February 20, 2008 -- Gennum recently announced that it is working with audio/visual equipment supplier Kramer Electronics to deliver full-rate high-definition multimedia interface (HDMI) and digital video interface (DVI) performance over copper cable. According to the companies, leveraging the Gennum ActiveConnect platform, the new Kramer cable can transmit 1080p60 video at approximately 3 times the distance of traditional copper HDMI cables.
"We look forward to working closely with Gennum as we bring to market new cabling solutions based on ActiveConnect technology. We plan to enable solutions that provide our customers with a cost-effective method for implementing HDMI and DVI in their environments," comments David Jayes, CTO of Kramer Electronics. "Kramer has built a reputation for supplying AV users with innovative, reliable and cost-effective products. The Gennum ActiveConnect solution enables us to continue this tradition with a solution that allows customers to experience the higher resolutions, faster refresh rates, and deep color that full-rate HDMI provides."
"We are happy to add Kramer, a leading supplier of equipment to the commercial audio/visual, residential, and broadcast markets, to our growing list of companies adopting ActiveConnect technology," adds Martin Rofheart, senior vice president and GM of the Analog & Mixed-Signal division at Gennum. "Soon, consumers and AV professionals everywhere will have access to the products required for high bandwidth HDMI 1.3 across distances never before thought possible."
Targeting high-rate HDMI applications, Gennum's ActiveConnect reference design includes the company's GV8500 transmitter and GV8501 receiver. The semiconductor-based platform enables consumer, business and industrial applications to stream HDMI content, via low-cost cabling, at distances an order of magnitude greater than cables available today, contends the company. The platform supports current and legacy versions of HDMI, including 1.1, 1.2 and 1.3, enabling backward compatibility with existing equipment.
Gennum and Kramer showcased the ActiveConnect technology at the recent ISE tradeshow in Europe. The demonstration highlighted the capability of BC-5x copper cable linking a 24-inch 1080p display to a Blu-ray DVD player, showcasing HDMI 1.3 performance via 150 feet of copper cable.