John Tumbleson joins Paco Aguilar for his "Just the Tips" podcast where they discuss everything MXNet. You can find the entire episode here. Or you can listen on spotify below. 

What is your Name and your roll at AVPro Global Holdings?
Tom Devine, I'm a part of the Marketing Department

What is your favorite Color?
Green

What is your favorite food?
Ice Cream

What do you like about working at AVPro?
The work, I enjoy being apart of a company that is pushing and guiding the way Audio Video Technology is going to grow. I'm a life long A/V enthusiast, and it carries over into my personal life. Being able to have my career match up with my interests is pretty lucky. 

From your point of view, how is AVPro different from other places you worked?
I don't really remember "Before AVPro" but I can tell you that the leadership here is the big differentiator. At AVPro I have learned a ton about myself and what I'm capable because the leadership pushes and guides you for consistent growth. 

What has been your best “moment” since working with AVPro?
So many, how about being the first to ship a 8x8 matrix switch that can do 18Gbps, that was awesome, or how about working with Dolby and DTS to release the first audio downmixer for professional integrators that can downmix full Dobly Atmos and DTS-X, that was really cool. 

AVPro Operates out of South Dakota, what the best and worst part of living in the 605?
We do live in a beautiful part of the USA, but my favorite part of has been building a nerd/geek community of like minded misfits through my YouTube show on Comic Books and our local comic-con; SIOUXPERCON where we have raised thousands of dollars for children's literacy in our state.

If you had it your way, what is one thing you would change with the professional audio video world?
I don't know, can we just get rid of HDCP at this point? Is it stopping any criminals? or just messing up pro installers who are trying to work with HDMI?

What is your favorite Consumer Electronic?
Of all time? The Super Nintendo. Currently; the Xbox Series X.
​
We hear you are into new and upcoming bands, and live music, who should we be checking out? 
GOOSE, they are the coolest band on the scene. You can find them on spotify, apple music or anywhere else you listen. They will rock your socks off, and still make you cry tears of joy because the music is so beautiful. 

With the expansion of 8K signals being sent from the latest gaming consoles through the newest AVR's on to the biggest and best 8K displays, these signals are not going anywhere. Even more so, they are going to become more prevalent throughout home theaters and then into the multizone home AV systems. 

HDMI can be challenging at 4K bandwidth of 18Gbps, when we up that to over 40Gbps things can really get finicky. With Murideo testing tools you can take the guessing out of the tracking down HDMI problems. With our testing tools you know exactly what is happening to your signal when you run it through any HDMI device including TV's, Projectors, AVR's, Repeaters, and all source devices. 

Our partners at Murideo have you covered with these new 8K Testing Tools: 

The AC-EX40-444-KIT is one of AVPro's best selling extender kits, and one of the most trusted extender kits in the industry. Part of our 444 series of extenders, the EX40 supports 18Gbps 4K60 (4:4:4) over CAT using our ICT technology (more on that later). This extender set also features IR, RS232, bi-directional power, full EDID management, built-in test patterns for troubleshooting, and built-in scaling.

These ultra-slim extenders allow installers to use the latest sources but not worry about mixed systems with built-in 4K to 1080p down scaling and advanced EDID management. These feature makes these products perfect for retrofitting older systems where CAT cable has already been run.

​The EX40, along with the rest of our 444 extender series uses ICT to transmit 18Gbps signals via CAT cable. Using ICT (Invisible Compression Technology) we can deliver a virtually lossless, high bandwidth, 4K HDR signal with support up to 18Gbps. Deep Color and HDR Metadata remain intact making the transmission free of artifacts like banding. Other similar devices will deliver a sub-par image that has very visible banding and color shifting.

​Below you see 2 screenshots. When looking at the left image, pay attention to all of the artifacts in the solid colors (pointed out by arrows). This is what the image looks like through an extender without ICT. The right image is almost the same, but notice the lack of artifacts, this is achieved with an AVPro Edge ICT extender like the AC-EX40-444-KIT.

with AVPro’s 444 Extender Series and proprietary ICT you can confidently install a high bandwidth video system without visibly compromising the video quality. If you have any questions about the AC-EX40-444-KIT or any other AVPro extenders, feel free to give us a call!

