High-definition multimedia interface (HDMI) cannot have escaped your notice – it’s the talk of the town and it’s in great demand.

But it does come with some challenges.

The promise of the HDMI is huge: one cable carrying uncompressed digital HD video and audio. It’s what the market has been dreaming of.

But mention HDMI to the typical custom installer and you’re likely to get a mixed response. There will also be more than a few HDMI-related complaints ranging from annoying switching delays and screen flashing to complete audio and video failure.

At Crestron, we know better than anybody that creating a professional whole-house HD distribution system means handling the challenges that come with HDMI.

That’s why we have developed DigitalMedia, the first complete HD AV distribution system that allows virtually any mix of sources to be distributed throughout the home from a centralised rack.

Contrary to popular belief, the critical issue with distributing HD content is not how to drive the signal over long distances.

Rather, there are two primary reasons for HDMI problems: bandwidth and complexity.

Uncompressed HD video requires enormous digital bandwidth, which is notoriously difficult to push through copper wire. Add popular features such as 1080p resolution, Deep Colour and high-bandwidth digital content protection (HDCP), and the issues grow.

A simple digital video switcher cannot manage the multiple levels of encryption, key codes and handshakes that are required to distribute an HD signal. So if the HDCP encryption is not properly managed by the mid-stream device, the signal will not be displayed.

Our DigitalMedia technology revolutionises the way HDMI signals are routed and distributed, over extended distances, while processing and managing HDCP content protection.

It supports a complete range of analogue and digital signal types through one switcher, and it distributes uncompressed digital AV signals over a choice of Cat5e/6 copper wiring or a multi-mode fibre cable.

The system comprises DM switchers that serve as the central hub of the system, wall plate transmitters in various configurations for sources away from the switcher, repeaters, and copper and fibre room solution boxes designed for installation behind flat panel displays and ceiling-mounted projectors.

The DM switchers have a modular architecture and eliminate the need for external converter boxes or twisted-pair extenders. They support a wide selection of input and output cards, each painstakingly designed with extra features to deal with the usual (and unusual) signal routing and processing requirements of custom installers.

DigitalMedia manages all the different signals and devices in an integrated system, matching each source’s output to the capabilities of the selected display without using scaling or compression.

Every signal is preserved in its native video resolution and audio format, ensuring a pure, lossless signal path throughout.

The system supports HDMI 1.3a with Deep Colour and DTS 7.1-channel HD lossless audio, video resolutions up to 1920×1200 or 1080p/60, full 1080p/60 up to 120m away using Cat 5e/6 cable, and 50/125 and 62.5/125 multi-mode fibre for distances up to 1,000m.

DigitalMedia offers integrated Gigabit Ethernet and USB mouse and keyboard distribution, allowing computers, media servers and video game consoles to be installed out of sight and accessed from anywhere in the house.

And Crestron control is built in for control of displays and other room devices without the need for additional wiring.

One of the most eye-catching and impressive features of the DigitalMedia system is the complete eradication of switching latency, thanks to our exclusive QuickSwitch HDTM technology that maintains a constant HDCP connection with each HDMI device in the system.

By eliminating the need to re-authenticate each time a different source is selected, QuickSwitch HDTM achieves very fast switching of HDMI signals – a feature exclusive to our switcher.

Wide support from content providers and the consumer electronics market makes HDMI unequivocally the future of HD video transmission.

Processing and managing HDCP requires complex technology, especially where multiple rooms are concerned. On top of which, switching systems must be easily customisable to handle content protection issues.

By intelligently managing these complex communication mechanisms and presenting them in an installer-friendly package that expands easily to serve even the most demanding multi-room scenario, DigitalMedia technology allows custom installers to put these challenges firmly into perspective.