Crestron Digitalmedia Recognized as Best of 2009

Crestron DigitalMedia Honored As New Solutions for 2009 by rAVe

ROCKLEIGH, NJ, February 5, 2009 — Gary Kayye recently published his 2009 “Crystal Ball” prediction and announced the rAVe 2009 Top Products for the best up-and-coming products of the year. Crestron DigitalMedia (DM) was one of only ten new products receiving the Top Products award. Kayye noted that DM is a whole-house HDMI distribution system [along with all analog audio and video, DVI, DisplayPort, Ethernet and USB) that includes an integrated Crestron control system and the ability to route virtually any signal input [such as uncompressed HD digital] to anywhere via Cat5e or Fiber.

Gary Kayye, consultant, columnist and editor of rAVe [Publications], analyzes technology and market trends, as well as evaluates and reviews new products. Each year, Kayye offers his “Crystal Ball” predictions and recognizes emerging technologies that will impact our world in the near future. In his latest column he offered great confidence in Crestron as the industry moves into the digital age.
KAYYE: “Control is KEY: I predicted that the control market was close to an evolutionary REVOLUTION. There are just too many things lining up in favor of it. I know that Crestron WILL be part of this evolutionary revolution, but I’m not so sure about AMX.

The control system is the user interface to the entire AV-enabled room. But, as technology has allowed for sleek software features (see just about any Crestron touchpanel at their trade show booth), nice aesthetic designs, and the use of Windows-enabled drivers, many clients are wondering, “why can’t I use a $1,000 tablet PC to control all this stuff in the room and save myself $5,000 on the price of a traditional touch-panel or even a $200 touch-screen like the iPod Touch?”

The answer is simple: The key to a successful control system isn’t in the hardware; it’s in the software. Actually, you can use a tablet PC … but who’s going to manage all the control protocols for each of the devices when they’re installed (much less a year later when the customer wants to add a new source to the system)?”

Crestron provides complete system integration and thousands of certified control modules as free downloads to authorized dealers and installers. In fact, many of the latest Crestron systems do not even require programming. Many systems now include simple software Wizards that guide the installer through the setup process. Installing and configuring a Crestron system has never been easier.

To learn more about Crestron DigitalMedia visit www.crestron.com/digitalmedia.
To learn more about the latest Crestron touchpanel go to www.crestron.com/tps-6x.
For high-resolution photos go to www.crestron.com/pressroom.