January 8, 2008 -- At the 2008 International CES, Cables To Go announced enhancements to its RapidRun modular cabling system. The new products and upgrades provide users with new termination options, capability for longer runs, and greater flexibility, says the company.
According to the company, the RapidRun system supports multiple signals over a single cable. In order to upgrade or change equipment, users only need to change the cable terminal, known as the break-away flying lead or break-away wall plate.
For example, switching from composite video to high-definition component video would typically require a new cable to be run, but the RapidRun system only requires a new break-away on the end of the cable. The company contends that this format saves installation time, accommodates last minute changes, reduces the likelihood of faulty terminations, and evolves with different system needs.
"RapidRun saves us about 20 to 30 percent of our installation time compared to bulk cable, and it is extremely valuable to be able to easily change from one termination type to another," offers Dean Smith, president and CEO of D&D Security Resources, a company that sells and installs projectors in schools. "Shortly after installing a number of classroom projectors for a school, we were asked to switch to newer projectors with a different connection. With RapidRun, we didn't need to install new wiring, and switching the break-aways was quick, easy and saved us a lot of headaches."
New additions to the RapidRun system include: the 75- and 100-foot RapidRun Digital Runner cables for high definition video and active receivers to maintain signal quality across greater distances; digital flying-lead terminations with integrated extenders for runs up to 65 feet, for installations where a wall plate extender is not desirable; aluminum wall plates with multiple signal connections in a single box, including connectors for composite video, audio, PC video, S-Video and keystone ports for cable and network connections.
The design and connectivity options offered by the system specifically meet the needs of schools and other institutional applications, contends the company.
"While Cables To Go has the most complete and only digital modular cabling system on the market, we continue to innovate and improve the offering," says Bill Diederich, president of Lastar, the parent company of Cables To Go. "Our RapidRun line maintains strong growth as users recognize its versatility, simplicity and affordability for both consumer and commercial applications."
The RapidRun system comes with a variety of connectors for computer, audio/video and high-definition signals. A single cable runs to the box for fast attachment to the appropriate flying lead or wall plate. (It is also much easier to pull a cable behind a wall with a pull cap than to pull a cable with a VGA or HDMI plug on the end, notes the company.)