What is your Name and your roll at AVPro Global Holdings?
 Stefan Tonjes

What's your favorite Color?
AVPro green

What's your favorite food?  
Godfather’s Pizza

What do you like about working at AVPro?  
What I love about AVPro is that we’re all just a bunch of mutts. AVPro hired people for their potential and not their previous job experience.  For example Brad and Cassie knew nothing about HDMI prior to working here and now they are the best tech support in the business.  Tom, from marketing, didn’t know anything about marketing HDMI products and now he’s an integral part of how we go to market. Joe had no shipping experience and has since become the cog to make sure all the pieces and parts are heading in the right direction.  The list goes on and on and includes myself.  I didn’t understand what an extender was when I started working there. It makes for a fun environment that we are not fearful to learn from our mistakes, discover new ways to do things and watch this company go from nothing to a legitimate player in the industry.

What has been your best “moment” since working with AVPro?  
As a sales guy there are always new sales milestones we hit and that’s always exciting. But the most exciting moment was from a few years ago when I sold 120 special order 4x2’s  This project took 9 months from inception to delivery and to finally see that PO come in was very exciting.  Especially, since at that time, that equated to more than half our monthly sales total.

AVPro operates out of South Dakota, what the best and worst part of living in the 605?  
The best part of living in the 605 area code is that From April till October its warm, sunny, green, and there is plenty to do.  I’ll admit, I’m a little surprised at how many people I’ve talked to that have never heard of Sioux Falls.  I am frequently the only person others have ever met from South Dakota (perhaps that’s a good thing 😊) As far as the worst thing, it’s the winter.  This is why I live in Florida during that time.  Haha

What is your favorite Consumer Electronic?  
The remote to my tv. That is probably one of the greatest inventions of all time.  I’m old enough to remember when there was no such thing.

AVPro Edge continues to push the limits of technology when it comes to audio video distribution. One of the ways we are doing that is by maximizing what is possible with a matrix switch. That has never been more clear with the first introduction to our AXION line of luxury matrix switchers. 

This month we launched the AC-AXION-4 and with that comes:

• New AVPro Edge User Interface
• Dolby Atmos and DTS-X Audio Downmixing to 2 Channels
• Dolby Vision, HDR and HDR-10 Full Support
• Built-in Scaling for Legacy 1080 and 720 displays
• Built-in Full Diagnosis Platform

AVPro dealers,

This month I'm going to look at two of the most successful products we have produced here at AVPro. They also happen to be incredibly timely solutions for today's customer. In any sales relationship, whether dealer-to-end user or manufacturer-to-dealer, the most satisfying scenario is one where we can provide a real solution to a real problem that our customer is experiencing.  ​

That's one of the reasons we qualify our customer, so we can uncover the need that exists and solve it with a product or service that we can provide. So it is with the AC-MX42-AUHD and its big brother the AC-MX82-AUHD/AC-MX82-AUHD-RM (rack mount). I don't think it's any secret that there are many great sounding AVR's and processors out there that sometimes fall short in the HDMI video switching department. Many times it's simply because video technology has advanced beyond the ability of the included video section to cope with. Occasionally it's because that particular part was supplied by a third party and it never really was up to the job. Of course we now have an added element - even if your customer does want to upgrade that AVR or processor you can't get one. Anywhere.  Full bandwidth high quality video switching is one of the things we do best, and we saw an opportunity to provide a real solution for a real need. 
​

​AVPro Goes Weatherproof with the Help of Sealoc’s Planet Friendly Nano Fluid
You can now get weatherproof HDBaseT Receivers from AVPro Edge that can stand the elements
 
