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News, Analysis, and Opinion on Microsoft Digital Media Technologies (and TGB News!)
September 2006 - Posts
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Pcalchemy introduces their new line of MiniMCE™ Media
Centers! Pcalchemy has combined the power of Microsoft® Windows® XP Media
Center Edition 2005 with the latest mobile on the desktop technology (MODT) to
provide a full featured digital entertainment experience in an extremely small
package.
September 25, 2006 — Pcalchemy introduces their new
line of MiniMCE™ Media Centers! Pcalchemy has combined the power of Microsoft®
Windows® XP Media Center Edition 2005 with the latest mobile on the desktop
technology (MODT) to provide a full featured digital entertainment experience
in an extremely small package. The line currently consists of 3 models, M1B, M1S and M2B,
all under the size of your typical dictionary. The smallest one is a mere
6.5″square and 2″ high and literally fits in the palm of your hand! With such a
tiny footprint, and a great combination of built-in and bundled components and
capabilities, this unit is ready to slide into entertainment centers anywhere. Pcalchemy’s CEO, Greg Messner, said,” Our goal was to design
an extremely small line of media centers without giving up the performance of
your typical full sized media center. This was accomplished by utilizing the
latest mobile on the desktop technologies, such as, the Intel® Core™ 2 Duo
mobile processor and Hitachi’s notebook hard drives designed for 24/7 use. The
end result surpassed our expectations.” “You can put a MiniMCE media center in places limited only
by your imagination, in the bedroom, on the bookshelf next to the TV, strapped
on to the back of your plasma TV, the list is virtually endless”, said Messner. The MiniMCE™ Mini Media Centers are available now. Pcalchemy
ships each MiniMCE™ system within 2 business days of order. This is extremely
fast compared to the industry norm of 5-10 business days. About Pcalchemy, Inc.
Pcalchemy is a leading retailer and system builder specializing in multimedia
systems and hardware components and is dedicated to bringing quality media
center and HTPC products to the consumer. To learn more, please visit http://www.pcalchemy.com/
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REDMOND, Wash. — Sept. 28, 2006 — Microsoft Corp. is putting the
social into digital music, starting this holiday. Today the company announced
that the Zune™ digital media player and online service will be available to
consumers in the U.S.
on Nov. 14, 2006, just in time for the holidays. The Zune device will retail
for $249.99 U.S. (ERP) and will create new ways for entertainment fans to
connect and share media experiences device-to-device through the use of
wireless technology and new software scenarios.
For $249.99, consumers will get an incredible entertainment experience right
out of the box:
- 30GB
digital media player will come equipped with wireless functionality for
Zune-to-Zune sharing of music, pictures and home recordings; a bright,
three-inch LCD video screen that works in portrait or landscape mode to
view pictures and videos; and a built-in FM tuner. The device will be
available in three colors: black, brown and white.
- A
selection of preloaded content including songs, music videos and film
shorts are installed on the device’s hard drive to help consumers discover
new artists and entertainment.
Zune makes it easy to find music you love — whether it’s
songs in your existing library or new music from the Zune Marketplace:
- Its
dynamic music service will be continually updated with new content and
experiences so there is always something to discover. The Zune Marketplace
lets users browse and purchase songs individually.
- A Zune Pass subscription gives consumers
access to millions of songs for $14.99 per month.
- Users
can purchase songs individually using Microsoft® Points for 79 points per
track. Similar to a pre-paid phone card, Microsoft Points is a stored
value system that can be redeemed at a growing number of online stores,
including the Xbox Live® Marketplace.
Read
Full Press Release
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William George over at Puget
Custom Computers has written a nice Windows
Media Center 2005 Walkthough. ( Via PVR Wire) It’s a nice nine page article that goes
through just about everything including different hardware recommendations, a
basic look at the feature of Media
Center including My
Videos, My Music, etc. Includes nice high
quality photos also. Take a look at it
if you are new to Media
Center.
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HP
Debranded P4 3.0GHz 200GB Digital Entertainment Center (Geeks.com) | Just
got an e-mail about Geeks.com selling Refurbished
and "Debranded" Digital Entertainment Centers (z Series)
for just $435.50! Not a bad deal at all. It doesn’t include the OS, but does have nice specs. - Intel
Pentium 4 3.0 GHz (530) w/Hyper Threading
- 512 MB
DDR RAM (PC3200)
- 200 GB
SATA Hard Drive
- Dual
Layer DVD+/-R/RW Drive
with LightScribe
- Memory
Card Reader
- ATI
Radeon X370 SE PCI-E Video Card
- TV
Tuner Card with FM tuner (NTSC and ATSC)
- Integrated
Intel High Definition audio
- Realtek
ALC 880 chipset
- Wireless
LAN 802.11b/g
- Integrated
10/100 Ethernet
- Media Center Remote
They are rated pretty high on Reseller Ratings, so
if you are looking for a very cheap Media Center PC this might be your ticket.
