Crestron Ships New DM 8G Room Controllers
Crestron added the DM-RMC-200-C DigitalMedia 8G receiver and room controller to its line of DigitalMedia 8G distribution technology.
Crestron DM-RMC-200-C
Crestron added the DM-RMC-200-C DigitalMedia 8G receiver and room controller to its line of DigitalMedia 8G distribution technology. Featuring a built-in HD video scaler and 30W stereo amplifier, the DM-RMC-200-C provides a single HDMI output, plus speaker and line-level audio, locally to each display, delivering optimal high-definition display resolutions and audio performance in any room on a DigitalMedia 8G AV network, company officials said.
Crestron also released the DM-RMC-150-S DigitalMedia 8G fiber receiver and room controller, which receives all analog and uncompressed HD audio/video signals, control, data and Ethernet from a single multimode fiber strand and outputs standard HDMI to the display device.
The new DM-RMC-200-C accepts any video source from standard 480i to HD 1080p60 with Deep Color, plus all computer sources, and scales them for the best possible experience in every room. “Displays today have built-in scalers, but some can’t handle non-standard resolutions from laptops or standard def 480i. Or what about when you want to send a 1080p signal to an older display that can’t handle it?” explained Crestron director of marketing Vincent Bruno, in a statement.
DM-RMC-200-C extracts the audio from the HDMI signal for connecting to high-quality external speakers or an amplifier rather than relying on the speakers built into projectors and displays (or for room displays without speakers). The built-in 30W stereo amplifier provides power to drive a pair of local speakers, or the line output can be used to connect directly to an input on the display device, a pair of amplified speakers, or a local AV receiver, amplifier, or sound system.
“HDMI makes cabling easier because all the audio and video is carried on one wire,” said Bruno. “But what happens when you’re connecting to a display that doesn’t have speakers, or you want better sound than you get from the projector speakers? How do you get the audio out of the HDMI? Now you can.”
For custom applications such as videowalls, the DM-RMC-200-C provides zoom capability on its output to display just a portion of the source image, company officials said. Using this feature, multiple units may be combined to configure a high-definition videowall composed of up to 16 individual displays. A separate DM-RMC-200-C is required for each display. Also, 3D to 2D conversion allows 3D content to be fed simultaneously to separate 3D and 2D displays for added flexibility and video performance in settings where multiple screen types are installed, Crestron said.
The fiber-based DM-RMC-150-S adds relays, closure sensing, and USB ports to the usual RS-232, IR and Ethernet ports for additional control options and maximum design and programming flexibility. The slim profile device installs behind a flat-panel display or above a ceiling-mounted projector.
“Fiber is the infrastructure of the future and the best way to transmit AV and control long distances,” said Bruno in a statement. “CresFiber can carry all signals, including HDMI, up to 1,000 feet. The DM-RMC-150-S takes the fiber in and outputs standard HDMI to the display.”
In addition, this latest DM fiber receiver also provides a separate analog stereo audio output to connect to a line input on a display, an AV receiver, or an audio amplifier such as the Crestron MP-AMP30.
The DM-RMC-150-S can also function as a keyboard/mouse extender, allowing a USB HID-compliant keyboard and/or mouse to be connected at the display location.
