tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23981908788058484242024-03-06T15:02:54.241-05:00Metra Home Theater GroupAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12517230551329560784noreply@blogger.comBlogger56125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2398190878805848424.post-25756186753665995532015-12-17T03:30:00.000-05:002015-12-18T14:20:25.434-05:00NEW LOCATION OF BLOG <center><a href="https://metrahometheater.com/news/cat/blog/"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEia5DrCme3YpmI0gXkGMUvY6XNZ-cuXUgKw7AiwKeFJD4KrS-ddX0depKyYXn3MN7WX_4ruftWCysX-4ExiPXYE-Wp3OMuKArNxdig3pHRuJcrxT0XfQJevcYWIqfyieqKR-gIthTvIYRw/s400/metra-blog-moved-800x425.jpg" width="400" height="211" border="0" /><br />
Click here to go to the new blog!
</a></center>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12517230551329560784noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2398190878805848424.post-49309950637921669582015-12-01T15:00:00.000-05:002015-12-01T15:00:00.225-05:00Happy 1st Anniversary!!!!<div class="MsoNormal">
Today marks the one year anniversary of our blog. Here is to another year of great education
and commentary from Metra Home Theater Group. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAMLTH4dm-jb55s03x-086adgLn2KKWevgKW2dUPSGyeIChIhJFynCCzfpz6Ucxe3cU9dY_aREiF8LrW8k4N_vMc88RNvJ3qMB5J3vD2TTLGtFlVlq-AcWu6WSxAWl2IqMePMMoJ8KmHo/s1600/1year.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAMLTH4dm-jb55s03x-086adgLn2KKWevgKW2dUPSGyeIChIhJFynCCzfpz6Ucxe3cU9dY_aREiF8LrW8k4N_vMc88RNvJ3qMB5J3vD2TTLGtFlVlq-AcWu6WSxAWl2IqMePMMoJ8KmHo/s320/1year.jpg" width="319" /></a></div>
<o:p></o:p>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12517230551329560784noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2398190878805848424.post-3791842990527208502015-11-24T10:11:00.000-05:002015-11-24T10:11:00.364-05:00Happy Thanksgiving from Metra Home Theater Group<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEht50cq30wQe7CxDcmNJGL3JdDAvxdQUuPZ_AwkGWHeCEXEHyZgjlcByQCHjGwYlY7ezYDrpz3RrpWy-aGvExDtOOtKGe4RixGulv-xZpNU6PC7SF2i2j8cXygWWRFd8eodprbMWztjsKg/s1600/thanks1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEht50cq30wQe7CxDcmNJGL3JdDAvxdQUuPZ_AwkGWHeCEXEHyZgjlcByQCHjGwYlY7ezYDrpz3RrpWy-aGvExDtOOtKGe4RixGulv-xZpNU6PC7SF2i2j8cXygWWRFd8eodprbMWztjsKg/s400/thanks1.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12517230551329560784noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2398190878805848424.post-16959972684646299112015-11-18T11:00:00.000-05:002015-11-19T09:17:38.097-05:00Education Is Very Important<div class="MsoNormal">
Education is more important than ever due to the hot button
feature everyone is talking about: High
</div>
Dynamic Resolution or HDR for short.
With all the hyperbole about this new technology being thrown around,
along with the talk about new cable certifications- one can get confused
quickly. An example of how this
confusion can spread happen in our office last week in the form of an email
from China. It read as follows:<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
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<i>“Dear friend,<o:p></o:p></i></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyT-uGSkbDupTGo6R6tIg0hgXI4XOD1oYIQjAs62ZYyv721w30OvyUA95-hG00Dd5a8lqAX4JK1dkl11_LKcCqVcFY2bYH61I-NJyt-Dm2MWGIEoFoBygY4smTb89OO_ig-bZb9Tlz-h4/s1600/edu.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyT-uGSkbDupTGo6R6tIg0hgXI4XOD1oYIQjAs62ZYyv721w30OvyUA95-hG00Dd5a8lqAX4JK1dkl11_LKcCqVcFY2bYH61I-NJyt-Dm2MWGIEoFoBygY4smTb89OO_ig-bZb9Tlz-h4/s320/edu.jpg" width="318" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i> Good day. Hope you enjoyed your weekend^_^<o:p></o:p></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i>Attached is our HDMI
2.0 HDCP 2.2 100m extender (HDBaseT) quotation to you. Please check for your
reference.”<o:p></o:p></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Whoa, wait a minute! HDBaseT has upgraded to HDMI 2.0 and
can therefore now support 4k/60, HDR and 4:4:4 color? Without a clear understanding of HDMI 2.0,
2.0A, 4K and HDR one would think this HDBaseT was something to consider
purchasing to use with the new 4K, HDR components because of “HDMI 2.0” listed
spec. This email could cost your
business money if you do not fully understand the HDMI 2.0A spec. HDMI 2.0 (and HDMI 2.0A) has a range of
performance capabilities and if a product falls within this range, companies
can say it is HDMI 2.0 compliant. Yet
if this product does not support the <b><i>FULL RANGE</i></b> of HDMI 2.0A spec, the
product will not support 4K/60, HDR and 4:4:4 color. The specs of this product will tell the full
story of just how much of the HDMI 2.0 spec this extender supports.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
After reading the header, a laymen’s translation of the
above email from China is “Our HDBaseT extenders will support anything that you
can throw at it”. Unfortunately this is not the case, HDBaseT will only work
with in the older HDMI 1.4 spec, meaning this product will not support the full
range of HDMI 2.0 spec up to 18 Gpbs and this full range is important because
of HDR. HDR is without question the biggest change to picture quality since the
introduction of High Definition. HDR itself is <span lang="EN">a technique used in imaging to reproduce a greater dynamic range of
luminosity than is possible with standard digital imaging techniques, this
means that you and your client will see much greater definition in the depth of
the picture and its shading. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
To validate my comments look at the data listed below that
were part of the afore mentioned email, the specs listed is not the full range
of HDMI 2.0A you will not see 18 Gbps listed anywhere: <o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEryRpolV_LyW_hLjexE925Ehq5zEhKkNa9VA_Sip_x6Gxu2sQHK7Ta-9qne3uMZnxjb363_fKuzOElNmAps58dyp-tPO4lhSPVcTIh4eykKBe4vUC8m5wFwWWRZRNP9lw10k06gqoL6M/s1600/Blog+Spec.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="118" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEryRpolV_LyW_hLjexE925Ehq5zEhKkNa9VA_Sip_x6Gxu2sQHK7Ta-9qne3uMZnxjb363_fKuzOElNmAps58dyp-tPO4lhSPVcTIh4eykKBe4vUC8m5wFwWWRZRNP9lw10k06gqoL6M/s400/Blog+Spec.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<o:p><br /></o:p></div>
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<o:p> </o:p> In conclusion, read the specs when you see HDMI 2.0 on any
products to see if you are using the correct products for installations. If full HDMI 2.0A spec is what you need – make
sure that is what you are purchasing.</div>
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<o:p></o:p></div>
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Have any questions regarding this topic? Leave a comment.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12517230551329560784noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2398190878805848424.post-35692142903602574292015-11-10T10:30:00.000-05:002015-11-10T10:30:00.681-05:00The Back Story of the M3B <div class="MsoNormal">
Our Metra Multi-Media Broadcast System (M3B) caused quite
the stir at CEDIA this past October. While
discussing the back story with one of our product developers on how Metra Home got
the idea for this product, I found it extremely interesting. I thought others might find it intriguing as
well. Please let me know <o:p></o:p></div>
your thoughts.<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><i>How did the idea of M3B come about?<o:p></o:p></i></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><i><br /></i></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFfRlCKXhKCZtTy9W3vVhK1sow10NlYCyJDBLYqYzMAWBcoNaa_hyUzKUYBZ3bWowDYLO_0ZkTqMSVUJqhwoLuP4bM0r-v_jElX5q-5EfVwYwoqVqSGqv8-r2-cwL0Bb-lG-6QcHoTybg/s1600/M3B.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="174" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFfRlCKXhKCZtTy9W3vVhK1sow10NlYCyJDBLYqYzMAWBcoNaa_hyUzKUYBZ3bWowDYLO_0ZkTqMSVUJqhwoLuP4bM0r-v_jElX5q-5EfVwYwoqVqSGqv8-r2-cwL0Bb-lG-6QcHoTybg/s320/M3B.jpg" width="320" /></a><b><i>Product Developer: </i></b> I was
standing in a train station noticing how clear the information signage panels looked.
