Extron recently introduced the NAV E 522 switching encoder and the NAV SD 521 switching scaling decoder, which the company explains bring “powerful single-cable USB-C connectivity and expanded USB extension capabilities to NAV Pro AV-over-IP systems.”

The E 522 enables USB-C as the primary connection point for AV spaces, allowing video, audio, USB data, and power to be delivered through a single USB-C cable to a laptop or other USB-C source.

“This simplified host connection is ideal for collaboration and presentation environments where users need fast access to room displays, audio, and USB peripherals without multiple cables or adapters,” Extron explained when introducing the new products. “The NAV E 522 also supports systems with multiple NAV SD 521 scaling decoders, enabling multiple remote USB devices attached to those endpoints to be routed back to a single NAV E 522 Host USB-C port.”

The two endpoints combine to provide 4K/60 4:4:4 video, flexible audio, and USB 2.0 or HID extension. Extron boasts its PURE3 codec “delivers visually lossless video and advanced Extron Vector 4K scaling technology provides reliable scaling over standard 1-Gbit Ethernet networks.”

“The NAV E 522 is designed to make user connections simple while giving integrators all the flexibility they’ve come to expect from NAV Pro AV-over-IP Systems,” said Casey Hall, Extron’s chief marketing officer. “With one USB-C cable, users can access video, audio, USB devices, and power, while the system can extend those USB devices across multiple NAV SD 521 scaling decoders and return them to a single host connection. It is a streamlined approach to USB-C collaboration that fits naturally into scalable NAV system designs.”

The NAV E 522 and NAV SD 521 are “purpose-built for professional AV applications that require a simplified user experience, flexible source connectivity, and distributed USB device access,” the company explained. “The NAV E 522 provides USB-C and HDMI inputs at the source location, with USB-C serving as the simplified single-cable connection for AV, USB data, and optional power. The NAV SD 521 receives, decodes, and scales NAV streams while also supporting local HDMI source switching and USB device connectivity at the display endpoint. Multiple NAV SD 521 decoders can be deployed across a system to support several USB peripherals, all tied back through the NAV system to one NAV E 522 Host USB-C connection. As part of the NAV platform, these endpoints support secure, highly scalable deployments ranging from individual collaboration spaces to system with thousands of endpoints.”