By Joseph Palenchar, TWICE

Metra Home Theater Group is targeting retrofit installs and upgrades with three new video-distribution products that will be displayed at the CEDIA Expo and shipped Oct. 15.

They include the M3B (Metra Multimedia Broadcast) System, which comes in two versions to let installers add a multisource video-distribution system to a home using either wireless RF or existing coaxial cables and splitters.

The $349 coax-based M3B System consists of receivers and transmitters to send multiple video sources to multiple displays at 1080p resolution. The receivers come with an IR remote to control remote-source selection, and a complete Hex code setup is available for learning remotes. The transmitters provide channel-selection buttons and include an LED channel display and 100-channel output selection.

By HomeToys.com.

Metra Home Theater Group, a leading provider of home theater products and accessories, announces the addition of ten new Spyclops Surveillance System camera models, including two HD IP cameras and eight analog HD (AHD) cameras.

The two new Spyclops HD IP bullet cameras, SPY-BLTG2IP24 in grey and SPY-BLTW2IP24 in white, include IP streaming, 2.8 mm to12 mm manual varifocal lens, 42 IR LEDs for up to 40 meters of distance at night and HISILICON DSP, wide dynamic range. These models feature 2.4 MP for 1080p viewing.

Four new Spyclops HD bullet cameras include both the grey SPY-BLTG2AHD24 and white SPY-BLTW2AHD24 with AHD streaming, 2.8 mm to12 mm manual varifocal lenses, 42 IR LED's for up to 40 meters of distance at night and 3D noise reduction featuring 2.4 MP for 1080p viewing. The grey SPY-BLTG2AHD and white SPY-BLTW2AHD1, bullet cameras have the same feature set with 1.0 MP providing 720p resolution.

By CE Pro

Metra has introduced its Ethereal HDM-GA1 Gigabit Accelerator, designed to update existing in-wall passive HDMI® cables to be able to handle true 4K at 60Hz as well as 4:4:4 and HDR.

The small 2-inch by 1-inch device features an aluminum chassis and it is powered by an external USB power supply. The HDM-GA1 rebuilds the video levels to exceed HDMI 2.0A levels of performance and it repairs the data timing clock channel. Designed to perform as a plug-and-play product, the device works with 26-, 28- and 30-AWG cables up to 10 meters in length.

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By CE Pro Editors, October 15, 2015

The winners of the 2015 CE Pro Best Awards will be presented during CEDIA Expo 2015. Awards recognize the most noteworthy new products and technologies for 2015.

CE Pro is pleased to announce the winners of the 2015 CE Pro BEST (Best Electronic Systems Technologies) Awards, recognizing the most noteworthy new products and technologies for 2015.

“The BEST Awards offer by far the greatest amount of exposure for every submission ... not just the winners ... more exposure than any other awards program in the custom installation industry,” says Jason Knott, editor-in-chief at CE Pro.

All submissions will appear on CEPro.com and in the December 2015 print edition of CE Pro.

An unbiased judging panel of a dozen credible industry leaders, along with the editors of CE Pro, performed the judging independently. Each of the 182 submissions was judged on its own merits for innovation, functionality, competitive advantages and benefits to the integrator. Since the products were not judged against each other but independently, this year CE Pro is presenting multiple winners for high-scoring products in certain categories.