Thanks Douglas!
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TOKYO — Sept. 20, 2006 — Today at the Tokyo Game Show 2006, Microsoft Corp. delivered information on
new and improved entertainment experiences for Japanese gamers, including
details of the Xbox 360™ library of nearly 110 high-definition games available
this holiday season in Japan,
which will include the highly anticipated “Blue Dragon” from Microsoft Game
Studios. Microsoft also paid tribute to NAMCO BANDAI Games and “Pac-Man,”
announcing that the first “Pac-Man” World Championship will be held in early
2007 using Xbox 360 and Xbox Live® Arcade.
Microsoft also revealed details of other entertainment offerings enabled
through Xbox 360, with availability date and pricing provided for the Xbox 360
HD DVD player in Japan,
as well as news of an update that will allow the Xbox 360 console to output
full 1080p games and video.
At the best-attended gaming convention in the world, Microsoft showcased
games that will boost the Xbox 360 software library in Japan to nearly
110 titles by holiday season 2006 as well as more titles coming well into 2007.
The Xbox 360 games showcased include “Blue Dragon” (Microsoft Game Studios),
“Lost Planet: Extreme Condition” (Capcom), “Dead or Alive: Xtreme 2” (Tecmo
Inc.) and the newly announced “Trusty Bell” (NAMCO BANDAI Games), and a host of
anticipated Xbox Live Arcade titles. For 2007, Microsoft also announced a
pipeline of great games that include the epic role-playing game (RPG) “Infinite
Undiscovery” (Microsoft Game Studios).
“The key to winning the hearts and minds of the Japanese market is great
games, and this great lineup demonstrates that Xbox 360 has those games in
spades,” said Peter Moore, corporate vice president of the Interactive
Entertainment Business in the Entertainment and Devices Division at Microsoft.
“Our lineup of role-playing games from the acknowledged masters of the genre is
proof positive that there has never been a better time for Japanese gamers to
jump in and pick up an Xbox 360 system.”
Many game titles, including the much-anticipated epic RPG “Blue Dragon,”
will be playable for the first time in the Microsoft® booth at the
Tokyo Game Show. Other playable titles include “Lost Odyssey™” (Microsoft Game
Studios) and “Viva Piñata™” (Microsoft Game Studios).
Xbox Live Arcade and the “Pac-Man” World
Championship
With the creator of “Pac-Man,” Toru Iwatani, onstage, Peter Moore announced
that Microsoft and NAMCO BANDAI Games will host the first “Pac-Man” World
Championship in early 2007. The top 10 players in the world for “Pac-Man” on
Xbox Live Arcade will compete for the title in New York City. More details, including how to
qualify for the championship, will be made available in the coming months.
Continuing its tremendous momentum, Xbox Live Arcade has also announced in Tokyo a host of exciting
new games, including some that will be exclusive to the Japanese market. Gamers
will have the opportunity to try a host of new games on the show floor,
including the classic side-scroller “Contra” (Konami Corp.), the space-shooter
“Gyruss” (Konami), the enemy-popping classic “Dig Dug” (NAMCO BANDAI Games),
arcade favorite “Track & Field” (Konami), “New Rally-X” (NAMCO BANDAI
Games) “Rush’n Attack” (Konami), a favorite 1980s side-scroller, and the inimitable
“Ms. Pac-Man” (NAMCO BANDAI Games). In addition, the Japan-exclusive Xbox Live
Arcade game “Yie Ar Kung Fu” (Konami), one of the very first fighting games,
was announced for release in 2007.
Xbox 360 HD DVD Player and 1080p Support
Microsoft announced pricing and availability details for the Xbox 360 HD DVD
Player in Japan.
The accessory will launch on Nov. 17, 2006, priced at ¥19,800 (estimated retail
price), and will come with an Xbox 360 Universal Media Remote.
“Xbox 360 and the HD DVD Player together deliver the most powerful and
affordable games and movie system for Japanese consumers,” Moore said. “The freedom to choose their
entertainment experiences is extremely important for consumers as they enter
the next generation.”