AVPro Edge has announced that it will be featuring two new products that have gone through the full Sealoc Weatherproofing Treatment. The point-to-point HDBaseT extender (AC-EX40-444-KIT-SEA) and the HDBaseT receiver for matrix switchers (AC-EX70-444-RNE-SEA) are available to help integrators when having to install a video zone in a outdoor area. The Sealoc treatment protects AVPro Edge’s products from:
 
•               Direct Rainfall
•               Humidity
•               Salt Air
•               Dust
 
“We’re very pleased here at Sealoc”, says Rick Webster, President “to have created this partnership with AVPro Global. Our company philosophies regarding product quality and customer satisfaction are directly aligned. The AVPro Edge products are similar to Sealoc’s, in that we pride ourselves in offering military-grade products and services. For years we have admired the quality of product and the customer service that AVPro Global provides, so when we began talks with AVPro Global, it became quickly evident that this partnership was a perfect fit.”
 
Jeff Murray, President of AVPro Edge said, “We are excited to be able to offer Sealoc receivers to our dealers! The Sealoc process extends the life of the product significantly in harsh environments – outdoors, close to the ocean, anywhere that the elements can get in and cause damage to electronics. Sealoc doesn’t just do some sort of spray and call it good, they re-engineered our receivers cooling ducts to ensure they remain dry and functional even in straight line wind and rain. Sealoc is a perfect fit for today’s projects that demand outdoor functionality and product protection.”
 
Sealoc’s goal first and foremost is to help protect our planet from having harmful components put into landfills, and a close second is to help our clients extend the life of these electronics for many more years than they would otherwise last when exposed to rain, acid rain, humidity, salt-air and other corrosive environments. From products to services, Sealoc prides itself in establishing an eco-friendly offering that not only helps our planet but saves our clients real money on their investments.
 
For more information on Sealoc’s outdoor TVs, digital signage, speakers and weatherproofing services, visit www.sealoc.com.

​HDMI is much more than a simple audio video signal, with power, control, timing metadata, ARC, eARC, and EDID information being passed bi-directionally from the source to the sink, HDCP running checks multiple times a minute. That is a lot of information to be sent around an installation and every integrator can tell you that working with HDMI signals can be a challenge. AVPro Edge offers stable solutions like our extenders, matrix switchers and distribution amplifiers that will ensure you don’t have problems.
 
But what happens when you get a call from a current installation about a troubled HDMI run? You get on site, you are not sure what is wrong, it can be hard to figure out, you check cabling and connections, maybe it works for a while, but then you get called back. Now the customer is annoyed that there is a problem, you are losing money on the job and no one is happy. Let AVPro Edge help you with our scaling products that can stabilize any run.
 
With AVPro Edge’s AC-SC2-AUHD, you can put this scaler in line before any display to massage the HDMI signal and make sure it’s the right signal for your display. By choosing the exact signal you want and locking it in, your display will work properly knowing it’s getting a signal it trusts. With the amplification inside our SC2 scaler even if you have a week HDMI signal, the scaling device will reamplify if for the display. With options for Interlaced to Progressive conversion and audio extraction, this little fix it tool should be in every integrators truck ready to be installed in the pesky HDMI run that’s extra-long, or using a legacy projector or display.
 
What ever the case the SC2 will help!
 
To get these units into the hands of our customers we are giving them away for free!!! When you purchase 5 extender kits you get an AC-SC2-AUHD for free* (select models) ! This special is only valid throughout the month of May 2021, so take advantage while you can to earn yourself free scaler’s from AVPro Edge
 
This promotion is valid with the following products from AVPro Edge:
 
Extender Kits:
AC-EX40-444-PLUS-KIT
AC-EX70-444-KIT
AC-EX100-444-KIT
 
Wall Plate TX & RX Combos including these products (must have Transmitter and Receiver)
AC-CXWP-HDMO-T
AC-CXWP-USBC-T
AC-CXWP-MDP-T
AC-CXWP-VGA-T
AC-EX100-UHD-R3
AC-CX100-RAMP
AC-EX70-SC2-R
 
