pg_0001

IN THIS ISSUE

Hot Products.................................

Product Specials............................

New at InfoComm..........................

Technology Connection ..................

Since the Exxon Valdez oil spill

catastrophe in March of 1989, inter-

est and funding for marine simula-

tor s has grown tremendously. Using

sophisticated Image Generators (IG's)

that provide highly realistic computer

graphics, marine simulators enable

vir tual navigational training for ship

captains and crew on a wide variety

of vessels and nautical environments.

The RTM STAR Center in Dania

Beach, Florida is a leading training

center for professional mariners and a

home to two highly advanced marine

simulators. In early 2004, STAR Cen-

ter awarded Electric Picture Display

Systems, a high-tech simulation inte-

gration company based in Rockledge,

FL, the project to give both simula-

tor s a technology upgrade.

In April 2004, Electric Picture up-

graded the displays for STAR Center's

360-Degree Bridge Simulator from

XGA to SXGA resolution and the 12

older, maintenance-intensive CRT

projectors were replaced with Christie

1280DX projectors. These projectors

were chosen because of the stable

color maintenance of 3-chip DLP

projectors, proven reliability, and ex-

cellent technical support provided by

Christie. "Christie's technical support

in mission-critical applications such as

this is the industry's finest," said R.P.

Higgins, president of Electric Picture.

3D Perception's UTM processors

installed with the pr ojectors corrected

the geometry for dome projection and

blended the images together seam-

lessly.

In October 2004, these same projec-

tors were put into the 265-Degree

Docking Bridge Simulator in seven

forward channels on a spherical

screen. The old CRT Retro unit was

replaced with three 61" Clarity Visual

Bengal displays, increasing the rear

field of view by more than 50 degrees

while freeing up much needed physi-

cal space.

During the course of the project,

Electric Picture ran into a problem

with preserving image quality over

long cable runs. It turned out the

VGA to CAT5 cable system they had

selected would NOT provide the

needed signal quality. These CAT5

cables were up to 100 feet in length

and the image quality suffered from

serious artifacts.

To solve the problem, 3D Perception

suggested using digital only (DVI)

signals from the IG to minimize noise

and deliver consistent signal levels.

To ensure the digital DVI signals were

delivered with pristine quality, Electric

CONTINUED ON PAGE 2

(see Marine Simulator)

Going digital is solution for Florida marine simulator center

The Digital Connector -1- June 1, 2005

One of the docking bridges at STAR Center in Dania Beach, Florida

See us at

June 8 - 10

Las Vegas Convention Center

give-aways

new products

special promotions

applications consultation

Booth #3531

pg_0002

Marine

Simulator

DVIGear has a strong commitment to supporting our customers with the best

technical support and educational resources in the industry. Please check out

our growing education website:

http://www.dvigear.com/education/index.html

Our newly redesigned Education Center hosts past issues of our DVIGear

newsletter, educational articles, FAQs, industry standards and other resources to

help educate anyone interested in learning more about digital connectivity. If

you need assistance or have questions about our Education Center, please do

not hesitate to contact us.

Hot Products

DVIGear's fiber-optic DVI cables are considered by

many as the gold standard for long haul DVI signal

transport. These cables overcome the performance

and distance limitations of conventional copper DVI

cables by utilizing high speed, state-of-the-art fiber

optic transducers. To achieve unmatched signal qual-

ity and cable length, the electrical signals are con-

verted into light pulses at the input side of the cable.

At the output side, the light pulses are converted back

into electrical signals for display on a monitor, projec-

tor or flat screen TV.

These cables use active electronics that draw +5VDC

power from the DVI source. Some DVI sources may

not offer power in which case the use of a Power

Adapter (DVI-8401a-P) is recommended.

DVIGear's fiber-optic DVI cables support pixel clocks up to 165 MHz and resolu -

tions up to 1920x1200 pixels / 60Hz and are available in lengths of: 10 meters

($605.00), 20 meters ($740.00), 30 meters ($990.00), 50 meters ($1,270.00),

and 100 meters ($2,400.00). Custom lengths are also available on special

request.

