Presentation rooms usually fail at the two points where people touch them: the cable a presenter plugs in and the hardware behind the display. Every extra adapter, power brick and control box is another thing to configure, troubleshoot and replace.
Atlona’s new Omega 2 Series targets both problems. The HDBaseT 3.0 lineup lets presenters connect with one cable. It also cuts the number of boxes and power supplies you have to install at the display.
Key Things to Know
- Omega 2 sends uncompressed 4K/60 4:4:4 video, USB 2.0 and Gigabit Ethernet up to 330 feet (100 meters) over one Cat 6A cable.
- The lineup includes an extender pair, a two-gang wall plate transmitter and a 4×2 presentation switcher with Dante audio.
- The switcher’s USB-C ports deliver up to 145 watts of power, and the wall plate’s USB-C input supplies up to 60 watts.
- Bi-directional Power over HDBaseT lets the extender pair run from a single power supply.
- The AT-OME2-E2311 transmitter and AT-OME2-D2311 receiver are available now. The wall plate and switcher are expected to ship in mid-November.
What Is Atlona Omega 2?
Omega 2 is a new generation of Atlona’s Omega Series presentation and collaboration products, built on HDBaseT 3.0. Atlona is the Hall Research brand for AV-over-IP, signal extension and control.
The lineup has four products: the AT-OME2-E2311 transmitter, the AT-OME2-D2311 receiver, the AT-OME2-E2321-WP wall plate transmitter and the AT-OME2-R2742 4×2 presentation switcher with Dante audio. HDMI and USB-C inputs run across the compact, wall plate and switcher models.
That mix changes how you design a room. You plan around how presenters plug in, not around the hardware.
What Does HDBaseT 3.0 Carry Over a Single Cable?
HDBaseT 3.0 in Omega 2 carries uncompressed 4K/60 4:4:4 video, USB 2.0 data and Gigabit Ethernet up to 330 feet (100 meters) over one Cat 6A cable. Video, peripherals and network share the same run.
Full 4:4:4 chroma keeps text and spreadsheet detail sharp on the display. A single cable per run also means fewer terminations to pull, test and document on every job.
What Do the AT-OME2-E2311 and AT-OME2-D2311 Extenders Do?
The AT-OME2-E2311 transmitter and AT-OME2-D2311 receiver carry HDMI, USB 2.0 and Gigabit Ethernet across one HDBaseT 3.0 link. They support HDR formats including Dolby Vision and HDR10+.
Bi-directional Power over HDBaseT lets either end power the other. The link runs on one power supply, so you don’t need an outlet at both ends.
At the display, the receiver provides:
- Four USB ports for cameras, keyboards, mice and other peripherals
- Ethernet pass-through
- Analog audio de-embedding
- Bi-directional RS-232 for display control
What Does the AT-OME2-E2321-WP Wall Plate Offer?
The AT-OME2-E2321-WP puts HDMI and USB-C inputs into a standard two-gang wall plate. One USB-C connection carries video, USB data and up to 60 watts of charging.
A presenter connects a laptop with one cable and keeps it powered through the session. Front-panel buttons handle input selection and display power, and RS-232 is available for local control.
In classrooms and lecture halls, the wall plate can send a lectern PC to a projector or flat panel up to 100 meters away. USB support covers document cameras and touch displays at the same time.
What Can the AT-OME2-R2742 Switcher Handle?
The AT-OME2-R2742 combines switching, power, audio and control in one unit. It takes two HDMI and two USB-C inputs and feeds two HDMI outputs, plus an HDBaseT 3.0 output that mirrors the second display for a remote screen up to 100 meters away.
Its USB-C ports deliver up to 145 watts total, configurable as 100 watts and 45 watts or as 60 watts on each port. A 10 Gbps USB 3.2 Gen 2 backplane connects conferencing cameras, speakerphones and other peripherals through four USB 3.2 ports.
Dante audio input and output, scaling, EDID management, MST and automatic input switching are built in. Dante in the switcher means you can tie the room into a networked audio system without adding a separate interface.
What Network and Control Features Matter to IT Teams?
The switcher includes three Ethernet ports with VLAN support and IEEE 802.1X authentication. Those are the features IT departments ask about before they’ll let AV gear onto the corporate or campus network.
Display and room control run through CEC, IP, RS-232, relays and an occupancy sensor input. That range covers most displays and room systems you’ll run into without extra control hardware.
Why Did Hall Research Build Omega 2?
Hall Research built Omega 2 to make rooms simpler for the people who use them and the people who install them. CEO Ken Eagle points to two different groups asking for the same outcome: less friction.
“Omega has always been about making a room easier to use, and Omega 2 takes that further with HDBaseT 3.0,” Eagle says. “Presenters want to walk in, plug in one cable and start. Integrators want fewer boxes and fewer power supplies behind the display. USB-C at the wall, power over the link and Dante in the switcher give both of them what they’ve been asking for.”
Where Does Omega 2 Fit in Commercial Projects?
Omega 2 fits meeting rooms, classrooms and lecture halls where presenters bring their own devices and expect one-cable connection. Each product covers a different room layout.
In a dual-display meeting room, one USB-C laptop can drive two independent screens through the switcher using MST. In a BYOD classroom, the switcher can feed a local display and a second display across the room while presenters share the same peripherals.
The labor savings come from consolidation. Fewer boxes and power supplies behind the display shorten install time and remove failure points you’d otherwise get called back to fix.
When Will Omega 2 Be Available?
The AT-OME2-E2311 transmitter and AT-OME2-D2311 receiver are available now. The AT-OME2-E2321-WP wall plate and AT-OME2-R2742 switcher are expected to ship in mid-November.
