AVPro Edge

Feb. 26, 2021 - For this month's product spotlight I'm going to take a slightly different approach. I've been focusing on our latest and greatest product releases. Although the pandemic has certainly caused a lot of issues for many, during all of it we continued to pour resources into R&D with the results being a slew of new products including the just-released MXNet Video-over-IP System, USB extension, and more, not to mention the amazing stuff you don't yet know about. With all of that it's easy to overlook some key products that have been around for a while that continue to be standout items in our lineup. One of the most powerful, versatile solution products is also one of our least expensive and it deserves a closer look - the AC-DA12-AUHD-GEN2 1x2 Distribution Amplifier.

You might be tempted to call it an "HDMI Splitter", but that would be selling this little gem short. It has been so popular that a few "me-too" versions have popped-up. As is often the case, a quick look under the hood will tell you there is nothing like the real thing. It is indeed a terrific full 18Gbps HDMI splitter capable of full 4K60 4:4:4 and all forms of HDR, but that is just a small part of what it can do.

• Scaling - Output 2 offers the ability to downscale 4K signals to 1080p when needed.
• Extreme EDID Management - 16 EDID settings are available, including the ability to learn the EDID from any display.
• Audio Extraction - Audio can be extracted to a Toslink digital output including 7CH PCM, DD, DD+, DTS, and DTS-MA.
• Cascading - You can easily expand outputs by cascading with another AC-DA12-AUHD-GEN2 or any of our distribution amplifiers.
• HDMI Signal Conditioning - As with all of our distribution amplifiers the AC-DA12-AUHD-GEN2 will re-clock, re-equalize and amplify the HDMI signal. Simply adding it to the output of a source with a less-than-ideal output can stabilize an otherwise problem device.
• 10 Year Warranty - It goes without saying but the AC-DA12-AUHD-GEN2 carries our famous "no B.S." 10 year parts and labor warranty.

This tiny box can do some big things at a very small cost. It can be a scaler, it can be an audio extractor, it can be an EDID manager, it can be a signal stabilizer, or it can be all of these things at once - for just over $100 dealer cost! It actually costs more for a technician to drive back to the ship for parts! A couple of these in every work vehicle is truly a wise investment.

So while our latest product introductions are without question exciting and in many cases game changing, it is products like this that can make your everyday pursuits much less problematic and more profitable. Don't let the smallest item in the chain become the weakest link!