The Digital Connector -2- June 1, 2005

Specials on Closeout Products

New Education Website

We are pleased to offer you savings on select products from our website. All

orders will be processed on a first-come basis. We'll continue to add products to

this section in order to provide you with superior technology at bargain prices!

Model

Number

Description

List Price

Sale Price

DVI-7150

DVI Repeater (non-HDCP)

$249.95

$99.99

SVGA-1102

VGA Male-Female Cable (2 M)

$49.95

$17.99

SVGA-1105

VGA Male-Female Cable (5 M)

$69.95

$24.99

SVGA-1108

VGA Male-Female Cable (8 M)

$89.95

$39.99

DVI-2403

DFP High Resolution Cable (3 M)

$124.95

$74.95

DVI-2405

DFP High Resolution Cable (5 M)

$149.95

$94.95

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

Picture chose DVIGear's DVI fiber-

optic cables. "We found these cables

were the best solution for delivering

long-distance DVI signals, and our

customer was amazed at the impr ove-

ment in picture quality," said Higgins.

"DVIGear delivered excellent technical

support and got us the product we

needed, fast," continued Higgins.

Converting from analog to digital

signals resulted in pictur e quality that

surpassed STAR Center's expecta-

tions. The improvement was also well

appreciated by the center's students

who commented that the improved

clarity cr eated a more realistic virtual

environment.

STAR Center chose to use DVIGear's

fiber-optic DVI cables for its 265-De-

gree Docking Bridge simulator, but

for budgetary reasons stayed with

analog signals for the 360-Degree

Bridge simulator. To get the best

performance with their analog sys-

tem, DVIGear's high performance long

length VGA cables were used.

"We were very pleased with the final

outcome," said Bruce Fuchs, head of

STAR Center's Department of Model-

ing and Research. "However, we spent

so much time researching the pro-

jectors and image generators at the

beginning, that when we got to the

wiring, we realized we hadn't done

enough. The digital cables definitely

gave a higher quality signal."

As a leading solutions provider,

DVIGear offers a complete line of digi-

tal cabling and connectivity products

together with superior technical sup-

port for a wide range of professional

and consumer applications.

pg_0003

Next Generation Digital Video Cables

DVIGear has introduced the next generation of its Super High Resolution

(SHR) DVI and

HDMI cables. Engineered for fully transparent operation with single-link bit rates up to 1.65

Gbit/sec., DVIGear's SHR cables set a new benchmark for performance and durability. Un-

like conventional consumer grade cables that use 28AWG or 30AWG wire, DVIGear's Super

High Resolution

cables use silver plated 22AWG wire for incredibly low signal attention.

Together with the cable's ultra-low skew and crosstalk, this results in superior signal han-

dling with cable lengths up to 20 meters (65 ft.). DVIGear's Super High Resolution? cables

are available now in a wide range of lengths from 0.5 to 20 meters.

M1 Adapter Cables

Today, there are an increasingly greater number of small projectors that use the M1-

DA type input connector. This connector is popular because it can accommodate up to

four signal types (analog VGA, DVI, component video and USB). To meet the growing

demand to interface with the M1-DA connector, DVIGear has introduced a full line of M1

Adapter Cables:

DVI-8611b Adapter Cable M1-DA Male to VGA Female + USB Type B

DVI-8614a Adapter Cable M1-DA Male to 3x RCA Female

DVI-8615a Adapter Cable M1-D Male to DVI-D Female + USB Type B

DVI-8613b Adapter Cable M1-D Male to HDMI Female

These cables have a suggested list price of $49.95 and are available now for immediate

delivery.

HDMI Wall Plates

A wide range of HDMI wall plates are available now in the following standard configurations:

HDMI Wall Plate

HDMI + Component Video Wall Plate

HDMI + DVI Wall Plate

HDMI + Component Video with Rear F-Connectors Wall Plate

HDMI + S-Video Wall Plate

HDMI + Component Video + S-Video Wall Plate

HDMI + Stereo Audio Wall Plate

HDMI (x2) + Component Video Wall Plate

HDMI + Coaxial Digital Audio Wall Plate

HDMI (x2) + Coaxial Digital Audio (x2) Wall Plate

HDMI + Toslink (Optical) Audio Wall Plate

HDMI (x2) + Toslink (Optical) Audio (x2) Wall Plate

Note: custom HDMI wall plates are available on request. Most standard configuration wall

plates ship same day from stock and have suggested list prices of $49.95 - $79.95.