PLEASE NOTE THIS PROMOTION EXCLUDES:
AC-EX70-UHD-KIT
AC-EX70-BKT
AC-EX40-444-KIT

AVPro Edge has recently worked closely with C&E Marketing and HD2020 in the Tampa area to upgrade an existing home to the latest in audio video technology. With 16 independent video zones throughout the home and zero cabling that would meet today specifications, HD2020 knew this install was going to need a major overhaul to bring it up to date. Working with C&E Marketing HD2020 had been introduced to AVPro Edge for their video distribution products and knew that they would fit this installation perfectly.

Retrofit for 4K, but ready for 8k
Before any real whole home video distribution could be accomplished the major overhaul had to happen to the infrastructure. RG6 and old telephone wire was the only cabling run throughout the home. With the end user wanting the best picture quality possible, the designers at HD2020 knew they needed to bring this older home to the current standard of today’s technology.

Rewiring a home this size is a challenge, because it’s a lot of time and effort the customer didn’t want to have to do this again in a few years. To make sure that didn’t need to happen Fiber Optic cables and Cat6 shielded was run throughout the entire home to every zone. Ensuring even when there is a jump to 8k this installation will be ready via the fiber optics.

Florida Home’s are Built Different!
Being in the heart of Hurricane country brings many codes and building styles that most integrators may not be familiar with. HD2020 being a staple of the Florida audio video industry were prepared for the challenge. After a clear game plan from their designer and signed off on from the end user the team went to work, delivering fiber optics and Cat6 throughout the entire home. Once finished the cabling infrastructure was like a brand new construction build.

AVPro’s Whole Home Solution
The chassis based matrix switcher was the right choice for this installation allowing HD2020 to send 18Gbps video signals to every zone. Using Dolby Atmos downmixing cards the user is able to watch the same source through every zone in the home, and can be confident that they are hearing the best possible audio for that zone; be it 2 channels up to 24+ zones of Dolby Atoms or DTS-X.

Murideo for Display calibration
HD2020 partnered with Murideo to ensure that every single tv in the installation was getting the most optimized system possible. Jason Dustal a long time calibration expert was the main consultant on the installation and actually coming on site to color calibrate every display in the installation.

AVPro Edge helps its customers deliver the latest in video technology, with flexible interoperable products that are engineered to deliver the best whole home video experience possible.

What is your Name and your roll at AVPro Global Holdings?

 My name is Austin Dirks, and I am a member of our Technical Support team.

Whats you favorite Color?

 Purple!

Whats your favorite food?

 Love me some spaghetti!

What do you like about working at AVPro?

I'm assuming "Everything" is a fairly cheesy answer, even though it's true! I'd say my favorite thing about working at AVPro are my coworkers. Everyone working here are extremely knowledgeable, helpful, and just fun to work with in general!

From your point of view, how is AVPro different from other places you worked?

AVPro is like no other place I have ever been employed at. I mainly worked in the corporate retail/food service industry beforehand, where the upper management was solely focused on increasing the company's profit margins, and nothing else, having a complete disconnect from their employees. AVPro's management genuinely cares about their employees and will work with us the best they can with whatever we could possibly need, or even want!

What has been your best “moment” since working with AVPro?

It's hard to narrow down, but I'd say my overall "Best" moment has been the sheer amount of personal growth I've had over the relatively short time span I've been employed here. When I first started working with AVPro, I'll be honest, I didn't even know what a matrix switch was, let alone everything else that revolves around the AV industry in general. Now, roughly 6 months later, by the time this newsletter gets published, I'll be signed up to take the CTS exam to become a Certified Technology Specialist. Absolutely none of this growth would've been possible without my coworkers helping me get my feet planted on the ground of the AV industry!

AVPro Operates out of South Dakota, what the best and worst part of living in the 605?

Easily the cold, windy winter days. I do not do well with the cold in general, and I'm constantly shivering/under 5 blankets during the winter season!