In addition, Microsoft announced that its fall software update, scheduled
for release later this year, will allow all Xbox 360 consoles around the world
to output game and movie content in 1080p resolution.
XNA
Demonstrating its pledge to democratize game development for tomorrow’s game
developers, Microsoft announced that four Japanese universities will use its
XNA™ Game Studio Express software in educational material and research within
their course offerings. The XNA software allows hobbyists, students and
independent game developers to create games for Windows® and, for
the first time, Xbox 360 with the goal that user-generated games made with XNA
will arrive on Xbox Live Marketplace. Tokyo
University, Tokyo
Polytechnic University,
Ritsumeikan University
and Osaka Electro-Communication University
join the dozens of universities worldwide that have pledged support for
Microsoft’s XNA vision and are recognizing the potential of XNA Game Studio
Express as an educational tool. As a result, these four schools will integrate
XNA software into their game development curricula, labs and games-related
research.
“As I turn my attention and passion toward teaching the next generation of
game developers, I am thrilled with XNA Game Studio Express and related
products,” said Toru Iwatani, a lecturer at Tokyo Polytechnic
University and original
creator of “Pac-Man.” “I believe that these products are attractive and
effective because they create a development environment that matches the skill
level and area of expertise, widening the entry of future developers into game
development.”
XNA Game Studio Express beta was made available to users worldwide on Aug.
30, 2006. The final version of XNA Game Studio Express will be made available
this holiday season.
About Xbox 360
Xbox 360 is the most powerful video game and entertainment system,
delivering the best games, the next generation of the premier Xbox Live online
gaming network and unique digital entertainment experiences that revolve around
gamers. Xbox 360 is expected to have a catalog of 160 high-definition games by
the end of 2006 and to be available in nearly 40 countries by the end
of 2007. More information can be found online at http://www.xbox.com/xbox360.
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/mobileRecord
from Casey Chestnut is a new plug-in that I have been playing with and
meant to blog about over a week ago and then got tied up. /mobileRecord
uses Messenger to allow you to browse both what you have set to record
currently on your Media Center PC and will actually allow you to search, browse,
and schedule recordings too from any device that has access to Messenger (examples:
MSN Mobile on a SmartPhone, MSN Messenger, Windows Live Messenger, etc)
Casey helped me get it setup and going when he was still
working a few major bugs out, and it has turned out to be yet another great
program and concept from Casey.
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So, here’s the deal. Media
Center developers are
often looking for comments and bug reports for their programs. For whatever reason, this doesn’t always
happen and it can lead to a few things.
The largest being that developers of great Media Center
plug-ins just stop developing when their contributions are ignored! I’m not saying that you have to be an active
user of every plug-in released, but I encourage everyone reading this to check
out The Green Button at least
once-a-week and just read through what’s new in the 3rd Party Applications
Forum. Developers need feedback.
The Green Button forum member
and Media Center plug-in developer, IgnoranceIsBliss,
has released several plug-in over the past few weeks. The most notable being Yougle, a 10
foot Google Video/YouTube plug-in. But
check out what else is cookin
My Games 0.2.0 Alpha
Released (The Green Button Community)
GrooveThang 0.2.0
Alpha Released (The Green Button Community)
Check them out. If you are interested, leave some feedback so
the developer knows it’s worth spending time on.
This goes for all
developers. I’ve watched several Media Center
plug-in developers basically get fed up with the market and stop
developing. This isn’t good for the
community, and someone doesn’t always pick up where the first dev left off.
What would we be doing if Brian
Binnerup had not picked up where Bill left off with DVD Jukebox?
Spend just a few minutes on
the 3rd Party
Applications Forum and provide some feedback!
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Web
Media for Windows Vista Media Center (mcesoft) | Danee has updated Web
Media to now work with Vista
Media Center. In case the name “Web Media” doesn’t tip you
off on what this plug-in does, here is Danee’s desription; “Add your favorite Internet Radio stations and you favorite Internet TV
stations and put them in the categories you like.”
Also,
be sure to check out the rest of Danee’s plug-in at mcesoft.
More will be updated for use in Vista
as the launch gets closer.
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GARDEN CITY, NY – September
21 – VidaBox LLC, the innovator of Media Center and home theater PC systems,
today announced the introduction of its first completely silent Media Center
system called ZERO™. ZERO™ utilizes advanced thermal management technology,
resulting in a fanless system that is completely silent. Its stunning design
will be admired by even the most discerning home theater enthusiast.
