Today’s hot topic is Crestron Digital Media. And, In case you were wondering, no, it’s not the latest app for reading GQ Magazine on your iPad.

What it is, though, is a revolutionary system specially designed to manage and distribute digital signals throughout the home, and manage embedded data such as HDCP, EDID and CEC.

You may be asking, “Isn’t that’s what HDMI does?

Well, yes. And no. 

The promise of HDMI (High Definition Multimedia Interface) is great – that single cable capable of carrying uncompressed analogue and HD digital audio and video offers endless possibilities for Home Automation, Entertainment and AV enthusiasts.

Unfortunately, it also offers its fair share of what manufacturers like to call ‘challenges’. Or for the rest of us, problems.

Readers of my blogs and the site will know that I’m a fan of Crestron, and their products are a common feature in the vast majority of my installations.  

And Crestron Digital Media’s ability to resolve pretty much all those HDMI ‘challenges’ has pretty much cemented it’s position on top of my wish list – particularly in multi-screen/multi-source setups.

HDMI ‘challenges’…

1. HDMI was only ever designed as system for transmitting content securely over relatively short distances – from a Blu-Ray player to a TV for example. With longer runs - 7 metres and over  - more sources and more displays, things swiftly get problematic, with problems of image flashing and/or audio or video drop out. 

2. Built into the HDMI standard, HDCP - High Definition Bandwidth Content Protection prevents illegal or unauthorised distribution of media. It requires sources and displays to exchange authorisation keys before a signal can be transmitted between them, often causing delays and blank screens when switching between sources.  

3. Many HDMI switches can’t manage HDCP properly, so switching between sources in one room can cause the HDCP connection to re-initialise, interrupting the link with displays in other rooms, and causing screens to go blank.

4. Each source will only accept a limited number of HDCP keys, and therefore a limited number of displays. Try and send to more than it can accept and, guess what, screens go blank and it shuts down.

…. fixed by Crestron 

First off, Crestron Digital Media is more than just another HDMI switcher or extender; it's a complete, integrated solution that manages, controls and distributes all analogue and uncompressed HD digital content over twisted pair or fibre. 

It’s switchers are flexible, modular systems that can accept virtually every signal type and transmit them over pretty much any distance. 

Because Digital Media has pre-authorized HDCP keys built in, it maintains a constant connection between sources and displays allowing, continuous, glitch-free HD switching. So no blank screens and only minimal delays.

What’s more, it addresses the limited number of keys issued by quantifying the number each source can accept, making is significantly easier to design and install a system for optimum performance. 

OK, there are other HDMI switchers available (along with VGA, Analogue, KVM and Gigabyte Ethernet switchers). 

But as far as I can tell, Digital Media is the only system that brings them all together, switching, distributing and controlling all your signals – stereo & surround sound audio, analogue and digital video, HDMI, DVI, Display Port, VGA, you name it – even Ethernet and USB keyboard and mouse control.

And it’s the only one that has the bandwidth to distribute deep colour and handle Hi-Def audio.

As I said earlier, I’m a big fan of Crestron DM. And I’m not alone. 

I just read that in Roman Abramovich’s new superyacht, the full HD entertainment system that’s piped throughout it’s entire 170 metre length is all managed by … guess what.

And if Crestron Digital Media is good enough for your average multi-billionaire, it’s probably good enough for you and me.