Friends meeting at the new Dallas BBQ restaurant in Rego Park, NY, are not only enjoying delicious barbecued ribs, they are also getting a delectable multi-media experience. From the digital signage menus to the numerous flat screens around the dining room, guests are treated to crystal clear video entertainment and information.

The sharp graphics and video are the result of the Kramer Electronics products that power the audio/video system. Starting with the Kramer VP-728 video scaler/switcher and the Kramer VS-66A 6 x 6 matrix switcher, the professional audio/video integrator, Clareo Networks, built a high-tech system that manages a variety of content sources.

“The restaurant wanted to incorporate digital signage, entertainment and marketing messages in a single system, with the flexibility to switch content to any screen in the restaurant,” said Doug Asher, director of sales and marketing at Clareo Networks. “The content of menu items and internal and external marketing information required HDMI over CAT5 cabling, and the Kramer system was the best solution for video HD and cost-efficiency.”

The content is sent to12 displays throughout the dining area and order placement counters from rack-mounted equipment housed in the back of the restaurant. The Kramer products and cabling ensure that even the longest cable run to the front counter displays have a full HD picture. The VS-66A HDMI matrix switcher routes and distributes multiple high definition sources, including DirecTV, PC, digital signage players and other HDCP sources, to the 40-, 47- and 55-inch LCD screens. The Kramer VM-4HXL HDMI distribution amplifier reclocks and equalizes the signal from a PC-based digital signage player and distributes it to four identical menu displays. The Kramer VM-2HXL 1 x 2 HDMI distribution amplifier distributes signals to the two marketing displays. The other displays receive DTV signals for entertainment. Twelve Kramer PT-571 and PT-572 HDMI over twisted pair transmitter/receivers convert the HDMI signals to a single twisted pair signal and back to HDMI at each of the large screen displays.

“We wanted to give the restaurant the flexibility of having audio and video throughout the entire space, which seats 450 people,” Asher said. “The Kramer product is reliable, economical and works great to maintain a consistently clear signal, even in a large space where cable runs are long.”

The Rego Park Dallas BBQ restaurant is the first one of the restaurant’s 10 locations to install an HDMI system, complete with digital signage. As guests decide on their BBQ orders, the Kramer system not only makes sure the menu is clear, but also entertains diners in their seats.