Not being one to pass up a learning opportunity, I looked at the video cables
and I realized that there was only a single coax running from each display to
the next (at one point going through a splitter). This got my attention. Like most old school guys I am familiar with
“RF” modulation products, but I had never seen one look this good. Armed with this knowledge we were able find
and modify the technology for CI needs.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><i><br /></i></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><i>Explain how one would set up this system, how it works and why it is
exciting to the CI community.<o:p></o:p></i></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
The new M3B
Multi-Source, Multi-Display Coax Based HD Video Distribution System is exciting
because it is a great way for the integrator to compete with any central
hardware based Matrix system. It is a
simple solution for CI to broadcast HDMI over coax without rewiring the entire
house. Most houses built in the last 20
or so years are already pre-wired with RG6 coax. This was of course done to
provide cable TV, however it does give us what we need to build Multi-Source,
Multi-Zone HDMI Distribution systems. With
the introduction of our new M3B, HDMI over “RF” technology it is now possible
the same coax infra-structure that has been in our houses since the 1980s. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Here is how you set it up:
(1) take any (or all) HDMI 1080P source(s) with or without HDCP and plug
it or them each into an M3B TX1 encoder(s), (2) on the front of the M3B TX1
your select the RF-ID for the source, (3) you will then connect that unit(s) into
your house wide coax system. Here is the
really exciting part, this system will share the same coax as your off air
antenna or CATV system. Once connected to your coax, the encoded source(s) can
been seen on ANY coax connected display in your home that has one of the M3B
RX1R decoders connected to it. The M3B RX1R decoder comes with an IR receiver
that when plugged in it will allow you to select which of the M3B TX1 RF-ID’s
that you want to watch. It is that simple.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><i><br /></i></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><i>This sounds almost too good to be true.
Is there a down side to this M3B system?<o:p></o:p></i></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I can only think of two things that some <i><u>might</u></i> consider as a down side to
this product.
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
1. It will take
about 6.5 seconds to change RF-ID codes on the RX1R (on par with any AVR). </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
2. Audio is PCM 2 channel (this is done because a lot of common displays
will not accept 5.1 audio on HDMI inputs).</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<br />
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<br /></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12517230551329560784noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2398190878805848424.post-86637914645690990022015-11-03T10:26:00.000-05:002015-11-03T10:26:00.257-05:00Why You Need Our HDM-GA1<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 107%; margin-bottom: 8.0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">In previous posts, we discussed our
HDM-GA1 and the three awards it won during CEDIA 2015 in Dallas. Awards are great but if our customers do not
understand WHY this product is winning awards, then Metra Home is not educating
our customers. Education is key to
staying on top of the CI game and here at Metra Home we want to be the go-to
resource for CI questions. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 107%; margin-bottom: 8.0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">We made our name in the early days of
HDMI by providing the first “Made in America” long distance HDMI cable
solution, and we have continued to develop and refine these capability with our
latest (and still) “Made in America” extender the HDM-GA1. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 107%; margin-bottom: 8.0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">4K and HDR are real, products will be
shipping this Christmas and in the hands of your clients by the first of the
year. How will this affect you and more importantly how do you plan your
installs to accommodate this expanded bandwidth requirement? <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 107%; margin-bottom: 8.0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Well… if your jobs are based around
category cable extenders or current Redmere enabled cables, you will be in a
world of hurt as neither of these technologies truly support 4K/60 4:4:4 or HDR
content. If instead you use the older
style passive HDMI cables (up to 15 meters in length) you can take your jobs
forward and include ANY capability that HDMI 2.0A by using our HDM-GA1.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 107%; margin-bottom: 8.0pt;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3u-r_lBL_eQHfwIGEBpZRQTgcRUNhCuZLtKbtZdO6DYkuuG_sU9Y0HqCO8wc36r1dtmz9KqL8DCcLEdf-9WnVIEg0eBxhc2e8fOq49luHgTdxPxBlx6wFhRpXRj6blvA44FnlEWZvJTY/s1600/ETH-gig.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3u-r_lBL_eQHfwIGEBpZRQTgcRUNhCuZLtKbtZdO6DYkuuG_sU9Y0HqCO8wc36r1dtmz9KqL8DCcLEdf-9WnVIEg0eBxhc2e8fOq49luHgTdxPxBlx6wFhRpXRj6blvA44FnlEWZvJTY/s320/ETH-gig.jpg" width="248" /></a><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">The HDM-GA1 allows
the installer to utilize existing in-wall passive HDMI cables up to 15 meters
in length to upgrade and support the full 4K/60, 4:4:4, HDR signal soon to be
available in many video products. We
know that there are a lot of systems already installed in the real world that
have quality passive HDMI cables in them and we also know that as an integrator
you must build into the job the best possible avenue for future technology
expansion. Again the HDM-GA1 is the solution,
why beat your head against the wall with worry about will a given format
support what is coming when we already have the answer.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 107%; margin-bottom: 8.0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Here is what the HDM-GA1 will do for
you.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 107%; margin-bottom: 8.0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">1: It will take an existing passive
HDMI cable up to 15 meters in length and allow it to support every single
option that HDMI 2.0A can provide. That means 4/60, 4:4:4 Color, 3D, all
available Multi-Channel Audio Codecs and (most importantly) High Dynamic
Resolution [HDR].<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 107%; margin-bottom: 8.0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">2: When (not if) technology exceeds
the HDMI 2.0A bandwidth all that you will need to do is replace the HDM-GA1
with the newer, higher bandwidth model.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 107%; margin-bottom: 8.0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">3: My favorite, “ESD” damage, if you
have an active that becomes damaged by “ESD” (electro static discharge) you can
just write it off, there is no way to repair this damage and you must replace
the cable. However if you are using a passive cable with our HDM-GA1, when this
type of damage occurs you need only replace the HSM-GA1 and leave the cable
alone.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 107%; margin-bottom: 8.0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">An easy 4K/HDR upgrade
solution. It. Just. Works. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 107%; margin-bottom: 8.0pt;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 107%; margin-bottom: 8.0pt;">
<br /></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12517230551329560784noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2398190878805848424.post-63480160098151996272015-10-29T09:30:00.000-04:002015-10-29T09:30:01.430-04:00CEDIA 2015 Wrap UpIn the craziness of returning from Dallas last week - this post was not posted on the blog. We apologize. <div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Whew! What a
whirlwind CEDIA 2105 was in Dallas. It
was the best show Metra Home has had to date and it is largely due to the
combination of great products and staff.
Seriously, our staff is the hardest working staff I know and no other
company can touch our products. My
co-workers are a great group of people.
As I sat in the front desk during the show, I overheard things being
said by staff and attendees and I made up a list:</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="text-indent: -0.25in;">
</div>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Symbol; text-indent: -0.25in;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;">
</span></span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">WOW nice booth!</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Symbol; text-indent: -0.25in;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;">
</span></span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">My feet hurt.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Symbol; text-indent: -0.25in;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;">
</span></span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">Don’t lean on the front desk.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Symbol; text-indent: -0.25in;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;">
</span></span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">Who left coffee on the front desk</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Symbol; text-indent: -0.25in;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;">
</span></span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">Where is my coffee?</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Symbol; text-indent: -0.25in;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;">
</span></span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">My feet hurt.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Symbol; text-indent: -0.25in;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;">
</span></span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">You sure that is the correct price?</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Symbol; text-indent: -0.25in;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;">
</span></span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">Are you seriously taking an order on a trashcan?</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Symbol; text-indent: -0.25in;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;">
</span></span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">I have not eaten all day</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Symbol; text-indent: -0.25in;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;">
</span></span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">My feet hurt.</span></li>
</ul>
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I also heard from Attendees the
phrase “That’s a problem solver right there” after they saw the demo of the
M3B. This could explain why this product
is flying out of the warehouse. Good
problem to have from where I am sitting.
