Baker's Corner: The All New 8x4 Matrix

Baker's Corner is an all new addition to the AVPro Newsletter from our very own Steve Baker!

I hope everyone is staying safe and cool! It's certainly heating up in much of the west (it certainly is in NorCal). This month I want to take a closer look at a product we just introduced - the AC-CX84-AUHD. This brand new switch was designed as part of our ConferX commercial product line-up and is a stand-out product for many commercial applications, however it's also finding a home in residential applications right out of the gate for some very good reasons. While centralized video applications are a primary application for matrix switches, home theater is a category where we see many switches specified. Many of you are familiar with our AC-MX42-AUHD and AC-MX82-AUHD switches. The most popular application for both is the increasingly common scenario where the internal video switching of the system's AVR or preamplifier is just not up to the task of switching the high-bandwidth 4K signals we are seeing now. The new CX84 takes that concept a couple of steps further.

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​This switch has several unique aspects that set it apart from our other offerings;

1. Two HDBaseT inputs as well as two HDBaseT outputs. The inputs are very handy for remote sources such as bedroom blu-ray players, laptops, NVR's etc. and are compatible with both our stand-alone transmitters and our line of wall plates. The two outputs can be used for longer runs without the need for bulky exterior transmitters.
   
   
2. Eight inputs. Eight inputs can come in handy in a theater setting - DTV, blu-ray, AppleTV, Roku, X-Box, Playstation, Kaleidescape and cameras are just some of the common sources. A USB-C wall plate in the theater is becoming a popular request to accommodate a laptop input.
   
   
3. Four outputs. In many cases you'll need an output for a flat panel display, one for a projector and one for a feed to the audio system. With four you can accommodate those items and still have an extra output. 
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4. Quick Switch. With this switch we have introduced a new feature that will be welcomed by your customers - Quick Switch. Switching time between sources has been reduced to less than 3 seconds for 4K and less than 2 seconds for 1080p. That's fast.

As with the vast majority of our other switches the AC-CX84-AUHD offers full 18Gbps bandwidth and can process all forms of HDR and all popular audio formats. Drivers are available for all major control platforms. At a full $1,700 MSRP less than our standard 8x8 HDMI switch and a whopping $6,200 less than our 8x8 HDBT switch it's the perfect solution for theaters, smaller distributed systems and many commercial applications. Below you'll find some sample residential configurations. It's in stock and shipping now, feel free to reach out if you have any questions!

About the Author

Steve Baker is and industry veteran and AVPro's Sales Manager for the Western US. Here is a little more info about Steve:

​I entered the A/V industry in 1979. Since then I have worked in retail sales/management, custom integration installation /sales/project management as well as business owner and licensed contractor. Since 1999 I have worked primarily in CEDIA channel distribution and direct representation.

Look forward to Baker's Corner in every AVPro Newsletter!