If you had it your way, what is one thing you would change with the professional audio video world?

The only thing I can think of that would be a beneficial change is to have IR operate under a certain regulation "standard". There are so many different IR connections out there, each operating with their own voltage usage, requires exactly a mono or stereo connection, stereo to stereo, mono to mono, mono to stereo, stereo to mono, etc. It would be amazing if I could just tell someone on the phone to grab any random IR eye/emitter or 3.5mm IR cable and it simply works, with no second thought!

What is your favorite Consumer Electronic?

I'd say my favorite Consumer Electronic right now would be the Nintendo Switch. Not only is it just a great gaming console that you can take wherever you desire, but the very first game console I ever used was a Super Nintendo Entertainment System at my grandparent's house. Being able to play all the old SNES games on the Switch (as well as recent Mario games and other titles) I played before, it takes me back to all the memories that I've made with my grandparents, who have passed on some time ago, and I miss deeply.

Although lately, my Switch at home is now just a dedicated machine for Monster Hunter: Rise at the moment!

Austin, what is something about you that your co-workers would be surprised to hear?

I'm sure there's a lot of things my co-workers would be surprised to hear, as I'm not particularly the "chatty" type of person haha!

Most probably already have heard, but I'm about to become a father for the first time to a little girl in less than a month, potentially right when or close after this article is published, and I absolutely have never been more excited and terrified at the same time!!!

What people probably are unaware of, is that I've had an affinity for offensive security (hacking, essentially) since I was young. I've been out of practice for years now, but while I was still in my senior year of high school, I actually participated and ranked in the top 20 in a national hacking competition, with the National Cyber League, and offensive security is what I enrolled in college for.

My wife also told me that being able to score her as a wife is pretty surprising, so there's that as well!! Little Fun fact, before I was even employed here, we got married at the Sanford Event Barn, which amusingly is just over a block away from the office!

 In many homes, keeping the audio and video sources centralized is a benefit. However, if analog audio signals need to travel a longer distance, they may be susceptible to noise, such as EMI (electromagnetic interference), and signal attenuation.
 
The AC-AEX-KIT professional audio extender allows integrators to deliver uncompressed audio signals over 100 meters away from an audio source over CAT5e, or greater cabling. Using category cable allows for differential signaling protecting the audio signal from outside EMI and Noise, while passing the audio signal over a much greater distance than traditional means. Additionally, the AEX extenders can be used for individual mono channel extension on either of the RCA inputs. Such as feeding two active subwoofers the necessary LFE channels, bringing in impactful, immersive bass from a theater to a remote Audio Preprocessor or AVR.

Who Installs the Best Rack?
Clean Wires, Clear Labels, Built in diagnostic Tools?
What makes for the best Rack?
 
April Showers bring beautiful rack systems with AVPro Edge! We want to help you bring eye catching, jaw dropping rack systems to your clients with some of our tools. We are pulling out all the stops this month with not only a discount on accessories but also a Free Custom Branding, putting your Logo on Rack Mounted monitors, see details below!
 
April 2021 Only

            - 10% Off any EZ Rack or Squid Power Supply
            - Buy a Dual Rack Mounted Monitor, get your Logo on the Monitors for FREE!
 
The Dual Rack Mounted Monitors brings a level of class and luxury to your rack that most integrators will over look. Set yourself apart from the competition by putting this cherry on top that not only upgrades the entire look of the rack, but also gives you multiple diagnostic and analyzation tools built-in. You are able to use the HDMI loop outs on each screen to see what content is being delivered throughout the home directly on the rack. With on screen tools showing resolution and timing or audio levels, the information you need as an integrator is at the rack in an easy to view and use method.

Check out the 4K Rack Mounted Dual Monitor here.

Also, don't miss Murideo's test equipment giveaway where you could win a Fox & Hound and an MSTest Pro.