The HDM-GA1 was awarded three awards<o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCmXluije5N8VGSB2xQN8Qo4MLUtxWnNZ4aRMB32Vo_1CZcJNtJ7AkT-YO97koif1klPb6-CfM_MZW5ldtBd7O1VyzYLI7WZERe6EwNdthninRiYf8I114iHiqS5VtkiSlRyslSDDISd8/s1600/2015CEProBest%255B1%255D.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCmXluije5N8VGSB2xQN8Qo4MLUtxWnNZ4aRMB32Vo_1CZcJNtJ7AkT-YO97koif1klPb6-CfM_MZW5ldtBd7O1VyzYLI7WZERe6EwNdthninRiYf8I114iHiqS5VtkiSlRyslSDDISd8/s1600/2015CEProBest%255B1%255D.jpg" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_YlH6glCC-VwHFKNCORUR4FSOS23j6u6rA2ffrKB35723vZSlcFe4y36vA-plVsCFIsqgGSYgqWZA9rUkDDNJPxc3UNOGEVmB9kBM4SRx8jOHkUgfjHWYug3D2jDt2rtSIDUe1Oh9zhk/s1600/CEDIA15_BestofShow_RES_TWICE_ol%255B1%255D.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_YlH6glCC-VwHFKNCORUR4FSOS23j6u6rA2ffrKB35723vZSlcFe4y36vA-plVsCFIsqgGSYgqWZA9rUkDDNJPxc3UNOGEVmB9kBM4SRx8jOHkUgfjHWYug3D2jDt2rtSIDUe1Oh9zhk/s1600/CEDIA15_BestofShow_RES_TWICE_ol%255B1%255D.jpg" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQQVZMNtX5zhRdfhwB48_mge4sIhGivhMHec6l2fSdsEIzwi0P4Y8mVD6iPBtQBGA6XbFaGmawPoEqhNPx8lV92Gmfabg_yW-ZiUvDAmT3lDjLtJcAzpe6lz-Kdo-6Qn3ec9rxnaMcFs0/s1600/TI_Excite_winnerlogo_2015.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="259" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQQVZMNtX5zhRdfhwB48_mge4sIhGivhMHec6l2fSdsEIzwi0P4Y8mVD6iPBtQBGA6XbFaGmawPoEqhNPx8lV92Gmfabg_yW-ZiUvDAmT3lDjLtJcAzpe6lz-Kdo-6Qn3ec9rxnaMcFs0/s320/TI_Excite_winnerlogo_2015.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
and our first run is
all sold out.<br />
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The show never slowed down for us
and even though we are home – the pace has continued. Here’s to hoping CES is just a wonderful
show.<o:p></o:p></div>
</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12517230551329560784noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2398190878805848424.post-36438926682363076462015-10-27T10:30:00.000-04:002015-10-27T10:30:01.277-04:00Construction of a HDMI Cable Part #6: Testing Procedures<div class="MsoListParagraph" style="margin-left: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraph" style="margin-left: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraph" style="margin-left: 0in;">
If you have made it this far
in the series you have seen how important each part of the cable is at least in
our option. The real question is, how can this be validated as truth and not
just be set aside as the ramblings of a PR/Marketing department?<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraph" style="margin-left: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraph" style="margin-left: 0in;">
Let us return for a moment to
a contributing factor in what triggered this series,<b> </b><a href="http://www.cnet.com/news/still-more-reasons-why-all-hdmi-cable-are-the-same/">http://www.cnet.com/news/still-more-reasons-why-all-hdmi-cable-are-the-same/</a>
and <a href="http://www.cnet.com/news/4k-hdmi-cables-are-nonsense/">http://www.cnet.com/news/4k-hdmi-cables-are-nonsense/</a>.
The issue here for us is the testing methodology, all that was done to verify
the quality of a given cable was (A) borrow a tone generator/scope and
sweep/Eye pattern test one channel at a time of the three video channels and
(B) plug the cables in between a source and a display. This is not a good or
accurate way to test as timing of the 3 channels together is critical and
without this concurrent channel testing results will be skewed.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraph" style="margin-left: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraph" style="margin-left: 0in;">
So, how can you know if a
cable is worth a damn? DPL testing
that’s how. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraph" style="margin-left: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraph" style="margin-left: 0in;">
In theory, any cable that has
the HDMI logo on it has been tested and approved by HDMI LLC. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraph" style="margin-left: 0in;">
We all know of course that
this is not true (I have seen cables being sold at a price that is lower than
the HDMI license fees). As evidence to this just before CEDIA 2015 HDMI LLC
announced a new “Premium” certification program. Apparently the previous “HDMI 1.4 High Speed”
certification did not prove to be robust enough of a test to verify and
validate the actual bandwidth needed to properly support the HDMI 2.0 feature
sets. Also, in the past month was the announcement that “Underwriters
Laboratory” was getting into the cable performance testing game. Now to be fair both of these entities do an
acceptable job of high speed video performance testing, unfortunately since
each assumes that the bare minimum ATSC test for EDID is good enough neither
one push’s the envelope for low speed data.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraph" style="margin-left: 0in;">
So “Meh”. Well who can you
trust? <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraph" style="margin-left: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraph" style="margin-left: 0in;">
For Metra Home Theater Group
it is again DPL (Digital Performance Labs), they are recognized as the
strictest and most quality consistent testing facility in the AV world. A cable
that can show and prove the DPL Seal of Approval is a safe choice for your
installation. As mentioned before this could all be a line from marketing but
time and many participating companies have proved that DPL knows what they are
doing and can be trusted to tell you the truth. If you have any questions about
a cable line or length go to <a href="http://www.dpllabs.com/">http://www.dpllabs.com/</a>
and check on that product. If it is not there ask yourself why.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraph" style="margin-left: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraph" style="margin-left: 0in;">
What does this have to do
with cables?<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraph" style="margin-left: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraph" style="margin-left: 0in;">
As mentioned in a previous
installment of this series, DPL certification is neither quick nor cheap. First, it takes a while to design and build a
cable that meets the DPL standards. Second, in order for DPL to maintain “truth
in testing”, ongoing testing is required.
DPL does not get these samples from the vendor instead DPL purchases
them from dealers and/or distributors to test what is out in the field. So like “UL” certification DPL has a yearly
fee to keep you (the vendor) up to date.
For the dealer this is a fantastic resource as well as a great and
timely report of what is tested and real.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraph" style="margin-left: 0in;">
We hope you enjoyed this blog
series – if you have a suggestion on another topic please comment below.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12517230551329560784noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2398190878805848424.post-21913459435140815452015-10-20T11:25:00.000-04:002015-10-20T11:25:00.040-04:00Part 5 of Construction of a HDMI Cable: Termination<div class="MsoListParagraph" style="margin-left: 0in;">
In the previous installments
of this series, we have discussed everything needed for the best performing
HDMI cable and to improve overall performance in a system. With that being said without the proper
termination quality parts will mean nothing and the cable will not provide top
performance. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraph" style="margin-left: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraph" style="margin-left: 0in;">
It is very important to
control the heat, silver content, quantity and flow of the solder. Less is more
in this application and of course “Cleanliness is next to Godliness”. Extra solder closes the gaps between the
connection points and that can/will create its own RF field. To add insult to
injury, when it comes to the soldering process ROHS (Federal Lead standards)
has mandated that lead be mostly removed from solder for safety reason. Unfortunately this means that solder most be
applied at a higher temperature for it to flow. Higher temps mean a greater
chance of thermal damage to any board level components.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraph" style="margin-left: 0in;">
<br /></div>
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What does this have to do
with cables?<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraph" style="margin-left: 0in; tab-stops: 180.6pt;">
</div>
<div class="MsoListParagraph" style="margin-left: 0in;">
Solder work must be done with
the greatest of care and with a very small thermal operating window. Careful is not cheap and cheap is not
careful.<o:p></o:p></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12517230551329560784noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2398190878805848424.post-40666617561601644222015-10-13T09:22:00.000-04:002015-10-13T09:22:00.056-04:00Part 4 of Construction of a HDMI Cable: Silver Content<div class="MsoListParagraph" style="margin-left: 0in;">
Now we are starting to get
into the more esoteric physics of an HDMI cable. For many years, mainstream
analog audio cable manufacturers talked about “Skin Effect” and how higher frequency’s
tend to migrate to the surface of a cable and that lower frequencies stayed in
the middle. As it turns out, there is
some truth to this statement. Oh, not in the analog audio domain, that is still
BS (in our opinion). However, in the
high speed world of HDMI surface silver content and the type of dielectric do
play a part in the performance of a HDMI cable.
Now just throwing a thicker cost of silver onto the copper is not the
complete answer. There must be a proper
balance. Copper provides a stable high tinsel substrate for the silver plating,
this will help the wire to keep its original length and shape which is
necessary for the higher bandwidth and speeds (see #1 & #3). </div>
<div class="MsoListParagraph" style="margin-left: 0in;">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraph" style="margin-left: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraph" style="margin-left: 0in;">
What does this have to do
with cables?<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraph" style="margin-left: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraph" style="margin-left: 0in;">
Proper balance between copper
and silver is mandatory for consistent performance.<o:p></o:p></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12517230551329560784noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2398190878805848424.post-31126965022673463302015-10-06T10:30:00.000-04:002015-10-06T10:30:00.429-04:00Part 3 of Construction of a HDMI Cable: Bandwidth and Speed<div class="MsoListParagraph" style="margin-left: 0in;">
Bandwidth and Speed are very
important when discussing the construction of a HDMI cable. One has to have a general understanding of
how these two words pertain to cables as well as how they play into the cables
functional capability. Bandwidth and
Speed are a very difficult and confusing concept for most people to grasp.</div>
<div class="MsoListParagraph" style="margin-left: 0in;">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraph" style="margin-left: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraph" style="margin-left: 0in;">
What is Bandwidth? What is speed? <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraph" style="margin-left: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraph" style="margin-left: 0in;">
Although bandwidth and speed have
much in common, they are different and are frequently and incorrectly used by
both consumers and the manufacturers to express the same thought. </div>
<div class="MsoListParagraph" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]-->Bandwidth refers to how much data can pass thru
a device at the same point and time. </div>
<div class="MsoListParagraph" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]-->Speed refers to how quickly a device can create
the data. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraph" style="margin-left: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraph" style="margin-left: 0in;">
For example, when discussing
the differences in bandwidth needed to produce a 1080P picture (5 Gbps by Spec)
and a 4K/60, 4:2:0 picture (9.2 Gbps +/-) what we are really comparing is the
width of the high-way and the number of available traffic lanes. Think of it this way: You send a 100 vehicle
convoy between two cities down a 2 lane road at 60 miles an hour, this will give
you 2 columns 50 trucks deep. The last truck in line will not arrive at the
same time as the first. Now we increase the road to 10 lanes across and we are
only 10 trucks deep closing the time gap.
