Asheridge appointed European Distributor of CE Labs® HDMI™ and Digital Signage Products

We at Asheridge Communications are pleased to announce that we have been appointed the European distributor for CE Labs® HDMI™ Distribution and Digital Signage Product range . This means Asheridge are not only one of the UK’s leading HDMI™ trainers, but are now also in a position to provide an even wider range of market leading HDMI™ solutions to the AV industry. “We are extremely pleased to be able to add CE Labs® market leading products to the Asheridge family, and believe that these products will address the need to reliably and cost effectively distribute and control HDMI™ signals in both large and small AV installations.” Said Kevin Swanton UK Director for Asheridge Communications.

CE Labs® / Cable Electronics, are an American market leader and award-winning innovator in electronics, engineering and manufacturing,

The new HSW88C, 8x8 HDMI™ v1.3 matrix switcher kit, is supplied complete with eight remote controlled Cat 5 receivers. Each receiver features a 7-segment digital display and built-in IR pickups to allow users to effortlessly control their content from any location. The 8 x 8 has been added to supplement the market leading 4 x 4 matrix switcher already supplied by Asheridge Communications.

The unique design of the CE Lab® Matrix product helps to reduce signal loss by converting the HDMI™ signal and extending it up to 165 feet over CAT5e or CAT6 at resolutions of 1080p, 1080i, and 720p.

The new HSW88C features matrix master switching, providing the ability to pass any HDMI™ input to any output by either push button, IR remote control, or RS-232 control. The HSW88C has been designed for easy installation with rack-mounting and wall-mounting designs for master and receiver respectively. L.E.D. displays on the receiver and matrix units help to reduce installation time when setting up the system. The units are fully compliant with HDMI™ v1.3,HDCP and support Deep colour, where available.

All of the matrix products from CE Labs® S benefit from individual input DIP switches that provide a unique EDID control method. This either allows EDID to be learnt into the Matrix, passed through the matrix or use a default EDID setting.

Digital HD Media Players

Asheridge Communications, in conjunction with CE Labs®, can now offer a complete range of signage options to suit different budgets and applications. CE Labs® design and manufacture both the hardware and the software and can, thus provide a COMPLETE one stop solution.

There are currently three Digital media players available:

MP50A, entry level , cost effect single box solution that enables the user to play content from an array of different media cards, displaying content on most types of screen. This unit is ideal for playing local content on screen sizes up to 22”.

The HD300ZX provides a range of output resolutions including the ultimate component HD output at 1080i to facilitate high quality moving image presentations on a larger screens. The unit can either play local content from an onboard CF card (or from A USB drive) or can be networked to enable remote content delivery and scheduling over a LAN network.

The MP400A is the most versatile unit providing a variety of video outputs including full 1080P HD resolution via an HDMI™ connector. Designed to operate over a wide area network the units can be updated and controlled remotely. These networked media players have already been implemented in a number of strategic National Digital Signage projects across the US.

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Asheridge Continues to help Industry get to grips with HDMI™

More than 120 AV Integrators attended the recent Asheridge HDMI™ Training Road shows. These high-level training sessions were held at a number of strategic UK locations and focussed on the HDMI™ interface , and fibre optic termination & testing. The 2009 Roadshows followed on from the highly successful 2008 Road shows. This years’ locations included Scotland, Manchester, Banbury and Gatwick enabling installers from all areas to attend.

The days consisted of two sessions , one morning HDMI™ session and one afternoon Fibre optic termination and testing session. The HDMI™ sessions were led by Jeff Boccaccio, one of the world’s top authorities on HDMI™, and President of the US based testing and standards organisation DPL labs.

Jeff covered a number of key topics , including what stops HDMI ™ from working, the new HDMI 1.4 standard, and what impact it will have on installers, and their clients. Installers were taken through every aspect of the HDMI™ interface, exploring HDMI eye patterns, display data channel corruption, bandwidth issues, capacitance losses and other common problems experienced by installers.

“We are taking the lead with these courses. For too long now installers have resisted using HDMI™ on projects , trying to go back to the old ways of distributing High definition using analogue component. It is now time to embrace the HDMI™ interface and for installers to sell the additional benefits that this can provide to their customers. Once an installer understands what is involved in the HDMI™ interface then it becomes easier for them to track faults down when they do exist.

Asheridge also demonstrated how products such as the HDMI - DAD enable installers to now cost effectively and quickly fault find in the HDMI™ chain.

The afternoon sessions were led by Nigel Hedges from Fluke Networks, leading professional in this field, delivering training on copper and Fibre Optic Network Testing and termination. These sessions were added to the course this year as we believe that to get the maximum bandwidth necessary over the longest distance required for HD video distribution, fibre optic provides the best solution”. Commented Kevin Swanton Sales Director UK.

Members of the Asheridge team were on hand to demonstrate a number of fibre management solutions for both the rack and consumer end of the network. Purelink HDX II units were also available to evaluate. These units can send 1080p , deep colour up to 1 mile with no loss of picture quality.

Attendees on the course were accredited a minimum of 2 and half CEDIA training points, and qualified for special offers from Asheridge on a range of HDMI™ solutions.

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Asheridge on the road again with HDMI™ The Adventure Continues

Following the success of Asheridge Communications HDMI™ Road shows in December 2008, the specialist provider of home AV solutions is running another series of one day events from 2-5^th November. The sessions will again be led by the world authority on the subject, Jeff Boccaccio, President of US based DPL Labs and InVisions Technology. The latest course will also include a presentation by Fluke networks on termination and testing of fibre optic cables typically used in the latest fibre distributed HDMI and DVI systems.

The Asheridge Road shows will help installers and designers of HDMI™ distributed systems to improve their knowledge and understanding of this High Definition Interface, as well as providing tips on isolating and fixing typical HDMI™ faults. The course will bring installers up to date with the latest HDMI 1.4 standard and what it means to them.

There will also be the opportunity for fibre termination and testing, during the 2^nd half of the day when fibre optic training will be provided by Fluke Networks. Attendees at the Road Show will also have the benefit of Cedia accredited training points.

“Asheridge are building on the success of the December 08 HDMI™ Road shows and this will give the UK CI Industry another chance to get impartial advice from a man who knows HDMI inside out. A number of key topics will be covered in the course, including what stops HDMI™ working as well as HDMI™ 1.4 and what it will mean to installers. We also hope that the questions and answers sessions at the end of the course will help installers to understand how to handle future HDMI™ issues and to learn from real life HDMI™ problems that others on the course may have experienced. We want this course to educate our installers as well as act as an industry forum to share ideas and knowledge”, says Sales Director Kevin Swanton.

Attendees on the course will also qualify for special offers on a range of HDMI™ solutions available from Asheridge.

Asheridge have increased the number of days and choice of venues available to make it easier for it’s customers to attend across the UK. The locations are Livingston 2^nd Nov, Manchester 3^rd Nov, Banbury 4^th November and Gatwick 5^th November. The cost is £99 per day including lunch, and will run from 9.00am-4.30pm.

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