AVPro Edge works hard to ensure we support every control system around, recently we were connected with the company Ultamation that is building premium drivers to work with AVPro Edge products. Lets learn a little more about Ultamation:

Company Name: Ultamation
Website: https: //www.ultamation.com/

Video issues with AVRs is common for all installers in the AV industry, every single day the AVPro Edge tech support department takes multiple calls that end up being an AVR as the troubled spot in the installation.

AVRs are built to handle the highest audio codecs on the market, Dolby Atmos, DTS-X, beyond 8 channels audio is a breeze for AVR’s from most brands. However, those same AVR’s often struggle with varying types of HDMI signals. Bandwidth is hard to manage and video bandwidth takes up much more data than audio, in turn some chipset’s inside the AVR’s are not able to process these 4K and HDR video signals.

When dealing with high bandwidth content the HDMI processing boards in AVRs have a hard time switching not only between different resolutions, but most importantly HDCP types. Customers often get a solid black screen or no signal to their display when switching between HDCP 1.4 and HDCP 2.2. Even the highest-end AVRs can potentially experience this issue. When a customer switches between a lower res source like a cable box or NVR camera system, to a higher res source like an apple tv, roku, kscape, they can easily lose picture and not be able to regain picture without power cycling devices in the video route.

An example of a great solution to separating video distribution from your AVR audio system is the AC-MX42-AUHD or AC-MX82-AUHD. These devices can handle up to 8 high bandwidth video sources right along side those less taxing sources. The two mentioned matrices have two HDMI outputs, one of which as the ability to downscale 4k to 1080p but leave the audio signals completely unimpeded. This allows the customer to send one uncompressed video signal to their display/projector, and the downscaled port can send HDMI bitstream audio to the AVR while keeping the resolution at a maximum resolution of 1080p to reduce bandwidth and give your AVR a fighting chance.

​
AC-AEX-KIT

Extend Uncompressed High Quality Audio 100 meters over standard Category Cable including every signal type from 2 channel Dolby Digital and DTS.

• Engineered to deliver uncompressed audio 100 meters

 

• Ideal for bringing SmartTV audio to a distributed system
• SmartTV audio support from apps like Netflix, Spotify & Disney Plus
• Coaxial or Optical digital audio S/PDIF Signal Support
• Supports stereo and multi-channel digital audio (LPCM 2 CH through Dolby Digital or DTS 5.1 CH)

The AC-AEX-KIT professional audio extender from AVPro Edge allows integrators to deliver uncompressed audio signals 100 meters away from the source. The units can switch between Coaxial and Optical digital signals and can be powered by either USB or power adapter allowing users flexibility of choice between power sources. This extender works with any compatible RJ45 connection that has CAT5e or greater cable, and with POE you only have to power one side to deliver power to both.
This is ideal in modern installations when the customer wants to hear the sound from the built-in SmartTV apps, and you want to route them back to the head end for whole home audio distribution.
​
 
APPLICATIONS

• Point-to-point digital audio extension (150M/500FT)
• Bringing digital audio from app (Netflix, Hulu, Etc...) enabled displays to the head end (rack) for further distribution
• Sending digital audio standalone and video separately to address legacy AVR's
• Retrofitting existing infrastructure with audio transmission

What is your Name and your roll at AVPro Global Holdings?  Brad Miller, Technical Service Manager AKA Expert of Fun !!

What's you favorite Color?  Gray  

What's your favorite food?  Cheetos

What do you like about working at AVPro?  Going to work and not hating it !! We have a great culture.  Everyone is able to communicate well and we have fun getting work done.

From your point of view, how is AVPro different from other places you worked?  Ownership/Upper management understands that everyone needs a good balance of work and personal life.  We are treated and taken care of the best a company could possibly do !!