In widening the road, the trucks can now go faster and vehicle speed increases
to 120 mph. A 10 to 1 increase in
traffic flow is the result.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraph" style="margin-left: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraph" style="margin-left: 0in;">
The trucks become data and
you get our point – wider bandwidth increases the speed of the data in a HDMI
cable.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIUGW3SxWUngaLTB4rHS3q0R8L_MeQ49N8xAoFeXDW2QO5JHlpXsVUzm5xbcXbFx1H7tZRA76ynfP9GnX0N1maWeZx8-5Y1WXvaGVbpjUHxHXxTYBrSNyAL10Ej1bE4TTLTOjLmd2SKeU/s1600/Car+Photo+_1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIUGW3SxWUngaLTB4rHS3q0R8L_MeQ49N8xAoFeXDW2QO5JHlpXsVUzm5xbcXbFx1H7tZRA76ynfP9GnX0N1maWeZx8-5Y1WXvaGVbpjUHxHXxTYBrSNyAL10Ej1bE4TTLTOjLmd2SKeU/s320/Car+Photo+_1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraph" style="margin-left: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraph" style="margin-left: 0in;">
What does this have to do
with cables and why is this part of our series?<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraph" style="margin-left: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraph" style="margin-left: 0in;">
How fast a HDMI cable sends
data is one of the most important facts of a cable and in our opinion must be a
part of this series. There is not one
physical part of a cable that increases bandwidth and speed. Wire gauge and consistency of the twist ratio
determine both speed and bandwidth. Better quality product equals better data
transfer. A cable must be well built to
be able to produce wider bandwidths and increasing speed. DPL certification on
HDMI cables is a good way to know if the cable will provide the best bandwidth
and speed. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraph" style="margin-left: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraph" style="margin-left: 0in;">
DPL certification is neither
quick nor cheap. First it takes a while to design and build a cable that meets
the DPL standards. Second in order for DPL to maintain “Truth in testing” on
going testing is required and DPL does not get this samples from the vendor
they come from dealers or distribution, so like “UL” certification there is a
yearly fee to keep you (the vendor) up to date.<o:p></o:p></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraph" style="margin-left: 0in;">
For the dealer, this is a
fantastic resource as well as a great and timely report of what is tested and real.<o:p></o:p></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12517230551329560784noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2398190878805848424.post-7054954200434882472015-10-01T13:00:00.000-04:002015-10-01T13:00:02.496-04:00Part 2 of Construction of a HDMI Cable: Shielding<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">The second part of this blog series we are discussing the two types of shielding and why they are important. The two types of shielding that a HDIMI cable
should have to provide the best protection are braid and foil. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">A braid shield keeps outside noise from interfering
with your HDMI cable by cutting down the 110/60Hz interference. If outside RF/EMI noise penetrates the HDMI
cable it can cause all sorts of havoc. Since pretty much everyone has had some
experience with HDMI Cat/x Extender failure due to high voltage switched
devices (lights, motors, etc.) cause a short term dropout of the HDMI signal,
there is an understanding of this issue. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Foil shield reduces the high frequency interference
and keeps the noise within the cable. A
foil shield also protects components from damage caused by spurious HDMI noise
from running amok in your system like a gremlin. Foil shielding around the TMDS feeds of a
HDMI cable also keeps the noise from causing problems with infra-red components
and RF control systems.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Here is a cutaway to demonstrate where the shielding
is in our Velox cables:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmGKZKBbcsFEuPaaVWeRlXM0Q4-gQe70vvvGZbKqncxIGJgUaUXF00M5qVa9g58p1o79RbD6ZeDOYUB5AcaBvNu8sw3dzcxI5DpOf6a8eVIMxm0Bawr-TnxcjsnjCH9mEDTfCwajzvq2A/s1600/Velox+Cable+Cutaway.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmGKZKBbcsFEuPaaVWeRlXM0Q4-gQe70vvvGZbKqncxIGJgUaUXF00M5qVa9g58p1o79RbD6ZeDOYUB5AcaBvNu8sw3dzcxI5DpOf6a8eVIMxm0Bawr-TnxcjsnjCH9mEDTfCwajzvq2A/s320/Velox+Cable+Cutaway.png" width="320" /></a></div>
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What does this have to do with cables? Better materials and more coverage within the
shielding protects all of the system components and promotes a higher level of
performance. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<br />
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Next week we will discuss bandwidth and speed. Comment below if you have any questions
regarding this blog series so far. We
will do our best to answer you ASAP. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12517230551329560784noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2398190878805848424.post-35649946898142602522015-09-23T11:00:00.000-04:002015-09-23T11:37:00.156-04:00Construction of an HDMI Cable Part 1 of 6<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
We talk a
lot about our cables while we are planning our displays for the CEDIA
booth. Hours are spent grouping our cables together by category and the
different technology they provide. I ask questions about each of our
cables and when I started looking at my notes I saw these questions: <o:p></o:p></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
“What
is the truth regarding HDMI and is there in fact a difference from one cable to
another? Is there a reason to buy a better HDMI cable?”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
In getting these answers, this blog
post was born and over the next six weeks we are going to discuss the six parts
of an HDMI cable and why customers should purchase a better (and preferably one
of Metra Home’s) cables.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
As most dealers know Metra Home has
been a DPL member (<a href="http://www.dpllabs.com/">www.dpllabs.com</a>) since
its inception. In our association with
DPL we have learned that the vast majority of claims made about HDMI and HDMI cables
are confusing and misleading. Metra Home
has been fortunate to be associated with DPL and has over time received a
reputation for good working, reliable and affordable products due to this
association. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
Here is a short synapses of what
they taught us about cables and the differences that they possess:<o:p></o:p></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
#1: Cable
Architecture and Timing, Intra-pair & Inter-pair Skew: -<o:p></o:p></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
HDMI is
all about timing, timing of the TMDS feeds, timing of the DDC feeds, timing of
the voltage trigger and timing of the Hot Plug return. Timing can be affected
by poor wiring architecture with-in and between the twisted pairs, also
depending on where and how the twist ratios are incorrect will determine
whether the issue is intra or inter pair skew related. In the graphic below you
will see the cause of each of these failures.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4FAu3mBFhFxUTJL4IicdEnP5dTcu4JHGhyDPb5pow2xpUNIX9uLGne7pi2BSwAMvDkKasusCvM-atmCu1WiGZCNGD40m0dUEbSgnb1RKWjUBTThZvxbHd5XaSMB8FjmyPqdbBQti1iOo/s1600/HDMI+Part+1.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="216" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4FAu3mBFhFxUTJL4IicdEnP5dTcu4JHGhyDPb5pow2xpUNIX9uLGne7pi2BSwAMvDkKasusCvM-atmCu1WiGZCNGD40m0dUEbSgnb1RKWjUBTThZvxbHd5XaSMB8FjmyPqdbBQti1iOo/s320/HDMI+Part+1.png" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
Intra-Pair
Skew refers to the length time difference between the two wires within a single
shielded pair and is displayed in the top graphic , it is not uncommon to see
the twist point offset from the crossover center line. This failing can cause
jitter in the Audio and Video. Inter-Pair Skew is caused by the length and
twist points variance between the shielded pairs and will typically manifest
itself by showing sparkles in solid color or white on the display depending on
which cable (or how many pairs have an issue).<o:p></o:p></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="margin-left: 0in; mso-add-space: auto;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">What does this
have to do with cables?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="margin-left: 0in; mso-add-space: auto;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="margin-left: 0in; mso-add-space: auto;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Well, wire gauge
and consistency of the twist ratio determine both Inter-pair and Intra-Pair
Skew. Better quality product better data transfer. It is important to
purchase a quality HDMI cable to ensure good wiring architecture to avoid
timing failures. Metra Home tests all HDMI
cables to receive the DPL seal of approval and because of this we have
over time received a reputation for good working, reliable and affordable HDMI
cables. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
Follow
our blog to get the next installment of this six part series. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
</div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12517230551329560784noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2398190878805848424.post-22007059025769073952015-09-16T13:00:00.000-04:002015-09-16T13:00:02.343-04:00Why You Need to Visit Our CEDIA Booth 4942<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/MF6XkriJIVU" width="560"></iframe>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12517230551329560784noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2398190878805848424.post-69903047317857677452015-09-08T14:00:00.000-04:002015-09-08T14:00:01.638-04:00New Videos Are Posted<div class="MsoNormal">