“Many of our customers were
looking for a completely silent Media
Center solution that
would not be an eye sore in their living room,” says Sergio DeAlbuquerque,
co-founder of VidaBox. “They have spent a lot of time and money into building a
perfect acoustic environment for their home theater and can’t tolerate noisy
equipment. ZERO™ fulfills that requirement, and it does so in style.”
At about the size of an audio
receiver, ZERO™ stands a mere 5 ¾” tall. Featuring an AMD X2 dual core
processor, 800MHz DDR2 RAM, up to 1.5 TB of VidaSafe™ protected storage, dual
ISF certified standard definition tuners, optional dual HDTV tuners (for a
total of four tuners), up to nVidia Geforce 7950GX2 dedicated graphics card
with HDCP compliance, and optional Blue Ray and HD-DVD upgrades.
All existing ZERO™ systems
will be upgradeable to CableCARD support in 2007, in conjunction with the
Microsoft Windows Vista operating system release and other VidaBox high
definition CableCARD systems. Sergio continues, “Many of our customers are
worried that their investment will be lost due to the new upcoming CableCARD
release and high definition DVD formats. We responded by creating a high
definition upgrade program to address those concerns.”
Like all VidaBox Media
Center systems, ZERO™ features rock
solid stability (99%+ up time), complete system pre-configuration at the
factory, complete Media
Center software package,
and quick easy installation.
For more details and
specifications on the new VidaBox™ ZERO™, please visit the company website at http://www.vidabox.com/Products/ZERO.htm
About VidaBox LLC
VidaBox LLC is a systems
integration company focused on manufacturing premium Media Center
systems. VidaBox is on a mission to create user-friendly, stable,
compact, and quiet Media
Center systems that work
right out of the box. For more information, visit www.vidabox.com or call 1-516-730-7500.
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Denver, CO – CEDIA EXPO 2006 – September 13 - 17, 2006
– Booth # 540 and Home of Electronic Lifestyles® – Exceptional Innovation announces the launch of
their Life|ware™ 1.0.2 home control software for seamless integration with Media
Center based installations. New features, learning options, flexible menus and more
subsystem devices expand the functionality and features of Life|ware 1.0.2.
When integrated with the Media Center platform, Life|ware creates a digital entertainment
experience that allows consumers to control how they enjoy their digital
content, wherever and whenever they want, as well as manage their lighting,
HVAC, security and other subsystems through a single interface.
Life|ware 1.0.2 adds key subsystem
support for products like the Russound UNO-S2 Keypad, which will allow the user
to manage Media Center content playing in a zone through
the UNO-S2 keypads. Users will now be able to view the current playing metadata
on their keypads as well as navigate and select new Media Center
content to play using album, artist, and genre on the UNO-S2 keypad. The UNO-S2
is used in conjunction with a Life|link Web Service for Devices (WSD) bridge
and a Russound CAV 6.6 distributed audio system. Life|link Devices embedded
with WSD can be automatically recognized and controlled on a Life|ware network,
eliminating time-consuming programming and ensuring that the two “speak the
same language” at all times.
“Electronics and appliances are being designed to be
more intelligent, but what’s been missing is a way to connect them all together
effectively in a single network. That is how Life|ware 1.0.2 is changing the
face of home control —by bringing a powerful solution to seamlessly integrate
intelligent devices together and implementing them so homeowners can live a
truly digital lifestyle,” said Mike Seamons, Exceptional Innovation’s vice president
of marketing.
In addition to Russound UNO-S2
Keypad product support, Life|ware 1.0.2 adds support for the following devices:
CentraLite
OnQ LeGrand
Axis
Channel Vision
- W4000
device has been certified as a valid camera device
Leviton
- Dimmer –
RZ106
- Lamp
Module - RZP03
- Appliance
Module - RZP15
NuVo
- The NuVo Simplese distributed audio system
Russound
- ST2-XM Tuner (includes AM/FM tuner)
- CAA 6.6 distributed audio system
- CAM 6.6 distributed audio system
- CAS 4.4 distributed audio system
X-Arm
- The CLO
X-Arm motorized TV mount
Life|ware 1.0.2 also adds
other exciting new features such as the ability to set a room’s lighting,
temperature, audio pre-sets to a desired setting and then have Life|ware learn
these settings for a programmed Life|scene™. Life|scenes can also be triggered
by control system events such as pressing “play” and having room shades
and lights lowered simultaneously.