WHAT'S NEW FOR INFOCOMM?

The DVI Repeater + HDCP

DVIGear's DVI+HDCP Repeater is a high performance HDCP compliant DVI signal repeater. When used with DVIGear's

SHR cables, this repeater can extend cable lengths up to 40 meters (131 ft.). This unit is fully HDCP compliant, which

allows it to be used in both PC and HDTV applications. The repeater also includes a DDC pass-through function to en-

sure proper recognition of the connected display. Three application configurations are possible:

Mode

Repeater Location

Max. Cable

Span Length

Max. Cable

Total Length

Max. Resolution

Supported

Boost At the source

15 meters 15 meters 1920x1080/60 Hz

Repeater 1x Repeater between two cable spans 12.5 meters 25 meters 1920x1080/60 Hz

Cascade Up to 3 x units between four cable spans 10 meters 40 meters 1920x1080/60 Hz

DVIGear's DVI+HDCP Repeater will start shipping on June 20, 2005 with a suggested list

price of $249.

The Digital Connector -3- June 1, 2005

pg_0004

This is part one of a two-part series on

high-definition television.

It has been nearly 80 years since the

first public demonstration of television

took place in a crowded laboratory in

London. Since that time television has

advanced from blurry black and white

pictures to stunning high-definition

images with life-like depth and realism.

How were these achievements made?

More importantly, what should we

expect in the future as we approach

televisions' first centennial?

A Look Back

Today, there are more than 220 million

televisions in the United States. These

TV sets have their historical roots in

technology that was pioneered in the

late 1920's and 1930's. While many

television milestones took place during

these years, it was not until 1949 that

sales of TV sets really started taking

off. In 1953, the NTSC (National Tele-

vision System Committee) system was

adopted for the transmission of color

television and in 1954, RCA launched

the first commercially available color

TV. The 1950s also saw the beginning

of a shift in television architecture,

moving away from vacuum tube chas-

sis to more solid state components.

During the 1960s, the transition from

black and white TVs to color was

completed. Other advancements dur-

ing this decade included "HiFi" TV sets

and widespread popularity of remote

control units. In the mid 1970s, the

advent of the VCR transformed the

television experience with the ability to

record and play back videotapes. The

1970s and 1980s were a time when

many Americans took down their un-

sightly TV antennas and replaced them

with cable TV boxes, offering scores of

channels to flip through. The so called

"MTV generation" was born into this

era when television was no longer just

a family entertainment center, but the

center point of personal and genera-

tional expression. While it would be

unfair to say that the ensuing years

have been technologically dormant for

television, few would argue that the

next major milestone in TV history is

the advent of high definition television

(HDTV).

The Early Years of HDTV

Modern-day HDTV has its roots in

research that was started in Japan by

the NHK (Japan Broadcasting Corpo-

ration) in 1970. In 1977, the SMPTE

(The Society of Motion Picture and

Television Engineers) Study Group on

High Definition Television was formed.

The group published its initial recom-

mendations in 1980, which included,

among other things, the definition

of wide screen format and 1100-line

scanning structure. The first demon-

stration of HDTV in the United States

took place in 1981 and generated a

great deal of interest. In 1987, the

FCC (Federal Communications Com-

mission) sought advice from the

private sector and formed the Advisory

Committee on Advanced Television

Service. Initially, there were as many

as 23 different ATV (Advanced Televi-

sion) systems proposed to this com-

mittee, but by 1990, there were only

9 proposals remaining - all based on

analog technol-

ogy. However,

by mid-1991,

the leading

ATV designs

were based

on a new all-digital approach. A joint

proposal from several companies

detailing an all-digital ATV system was

given to the FCC in 1995. Following

certain changes and compromises, this

proposal was approved by the FCC

in December, 1996 and became the

mandated ATSC (Advanced Television

Standards Committee) standard for

terrestrial DTV/HDTV broadcasting.

You can read more about the his-

tory of the ATSC at:

http://www.atsc.org/history.html.