We are gearing up for CEDIA 2015 in Dallas and this process includes shooting informational videos. The first batch of videos are up and ready
for viewing. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Here are the new videos:</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="https://youtu.be/_Y8LAUrqyKQ" target="_blank">HDBaseT and 4K<o:p></o:p></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="https://youtu.be/Ifba-QFi6Ck" target="_blank">How to Avoid Thermal Issues<o:p></o:p></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="https://youtu.be/OlEVSap32NA" target="_blank">HDCP 2.2 Explained<o:p></o:p></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
To go directly to our You Tube channel click <a href="https://www.youtube.com/user/EtherealHomeTheater" target="_blank">here</a>. We appreciate feedback– so feel free to post a comment or
suggest a video topic. If you are
attending CEDIA 2015 in Dallas, put booth # 4942 on your agenda. We have some exciting products debuting this year.<o:p></o:p><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjn6ayZsbqcCiDga8EHrRRDKlBzFpVl-37mM_ldofUbnUgCL9ZhV1u6cIOE5jRUXtJiVKJyUAEEiWziWlVh7E7gV82UJ3p41VtsLu4YegVPKWY8jq6c369P4jt568_ydRiRh6gm1EeDVXs/s1600/MHTG-signature-cedia+2015.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="261" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjn6ayZsbqcCiDga8EHrRRDKlBzFpVl-37mM_ldofUbnUgCL9ZhV1u6cIOE5jRUXtJiVKJyUAEEiWziWlVh7E7gV82UJ3p41VtsLu4YegVPKWY8jq6c369P4jt568_ydRiRh6gm1EeDVXs/s320/MHTG-signature-cedia+2015.png" width="320" /></a></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12517230551329560784noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2398190878805848424.post-8187571741306318672015-09-01T10:00:00.000-04:002015-09-02T13:11:14.096-04:00Top Five Products and the Problems They Solve<div class="MsoNormal">
Lists are always popular on blogs but lists can
also be boring. This list is informative and important, just like our staff! Please leave comments and let us know if you agree. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]-->1.<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;">
</span><!--[endif]-->HDM-DAD<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIf1IMAp7Zi6aDrYoQs-C3zobTZmmiam_vdGaknGpxbjiFdt4AWRvCRkrUs-PKIYxDEsN47i2xpNs-X95xdjvGaZrOL2-nVd5zYUtlJYXBZkHAalWBesBZwgSWE8bl17L83mvNJQ7Tp-Y/s1600/HDM-DAD.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIf1IMAp7Zi6aDrYoQs-C3zobTZmmiam_vdGaknGpxbjiFdt4AWRvCRkrUs-PKIYxDEsN47i2xpNs-X95xdjvGaZrOL2-nVd5zYUtlJYXBZkHAalWBesBZwgSWE8bl17L83mvNJQ7Tp-Y/s200/HDM-DAD.png" width="200" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle">
<b>What it does</b> – verifies that all the EDID
signals have the necessary integrity.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle">
<b>Problems Solved</b> – Provides analysis of the
Low Speed Data Stream which includes the 5 volt feed from the source to the
display, the Hot Plug Detect return voltage from the display to the course, the
Data line and Clock feed. The LED display lights on the top of the case
indicate the status of these EDID components. If there are issues with any of
these feed the DAD will repair them.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhI5ZIjr5B4QFB2F4ueh45bUqfArCQrWiwNtVG-K0H13iOYmdnO9eojs927xicIUGxCS496n1gLEU9XjREJ-Fe9KIkoVruau0NqjVB98JFM-ffsEONjSJNaUXrwDy0nJALPha5PxcYpEPM/s1600/HDM-JR_.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhI5ZIjr5B4QFB2F4ueh45bUqfArCQrWiwNtVG-K0H13iOYmdnO9eojs927xicIUGxCS496n1gLEU9XjREJ-Fe9KIkoVruau0NqjVB98JFM-ffsEONjSJNaUXrwDy0nJALPha5PxcYpEPM/s200/HDM-JR_.png" width="200" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle">
<span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">2.</span><span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; text-indent: -0.25in;">
</span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">HDM-JR</span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle">
<b>What it does</b> – Less expensive EDID repair
tool to leave at the job site to solve all the same issues of <o:p></o:p></div>
the HDM-DAD.<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle">
<b>Problems Solved</b> - Audio drop outs, long
sync times between sources, “HDCP not supported” issues on your display screen,
“Mode not supported” on your display screen, “Mode out of range” on your
display screen, black screen on your display and Picture and Sound drop out for
a few seconds and then returns are all solved by this product. The HDM-VI2 is fully HDMI 2.0, 18 Gbps
compatible meaning this product will fulfill your needs of today and into the
future.</div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle">
<span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">3.</span><span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; text-indent: -0.25in;"> </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlYTmWYrUl1ncwcsTU8II70MyKJSRhyeRHmfJGSP-3GIw_hhoqtczk1W6Ez1ipK3tndXam6zjF3O4Z7raVAXttBW1NxsRQoj91z7TmAwCNkMuZkmguIc2vBQQbW-IVY4SfpdWnU0GdSWw/s1600/HDM-VI2+copy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlYTmWYrUl1ncwcsTU8II70MyKJSRhyeRHmfJGSP-3GIw_hhoqtczk1W6Ez1ipK3tndXam6zjF3O4Z7raVAXttBW1NxsRQoj91z7TmAwCNkMuZkmguIc2vBQQbW-IVY4SfpdWnU0GdSWw/s200/HDM-VI2+copy.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
<!--[endif]-->HDM-VI2<o:p></o:p><br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle">
<b>What it does</b> – repairs some common HDMI
problems.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle">
<b>Problems Solved</b> – It fixes the 5 Volt and
Hot Plug supply failures; resolves the common problem of the Display returning
its Hot Plug Detect signal before the AVR (or Matrix) is prepared to hear it.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle">
The HDM-VI2 is fully HDMI 2.0, 18 Gbps
compatible meaning this product will fulfill your needs of today and into the
future.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]-->4.<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;"> </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPeqqJ3ldQ-ijPobJE0O8anHcNMQngSx6neTpfUBDCEw07jHW522xV4Fyn_x-POkTf8IK_580K7QiCOoXfItRE6GDdX7z2qO85inMo-EODSvIfmRfJu3rM8q2CNHiZULLRbBHPud0vqk4/s1600/HDM-SP2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPeqqJ3ldQ-ijPobJE0O8anHcNMQngSx6neTpfUBDCEw07jHW522xV4Fyn_x-POkTf8IK_580K7QiCOoXfItRE6GDdX7z2qO85inMo-EODSvIfmRfJu3rM8q2CNHiZULLRbBHPud0vqk4/s200/HDM-SP2.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
<!--[endif]-->HDMI SP2<o:p></o:p><br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle">
<b>What is does</b> – help reduce the chance of
your HDMI electronics being damaged by Electrostatic Discharge (ESD) spikes up
to 8000 Volts.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle">
<b>Problems Solved</b> – act as the final defense
against ESD damage to your devices. The HDM-VI2 is fully HDMI 2.0, 18 Gbps
compatible meaning this product will fulfill your needs of today and into the
future.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle">
<o:p><br /></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle">
<o:p><br /></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle">
<o:p><br /></o:p></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9XqQ4JWfhPQq8wj_AgNu9cX7z2UWVZt6lsr2iyT-CwGuDLlQGCIMAJrMyloOp3G6u7vlPjJp8qXQA3x2fgr2TqbddS0CpD07xwTIg99v-Nq2epcvT0zotMIycgjSp7g6iXywkB-Y3S4s/s1600/CS-DAC.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9XqQ4JWfhPQq8wj_AgNu9cX7z2UWVZt6lsr2iyT-CwGuDLlQGCIMAJrMyloOp3G6u7vlPjJp8qXQA3x2fgr2TqbddS0CpD07xwTIg99v-Nq2epcvT0zotMIycgjSp7g6iXywkB-Y3S4s/s200/CS-DAC.png" width="200" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]-->5.<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;">
</span><!--[endif]-->CS-DAC <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle">
<b>What it does</b> – Takes the 2 channel (PCM)
data stream from the digital source and converts it to the analog RCA format
for the distribution system.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle">
<b>Problem solved</b> – Connecting sources without analog audio outputs to
house audio systems. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast">
This and other products can be found
<a href="https://www.etherealhometheater.com/solutions.html?utm_source=Blog%20Post&utm_medium=Wkly%20Post&utm_campaign=Ethereal%20Top%205%20Products" target="_blank">here</a>. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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<br /></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12517230551329560784noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2398190878805848424.post-86822862519867028002015-08-25T10:00:00.000-04:002015-08-25T10:00:00.883-04:00Our Annual Lunch and Learn Event <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhG3SDd4im-0_gXzDPcX2SPMIhhrV8klSMICPpVwiYLVURrIiufAeuusKEy7eHzIHu5Kmkh8M_aLxueIhEBoMpzjnWpsyQHarSMUjpTXtnF4yPB5OqdOg2MGIQqOJYvgwa4yH5Ui-UTHa4/s1600/LunchLearn_CEDIA2015.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhG3SDd4im-0_gXzDPcX2SPMIhhrV8klSMICPpVwiYLVURrIiufAeuusKEy7eHzIHu5Kmkh8M_aLxueIhEBoMpzjnWpsyQHarSMUjpTXtnF4yPB5OqdOg2MGIQqOJYvgwa4yH5Ui-UTHa4/s400/LunchLearn_CEDIA2015.jpg" width="366" /></a></div>
<br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13pt;">Space is limited so reserve
your chair and complementary lunch today. Click </span><a href="http://metraelec.com/rsvp/?utm_source=MHTG-tradeshow+opt-ins&utm_campaign=806fc38086-HDR_Training_Event_at_CEDIA2015-8_19_2015&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_60f28db2f6-806fc38086-322401269" style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13pt;" target="_blank">here</a><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13pt;"> to reserve your seat.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13pt;"><br />
