A History with DM NVX AV-over-IP

Kleinveld has worked with all the technologies that have gone into yacht integration in the last three decades. “I went from RF distribution to composite video, to component systems, to HDBaseT, and then to IP-based solutions,” he recalls. As the technology progressed, Crestron began to set itself apart. “Crestron clearly took the path that we needed in the marine space: a professional, manageable infrastructure aimed towards consumer-type users.”

DM NVX AV-over-IP solved a lot of problems for Kleinveld, especially in larger installations. As distances increase — especially in vessels with a length of more than 60 meters — signal degradation was an issue in the analog days. “Noise, hum, poor picture quality, name it,” he says. And the pure bulk of non-Cat cabling took up more of the limited space for runs on a yacht — making the prevention of crosstalk another challenge.

In addition to a smaller physical cable, “DM NVX allowed us to split the audio path from the video,” says Kleinveld. “It gives us a great deal of flexibility when it comes to sources — and delays and the errors that audio processing devices can bring are eliminated from the signal path to the display.”

“With DM NVX technology, the assignment of sources to end-points has become virtually endless,” adds Kleinveld. “With our control overlay, an AV/IT officer can re-assign a satellite receiver or Apple TV within a few seconds in case of failure.” For Kleinveld, all of this brings the perfect blend of benefits one would get from a mix of consumer electronics and professional equipment: the convenience and ease-of-use of the former, and the reliability of the latter.

The Crestron Commitment

One reason that Kleinveld has been a Crestron dealer for over two decades is the company’s commitment to the yachting industry. “I had a very important client who had a question about a system — a question that came in at 3 AM Belgium time,” he recalls. “I told the client I’d try to get an answer, and sure enough, Daniel Kerkhof picked up his phone in the middle of the night.”

It’s a level of dedication that Kleinveld really appreciates. “If that client is in St. Martin on New Year's Day and they want something right away, we have a guy to call,” he adds.

Whether it’s an early-morning call or a more traditional conversation, that open communication among all the parties involved in marine integration is vital to Crestron’s success in the industry. “Feedback from yacht owners, captains, and crew members has had a significant influence on the ongoing development and optimization of the DM NVX platform for marine applications,” says Short. “Their input has played a crucial role in shaping the evolution of Crestron's solutions specifically tailored for the yacht industry. For instance, the development of the Crestron DM NAX Audio-over-IP solution was driven by feedback gathered from the marine channel.” Everything that the Crestron team learned from their audio product then informed refinements to DM NVX technology as well.

Feedback from dealers and end users also yields ideas for smaller-scale solutions such as Crestron’s DM NAX® audio edge devices. “The idea for the DM-NAX-BTIO-1G with Bluetooth® communications and analog inputs and outputs originated from the valuable feedback received from the marine channel,” says Short.

The result of all this work and refinement is gratifying for Short and his colleagues. The Crestron team has realized one of its key goals when it comes to marine integration, according to Short: “The widespread adoption of the DM NVX platform has established it as the industry standard for AV integration in yacht design and construction.”

“It took time, but we’ve created the ‘go-to’ solution.”