Daniel J SaitBriefly explain what the products are and what do they do?
The LU1082 is a 10 Video and 8 Audio input video and audio matrix which can distribute 4K Ultra HD Video and HD Audio to up to 10 Zones.
It also has an integrated Ethernet hub that can switch the incoming feed and send it out via the 8 PoH enabled HDBaseT class A outputs.
The LU1E is the matching HDBaseT Receiver, it takes the single cable PoH powered HDBaseT signal from the LU1082 as an input and outputs HDMI, Ethernet, Bi Directional RS232 and directionally configured IR.
From a technical point of view, what are the stand out integrator related features on each product?
4K Ultra HD is of significant interest to installers at the moment.
Native sources are starting to be announced, including the 4K Blu-ray standard which incorporates the latest copy protection revision from DCP HDCP 2.2.
Unlike HDCP 1.X, HDCP 2.2 employs industry-standard encryption algorithms, such as 128-bit AES with 3072 or 1024-bit RSA public key and 256-bit HMAC-SHA256 hash function, meaning that new HDMI chipsets are required (alongside appropriate firmware) for compatibility to be maintained.
By being HDCP 2.2 complaint on every input and output, the Leaf LU1082 and the LU1E are the ultimate solution for installers wanting to distribute 4K Ultra HD around their clients home or business premises.
EZ Calibration and Zone Lock are two of my favourite features which are found on all Leaf matrixes.
EZ Calibration makes it quick, easy and DIP switch free when it comes to setting up the EDID table which we use to make switching times extremely fast, the LU1082 has an updated version of this bringing 4K compatibility.
Zone Lock is a custom command that locks any source device to a certain zone, forcing the EDID to refresh and features such as 7.1 HD Audio and 3D video that may have not been available due to an incompatible product in another zone of the system, become available.
The feature is disabled as soon as another source is selected in that zone.
What aspects of the products make them stand out in their category?
A constant challenge for installers is the need to bring disparate video and audio sources together and making them available in every zone, and in exact synchronisation.
By incorporating the Video Matrix and a fully independent Audio Matrix into one chassis we can help bring sanity back to a lot of installations.
The analogue audio zone outputs on the LU1082 can take audio from any of the 10 HDMI inputs, or the eight coaxial digital SPDIF inputs (a total of 18 independent inputs) and pass them through to a basic power amp.
The LU1082 can vary the volume output, bass & treble and also add a programmable, controlled delay for lip sync correction.
When two AV Receivers are used in the system, the LU1082 can deliver these 18 sources in bit-for-bit perfection through to 10 zones.
What particular abilities is the LU1082 offering when it comes to HDMI 2.0?
HDMI 2.0 brings along a new set of standards making it possible for manufacturers to take advantage of 4K signals with 50 or 60 FPS support.
The Leaf LU1082 is compliant with the 4K 50-60 FPS 4:2:0 portion of the HDMI 2.0 specification.
What opportunities does the LU1E’s form factor/size offer?
By being the slimmest HDBaseT Class A receiver on the market (17mm) it is more easily installed behind todays ultra slim TV’s.
The use of Aluminium for the body of the LU1E makes it significantly lighter and provides better heat dissipation.
What can we expect next from Leaf?
We will be releasing a higher end variant of the LU range in Q2 featuring ‘down mixing’, this will enable end users to enjoy multichannel audio in their cinema or media room whilst another is watching this same source in another zone that does not support multichannel audio.
Remind us where installers can see you at ISE
This year we have taken two kiosks on the Control4 Stand 10-N114, one showcasing the audio functionality of the LU1082 and the other 4K Ultra HD.
More info on the Leaf range here
Check the new product out on the ISE show floor