This is a very well attended event and there will be limited standing room. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13pt;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13pt;"><br /></span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12517230551329560784noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2398190878805848424.post-78577573762837143782015-08-24T14:00:00.000-04:002015-08-24T14:00:01.969-04:00Our staff wrapped up the CEPro Top 100 Summit in National Harbor, Maryland today. We are all getting excited for our next show CEDIA in Dallas, TX.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYrUj8Yo51czxJs6i5Y_yEeToQGc9JsBu-2Wp1r58k9dT_xsuimGKcC82HlHk4ugMTuYRPHBXpUa3VxGoQWKt3oFh-U7185jxD_ZLvdo4ggL_Akc5F1q97IW5aMoIoCttodiT0n4xhrZ0/s1600/CePro_Top_100_2015.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="223" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYrUj8Yo51czxJs6i5Y_yEeToQGc9JsBu-2Wp1r58k9dT_xsuimGKcC82HlHk4ugMTuYRPHBXpUa3VxGoQWKt3oFh-U7185jxD_ZLvdo4ggL_Akc5F1q97IW5aMoIoCttodiT0n4xhrZ0/s400/CePro_Top_100_2015.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Miranda Grantham, National Sales Manager and Zak Yarnell, West Coast Regional Sales Representative manning the booth.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12517230551329560784noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2398190878805848424.post-41146492476269727242015-08-18T09:30:00.000-04:002015-08-18T09:30:01.816-04:00A Question Came Up in the office Today<div class="MsoNormal">
A customer asked this question: <b><i>How does HDBaseT claim 4K
performance when it does not support 18 Gbps?</i></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><i><br /></i></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Well now that is a very good question.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I know I have posted about 4K versus UHD and all the confusion that surrounds this subject previously and it seems like this issue is not any clearer for our customers. In the helping our customers make more educated purchases when it comes to this new technology, let us revisit this 4K/UHD issue one more time by using an actual issue that came up in our office.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiF8PwUWMRR4mt3nvLdTImw6PUTKkzIJho-68cTNxQgS1x9e9vbLB6_8JOiw-7VJQZFghME_PlVy9s6eDMbMp7GZcG4qHRpZRNfXpQmoOg-M-ZbSdAyV2CTZHhgJn2yhA0zp8XVckp1q4c/s1600/4K+made+with+photos.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiF8PwUWMRR4mt3nvLdTImw6PUTKkzIJho-68cTNxQgS1x9e9vbLB6_8JOiw-7VJQZFghME_PlVy9s6eDMbMp7GZcG4qHRpZRNfXpQmoOg-M-ZbSdAyV2CTZHhgJn2yhA0zp8XVckp1q4c/s320/4K+made+with+photos.jpg" width="320" /></a>4K is really meant to describe the output resolution of
Professional Video products (usually at a Theater), whereas UHD is for the
Consumer Electronics market. UHD is a
very wide ranging spec that covers everything from 4K/30 which less than 9 Gbps
data (I call this HDMI 2.0 Lite) up to 4K/60, 4:4:4, HDR which needs around 17
Gbps. Currently the products the customers are using only need 4/K60, 4:2:0 (9
Gbps) as the carrier (again HDMI 2.0 Lite). As this fits nicely into the
bandwidth requirement of HDMI 1.4 it will work with most current HDMI High
Speed products (10.2 Gbps). This is how
HDBaseT can claim UHD capability. It is
important to understand the two caveats that come with this. First, 4K range
will only be around 70% of the rated distance spec AND second there is
currently no way to move beyond this 10.2 Gbps wall. <o:p></o:p></div>
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In short – HDBaseT fits the spec for today (4K/60 4:2:0 color) but there is no
growing room for future specs. If you
are a installer that likes to prepare for current and future specs, this
information is important when making an educated purchase.<o:p></o:p><br />
<br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12517230551329560784noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2398190878805848424.post-24629585919575918012015-08-11T11:30:00.000-04:002015-08-11T11:30:00.564-04:00A Typical Day<div class="MsoNormal">
In the past year, we have seen a spike in the return of
“defective” extenders. This trend upset
our sales and management team because there had to be a reason. The technical support staff collected all the
defective units, ran some tests and came to an interesting conclusion. So interesting, that I wanted to include it
on this blog as an example of the lengths our customer service team goes for
our customers. <o:p></o:p><br />
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The technical staff found that all but one was NOT defective
and after talking with one of the installing companies’ job supervisors on how
these were being installed our tech staff cleared up the entire issue. <o:p></o:p><br />
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The problem: <b><i>Improper installation leading to overheating.</i></b><o:p></o:p><br />
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;">
When you look at the vast majority of HDBaseT
extenders that are on the market there are vents on the long sides of the
chassis and on the better units a heat sink on the top of the processor. These
are very important to the flow of air that provides the ventilation and cooling
of the HDBaseT “Valens” processor. <o:p></o:p><br />
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;">
Over time without the proper ventilation and
cooling the multi-layer circuit boards will start to heat in an uneven fashion,
when this happens the layer impedance will start to fluctuate and since a
stable 75 ohms is needed to carry the video signal the unit will fail. If the
unit(s) are unplugged and allowed to cool they will once again function, that
is until they get hot. Each time this happens the interval between failures
will decrease due to the minute damage sustained during heat related of the circuit board. Eventually the unit will suffer irreversible
damage and not reset and work again.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;">
Here is how you can prevent this from happening on
jobs. First and most importantly make
sure there is 4 to 6 inches of space between the units. A very good way to
achieve this is with our new CS-RV2U, this is a 2U Hook and Loop rack plate for
rear of rack. The CS-RV2U comes with Hook and Loop, the hook side is already
mounted to the face of the plate in the package. Just cut and adhere the
corresponding loop to your extender and press it into the hook at a 45 degree
angle (this will allow for ventilation) you can then attach more units at the
same angle with 3’ of spacing between the units. Installing your extenders in
this manner allows for multiple units in a tight space while at the same time
providing all of the needed ventilation. <o:p></o:p><br />
<br />
<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6PFAYi6ON1CJmjhvO2v8t7sqjpRYaSTL6vgwKijH0Rxb2AbPGLPmHQKjUzPQ7Zc9GP2nhRAZeURGinnm98BlIxL8bjzSwPcYadjHSPDmrhR8ua14156ZaDk7stjGVWtoDcjYrFy7pDH8/s1600/blog+post+8_11_15.2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6PFAYi6ON1CJmjhvO2v8t7sqjpRYaSTL6vgwKijH0Rxb2AbPGLPmHQKjUzPQ7Zc9GP2nhRAZeURGinnm98BlIxL8bjzSwPcYadjHSPDmrhR8ua14156ZaDk7stjGVWtoDcjYrFy7pDH8/s320/blog+post+8_11_15.2.jpg" width="180" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi02cC2NrxOfLtm20GvjcD0ICChjSQ6Ke1egM3aLgoTSyrCjKPZEWT8cg8vn0bQ9b3AwGaZWxEOAr4Gbpsm1bMOQn-h1uOlkz8MGiX8fxnL_kDewJ6npS0BEaMtNogiGwswsf0O76RfNbw/s1600/blog+post+8_11_15.1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="111" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi02cC2NrxOfLtm20GvjcD0ICChjSQ6Ke1egM3aLgoTSyrCjKPZEWT8cg8vn0bQ9b3AwGaZWxEOAr4Gbpsm1bMOQn-h1uOlkz8MGiX8fxnL_kDewJ6npS0BEaMtNogiGwswsf0O76RfNbw/s200/blog+post+8_11_15.1.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
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<br /></div>
<span style="text-align: justify;">Just another day supporting our customers with
answers as well as great products.</span><br />
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<o:p></o:p></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12517230551329560784noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2398190878805848424.post-55188856739623563482015-07-20T09:30:00.000-04:002015-07-20T09:30:01.187-04:00Get Your HDMI Questions Answered<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFqsJh-HPKmNlUSjiefp3iLFg74XLe5h8eyE90h3nWVJwa5z5v54EEAyJjp61BcgRF-PhRr3ND1H3GCkrwC-HriiFNg62gl2ZlHke7kHY5bORWEpaW7kPkHUlEt-Z2-6lUhy_AhyphenhyphenofiGY/s1600/hdmi_questions.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFqsJh-HPKmNlUSjiefp3iLFg74XLe5h8eyE90h3nWVJwa5z5v54EEAyJjp61BcgRF-PhRr3ND1H3GCkrwC-HriiFNg62gl2ZlHke7kHY5bORWEpaW7kPkHUlEt-Z2-6lUhy_AhyphenhyphenofiGY/s1600/hdmi_questions.jpg" /></a><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">We pride ourselves on helping to educate our customers and support their business. It is because of this that we are</span></span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"> sponsoring a </span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">special</span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"> webinar tomorrow, Tuesday, July 21 at 2 p.m. EDT featuring Jeff Boccaccio, president of DPL Labs and a columnist of </span><i style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">CE Pro</i><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">'s "HDMI Corner". This webinar is free and not intended to sell you on </span>HDMI<span style="font-size: 12pt;">. It's designed to help you make the best </span></span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">cabling</span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"> decisions possible. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">To sign up for the webinar please go <a href="http://www.cepro.com/webinars/details/hdmi_in_2015_the_2.0a_spec_your_questions_and_more" target="_blank">here</a>. Do not miss this opportunity to have all of your questions answered.</span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12517230551329560784noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2398190878805848424.post-84666340009585442552015-07-14T15:00:00.000-04:002015-07-14T15:00:03.404-04:00Into the Future of HDMI<div class="MsoNormal">
