The previous section explained the specifications and applications of Over IP Matrix products. This article will discuss Point-to-Point Extenders (P2P Extenders), whose applications are simple and whose specifications are also straightforward.
Let's first answer a basic question: With such powerful features of over IP products, P2P Extenders seem to have no future, right? Is there even a need for discussion? The answer is "YES." The Pro AV market has a wide variety of applications, and customer needs vary greatly. Different market segments require different products, which makes the Pro AV market so interesting.
A fundamental requirement of over IP is understanding networks. This is a very painful challenge for traditional Pro AV people. Network architecture brings flexibility and scalability, but also significantly increases complexity and difficulty. Problems are harder to diagnose and troubleshoot. In contrast, P2P Extenders are simpler. Choosing the right extender, understanding the resolution and distance, and carefully selecting cables ensures that installation and use are almost problem-free. Problems are also easier to troubleshoot. In my opinion, over IP and P2P each have their own niche.
The EX-5801 and WP-5801 mentioned in the previous article can also be used as point-to-point extenders. They support 4K 120@444 + USB 3 500M, with a range of 100 meters. Audio, RS232, IR, and Ethernet signals can be extended simultaneously. Best of all, they are not picky about cabling. Standard CAT5E is sufficient, without needing to upgrade to CAT6A. This is a huge benefit for system integrators and installers.
Why are they not picky about cabling? O1Stream's latest compression technology is used in the P2P Extender, keeping the bandwidth under 1Gbps. There's no need to upgrade to 8Gbps (HDBaseT 1.0 & 2.0) or 18Gbps (HDBaseT 3.0). The cabling requirements for 1Gbps bandwidth are not high; CAT5E is sufficient, and the price is reasonable and installation is convenient.
Wait a minute, don't the EX-5801 and WP-5801 use compression technology? Is the resulting latency acceptable? Is the image quality acceptable? To review, the EX-5801's latency is less than 1 frame, approximately 16ms, which is very small and won't cause problems for most applications. Even for touch selection or mouse operation, 16ms is within the acceptable range for most people. Plus, with a PSNR higher than 35dB, it's unlikely to be noticeable.
Indeed, there are very specific applications that require very low latency and superior image quality, such as defense and military applications, or medical applications. They have strict quality requirements and cannot accept latency higher than 1ms. For these speci fic needs, O1 Stream's secret weapon comes into play: the EX-5601, with the following specifications:
- HDMI 2.1 over fiber
- No Compression; No Video Loss; No Latency
- Support USB-C Video (DP 1.4 Alt Mode)
- Integrated 1G Ethernet, USB3 500M, and KVM support
- Transmits video resolutions up to 8K30@4:4:4 and 4K144@4:4:4
- Integrated 1G Ethernet for seamless AV and data transmission
- Bi-directional IR & RS-232 control
- eARC/ARC support
- Up to 10km (6.25miles) over single-mode fiber optic cables
Different from EX-5701 & EX-5801, the EX-5601 utilize optical transmission technology. Due to the characteristics of light, bandwidth can be significantly increased, enabling the transmission of uncompressed 4K60, 4K144, and 8K30 signals. Combined with bidirectional USB 500M and 1G Ethernet, this is a level that Over IP Matrix cannot achieve.
The secret to optical transmission's vast bandwidth lies in "multi-wavelength multiplexing" technology. Multiple wavelengths of light are transmitted simultaneously within the same fiber optic cable. Because of the different wavelengths, interference is avoided, thus doubling or triping the transmission bandwidth. This superior technology, of course, comes at a cost. Multi-wavelength optical transmission modules are specialized components that require customization, resulting in higher costs. However, the resulting increase in bandwidth makes it well worth the investment.
The EX-5601 series currently has three models: 2T1R, 3T1R, and 5T1R. #T indicates the number of light beams transmitted from TX to RX, and #R indicates the number of light beams transmitted from RX to TX. For example, 3T1R means three light beams are emitted from TX to RX, and only one light beam is emitted from RX to TX. 1T1R needs to be reserved for bidirectional signals, including USB, Ethernet, RS232, IR, EDID, and HDCP. The other two light beams are used entirely for video transmission, providing a bandwidth of 10G x 2 = 20G, which can handle uncompressed 4K60@444 signals with a data size of up to 18G. The even more powerful 5T1R has a bandwidth of 4T = 40G for transmitting video signals, which can easily handle uncompressed 4K144@444 or 8K30@444 signals.
This amazing and beautiful technology for uncompressed 4K 144@444 video signals achieves a state of zero distortion and zero latency. In this era of ubiquitous Over-IP products, there's still a voice insisting that "uncompressed video" is the only way to be trusted. Compression technologies come in various forms, and the resulting image loss and latency are unpredictable. No matter how a manufacturer guaranteed, there's never peace of mind. Uncompressed video naturally means zero distortion and zero latency, eliminating worries and meeting perfect and stringent requirements.
As a senior Pro AV professonal, I deeply understand that different applications require different solutions. O1 Stream has developed several excellent products to meet these diverse needs. The EX-5801 & WP-5801, as mainstream models, are suitable for standard Over-IP Matrix & P2P Extender applications. The EX-5701 is positioned as a high-end Over-IP Matrix model, possessing powerful image processing and KVM switching capabilities. The secret weapon, the EX-5601, achieves the perfect state of P2P Extender, using multi-wavelength fiber optical technology for long-distance, uncompressed transmission of 4K/8K video + USB3.
EX-5601 TX Front Panel
EX-5601 TX Rear Panel
EX-5601 RX Front Panel
EX-5601 RX Rear Panel
EX-5601 Series
