Essential Install | HDANYWHERE
Putting You In Control : uControl
HDANYWHERE ( HDA ) wants installers to discover the extent of the abilities of its uControl App which works with the company ’ s MHUB 4K PRO systems . EI presents the inside track and reveals the company also has some new friends . uControl is designed to deliver a new level of ease of use and convenience
HDA is now a member of the UHDA , a global group of companies charged with fostering the UHD exosystem .
HDA ’ s centralised multiroom AV systems look to maximise the use of all entertainment devices and enable smarter , neater living spaces , allowing users to move between rooms , but still access all their favourite content on every TV and control it with ease . HDA ’ s aim is to provide a fluid and flexible TV viewing experience , without losing a single pixel of picture quality , even at premium Ultra HD resolutions .
Helping the company reach this goal is a new technology that is built into its new multiroom AV systems that provides users with a free universal control option , deliverering increased affordability and better usability , named uControl .
HDA founder , Chris Pinder , says the brand ’ s mission is to : “ Change the relationship people have with AV in their homes , to improve the in-home AV experience and to make integrated whole-home AV more mainstream . uControl is a big part of our strategy for achieving this goal .” uControl is an an App that turns iOS and Android devices into a universal remote control for AV devices connected to an HDA system via IR , without the need for third-party hardware . uControl ’ s wider control-ability is made possible by a link with the HDA Cloud and patentpending IP2IR technology integrated within the latest MHUB 4K PRO multiroom system .
Chris explains : “ As a manufacturer of multiroom HD systems , we maintain a symbiotic relationship with thirdparty control systems like Control4 , Savant or URC . Two systems of AV and control integrated together to give our customers the single-remote experience . However , this comes at a significant additional cost , on top of an already expensive multiroom AV system . Often , this is the barrier to sale that puts people off .
“ Although we considered it , we settled on not furthering plans to introduce a physical remote control . It would have sat amongst options from Control4 , NEEO , Harmony and it would never have been as good .” Chris adds : “ However , we did feel obliged to introduce a free App . Apps have become a ubiquitous element of all smart home products . App control is much-maligned by professionals , but overwhelmingly desired by tech-savvy smart home consumers . So we got to work .
“ Our first HDA App was limited . It was basic and restricted users to switching between sources connected to their MHUB . Still , it was surprisingly popular , helping convince me that we needed a better , much more useful App , hence uControl .”
The leap forward with uControl is it allows users to control connected sources and displays ( not just the MHUB matrix ), as well as trigger macros . The App is also programming-free and simple to set up , offering the controllability required for most AV scenarios built-in . Once downloaded , users can choose which source they want to watch and where , with all the various functions of each device shown on screen , with simple button layouts and gesture control . It can be personalised with zone background images .
Chris says : “ We appreciate the reasons why Pros don ’ t like Apps , but we see uControl as a huge enabler for installers and a great value-add for consumers , not necessarily a complete replacement for physical remotes or control systems .
“ It ’ s our belief that entertainment systems are the gateway to homeowners adopting a wider variety of smart home products and services . Profitability for professionals comes from this opportunity , uControl is risk-free , affordable , faster to install and still leaves the option to add-on a third-party control system at a later date .”
UHD Alliance ( UHDA ) Membership
Underlining its growing standing in the industry , HDA has also announced it is now a member of the UHDA , a global group of device makers and content creators charged with fostering the Ultra HD ecosystem and promoting the benefits of Ultra HD entertainment technology .
To promote high-quality viewing experiences , Hollywood , CE brands , content distributors and technology companies have joined forces . The Alliance was formed by companies that include Dolby , LG , Netflix , Panasonic , Samsung , Sharp , Sony , Technicolor , Walt Disney , Twentieth Century Fox and Warner Bros . HDA is the first HDMI brand and the first source and display device to join the group .
The UHDA ’ s Ultra HD Premium logo is reserved for products , content and services that comply with performance metrics for resolution , high dynamic range ( HDR ), peak luminance , black levels and wide colour gamut . HDA recently launched its MAX series of Ultra HD Premium compatible products that support full-fat 4K60 8bit 4:4:4 or 4K60 10bit 4:2:0 ( HDR10 ) even over a single Cat6 cable , for a ‘ Premium TV ’ experience . The first HDA MAX items are an 18G HDMI 2.0 spec matrix switcher and an 18G-over-HDBaseT long-range HDMI extender with ‘ Tipping Point Compression ’ ( TPC ) which makes it possible to transmit 600MHz / 18G content down HDBaseT ’ s 10.2G pipe using light compression , meaning there is no humanperceivable difference in video quality while TPC is active .
More Information : HDANYWHERE + 44 ( 0 ) 1684 576 348 , www . hdanywhere . co . uk
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