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Kramer Electronics

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Kramer Electronics is a company that designs, manufactures and distributes signal management products for analog and digital video signals, audio signals, computer graphics video signals and control signals which are used in the professional AV, broadcast and production and residential AV markets worldwide.

Locations

The company headquarters is in Jerusalem, Israel, and has corporate sales and distribution offices around the world in the United States, Canada, Mexico, Brazil, Argentina, the United Kingdom, Belgium, France, Spain, Germany, Italy, Sweden, Poland, Russia, Israel, India, China, Singapore, Japan, Korea and Australia.

Products

The Kramer line consists of over 1000 products and includes distribution amplifiers, line drivers, switchers, matrix switchers, presentation switchers, In-CTRL seamless switchers, ProScale digital scaler/switchers, scalers, scan converters, twisted pair transmission products, Cobra twisted pair products for long distance applications, media/room control products, SummitView integrated media/room control systems, format converters, interfaces, protocol translators, IR products, test pattern generators, fiber optic transmission products, rack mounts, wall plates, bulk cable, cable assemblies and cable accessories. In many cases, Kramer offers three versions of a product to meet the needs of various applications. They generally have a rack-mount version, a desktop version and a Kramer TOOLS version. Kramer TOOLS are extremely compact product solutions ideal for solving basic signal management problems.[1]

Acquisition of Sierra Video

In 2003, Kramer Electronics bought Sierra Video, a well established and respected company that manufactures Broadcast Routing equipment which expanded the Kramer product offering into large format routing products for composite video, RGBHV video and SDI and HD-SDI signals as well as audio signals.[2]

History

Kramer Electronics was founded in 1981 by Dr. Joseph Kramer. Dr. Kramer, whose PHD is in pharmaceutical biology, had been working in R+D at a company that manufactured headphones. When that company went out of business, he foresaw the significance of video, then in its infancy, and used the distribution channel that had existed to start selling video products of his own design.

Dr. Kramer had always had a strong interest in photography and home entertainment, so designing products for this channel was natural for him. What followed was the founding of Kramer Electronics. Dr. Kramer’s photography can be viewed at Dr. Kramer's Photography Page.

Time line [3]

  • 1981: Commenced operations.
  • 1982: Opened European distribution facility.
  • 1982: Introduced the first PAL video processor with image enhancement and color control.
  • 1983: Pioneered several new technologies: Automatic video noise gate, Color processor-screen splitter, and symmetrical video boost/cut circuitry.
  • 1984: Introduced the first combined video/audio processor.
  • 1986: Achieved 14 cover stories on new products in leading European video magazines.
  • 1988: Introduced the first PAL S-video (YC) processors and DAs at the photokina show.
  • 1989: Launched the Kramer "VP" product line - pioneering computer graphics conversion and distribution.
  • 1990: Implemented new Chip Technology in the Kramer "Broadcast" series of products.
  • 1992: The "Broadcast" series installed in five leading broadcast studios in Europe.
  • 1996: First company to develop high bandwidth TP (twisted-pair) products.
  • 1997: Opened US subsidiary.
  • 1997: Developed the market's fastest VGA graphics distribution amplifier.
  • 1999: Patented Kramer TOOLS, which receive "Reader's Choice Award" from Broadcast Engineering Magazine.
  • 2000: The VP-800, a VGA/XGA color bar generator, receives the "Pick Hit Award" from Video System Magazine at the NAB show in Las Vegas.
  • 2000: Opened UK subsidiary. Finalist for the "Manufacturer of the Year" Award from AV Magazine in the UK.
  • 2001: Expanded product line to include Scalers, Scan Converters and Presentation Matrix switchers.
  • 2002: Opened sales offices and warehouses in Russia and China.
  • 2002: Expanded product line with the introduction of Wall Plate Interfaces and accessories. Developed and introduced the ProScale digital scaler/switchers.
  • 2003: Opened sales offices and warehouses in France, Australia and Singapore.
  • 2003: Acquired Sierra Video Systems, a provider of digital and analog audio and video equipment for the worldwide broadcast, post-production, presentation and professional video marketplaces.
  • 2004: Opened sales offices and warehouses in Mexico, Argentina, Brazil and Italy.
  • 2005: Instituted 7-year warranty.
  • 2006: Introduced VP-727 In-CTRL Seamless Switcher.
  • 2006: Celebrated 25th Anniversary.
  • 2008: Introduced SummitView Integrated Media/Room Control Systems.
  • 2008: Introduced Cobra High Resolution/Long Distance Twisted Pair Transmission Line of Products.

References

  1. ^ Stampede announces distribution agreement with Kramer Electronics
  2. ^ "Kramer Electronics Acquires Sierra Video Systems". September 30, 2008.
  3. ^ Kramer Web Site
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