HydraConnect LLC has extended its patent-pending Dynamic EDID management technology to maximize listening options and performance in environments with mixed stereo and multi-channel audio components and displays.
Modern audio/video endpoints advertise their capabilities to audio/video source devices using Extended Display Identification Data (EDID) data. Source devices condition the media stream that they produce based on the capabilities presented in the EDID. HydraConnect LLC’s Dynamic EDID technology adjusts the advertised capabilities in the EDID to provide a better match between the audio/video source device and the connected audio/video endpoint.
Dynamic EDID technology comes in the form of new software that has been added to all HydraConnect LLC HSS matrix processors. This technology upgrade was recently installed automatically on all fielded HSS-2 and HSS-3 systems in use worldwide without customer or dealer intervention.
HydraConnect LLC’s Dynamic EDID management software had previously been available to support systems with both 2D and 3D video displays. Now, HydraConnect LLC has extended its Dynamic EDID management technology to also deal with mixed stereo/multi-channel environments where some audio end-points utilize a multi-channel receiver and others would prefer to utilize the stereo speakers of the TV.
“EDID conflicts are a constant source of frustration for customers and installers,” said David Schanin, the president of Denver-based HydraConnect LLC. “Dealers can spend hours trying to sort out EDID issues, and often fail to completely solve them to provide maximum performance to the end-user. Our solution is straightforward and simple to understand, though the behind-the-scenes technology is quite sophisticated. This new HSS technology prevents the customer from having to deal with problems they should never even be aware of.”
According to the company, typical audio problems that arise in a mixed CI environment occur when a multi-channel home theater room is listening to a multi-channel source, and a stereo only room listens to the same data stream. The result will be the loss of the center channel in the stereo room. A similar problem arises when a stereo room is listening to a multi-channel capable source, which is forced to deliver stereo content, and then a multi-channel room listens to the data stream. The multi-channel room will only hear stereo, causing confusion for the consumer and possibly result in an expensive service call.
HydraConnect LLC solves this class of problems through its use of a dynamically controlled EDID. EDID is an electronic descriptor of display capabilities that is passed to the source so that it can present the proper video and audio HDMI data stream. The HSS products can determine the capabilities of both displays and sources, and instantly modify the EDID presented to the source to be correct for the connection that is being made. Additionally, the HSS family of products can generate an On-Screen Display (OSD) to inform the user of the status of the display and the data stream even if audible data is not available so that there is no confusion on the user’s part.
HydraConnect LLC’s expanded Dynamic EDID software has been added to all HSS model matrix processors.