By C. I. Source</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
In Part 1 we discussed “In the Beginning”: specs,
roadblocks, software, hardware, cables, standards, and more. Now, let’s look <i>Into the Future of HDMI</i>.<b><o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
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<b>Here is what we will
need to do to continue to work:<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><br /></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Now that you are completely flummoxed and plotting your
escape from the world of “CI” to a job flipping burgers, how do you salvage
your career and start planning for the future? You will do this by looking
forward -- <i>great scott!</i> For years we
wired the world with coax in various forms, from one to six cables per bundle.
It worked pretty much every time. Then along came HDMI. We had to switch over
to Category X cables to get some distance. At first, it took Cat/X 2 cables,
but now we are down to one -- or are we? Yes, there are cables that will
support the UHD standard of 4K/60, 4:2:0, some even up to 100’. <b>Ethereal Evolv</b> cables are an example
and we do have a new “true” 18 Gbps cable in the new Velox series, now
shipping. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Most installers still want to install a bulk cable that they
can terminate as needed. For this I recommend that they use two RG/6 cables and
two Cat/6 Cables. Why two each? Right now SDI 3G (single coax) allows a dealer
to push 1080P up to 300+ feet and soon they will be able to support the current
UHD standard down that same cable with SDI 12G. However, that will not be
enough in just a few years! By adding one more coax on the job site the dealers
will be able to use the Dual 12G SDI products that will be introduced to the
market soon. The same applies to the Cat/6 cables. HDBaseT may require that we
double up on cables and transceivers to carry the needed bandwidth in the
future.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I mentioned our new 18 Gbps Velox Cable. This product has
been designed and built to go well beyond the existing HDMI 1.4 High Speed Max
Cable Spec of 10.2 Gbps* which is the most recent spec available. <b>VELOX UHD cables are</b> now available in
lengths of one up to 12 meters and can handle anything the HDMI 2.0 spec can
throw at it!<b> VELOX UHD cables </b>are
the first-to-market cable line to combine evolutionary design and engineering
techniques to support the new generation of HD, Ultra-HD and 4K video
applications.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><br /></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>The elephant in the
room HDCP 2.2: <o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
HDCP is all content providers are concerned about -- and is
the most important part of HDMI. It is what protects their intellectual
property from theft by copying. HDCP has been with us since the very beginning
of HDMI, in fact HDCP is the real reason for HDMI. Over the years, HDCP has
gotten more sophisticated and harder, but not impossible, to hack. However,
with the introduction of HDMI 2.0 and HDCP 2.2, content is fairly secure. It is
important to note, despite common thinking, having HDMI 2.0 in your product does
NOT guarantee that you will also have HDCP 2.2. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
OK, then when will HDCP 2.2 impact your installations?
Simple! Anything that switches, processes, distributes, displays or extracts <b><i>must
be HDCP 2.2 if the source is HDCP 2.2</i></b>. Cables and extenders as a rule
are not subject to this rule.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>HDMI 2.0 Cables: Who
makes them and how much are they?<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><br /></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
There is no such animal! HDMI LLC does not have a spec or a
test to support any cable technology beyond the current 1.4 High Speed Cable
specification. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Does HDMI 2.0 require
new cables?</b> <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><br /></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
No, HDMI 2.0 will work with existing HDMI cables. Higher
bandwidth features, such as 4K@50/60 (2160p) video formats, will require
existing high speed HDMI cables (Category 2 cables).<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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Here is what HDMI states about cables: <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="http://www.hdmi.org/manufacturer/hdmi_2_0/hdmi_2_0_faq.aspx#144">http://www.hdmi.org/manufacturer/hdmi_2_0/hdmi_2_0_faq.aspx#144</a><span style="color: red;"> </span><o:p></o:p></div>
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So are there any products that exceed this spec?<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Yes, yes there are, and as usual we have them.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Our new <b>VELOX UHD cables </b>are the only cable as far as I know that will meet and exceed the
18 Gbps requirement without Eq. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
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Hopefully this information helped clarify UHD and HDMI 2.0,
so that along with <b>Metra Home </b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><br /></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Theater
Group’s</b> technical support and products, you feel more confident with your
gear choices and installs.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraph">
<span style="background: yellow; mso-highlight: yellow;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraph">
<span style="background: yellow; mso-highlight: yellow;">*Remember
that just because it is “high speed cable,” it does not mean it reaches the
10.2 Gbps capability.</span><o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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So, what do you think? Be sure to send me your questions and
any feedback you may have. I’d love to hear from you!<o:p></o:p></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12517230551329560784noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2398190878805848424.post-50733948642414743252015-07-07T13:19:00.000-04:002015-07-07T13:19:00.335-04:00History of HDMI: In the Beginning<div class="MsoNormal">
By C. I. Source<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
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Although HDMI 2.0 has been out for a while, this technology still
has a dark shroud of mystery surrounding it. Dealers and manufactures are afraid of HDMI while
customer demand is looming. We’ll examine some of the issues we’ve had to deal
with as we get underway with this new frontier in Part 1. Be sure to watch for
Part 2, <i>Into the Future of HDMI</i> in
our next installment.<o:p></o:p></div>
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The question is: “As an industry,
how do we salve the fears and provide the client with what they need to move forward with the new HDMI interface?”</div>
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<br /></div>
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<o:p></o:p></div>
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To fully understand the new technology, let’s review. Let’s
look at how we evolved, where we are presently, and where we are headed in the
future: <o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="font-size: 58.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-text-raise: -4.5pt;">I<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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n the beginning, there was DVI created by silicon image
which was intended to be a computer video interface that provided a true
Digital High Speed Video connection over a relatively short distance. DVI
performed as intended -- but not without problems creating a roadblock to
future implementation. Some of the
issues were the lack of a single Plug/Wire standard; the inability for the
signal path to travel more than 15’ consistently; no audio standard; and a very
large terminal. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Not long after DVI was introduced, the movie and TV
industries started looking for ways to secure their new “HD” content. They felt motivated by and ultimately
compelled to limit market availability due to what they assumed were their
intellectual property rights. They would not release “HD” content to without a strict
level of “Intellectual Property” protection. To fix this shortcoming, Silicon Image
(creator of DVI) took the functioning structure of DVI and the HDCP protection
scheme developed by Intel and put it all together into a smallish terminal that
carried the High Speed Video, Multi-Channel Audio, Intelligence and Security
together as one. <o:p></o:p></div>
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The original HDMI Spec 1.0, 1.1 and 1.2 (2002-2006) allowed
for 5 Gbps of data transfer, this supported 1080P, 8 Bit color, Multi-channel
Audio and EDID/HDCP. In 2006 the HDMI
1.3 spec was released, this covered several new features and an expanded
bandwidth of 10.2 Gbps. This revision
had the first actual cable performance change (from 5 to 10 Gbps) since the
introduction of HDMI and is where we still are almost 10 years later! The HDMI
1.4 spec introduced in 2009 added features to the electronics but did not have
any cable changes except for the “not yet used” Ethernet support.<o:p></o:p></div>
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This brings us to HDMI 2.0 and the new 18 Gbps standard.