What has been your best “moment” since working with AVPro?  Really hard to sum up my three and half years here with one moment.  I have many.  An experience that stands out would be my trip to ISE last year

AVPro Operates out of South Dakota, what the best and worst part of living in the 605?  We get a bad rap for our extreme weather which can suck, but also be awesome.  There are lots of restaurants and things to do if you put forth a little effort. But yes the cold blows 😊

If you had it your way, what is one thing you would change with the professional audio video world?  Knowledge and Effort.  There is so much going on that it's hard to keep up with all the advancements, changes and differences with equipment.  Doing it daily it's hard to keep up.  Doing a little research most things can get figured out.  A little help form everyone’s favorite pocket distraction….Google

What is your favorite Consumer Electronic? Pixel 4XL and Nintendo Switch

We hear you recently had your third kid, how do you balance being a dad, a husband and AVPro Tech Specialist? Yes apparently I can’t miss !!

Life is great !! I have an amazing wife who works hard and keeps me in line.  It’s a challenge with 3 kids under the age of 5 but we manage and do well in my opinion.  Wouldn’t trade it for anything !!

For this month's spotlight I am going to focus on a truly unique solution product that deserves more attention than it often gets, the AC-SC1-AUHD scaler. Like it's big brother the AC-SC2-AUHD-GEN2, calling it a scaler is selling it short. In fact, it checks so many boxes I'm not really sure what we should call it other than amazing. It is indeed a scaler, capable of taking a 4K signal and downscaling it to 1080p as well as upscaling a 1080 signal to 4K. It's also an EDID manager, which means that in addition to solving common EDID communication issues it can also be used to downscale a 4K signal to 1080p for a non-4K display while fooling a distributed system into thinking that the display is 4K, eliminating the lowest-common-denominator problem that exists with many 4K switching devices. When scaling a signal from a 1080p legacy source up to 4K there are three selectable levels of video enhancement to maximize older sources.  It re-clocks, re-equalizes and amplifies the HDMI signal helping to correct for deficiencies in the source's output signal. It is also an audio extractor, taking 2ch PCM audio signals and extracting them to an analog output, in fact it comes in at such a low cost that you could justify using it just for that!

But scaling, EDID management, signal correction and audio extraction are only part of the SC-1's magic. What really sets it apart are these two very unique capabilities;


HDBT-C Mode - The SC-1 can reduce the bandwidth of 9.1gbps to 18gbps signals (including 4K60 HDR) to 9g, automatically using the least destructive method based on the input signal. This will allow you to transmit a stripped-down version of a 4K source's output over legacy pipelines.


HDBT-C Mode 2 - This incredibly valuable feature requires two SC-1's, one at the source and one at the display. With this arrangement you can take a full 18gbps 4K HDR source and, using our ICT technology, compress the signal to 9gbps for transmission over legacy infrastructure (existing cable, extender, switch etc). Once the signal reaches the display the second SC-1 will expand the signal to its original specifications. This means that you can upgrade your customer's display to 4K and be confident that you will be able to deliver maximum signal quality, even if the path is a 10.2 gbps cable that is permanently installed in a non-accessible area. This ability can be the determining factor when it comes to whether or not your customer is going to invest in that new 4K projector. 

This is another one of those flexible solution items that deserves a spot on your shelf or in your install vehicles. For a very small investment it can help solve a variety of issues as well as allow you to avoid some common pitfalls in system design. Don't let legacy equipment or designs be a roadblock, the AC-SC1-AUHD can help!

Written by:
​
Steve Baker, CTS
Regional Sales Manager
Residential West
AVPro

​The AVPro Employee Highlight section is a way for you to get to know our AVPro Family. Let's get to know Justin!

What is your Name and your roll at AVPro Global Holdings?
Justin A. Fejfar and I am an AVPro Technical Engineer.
 
Whats you favorite Color? Green
 
Whats your favorite food? Goulash
 
What do you like about working at AVPro?
I love everything about AVPro, but I think our family of people is the best part of the company. We are such a diverse group of awesome knowledgeable people that create the fiber of the inter-workings of this amazing company. If you have a question, an issue, or just want to understand something better, there’s always someone who can help.
 