The ability to Schedule by
Astronomical Time has also been added, allowing the configuration of daily,
weekly, monthly and one-time schedules to execute under events such as sunrise
or sunset.
A number of enhancements are
aimed at making installer’s lives easier – such as a more flexible menu
structure, the ability to easily group devices within the same component
together as needed, and the ability to print a report for a given
configuration. Dealers can also configure the My Home text that appears on Media Center’s
main menu, and add in their own business information on Life|ware’s About page.
Life|ware 1.0.2 is an
automatic software upgrade to existing Life|ware customers. Pricing for Life|ware
1.0.2 will vary based on installation and scale. A list of all of the new
Life|ware 1.0.2 features is included on the following pages.
For more information on
Exceptional Innovation, please visit www.exceptionalinnovation.com
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Okoro Media Systems, manufacturer of digital entertainment
systems for the high end audio video market, is pleased to announce the
availability of the 'Ultra Low Profile" SX Series. The SX Series is based
on the Intel Core Duo mobile processor with Viiv technology. The SX Series
features cool and quiet operation, a 2.7 inch low profile height and HDMI
Technology.
"Our customers want media management in a nice small
package. We feel that the SX series will give them a feature packed Digital
Entertainment System in a thin and elegant form factor. With Intel Viiv
technology, HD audio and HDMI output, the SX series is a perfect fit for our
customers " said Christopher Curry, VP of Sales & Operations.
The SX series will launch with the SX100 model. This model
is based on the Intel Core Duo T2300 processor with 1 GB of RAM and 250GB hard
drive. All SX models feature the following:
8-channel HD audio with Dolby Digital Live technology
ISF Certified TV Analog Tuner
667Mhz Memory
Upgradeability to 500GB of HD Space
Dual Layer DVD Burner
HDMI and VGA output
Intel Viiv Technology
For more information about the SX series, please visit www.okoromedia.com.
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Sony
VGP-XL1B2 Media Changer (Amazon.com) | Looks like Amazon is pushing out the
Sony VGP-XL1B2 DVD Changer. Price is
currently $299.99 after a $100 rebate.
Not a bad deal at all. However,
since I
still can’t stream them to an Extender I see no reason to buy one.
However, for $299.99 a lot of ya’ll might want to jump on
the deal. At this point you are looking
at prices much cheaper then hard drives.
Also, for new Media
Center users this product
can be used to batch rip your audio CD’s to your hard drive. I think it’s worth $299 if you have a
collection of 200+ CD’s you need to rip.
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HP today launched two new digital entertainment centers that
combine the best of PC and advanced audio/visual technologies to offer
consumers a superb home entertainment experience.
In addition, the company introduced a dedicated call center
and training program to help custom installers integrate HP’s full range of
digital entertainment offerings into home management solutions.
Showcased at the Custom Electronics Design and Installation
Association (CEDIA) tradeshow, the new HP Digital Entertainment Centers (DEC) –
the HP z565 and HP z560 – can be used as high-definition digital video
recorders, allowing users to pause, rewind and record favorite shows.(1) The
DEC’s progressive scan DVD player creates an immersive home theater experience,
and users can easily manage their music collections and create slideshows of
their digital photos via a 9-in-1-card reader.
HP’s new DECs include features, such as HDMI connectivity,
fixed-line audio out and streamlined software build, that help custom
integrators provide digital entertainment and digital automation solutions to a
variety of residential developments.
The DECs also come with a large hard disk capacity, storing
up to 800 gigabytes(2) of recorded TV, movies, photos and more. In addition to
using dual-core(3) Intel® processors and being Intel Viiv™ compliant, they are
designed with the power and features needed to upgrade and run Microsoft
Windows® Vista™ Premium.
To further aid custom integrators, the new DECs will be
Life|ware Ready™, the first such hardware to be given this status by
Exceptional Innovation. Life|ware is a simple to use but sophisticated software
program that gives users one-touch control of their homes’ entertainment,
audio, climate, lighting and security systems.
“CEDIA dealers have told us that they want products and
solutions that help them grow their businesses,” said Jan-Luc Blakborn,
director, Digital Entertainment – North America, HP. “Industry-standard
solutions such as the new HP Digital Entertainment Centers with Life|ware use
the Media Center operating system to scale up or down for installations from
the modestly priced to the very high-end.”
