Product data

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BLACK BOX
®
Education | Distribution Components
IP Network
Two DVI-I Monitors and Speakers
USB Keyboard and Mouse
Dual-Head
Receiver
CPU with Dual-Head DVI-I
Video, Audio, and USB
Dual-Head
Transmitter
Dual-Monitor DVI Extension over IP
etwork switches
Applications such as network imaging, multimedia production,
and digital signage are very demanding. They generate huge
data files that often must be transferred between stations based
on strict timing requirements. If such traffic is not transmitted
efficiently, you end up with jerky video, on-screen graphics that take
forever to load, or other problems.
These problems arise because in traditional LANs, only one network
node transmits data at a time while all other stations listen. This works
in conventional, server-based LANs where multiple stations share files or
applications housed on a central server. But if a network has high-
bandwidth applications, the one-station-at-a-time model just doesn’t
work.
This is where the value of a switch comes in. Network switches provide
clear paths from each workstation (or other source) to its destination on
demand. If your AV distribution system uses IP-based technology to
multicast video content over a LAN, a network switch absolutely
necessary.
And not just any network switch will do. Multicasting is transmitting data
from one network device to multiple devices. When multicasting with
ordinary Layer 2 switches, all attached devices receive the packets,
whether they want them or not. Because a multicast header does NOT
have a destination IP address, an average network switch will not know
what to do with it. So the switch sends the packet out to every network
port on all attached devices. This extra traffic can slow down a network.
Switches with IGMP support, however, “know” who wants to receive the
multicast packet and who doesn’t. When a receiving device wants to tap
into a multicast stream, it responds to the multicast broadcast with an
IGMP request, the equivalent of saying, “I want to connect to this
stream.”
Therefore, for multicasting, use routers or switches that support the IGMP
protocol. Without this support, your devices will be receiving so many
multicasting packets, they will not be able to communicate with other
devices using different protocols, such as FTP. Plus, a feature-rich, IGMP-
supported switch gives you the bandwidth control needed to send video
from multiple sources over a LAN.
Specialty KVM extenders
Your AV distribution application may require more than components that
extend, split, and switch video. You may also need support for work-
station control so users in remote offices can access servers or other
computer sources hosted elsewhere.
For this support, a KVM extender can give you the level of control you
need. They enable you to place CPUs in cleaner or more secure locations
other than your workspace. Plus they extend switching anywhere from a
few feet (over CATx cabling) to up to a few miles (over single-mode fiber).
Connect the transmitter (local unit) to a CPU or server and have a KVM
console (receiver or remote unit) with a VGA or DVI monitor, keyboard,
and mouse in another room or office. Many also support multiuser access,
making it easy for multiple users to collaborate in a multimedia workflow.
Remote management/peripheral sharing components
These more sophisticated components enable you and other users to
access your media servers from anywhere in the world via an IP network—
often at the BIOS level, even when the operating system is down.
N
Technically classified as KVM extenders, they’re ideal for use where you
need to precisely access and control isolated, standalone servers, such as in
remote digital displays. And for a digital signage network, all you need is
an IP network in the installation to easily deliver content from one playout
device via a digital DVI video link.
The latest models support high-quality video, too. This can be a single
video head, or dual- or quad-head computers. Because video is transferred
digitally, you can count on high color and picture fidelity at LAN speeds.
Standard CATx cabling delivers IP traffic up to 328 feet (100 m), or you can
use fiber cable to go farther, over miles, using Ethernet switches or media
converters. No-loss compression minimizes bandwidth.
What’s nice is, these extension and sharing devices can also extend not
just video and keyboard/mouse signals, but they often also provide easy
access
to external peripherals. In addition to keyboard/mouse emulation, they
support emulation for standard Human Interface Devices (HIDs),
such as touchscreens.
Accessory and Remote
Control Hardware