pixel Perfect Processing technology in January 2019.
“With Pixel Perfect Processing in the new DM NVX product line we really think the 1G vs. 10G debate is dead,” Nic Milani, executive director, commercial product marketing, Crestron, told CI. “We can get a quality image that’s as good as a PC direct over a standard 1G network. What more do you want?”
Pixel Perfect Processing, which essentially improves JPEG 2000 encoding and decoding, aims to nullify those 10G vs. 1G side-by-side comparisons. Rather than side-by-side comparisons with 1G DM NVX with 10G competitors, Crestron says it welcomes comparisons with direct-to-PC.
Watch Crestron’s Nic Milani Discuss Crestron DM NVX with Pixel Perfect Processing:
DigitalMedia Tools and Components
Crestron DM products can meet just about any need in active learning, command and control, corporate messaging, digital signage, in-room presentation and video walls.
It can meet most AV signal distribution needs because of its flexibility, scalability and security and it’s managed and reliable to eliminate most issues you might otherwise encounter.
All DM products are designed, built, and guaranteed to work together as a complete system, rather than a collection of unrelated parts. [related]
Crestron DM products give users “the ability to deliver standalone and hybrid solutions that mix 4K60 HDBaseT, 4K60 fiber, H.264 streaming AV and 4K60 4:4:4 HDR over existing 1Gb Ethernet infrastructure.”
DM NVX Series gives users “an unlimited software-defined matrix, from a simple point-to-point setup to thousands of endpoints.”
DM NVX “leverages 802.1x authentication, AES encryption and Active Directory to provide network security at the product level.”
The DM XiO Director enterprise-grade appliance gives users a centralized “virtual switcher,” to “facilitate configuration, control and management of large-scale DM NVX AV networks.”
DM NVX Series delivers secure 4K60, 4:4:4, and HDR video over a user’s existing standard 1Gb network infrastructure, with maximum flexibility and unlimited scalability.
DMPS3 Series 4K Crestron DigitalMedia Presentation Systems provide “everything you need to deliver the best possible presentation experience.”
The DM Lite ecosystem of interchangeable signal extender products delivers a “combination of low cost, high performance, flexible form factor and wide selection.”
DM switchers “can accommodate any combination of digital and analog sources with the ability to combine copper, fiber and streaming technologies on a single chassis.”