HDTV Today

After 35 years of development, high

definition television has finally started

making inroads in the consumer

marketplace. Today, you hear a lot

of HD buzzwords like: HD Ready, HD

Compatible, Integrated HDTV, etc. To

help consumers deal with the mount-

ing tide of HDTV related questions,

the FCC created a consumer website

http://www.dtv.gov in October 2004.

The FCC has also set a timeline for

HDTV - Past, Present, and Future

Technology Connection

The Digital Connector -4- June 1, 2005

pg_0005

the conversion from analog to digital

television (DTV). As it stands now,

analog television broadcasting will

cease in the United States on Decem-

ber 31, 2006, but there are many that

believe that the FCC will extend this

date until the penetration of DTV has

reached 85% or greater in most key

markets. For those of us still using

old fashioned analog TVs, we won't be

entirely out of luck; the FCC mandate

requires that consumers be able to

purchase a converter box so that their

older analog sets can receive the new

digital signals. While these converter

boxes should be affordable, they will

only output the same low resolution

signals that our TV's currently use. If

you want to see true HD, you? ll need

to spring for a fancy new HDTV set,

projector or flat panel display.

What is HDTV?

What is HDTV really all about? What's

new, and why is it better? Perhaps

the best way to make a comparison

between standard definition (SDTV)

and high definition is to consider

today's popular digital cameras. Some

years ago, when digital cameras first

appeared on the consumer market, a

popular digital camera featured a 1.6

Mega Pixel (Mpix) image sensor. At

that time, 1.6 Mpix was considered

high quality. Today, one can eas-

ily find 5 and 6 Mpix cameras with

far better image quality for a lot less

money.

In a similar way, HDTV delivers signifi-

cantly more resolution than SDTV. For

example, a 1080i HDTV signal offers

about six times the resolution of a

conventional 480i SDTV signal. HDTV

also features a wider 16:9 aspect

ratio (ratio of picture width to height)

format that more closely resembles

human peripheral vision than the 4:3

aspect ratio used by conventional TVs

in the past. Furthermore, HDTV is

based on a system of 3 primary image

signal components rather than a single

composite signal, thus eliminating the

need for signal encoding and decod-

ing processes that can degrade image

quality. Perhaps the biggest advantage

over the old analog SDTV system is

that HDTV is an inherently digital sys-

tem. If installed properly, digital HDTV

can provide truly breathtaking image

quality, but there are many factors

that must be considered, as we shall

see.

HDTV in the Home

What do you need to see HDTV? As

in any visual system there are three

basic components to consider:

1.) HDTV Sources

2.) HDTV Displays

3.) Interconnections

HDTV Sources:

When examining possible sources, one

must be careful to distinguish between

true HDTV sources and those that

offer Enhanced Definition (EDTV), the

latter being normal (SDTV) video that

is scaled or "up-converted" to a higher

resolution. While EDTV can cer-

tainly provide dramatic picture quality

improvements over the original SDTV

source, it can never offer the same

level of image quality as a true HDTV

source.

Examples of true HDTV sources are:

1.) Off-air ATSC receivers using HDTV

2.) Digital cable Set Top Boxes (STB) that

offer HDTV service

3.) Digital satellite receivers that offer

HDTV service (i.e. DirecTV, DISH Network,

et al.)

4.) Windows Media High Definition Video

5.) HD-DVD and Blu-Ray DVD players (not

yet available)

Examples of EDTV sources are:

1.) DVD players featuring DVI / HDMI

outputs (with built-in HDTV scalers)

2.) Video image processors (scalers)

Another important consideration is

analog versus digital sources. As

previously stated, the ATSC has ad-

opted a digital transmission system for

HDTV; however, there are some HDTV

sources on the market today that only

offer analog outputs. Analog HDTV

sources will become an increasingly

greater rarity in a world of all-digital

HDTV displays. This is especially true

because all newer digital systems also

employ HDCP (High-Bandwidth Digital

Content Protection) to safeguard

digital content against illegal pirat-

ing. HDCP cannot be implemented in

analog systems.