From your point of view, how is AVPro different from other places you worked?
AVPro is so much different from any place I’ve ever worked. This company actually cares about its employees, that’s easy to see from the weekly lunches to the Christmas bonuses to just every day getting positive feedback from Matt Murray. There are some owners out there that are non existent in their companies, that couldn’t be further from the truth with the owners of AVPro. 
 
What has been your best “moment” since working with AVPro?
I think every day is better than the last because there’s always something new or more to learn. But I would say my best moment in my eyes is with the achievement of my ISF level 1 certification, the completion of the AVPro academy class, or the first call that I took when I solved the customers problem. It feels incredible to be able to fix a problem that someone has been struggling with and to feel the appreciation that the customer has when you do is amazing.
 
AVPro Operates out of South Dakota, what the best and worst part of living in the 605?
Obviously the worst part is the cold winters. I don’t mind the snow, it’s mainly the freezing cold winds that I don’t care for. 
 
If you had it your way, what is one thing you would change with the professional audio video world?
I truly wouldn’t change anything, other than doing away with installers and companies in this industry using the word Balun for Extenders, lol.
 
We hear you are a big fan of Gangster Films, what is your #1 favorite?
Heat is my favorite but it isn’t as gangster as Carlito's Way, so I’d say Carlito's Way #1.

​Soundbars are continuously rising in popularity as additional enhancements to many home AV Systems.

​They provide a potentially inexpensive, less labor-intensive upgrade to a television’s sound when compared to a display’s internal speakers. But this easy upgrade can also become a stranglehold in your system, limiting control, resolutions, and even audio formats.

Today’s soundbars can vary slightly in the number of different kinds of inputs featured. Ultimately leaving us with a mashup of different capabilities of both audio and control.
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The Toslink Input

• Allows us to do compressed audio up to Dolby Digital+ 
• While some control can be done with Toslink, it is not guaranteed to work between devices (especially if devices are not the same brand)

The HDMI ARC Input

• Allows us to do compressed audio up to Dolby Digital+
• Additional control over Toslink; such as TV Power Toggle, Channel/Input Tuning, and more.

The HDMI eARC Input

• Improved upon the HDMI ARC specification, allows for ARC Fallback, display must also support eARC
• Allows us to do uncompressed audio such as Dolby TrueHD and object-based audio such as Dolby Atmos
• Same level of control as the HDMI ARC

Let it be noted that both Toslink and HDMI ARC can support Dolby Atmos within the compressed Dolby Digital+ Container. This audio format may be found within the internal app of some displays.

Additionally, just because a soundbar has a certain input does not mean that it accepts all formats of audio. For example, many soundbars can only take in up to Dolby Digital (Not DD+) and may produce distorted audio or no audio when an unsupported format has been used. Fortunately, many displays can limit the audio that is being sent to a soundbar.
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Lastly, soundbars that use HDMI ARC or eARC require the use of a singular HDMI Input to send digital audio, reducing the overall number of devices that can physically be connected to a display. However, many soundbar devices feature an HDMI Passthrough Port to make up for the loss of an input.

This HDMI passthrough port can be one of the largest constraints when a soundbar is added to the system. Some soundbars feature inadequate HDMI ports to reduce cost, forcing the user to either sacrifice HDR, and at times 4K resolutions, or lose use of said input for anything but audio.

Ultimately, crisis can be avoided by understanding the whole use case of an AV Zone as well as the video and audio formats supported by the sources; then pairing a display and soundbar based upon those specifications.
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So, are soundbars a convenience, a constraint, or both? That is for you to decide.
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In last month's webinar, John Tumbleson (The Mind Behind MXNet Mentor) and Tom Devine put together an entire AV over IP system using MXNet Encoders, Decoders and an MXNet Network Switch racing against the clock to complete the system as fast as they can! 

The goal of this video is to show integrators how easy it can be setting up a system with MXNet AV over IP Ecosystem. If you missed the live version, check out the video below. 

To learn more about the MXNet, check out the Ecosystem webpage or give us a call at 877-886-5112!