Independent 3rd Party shoot-out of 23 of the latest HDBaseT Extenders available has stated Aurora Multimedia's DXE-CAT-S2 extender pair as the "Top Performer" and pointed out the unique features of the unit including:

Flex Power(TM) with POE

Distances tested up to 625ft over CAT6a Shielded

Bidirectional IR Pass through

Form Factor (Smallest unit tested)

2-Port Ethernet Switch

S2L version with embedded "complete control system"

Findings will be presented in the December edition of Sound & Video Contractor magazine.

The excerpt from the article appears below reprinted with permission by Sound & Video Contractor, December 2012 by Patrick Barron:

"The Aurora Multimedia extender was the top performer in terms of distance achieved with both CAT5 and CAT6 cables. Aurora was able to make modifications to the firmware that allowed the distance to dramatically increase while still maintaining the HDBaseT designation. ....One of the features unique to Aurora was that both units could be powered by a power supply at one side only. This meant you could place a power supply at the TX or RX based on the installation configuration of which side was more convenient. This extender can also be powered with POE which eliminates the need for a traditional power supply.

Bidirectional IR pass-through was another feature that was not tested but it could be useful in many instances. The size of the box itself was the smallest one tested which makes it very easy to locate in small spaces such as behind a wall mounted flat panel display......

Another version of this extender is available at a higher price that adds a complete control system into the extender. The DXE-CAT-S2L (not tested) has 8MB of storage capability for hosting a Web Control page enabling control of any IR or RS232 controllable device. Configurable as Telnet Client/Server, the S2L can also be integrated with existing supporting control systems. Additionally it provides a 2-port Ethernet switch at both ends allowing connectivity of IP capable displays and components."