Ormond Beach, Fla. — In-Visions Technology International announced today that it has launched DPL Labs, an independent company that will administer the recently launched Digital Performance Level (DPL) HD Performance Testing and Certification Program. DPL Labs will handle all administration of the program including testing, ranking and certifying the performance of advanced digital products — initially HDMI cables, but ultimately sources and displays.
The DPL program was developed by president Jeff Boccaccio and In-Visions’ engineering team to provide the market with honest, objective and meaningful performance information to assist consumers in making a proper purchasing decision.
As summed up by Boccaccio, HDMI’s radical departure from previous A/V interfaces has created a level of confusion among manufacturers, retail salespeople and buyers and especially consumers. The result has been a disappointing adoption rate and a large rate of retail returns. DPL’s solution was to create an objective technical standard for product performance with a testing and certification program to test products and rank their performance.
The DPL program tests and certifies HDMI cable products with performance rankings ranging from DPL1 to DPL5. A ranking of DPL5 represents the highest possible level of performance.
DPL Labs will operate as an independent testing facility utilizing the latest Tektronix reference-grade laboratory equipment capable of measuring to the highest possible resolution and most precise specification, according to Boccaccio. While other testing schemes exist, a few companies only test one performance parameter, he said. “DPL Labs, however, has developed a demanding, multifaceted, hardware reference-level performance standard … the most rigorous in the industry today. All products will be tested against this standard so that DPL results and rankings can be trusted to give the whole picture on product performance.”
Currently, there are five participating manufacturers in the DPL program: Honeywell, Next Generation, Ethereal, Direct Connect and VizionWare.
Manufacturers who participate in the program will have their products tested and ranked, with results made available to the buying public on DPL’s Web site and eventually on product packaging.
The new Ormond Beach testing facility will be opening in approximately 60 days.
Meantime, DPL Labs will offer a complimentary seminar titled “HDMI Integrator Issues and the DPL Solution” at the upcoming EH Expo in Orlando, March 13-15. Boccaccio will be presenting detailed information on the challenges HDMI poses for today’s integrators and offer some simple solutions to common HDMI issues. In addition to the integrator issues, Boccaccio will be providing information on the DPL Testing and Certification Program. Integrators will learn why the program was developed, what the certification process entails, and how it will benefit integrators and consumers.
The seminars are free and open to all EH Expo attendees. Four sessions have been scheduled, each taking place at the booth of a manufacturer who participates in the DPL certification program. The schedule is as follows: March 13, 2:00 p.m., Next Generation booth #245; March 14, 11:00 a.m., Honeywell booth #1222; March 14, 2:00 p.m., VizionWare booth #DR231C, DR232C; and March 15, 11:00 a.m., Ethereal booth #1917.
