I hope the holidays treated everyone well! I think we can all agree that after a tumultuous 2020, we're all looking forward to a better 2021. For my first spotlight of the new year, I want to focus on a product that can help make this year more productive and more profitable for every integrator, the MSol HDBaseT/Network Video tester from Murideo.

We've all heard the phrase "tools of the trade". Every industry has what are considered essential tools - automotive, culinary, construction, etc. It's one of the things that separates the true professionals from the amateurs. I love to work on my cars and motorcycles; however, I know that when I take it to a pro, they have the tools that allow them to correctly identify the problem the first time and get it done in hours instead of days (sometimes I enjoy those days doing it myself, but then again nobody is paying me to do it). It's no different in our industry. Diagnosing video transmission issues is not necessarily an intuitive process. We can't actually see what's going on with the complex digital communication taking place without the proper tools. AVPro is, of course, in the test tool business through our sister company Murideo. Our Fox and Hound HDMI Test Kit sets the standard for diagnosing HDMI video issues in the field; however, there have been limits to its capabilities. In the real world, we are often tasked with sending increasingly complex video signals over category wire infrastructure. In some ways, it's not unlike deploying data networks, in other ways it is very different. Tools for verifying and troubleshooting data networks have been around for a long time. IT professionals couldn't be in business without them. With today's high-bandwidth video signals, we push the limits even further, both with HDBaseT transmission and video-over-IP.

Realizing that the need existed, Murideo collaborated with MSolutions out of Israel to bring you the MSol tester. Now you can test your copper infrastructure for actual video transmission up to 10Gbps. You can know, with certainty, that the wiring will support the video signals you'll be sending over it. Even better, it can identify issues that may cause intermittent issues - the kind that happen on a Saturday three days after you've completed the project. You can also generate certification documents, something that can be of great value to both the client and others in the process. And of course, if you encounter problems after installation, the MSol can identify the cause with unprecedented accuracy. Here are just a few of the capabilities.

Despite the power of the MSol, it is easy to use, providing intuitive feedback for even a novice user. Easy color-coded feedback provides a user-friendly experience. A variety of available modules allow you to only buy the capabilities that are important to you, including the MU-M4SOL-MXNET upgrade, valuable for deploying video-over-IP platforms such as our new MXNet system. There really is nothing else like it on the market. If you incorporate HDBaseT video or video-over-IP in your business, you really can't afford to be without it. Here's to a 2021 with less headaches and more profit!