Gefen, which is distributed in Australia and New Zealand by Amber Technology, introduced two new matrix products today at ISE 2017. The EXT-UHD600A-44 and EXT-UHD600A-88 have been added to the 600MHz series and both fully support the latest HDMI 2.0a and HDCP 2.2 Standards.

“HDMI’s recent update to the 2.0a Standard is taking the AV industry by storm and catapulting the possibilities for resolution, colour, contrast, and audio signals to new heights,” explained Core Brands’ Gefen product manager Jason Fitzgerald.

“The need for products that switch, split, and extend this new signal format continues to increase as more display and source devices are created to embrace its capabilities. Gefen has added the EXT-UHD600A-44 and EXT-UHD600A-88 to the 600MHz series to guarantee that commercial installers can fully utilize the cutting-edge signal standards available today.”

Both the new matrix products support all 4K timings and Chroma subsampling formats, which means features such as HDR and all aspects of Rec. 2020 are also supported.

Featuring a professional API that provides previously unattainable data, the new matrix products open the door for exiting interactions between control/monitoring systems and Gefen products. They also incorporate analogue and digital audio breakouts that de-multiplex the audio stream from each HDMI output, allowing the isolated audio content to be connected to external amplifiers and music distribution systems.

Independent scalers are built into each output which means two of the outputs on the EXT-UHD600A-44 have the ability to downscale a 4K signal to HD, while the other two can upscale an HD signal to 4K Ultra HD. The EXT-UHD600A-44 also includes a Long Range Power (LRP) feature that means commercial installers do not need to use an external power supply when using a compatible extender to increase output beyond an HDMI cable’s limits.

“There has been and always will be a need for external products that perform the duties of switching, splitting, and extension in the AV distribution business,” Jason said.

“Gefen has always maintained a strong heritage in supplying these types of products while integrating the latest trends in connectivity technology. The introduction of these two new matrix products truly complete our 600MHz line-up by enabling commercial integrators to fully use HDMI 2.0a.”