Audio Authority AVAtrix

[jmwhooper]

I've seen this mentioned on a couple of posts, but does anyone have one yet and if so how about a quick run down of it?

How well does it work with CQC?
What's the picture quality like?
Any issues?

Thanks

[Dean Roddey]

Has someone done a driver for this? If not, then that would be required I assume.

[emillika]

I posted the same gear a couple weeks ago... not one response. I thought that this looked even better than the Russound cav66 and Xantech MRC88. Granted for a about a third more money you can have HDTV distribution vs. SDTV.

[Dean Roddey]

If it's that type of device, then the driver probably wouldn't be easy, since these types of devices tend to do a lot and require fairly substantial drivers.

[Wynn]

I'm planning on getting one of these, but not until next March/April when my new house is ready. I'm dreading looking at taking the driver on for it. I think I will start with some simplier IR commands and then get into the driver after that.

[jscheller]

This looks like a great product. DVI distribution is a huge plus, and a bargain at this price point. Compare six of those Gefen DVI extenders...

There's a link discussing this system over at AVS, and a guy from Audio Authority is answering a lot of questions. Doesn't look like its shipping yet, though.

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=705370

I'm on the "cobble together your own" approach to HD distribution right now. I'm using the MRC88 as an audio/composite video/IR switch, and then I've got a Kramer VP88ETH (similar to an Autopatch box) that does component video and digital audio. That gets me to full 8x8 switching for everything. I'm moving most of the signals around with CELabs Cat5 extenders, which get just about everything except composite video and "forward" IR signalling (from the head end to the devices in the zone).

It's hard. A lot of parts from three different vendors. A lot of integration.

The MRC88 is saving me a little bit of grief because it has sophisticated power management and IR built it. It can detect if a device is on or not via a video signal or 12v trigger, and turn it on or off as required automatically based on whether the zones are active. You can also setup IR macros to run when source components are selected in zones. After having had to use these features, I'd really miss them in a switching device, but I imagine you could do a lot of this using events and triggers in CQC directly as well.

I saw Wynn's post elsewhere about the Avatrix not handling IR from the zone back to the head end... I got freaked out at one point because the in-zone IR receivers I bought (Xantech DinkyLinks) needed 3 wire connections for remote power. Fortunately those CELabs boxes handled this appropriately, but I'm short a connection for the forward IR (where the MRC88 is pushing out to the zone). I've got a spare coax, but I've got to build or find some sort of goofy adapter now. Another bridge to cross.

Anyway, my point is if you're looking at something like these video switches and still in the prewire stage, I'd run AT LEAST three cat 5's to the video zone, more if you think you want a telephone or ethernet or something else there. I haven't seen anything out there that has two IR signal paths, which is almost what you wind up needing for these systems.

[emillika]

I have the rs232 codes in pdf format. Let me know who would like to take a look at it by PM'ing me.

Thanks.

Elmer

[penngray]

Does sound like a great product and it could cut cabling cost down with the fact that we could just run Cat5e......where was this 6 months ago??? sigh.........

[kwoodrow]

I also have a copy of the RS232 pdf file. It looks pretty straightforward. I'm thinking about getting one of these to distribute HD in my new townhome. As for writing the driver, it will likely require CML, which is above my pay grade.
- Ken

[bph]

I also have a copy of the RS232 pdf file. It looks pretty straightforward. I'm thinking about getting one of these to distribute HD in my new townhome. As for writing the driver, it will likely require CML, which is above my pay grade.
- Ken
If you buy me the unit, I'll make you a driver. :)

[ellisr63]

Does sound like a great product and it could cut cabling cost down with the fact that we could just run Cat5e......where was this 6 months ago??? sigh.........
It looks to me like this unit requires yo to have audio equipment in each zone... Is this correct?

[emillika]

No... it passes digital audio over cat5.

[emillika]

Has anyone made on progress on getting an AVAtrix installed? Feedback?

[emillika]

It looks like Cinemar has released a driver for this gear.. has anyone here taken a crack at a driver for CQC?

[Mark Stega]

It looks like Cinemar has released a driver for this gear.. has anyone here taken a crack at a driver for CQC?I built a driver for this last week. It has been in test for a couple of days. The thread "CML tutorial" (http://www.charmedquark.com/vb_forum/showthread.php?p=56581#post56581) details the whole building process. It's referred to as an Audio Authority 1156/1166 switch in that thread. The Avatrix is a bundle including the switch, wallplates, etc. It should be part of 2.1

[emillika]

Thanks Mark... I think this is something that may be of interest in the thread over on AVS.... I could certainly use the driver soon and I wish I could committ to testing right now but we are knee deep into a couple additions to our home.

Is is possible to send over the driver so I have it if I get some time to play with CQC over the next week?

[Mark Stega]

Thanks Mark... I think this is something that may be of interest in the thread over on AVS.... I could certainly use the driver soon and I wish I could committ to testing right now but we are knee deep into a couple additions to our home.

Is is possible to send over the driver so I have it if I get some time to play with CQC over the next week?It will be in the next CQC beta drop which is imminent (today/tomorrow kind of time frame).

[Micah]

Any chance we could get an update from people using this driver? I'm curious as to how experiences are so far.

Also, is anybody using the AVAtrix-561 or -661 with CQC? If so, can you use the 11x6 driver or are you using something else?

Thanks for the feedback, guys.

edit: ok, my bad. For anyone who might wonder like I did, the 561 and 661 appear to be packages that contain the 11x6 switchers and are not separate products like I had thought.