Gefen announced Aug. 26 the availability of Gefen Syner-G software suite, a signal management solution providing powerful add-on features. This new foray into the software side of signal management is a first for Gefen, and is indicative of its belief that the future will be IP connected products.
The new Gefen Syner-G suite has all the capability to discover, control, monitor, manage and upgrade Gefen products over a local IP infrastructure and through direct connections using USB. Included are advanced EDID management tools, IP product management, an automated firmware update engine and remote product configuration options.
With the Manage feature, Gefen’s powerful EDID tools control what EDID is presented to equipment connected to select Gefen products. The EDID stored in Gefen devices can be remotely manipulated and users can build their own EDIDs from scratch using the EDID Generator, as well as upload/download unique EDIDs, store them for later use and modify any EDID in the program for unique installation scenarios.
“Many failed attempts to get the best picture, or any picture, on a display are often the result of EDID issues,” said Orrin Charm, Gefen’s product manager. “Even beyond the picture, proper EDID settings are critical to getting desired audio outputs, as EDID affects audio settings as well. This new tool solves all these EDID related issues.”
The Configuration aspect of Gefen Syner-G suite gives convenient access to settings on Gefen hardware that does not already incorporate a web GUI, allowing product settings to be changed on the fly.
The Discovery tool lists all connected Gefen equipment on an IP network, enabling a simple way to view and control select Gefen hardware from anywhere on the network. This makes adding new Gefen products to an existing network very easy. In the past, integrators needed both familiarity with and access to network administration settings in order to add new devices to a network. Generally, it required changing network configuration settings on connected PCs in order to access the device, remember and then return settings to their original values afterwards—a challenging task for inexperienced network professionals. Plus, if multiple devices were added to a network with overlapping IP addresses, it was basically impossible to access any of them. With the Discovery tool, integrators can connect new Gefen devices directly to the network, as well as access, configure and change IP settings, all from a PC, laptop or smartphone.
Updating Gefen equipment is also extremely easy and seamless. When the Update feature is activated, current firmware updates can be immediately downloaded and installed.
“The Gefen Syner-G suite combines the world’s best EDID manager with tools for IP discovery, software configuration and firmware updates into a single seamless package, bringing a new standard in video management to the AV and IT professional,” added Charm.