HDTV Displays:

To realize the maximum potential of

HDTV, the display must be fully HD

compatible. For most users, this

represents the biggest challenge and

largest expense in their HD migration

budget. As prices vary greatly from

under $1000 to many thousands of

dollars, picking the right HDTV display

The Digital Connector -5- June 1, 2005

HDTV

Source

Interconnection

HDTV

Display

pg_0006

requires careful consideration of many

factors. Here are a few key points to

look for to ensure that your display is

optimized for HDTV:

Wide screen:

Your display should be

capable of displaying a widescreen

(16:9) HDTV image. It should also be

able to display a standard (4:3) SDTV

image.

Resolution

: Your display should have

enough resolution to faithfully display

an HDTV image. For many displays,

this means a native resolution (the

display's intrinsic resolution) of at least

1280 x 720 pixels. Higher native reso-

lution is better, with so called "full HD

resolution" being 1920 x 1080 pixels.

Video Inputs:

Your display should

have a full complement of both analog

video inputs (such as composite video,

s-video, and component video) for

legacy components, as well as digital

video inputs (such as DVI and HDMI)

for new HDTV and EDTV sources.

Note: HDCP support is a must for all

HDTV displays. If you buy a display

with a DVI input you MUST insist that

it supports HDCP. If it doesn't, beware!

If your display has an HDMI input,

you're in good shape as the HDMI

standard fully supports HDCP.

In December 2002, an industry

consortium of cable multiple system

operators and consumer electronics

manufacturers sent a Memorandum

of Understanding (MOU) to the FCC

detailing their plans to implement DTV

/ HDTV cable systems and related

hardware. In this MOU, there was

a specific time table to rollout a new

generation of displays that feature

digital video inputs with HDCP:

480i grade televisions - none.

480p grade televisions - with either

DVI+HDCP or HDMI, or 480P Y,Pb,Pr

(analog) interfaces:

With screen sizes 36 inches and

above -- 50% of a manufacturer's

models offered for sale effective July

1, 2004; 100% of such models effec-

tive July 1,2005.

With screen sizes 32 to 35 inches

--50% of a manufacturer's models

offered for sale effective July 1, 2005;

100% of such models effective July 1,

2006.

720p/1080i (HDTV) grade televisions

- as follows (either DVI or HDMI inter-

faces with HDCP):

With screen sizes 36 inches and

above -- 50% of a manufacturer's

models offered for sale effective July

1, 2004; 100% of such models effec-

tive July 1,2005.

With screen sizes 25 to 35 inches

-- 50% of a manufacturer's models

offered for sale effective July 1, 2005;

100% of such models effective July 1,

2006.

With screen sizes 13 to 24 inches

-- 100% of a manufacturer's models

offered for sale effective July 1, 2007.

Interconnections:

In order to allow sources and displays

to work, they must be interconnected,

usually with cables of some sort. This

sounds simple enough, yet this is the

area where most installation problems

occur. Today, a typical home theater

system can cost anywhere from a

few thousand to tens of thousands of

dollars, or more. Despite the fact that

these figures represent a major invest-

ment for most end users, typically less

than 3% of the total system price is

spent on interconnection cables.

It is a regrettable fact that for most

people a cable is just that ? a cable.

However, when you consider that im-

perfections in these signal ?pipelines?

can seriously degrade picture quality,

cables start to take on a more pro-

found role. Nowhere is this more true

than with the DVI and HDMI cables

needed to support digital HDTV.

While audio buffs will argue the com-

plex dynamics of ultra-high fidelity

speaker cable, this cable must carry

relatively low frequencies, most of

which are below 20 kHz. However,

with DVI and HDMI signals, data rates

of up to 1.65 Gbit/sec. are possible.

In the analog world this would be

equivalent to 165 MHz which is more

than 8,000 times higher frequency

than most audio signals. For short

cable runs of less than 5 meters (16.4

ft.) there are usually not too many is-

sues; however, these high frequencies

pose serious challenges for long length

DVI and HDMI cables. In general,

the higher the frequencies and the

longer the cable length, the greater

the likelihood that image problems will

occur. For example, at low resolutions

a DVI signal might travel 20 meters

without signal degradation. At higher

resolutions the same 20 meter cable

could exhibit significant image degra-

dation. For this reason, typical cable

lengths for higher resolution signals,

such as 1080p, are usually limited to

10 meters or less. Figure 1 illustrates

this problem.