When HDMI 2.0 was introduced with much Fanfare in September of 2013 (wow time
flies!) there was a lot of misunderstanding and misinformation. This new
version of HDMI made a giant leap in bandwidth and now calls for 18 Gbps
bandwidth capability. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Whoa….wait a minute, did not HDMI LLC say that they would
not need to institute a new cable spec to support this? Yes, HDMI stated, numerous
times, that the current 1.4 “high end” cable spec will do everything that is
needed for this new format.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
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And that brings us to the reason for this article: How is
this going to work? More importantly, how do we plan for the future?<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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<b>Here (in HDMI LLC’s
opinion) is how it is supposed to work:<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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<b><br /></b></div>
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Equalization! HDMI assumes that if you have a “true” High
Speed cable that is in fact capable of 10.2 Gbps and if you can throw 25 db of
EQ onto the signal at the display side you will be able to recover enough data
to get a “true” UHD 4K picture. <o:p></o:p></div>
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There are of course some serious issues involved with this
plan. A vast number of cables are not really 10.2 capable, even though they are
rated high speed. That means a fail. The display side equalization, while
over-all adaptive, does not appear to be <i>frequency</i>
specific adaptive. This means that if your cable does not have a very linear
signal loss between 10 Gbps and 18 Gbps (with a max loss of 25 db) you will have
a statistically high opportunity of failure. This theory also does not work
well with longer distances and extenders, of any sort.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b><br /></b></div>
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<b>Here (IMO) is how it
is working:<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><br /></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>H</b>ow is it that
there are systems with long cables and extenders working with UHD right now?
Well, they really aren’t doing HDMI 2.0.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
HDMI 2.0, more importantly UHD, only needs about 9 Gbps to
carry all of the current formats. I call this HDMI 2.0 Lite. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Aren’t UHD and HDMI 2.0 the same thing? No, no they are not.
Thinking of the HDMI 2.0 spec as the USA, for example, UHD is about the size of
Rhode Island! So while all UHD formats fit into the HDMI 2.0 Spec, and as a
general rule the HDMI 1.4 spec, there is no way that all of the HDMI 2.0
features fit inside the boundaries of UHD. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Here is how current UHD 4K/60 works inside of the HDMI 1.4
spec:<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Current UHD started showing up in products such as the Sony
4K server in the summer of 2013. This version was only 4K/30 meaning the
picture was refreshed 30 frames per second (FPS.) While this looked great on
static or slow moving pans, when there was an action scene the video became
very jittery. This did not go over well with the consumer. The push was on to
get the video refresh rate up to 60 FPS. The only way to accomplish this with
the cables and digital roadways that are available is to cut corners on the “<span lang="EN">chroma sub-sampling</span><span lang="EN"> </span>rate.”
This <span lang="EN">Chroma sub-sampling</span><span lang="EN"> </span>rate is represented as three numbers, 4:4:4, 4:2:2 and 4:2:0.
This is very important to both the overall quality of the picture and the
bandwidth needed to carry the signal. 4:2:0, available in UHD, cuts down on the
necessary bandwidth by doing a lot of data averaging. This is done so they can
cram a lot of data, in theory, into a small pipe. In 4:4:4 each and every pixel can display any
color independent of any other pixel. In the 4:2:0 pixels are arranged in
groups of 4 which all show the same color. This is how they cut down on
bandwidth, instead of needing enough bandwidth to provide every pixel its own
color information, they now only need enough to cover a quarter of that need.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAI2pxc9gG-NuC1tYw8cfAG_Sa3vB97m4c9AXCRqS3HPtdzoIJp7TLWZCUA48K4QqBgVjZmntm4vPWRCJJj3KP2Cst0nlFhyphenhyphenfrt8fproUmxyYNAzV3S8CsakokdMyLyMo5I96UDTmNYIE/s1600/history+of+HDMI.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="210" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAI2pxc9gG-NuC1tYw8cfAG_Sa3vB97m4c9AXCRqS3HPtdzoIJp7TLWZCUA48K4QqBgVjZmntm4vPWRCJJj3KP2Cst0nlFhyphenhyphenfrt8fproUmxyYNAzV3S8CsakokdMyLyMo5I96UDTmNYIE/s400/history+of+HDMI.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<i>Thank You to AVS Forum for this Graphic<o:p></o:p></i></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
That’s enough for this issue, don’t you agree? Stay tuned
for Part 2: <i>The Future of HDMI</i> in our
next issue.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
Be sure to send me your questions and any feedback you may
have. I’d love to hear from you!<o:p></o:p></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12517230551329560784noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2398190878805848424.post-38860414769824058382015-07-02T11:00:00.000-04:002015-07-02T11:00:04.164-04:00HAPPY 4TH OF JULY!!!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgK0xmx6BDW4zplMTUuNWJduVdU6hP3XUdb_xLJA0X5oo47u48DRklOuaE3gSUzTe7MzcQVGVP0qJI8FHWp7QBUmUOry_75QBe_niNYqNLj67ybFLT1u8tARuo98k7kJGQultnLM1437yA/s1600/4TH+OF+JULY.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="268" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgK0xmx6BDW4zplMTUuNWJduVdU6hP3XUdb_xLJA0X5oo47u48DRklOuaE3gSUzTe7MzcQVGVP0qJI8FHWp7QBUmUOry_75QBe_niNYqNLj67ybFLT1u8tARuo98k7kJGQultnLM1437yA/s400/4TH+OF+JULY.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: x-large;"><b>HAPPY 4TH OF JULY!!!!!</b></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: x-large;"><b>FROM METRA HOME THEATER GROUP</b></span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12517230551329560784noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2398190878805848424.post-2315688927939035912015-06-23T10:58:00.000-04:002015-06-23T10:58:00.435-04:00Introducing C.I. Scource<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 107%;">In an effort to better engage and inform our
customers, </span>Metra Home Theater Group would like to introduce our mascot - <b>C.I. Source </b>! C.I. Source (appropriately named after the Custom Integrator audience he will serve), is an adorable, approachable, tech-savvy, and slightly frazzled-looking, home theater enthusiast created to provide brand recognition for Metra Home Theater and serve as a tool
to educate and provide solutions to our customer base.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_tylzaFIUiwaphsdtx4QmcCaf9iADOkL66EnwaL5nXqG8PnIUvGTMyXu_s3HV0utJVJ_YATOKvPNIFXfVwQtAN9fRVaZjX6MgDL-e_pBgPu9DSgnmRw660g6lD2a9NUJx8NLwth7rYUQ/s1600/CISOURCE.for_blog.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_tylzaFIUiwaphsdtx4QmcCaf9iADOkL66EnwaL5nXqG8PnIUvGTMyXu_s3HV0utJVJ_YATOKvPNIFXfVwQtAN9fRVaZjX6MgDL-e_pBgPu9DSgnmRw660g6lD2a9NUJx8NLwth7rYUQ/s320/CISOURCE.for_blog.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">To ensure
customers fully appreciate our new mascot, we gave C.I. Source a rich history:</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0.6in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">C. I. always had a passion for technology dating back to the days of turntables and
loudspeakers. While selling Hi-Fi in his college days, C.I. </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">decided to turn his passion into his life’s work.
After an illustrious career in the car audio business, he expanded into other
areas including home automation. C.I. was right in the middle of the mix when
digital came along and changed the home entertainment industry forevermore.
Instead of boxes going out the door, customers wanted video and audio in every
room, with custom functions ranging from automatic draperies to home
monitoring.</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This meant new electronics –
distribution amplifiers, projectors, switchers –- and it all had to be designed
to work seamlessly in the home. C. I. was thrilled to take on this challenge,
which would be the first of many as he was faced with wider bandwidths,
fascinating new delivery systems and extreme home theater advances. C.I. – who
is married to his high school sweetheart, Sandy Tereo aka S.Tereo (now hyphenated
Stereo-Source.) They have one son, Di’Gital. C. I. is passionate about making
home theater and home automation accessible to all.</span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Metra
Home Theater Group strives to be a problem solving resource for CIs by sharing
a wide range of content and actively communicating with our Custom Integrator
audience. By creating C.I. Source, we
hope our customers past, present and future will find him an accessible, fun
way to get the guidance and support so many crave in setting up and operating
their home theater and automation systems exactly to their specifications,
needs and wants.</span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12517230551329560784noreply@blogger.com0