Mahwah, N.J. — D+M has begun offering firmware updates for select Denon and Marantz AVRs and preamp processors to add Crestron Connected technology, which simplifies the components’ integration with Crestron home-control systems.
D+M said it’s the first component-audio manufacturer to participate in the Crestron program, which enables the components to be controlled from a Crestron home-control system as if the products were made by Crestron. The components will also be controllable from Crestron apps for mobile devices.
The updates embed Crestron’s control platform intelligence into the networked components to integrate with Crestron automation systems via an Ethernet connection. That in turn enables native Crestron control that doesn’t require complicated programming, the company explained.
Control capabilities include power, input switching and volume as well as the components’ streaming services and multizone capabilities.
The firmware update is available for the Denon AVR-X3000, AVR-X4000 and AVR-4520CI and Marantz SR6008, SR7008 and AV8801. The update will be available March 30 for the Marantz AV7701. To install the update, installers select the firmware update option on the units’ system-setup menu.
For Crestron, the program makes it unnecessary for the company to write new software modules for new CE products, reducing the lag time between a product’s debut and its ability to integrate with Creston.
