DVIGear Introduces HDMI Over Coax Extenders

DVIGear, a leading manufacturer of digital connectivity products, and Gennum Corporation (TSX:GND), a leading supplier of mixed-signal and analog signal integrity solutions, today announced that DVIGear has deployed a new high-definition multimedia interface (HDMI) coaxial extender based on Gennum’s ActiveConnect™ technology. Fully compatible with the latest HDMI v1.3 standard, DVIGear’s new DVI-7510a Coax Extender supports HDMI v1.3 data rates of up to 10.2 Gbps at distances up to 100 meters (330 feet) with no loss of audio or video quality. DVIGear will debut this groundbreaking new product at the Integrated Systems Europe show (stand 1K55) taking place February 3-5 at the RAI Convention Center in Amsterdam, the Netherlands.

Bringing unparalleled video quality over distances never before possible, this new product is the ideal solution for all residential, commercial and industrial applications that require long distance routing of digital HDMI (and DVI) signals. Using auto-adaptive technology that automatically adjusts for varying cable lengths, this extender enables easy plug-and-play installation into any environment and provides instant support for today’s high-definition 1080p displays. Furthermore, the extender offers performance headroom to spare for higher resolutions such as 1440p, and more sophisticated features like deep color and fast 120 Hz refresh rates.

“We have many customers looking to distribute HDMI v1.3 signals over very long distances, such as digital signage applications; however, our customers want to ensure that their investments will not be rendered obsolete as equipment and standards change,” said Steven Barlow, president of DVIGear. “After extensive research, we found that Gennum is the only company with a receiver/transmitter product that can satisfy our customers’ current and future needs for high quality video/audio signal distribution. By leveraging Gennum’s ActiveConnect technology, we are able to deliver an HDMI extender that delivers exceptional performance and will enable our customers to realize a solid return on their investment without the risk of short-term obsolescence.”

“Long-reach cable solutions, such as this new HDMI extender enabled by our ActiveConnect technology, are allowing manufacturers to extend the use of HDMI into new markets like digital signage,” said Vijay Sharma, Director of Marketing, A/V Connectivity, of Gennum Corporation. “The Gennum ActiveConnect solution enables users to experience resolutions of 1080p and beyond at distances never before thought possible. In addition, with the performance headroom, installers can ‘future-proof’ their environments and ensure that installations are ready for next-generation features and hardware.”

About the DVIGear DVI-7510a Coax Extender

DVIGear’s DVI-7510a HDMI Active Connect™ Coax Extender is a set of two products: DVI-7511a is an HDMI Active Connect™ Coax Transmitter that accepts an HDMI v1.3 input signal and converts it to four (4) coaxial signals for transmission over cable runs up to 100 meters (330 ft.). DVI-7512a is an HDMI Active Connect™ Coax Receiver that accepts these four (4) coaxial signals and converts them back to an HDMI v1.3 compliant output signal without any of the conversion artifacts often found in low-cost CAT-X extenders. Both units may be powered independently using two (2) external 12VDC power supplies included with the product. For retrofit applications, a fifth coaxial connection is supplied on both units; this extra connection allows power to be applied only on the transmitter side.

About the Gennum ActiveConnect™ Solution

The DVI-7510a Coax Extender is based on Gennum’s GV8500 and GV8501 transmit and receive chipset (one of several ActiveConnect solutions available from Gennum), which delivers the longest reach and highest performance HDMI connectivity solutions for high-bandwidth digital video applications. Gennum’s ActiveConnect solutions consist of transmitters and receivers that enable the streaming of uncompressed HDMI content at distances up to 100 meters (330 ft.). They support current and legacy versions of HDMI, enabling backward compatibility with existing equipment. They also exceed the performance requirements of HDMI 1.3 by more than 2x, providing “future-proofed” solutions to support next-generation applications. For more information, visit www.gennum.com/activeconnect.

Pricing and Availability

DVIGear’s DVI-7510a HDMI Active Connect Coax Extender will be available in March and has a suggested end-user price of (US) $595.

About DVIGear
DVIGear has been recognized as a leading expert in digital connectivity solutions ever since DVI technology first appeared in professional and consumer products almost a decade ago. Founded by industry visionary Gary Kayye, DVIGear is based in Atlanta, Georgia, and is now under the leadership of 30-year projection veteran Steven Barlow.

About Gennum
Gennum Corporation (TSX: GND) designs innovative semiconductor solutions and intellectual property (IP) cores for the world’s most advanced consumer connectivity, enterprise, video broadcast and data communications products. Leveraging the company’s proven optical, analog and mixed-signal products and IP, Gennum enables multimedia and data communications products to send and receive information without compromising the signal integrity. An award-winner for advances in high definition (HD) broadcasting, Gennum is headquartered in Burlington, Canada, and has global design, research and development and sales offices in Canada, Germany, India, Japan, Korea, Mexico, Taiwan, the United States, and the United Kingdom.