The AV industry is in the midst of a major transition, from analog to digital presentation technologies. As a leading manufacturer of products engineered for the commercial AV market, Extron has a long history with the development of digital solutions, going back nearly a decade with the release of many of the industry’s first DVI distribution and extension products. Over the past five years, our product line has grown considerably and now includes the AV industry’s most complete portfolio of digital switchers, cables and adapters, and twisted pair and fiber optic extenders. Most importantly, Extron manufactures the interfaces and signal conversion products necessary to make possible the transition from analog to the many available digital formats, including DVI, HDMI, DisplayPort, and HD-SDI.

This Digital Design Guide addresses the AV industry’s primary challenge as it transitions from analog to digital - how these new signal types and system topologies are integrated into AV presentation systems that serve the communication needs of our customers. It provides a reference for AV system designers seeking to understand these emerging technologies and the options available, with a practical approach to integration in new and legacy presentation systems.

In this Guide you will find overviews of each of the digital video formats most commonly used in commercial AV applications. Next, you will find sample AV system designs, ranging from a simple classroom to a network operations center, that describe the practical aspects of these transitional AV systems, the type of equipment needed, and signal flow from one device to another. Following the system design section is a condensed catalog of Extron products designed for the integration of these digital technologies. At the end of the Guide, you’ll find a comprehensive Glossary of terms related to digital video for professional AV applications.