Meridian’s Six-into-One HDMI Solution

At the recent Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, British high-end audio and video manufacturer Meridian launched a product that many home theater enthusiasts have been wishing for—a way to simplify all the HDMI connections they now utilize for HD. Called the HD621 HDMI Audio Processor, the device is a 6-into-1 video switch that allows six HDMI-connected components to be fed into the display with one HDMI cable. But wait, there’s more. The HD621 processor also separates up to 8 channels of audio from the data stream at the HDMI source and provides audio-only outputs for a Meridian Surround Controller.

With this design, Meridian has solved a problem that has been the bane of home theater with the advent of HD—great enhanced video but not-so-great audio due to noise, muting, and other artifacts. The HD621 includes Meridian’s FIFO buffering and resolution-enhancement system, which cleans up and improves the quality of incoming PCM digital audio signals, improving the sound quality of audio extracted from HDMI.

The HD621 features a RS-232 serial port for easy integration into an integrated, touchscreen-controlled home theater via serial command. The product is available now at $2,995. For more information, go to http://www.meridian-audio.com.