Expanded CI Certification Program, Additional Back-End Support, In-House Designed Control Modules and More Integration Functionality
Denon Electronics, expanding its highly successful CI Certification program, providing more back-end support services and debuting three new “CI class” A/V Receivers. The Denon CI receivers being announced today include, with expected SRP and availability listed in parenthesis: the AVR-4311CI (SRP: $1,999, Sept.), AVR-3311CI (SRP: $1,199, June) and AVR-2311CI (SRP: $899, June). They will join Denon’s AVR-4810CI (SRP: $2,999) and flagship AVR-5308CI (SRP: $5,500) in the company’s acclaimed line of CI A/V receivers, as well as the company’s advanced CI separates including the AVP-A1HDCI (SRP: $7,500) 12 Channel A/V Preamplifier and POA-A1HDCI (SRP: $7,500) Fully Balanced Power Amplifier.
Denon 2010 A/V Receiver comparison chart
Industry-Leading Initiative to Help Custom Integrators Best Serve Their Clients
Denon is launching more initiatives in support of professional integrators, and at its heart is the company’s expanded CI Certification and training program, which includes a uniquely valuable CI Web information portal for certified integrators that now includes over 3,000 registered members and growing. Further reflecting its CI commitment, Denon is also announcing that integrators will now be able to benefit from a longer 3-year warranty with the new Denon receivers from the AVR-2311CI and up.
Noted Jeff Talmadge, Director, Product Development & Systems Integration, Denon Electronics: “Custom integrators are a top priority for Denon, and through our CI certification and training program, supported by our innovative products and comprehensive support services, we are 100% committed to helping our CI customers build their businesses and to helping grow the entire channel. As part of our effort to serve custom integrators with the added-value tools and services they need to succeed, all of our CI products have been designed from the ground up based on feedback from professional installers and the features and capabilities they’ve requested. Our focus is on creating solution-based, innovative and reliable products that custom integrators can depend on to perform year in and year out — and through our advanced training program to ensuring that all our CI customers fully understand how to maximize the benefits for their clients.”
New A/V Receivers: Industry-Leading Control Capabilities and More
The company’s three new CI receivers offer the advanced performance, reliability and ease-of-use that is vital to custom integrators. Responding to integrators demands for receivers that offer easier and more comprehensive connectivity and control, all three feature a host of leading-edge “connected home” capabilities made possible through Denon’s partnerships with control manufacturers such as Crestron, AMX, Control4, Universal Remote Control and RTI. Notably, in a first-of-its-kind move for the company, Denon will be creating its own Crestron remote control modules, allowing installers to quickly and easily open a control interface and simply “drag and drop” the specific programming tools they need to create fully connected total home systems.
Additionally, Denon’s new CI-class receivers all feature Control4 Certification, ensuring compatibility and smooth integration with all Control4 IP-based home automation and entertainment systems. (Denon’s existing AVP-A1HDCI, AVR-5308CI, AVR-4810CI, AVR-4310CI, AVR-3310CI and AVR-2310CI have also received Control4 certification.) Further reflecting the importance Denon places on leading-edge Web access, all the company’s new receivers, as well as the company’s continuing AVR-4810CI, AVR-4310CI and AVR-3310CI, are officially “Compatible with Windows 7,” ensuring full compatibility with the updated ‘Play To’ functionality of the new Microsoft operating system.
Custom integrators will especially appreciate the Ethernet connectivity in AVR-3311CI and 4311CI models, which offer them IP control as well as the ability to efficiently conduct system setup and maintenance from a remote location — even allowing Denon’s CI-certified custom integrators to potentially diagnose and fix a customer’s problem from their office. Furthermore, responding to the growing consumer demand for ways to incorporate more personal content and content from Internet sources into their home entertainment systems, Denon’s AVR-4311CI and AVR-3311CI receivers now allow users to stream both the free Pandora and Flickr services, as well as stream audio and photos directly from their PCs, choose from over 7,500 Internet radio stations and connect to the subscription-based Rhapsody and Napster music services.* Users can also stream and listen to music stored on a Windows PC, Mac and media server products or NAS devices supporting the DLNA standard.
Maximum compatibility with today’s home entertainment source components is a priority in all Denon CI receivers, including the Apple iPod and the iPhone. For example, all three models feature iPod Digital Direct via USB, which is also ‘Works with iPhone’ certified.
Recognizing the demand for receivers capable of delivering audio and video to multiple zones within the home, all CI receivers feature at least two-zone, two-source capability, and the AVR-4311CI and AVR-3311CI both offer three-zone, three-source capability.** Other key custom-integration features included in all Denon CI receivers are RS-232 for 3rd Party control and assignable high current DC trigger outputs. Both models also offer Audyssey MultEQ Pro Calibration, providing custom integrators with the ultimate tool for tailoring the sound to the specific acoustical need of any room.
AVR-4311CI: Leading-Edge Features and Capabilities
Leading off Denon’s new CI-class receiver line is the 9.2-channel AVR-4311CI. New features include the latest Audyssey MultEQ Room Correction system and Dolby Volume. The AVR-4311CI includes seven HDMI inputs and two parallel HDMI outputs, including a single front-panel HDMI input for added convenience. The highest resolution audio decoders are provided, including Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD Master Audio for the ultimate in audio fidelity. Analog and digital video sources are upconverted via Anchor Bay Technologies VRS processing to HD quality (up to 1080p/24/60). All new CI models feature built-in HD Radio for dramatically improved fidelity. The AVR-4311CI also incorporates the advanced DENON Link 4th, featuring HDMI Clock Control — when using the HDMI interface for A/V output for Blu-ray playback in combination with Denon Link, Clock Jitter Control gives the Master Clock and Jitter reduction to be handled by the connected Denon A/V Receiver/Processor.
