You want 4K in all your rooms. How do you get it? The switch. Not the kind your grandmother threatened to beat you with — the kind that goes hand-in-hand with the Control4 home automation system. Control4, which recently acquired the Australian-based audio/video provider Leaf, has just come out with its new 4K AV matrix switch, which allows its customers the luxury of having 4K content in every room of their houses — all at the flip of a switch. And not just generic content either — copy-protected content as well. That’s because it’s HDCP 2.2 compliant. If you get 2.0, you’re going to end up with black screens where your content ought to be.
Small and Cute
This receiver’s looks are deceiving. Tiny and compact, it brings big changes to your viewing experience via a single cable. You don’t even need to plug it into the wall. The last thing you need or want is another stack of black boxes and more miles of wires and nests of cables — that’s why this switch is so great; it packs a lot of power into a small space.
What Does 4K Mean to You?
Tech geeks and hobbyists know that 4K means 4,000 pixels of horizontal resolution, but to many consumers, it simply means a really good picture. But it’s not just the picture you want, it’s the sound, too. This new switch includes an integrated audio feature that allows you to pump sound into eight different zones in your home. You can even experience heightened quality in rooms that are equipped with 5.1 or 7.1 surround sound while getting the same audio (albeit a little less impressive) in your other zones.
No Waiting
Another switch feature is advanced device management, which allows for speedier switching when you’re all ready to watch. Why should you have to tolerate lag time? You’re busy. You want your content and you want it now. And the variety is impressive — you can watch Blu-ray discs, Roku, Apple TV, streaming media or a movie from your own collection. All this can be had with the addition of a device the size of a deck of cards, and it can all be controlled with a single remote. Sound too good to be true? It’s not. It’s real. That’s not to say you might not benefit from a quick tutorial or a demonstration. You can order this device online and install it yourself, since no hardware or software is necessary, but if you purchase from your local high-end home automation dealer, you can rest assured you will get the extra support you need. Control4 also stands behind the new product 100 percent, and offers support, service and a full warranty on all purchases. The fact that this 4K switch fits seamlessly into the Control4 home automation system makes it a boon for those whose homes are already managed by the ultimate automation solution.