SPLIT TIME

Streaming services premiering major titles from franchises such as Predator and Star Wars have shifted the AV market

Dan Winterton, Sales and Marketing Director for Antiference offers some insight into one practical, simple solution to a perennial problem.

The HDMI distribution market has seen a remarkable shift in recent years in domestic installations, from the power and popularity of the video matrix to a simple splitter over CAT6 cable.

Antiference has been manufacturing CAT6 splitters cable for many years but only now has the importance and relevance of these devices become more prominent. There are several very good reasons for this change and many will not be surprised to hear Sky Q as a major factor.

The new Sky platform has certainly proved itself over time, but at what cost to the distribution installation market? The combination of the Sky Q Silver box and a series of Sky Q mini boxes is a versatile solution to the multi-room subscription service - but brings less need for distribution of Sky services.

The rise of smart-TV-installed, app-based streaming services such as Netflix, Disney+ and Prime etc have almost made DVD & Blu Ray players obsolete, so the need for a multi-input HDMI distribution solution in many installations becomes less and less.

A large number of consumers do still maintain some kind of pay TV services perhaps for sport or other specific channels, so there is still a demand for a distribution system of some kind.

Enter the Antiference CAT6 HDMI splitters for a single source device to multi-points.

The Antiference CAT6 splitters for 1080p systems have been very popular, but with limited features such as resolution and cable distance. So we have been working on a future solution, ideal for almost every installation.

The V3 CAT6 splitters were launched in 2020 and originally only featured a four output version. This autumn we are launching the two output and eight output models to offer a wider range of products to this growing market.

At the heart of all V3 CAT6 splitters is ipcolor technology which delivers uncompressed, zero latency audio/video distribution.

Ipcolor supports resolutions up to 4K@60 18Gbps to 4:4:4 colour space up to 70m over a single CAT6. It supports HDR, PoC & ARC (RX local ARC only) plus IR control. Also fitted to the V3 CAT6 splitters is an HDMI loop out, EDID management system & RS232 control.

The Antiference V3 CAT6 splitters also support a ‘must have’ autoscaling feature, enabling a combination of 1080p screens and 4K screens to be connected to a single 4K source. The RX units in the system read the EDID in the display and where required, will scale the 4K video to 1080p if a standard HD screen is detected. This is ideal if a combination of screens are installed in the home (which is almost always the case).

The local ARC feature on the V3 CAT6 splitters allow the use of ARC from the display back to the RX and routes the audio to an S/ PDIF port, fitted to the RX. This allows the local audio return of any device connected to the display in that location (including the main source) to an audio device such as a soundbar or AVR. This ARC does not link back to the main source location but is a neat feature for a local audio return function.

These splitters are supplied as a complete kit with all the receivers, IR accessories and power supply.

Antiference also manufactures a wide range of other HDMI products with various features for the splitting and extending of a HDMI source. Check out the Antiference website to browse the range.

Contact Antiference or your usual supplier for more information on these products or come and talk to us at EI Live! on Stand 116.