To solve the issue of long digital cable

runs and reap the full benefits of

improved picture quality, cable manu-

facturers have made various attempts

to improve their cables with mixed

results.

Here are some key points to look for:

Does the manufacturer offer high

The Digital Connector -6- June 1, 2005

pg_0007

resolution, long length DVI or HDMI

cables? Standard cables usually use

28-gauge or 30-gauge wire. High

quality DVI and HDMI cables should

use 24-gauge or 22-gauge wire. The

heavier wire gauge helps avoid some

of the high frequency attenuation that

long cables suffer.

Does the cable use silver plated

wires for the high speed TMDS data

lines (the wires that actually carry the

digital picture content)? At very high

frequencies, the signal does not travel

through the copper wire; it travels on

the surface. The silver plating helps

mitigate what are known as "skin

effect" losses and limits the insertion

loss (i.e. less high frequency attenua-

tion).

Does the manufacturer rely on highly

embellished claims that sound more

like science fiction than science fact?

Do they provide a guaranteed level of

performance? More than just a money

back guarantee, does the manufac-

turer make a pledge of performance?

If yes, this helps you choose the right

cable the first time and avoid hassles

with returning substandard products.

What warranty does the manufac-

turer offer?

What level of support does the man-

ufacturer offer? If you have a problem

or an installation question, can you get

fast, reliable answers?

These are just some of the important

questions that must be answered

when designing and installing a new

HDTV display system. For more

sophisticated systems, you may want

to rely on a professional home theater

designer and installer. CEDIA (Cus-

tom Electronic Design and Installation

Association) is an excellent resource

for both end-users as well as home

theater professionals. You can learn

more about CEDIA at:

http://www.cedia.net

Whether you decide to "do-it-yourself"

or contract a professional, having

deeper insight into HDTV's past and

present will only serve to further

enhance your own HD experience.

In Part II of this article, we'll take a

closer look at the trends and technol-

ogy that are shaping tomorrow's HDTV

systems - and focus on why these

factors are important considerations

for today's buyers.

The Digital Connector -7- June 1, 2005

DVIGear Employee Spotlight: Chris Bingham

Before becoming Director of Operations for DVIGear, Chris Bingham developed and taught

training courses and seminars for Kayye Consulting on a variety of audiovisual industry

topics, including sales strategies and networking concepts. A graduate of the University

of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chris majored in Business Administration and began his

career as an Investment Banking Analyst for Banc of America Securities. Chris now lives

in Cary, NC with his wife, Allison. Chris is an avid Carolina Panthers and North Carolina Tar

Heels fan, and enjoys losing to his co-workers in friendly weekend poker games. The ma-

jority of his spare time is devoted to working with the youth of his church.

Figure 1. The photo on the left shows an image at 800 x 600 resolution using a conventional consumer grade 20 meter DVI cable.

The photo on the right shows the same image at 1600 x 1200 resolution using the same monitor and 20 meter DVI cable. Poor

quality cables can introduce serious artifacts in the image that become increasingly evident at higher resolutions.

pg_0008

Win an iPod Mini!

Address:

DVIGear

400 Meadowmont Village Circle Drive

Suite 425

Chapel Hill, NC 27517-8118

Website:

www.dvigear.com

Phone

888.463.9927 (toll free)

919.969.6681

Email:

support@dvigear.com

Fax:

919.969.7561

Check out DVIGear at:

Infocomm 2005

June 8 - 10, 2005

Las Vegas Convention Center

Las Vegas, Nevada, USA

Booth 3531

CEDIA Expo

September 9 - 11, 2005

Indianapolis, Indiana, USA

Booth 1764

You can find earlier issues of our newsletter at:

http://www.dvigear.com/education/TCarch.html

Please contact Samantha Zook by phone at 919.969.6681 (ext.122) or by Email at samantha@dvigear.com.

At DVIGear, we value our customers' thoughts and opinions. We'd love to hear from you on things that you like to see in

our newsletter, new product ideas and feedback on how we're doing to support you. Please contact us at: 888.463.9927

(toll free) or 919.969.6681, or by Email at: support@dvigear.com.

OPINIONS WANTED

The Digital Connector -8- June 1, 2005

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