HP chosen as preferred vendor by custom integrators
South Florida-based integrator, Criteria Inc., has
standardized on the HP DEC to use in both single-family and multi-dwelling
applications.
“HP offers our clients a wide array of entertainment
solutions with the Media
Center operating system
used as the hub of digital content,” said Dave Tovissi, president, Criteria.
“We have been introducing many of our preferred developers to an HP solution
for building maintenance and virtual concierge solutions. Developers are
looking at technology to give them a competitive edge in the luxury high-rise
condominium market. HP offers both technology and an open architecture that
gives these developers a lot for their money.”
The Momentum Group, a technology integration firm
specializing in custom residential and multi-dwelling units, also has selected
HP as its preferred technology supplier for an 800-unit,
five-star development in Miami.
HP will supply HD TVs, printers and Media Center-based PCs and DECs.
“This project represents the future of home technology and
how it will be integrated into everyday lifestyles,” said Daniel Kippycash,
president and chief executive officer, The Momentum Group. “Residents of this
project are very excited when they learn that HP products are being featured
because of its reputation for innovation and quality.”
Custom integrator support initiative
To meet the needs of custom integrators, HP has launched a
dedicated call center that assists them with the installation of HP digital
entertainment products, including HP DECs, MediaSmart TVs and standard LCDs and
plasmas. In addition to in-depth training on these products, the support agents
are trained on Life|ware software.
The specialist support agents can be reached on +1 877 309
9212 from 5 a.m. to 8 p.m. Pacific time, Monday through Saturday. The support
center will work with dealers and installers to ensure easy access to
high-quality technical support and in-depth product information.
HP also is conducting a series of online and open house
training events on Media
Center and HP DECs. The
training is being run through local Digital Delivery Group members, a national
consortium of regional value-added consumer electronics specialty distributors.
The training is designed to help custom integrators understand how HP DECs
complement and consolidate entertainment throughout the home. Further
information on upcoming courses is available at www.digitaldeliverygroup.com.
About HP
HP is a technology solutions provider to consumers,
businesses and institutions globally. The company’s offerings span IT
infrastructure, global services, business and home computing, and imaging and
printing. For the four fiscal quarters ended July 31, 2006, HP revenue totaled
$90.0 billion. More information about HP (NYSE, Nasdaq: HPQ) is available at http://www.hp.com.
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Niveus’ new 2007 Pro
Series media servers bring state-of-the-art hardware, software, and design
elements direct to the custom install market.
Denver, CO – CEDIA EXPO 2006 – September 13 - 17,
2006 – Booth # 710 – Niveus Media, award-winning manufacturers of high-end
digital media server solutions, proudly introduces the 2007 Pro Series media
centers, n7 and n9. Designed with the custom installer in mind, the new Pro
Series incorporates cutting-edge technology to deliver one of the fastest, most
powerful media server solutions on the market, in a convenient rack-mount form
factor.
Packed with the industry’s most advanced hardware and
software, the HD DVD enabled Pro Series includes the highly-anticipated Intel
Viiv technology and Core 2 Duo Extreme processor, Nvidia’s GeForce Series 7
Graphics and HDMI output. Engineered to provide faster frame rates and
exceptional images, as well as broad 3rd party control and enough horsepower to
distribute audio and video throughout a multi-zone home, the n7 and n9 are
packed with the compatibility and functionality, to perform as a central media
distribution hub for the digital home.
“Recognizing the growing number of dealers seeking high
performance media centers specific to rack installations, we are excited to
fulfill their needs with the n7 and n9; as well as introducing the Pro Series
to Niveus’ expanding product portfolio,” states Tim Cutting, CEO of Niveus Media.
Based on Windows Media Center 2005 and Niveus’ award-winning
Summit Series platform, the n7 and n9 feature the best in class audio/video
performance. Including Niveus’ proprietary Glacier Passive Cooling™ technology
(active & passive cooling) and patent-pending Niveus ConvergencePanel™, as
well as new features including HDMI, RS-232, an integrated flash card reader
(SD, MMC), and RAID 5 Hard Drive Data Protection, the new Pro Series is highly-
compatible to meet the needs of varying installation challenges.
Specially designed and manufactured by Niveus and sporting a
sleek, compact chassis (measuring 3U), the Pro Series is complete with ears for
fast and easy rack mount installation. Available in multiple installation
configurations, Niveus offers varying hard drive storage options in the n7 and
n9 (1TB to 3TB HDD, respectively), boasts up to 4 television tuners (2x NTSC,
2x ATSC), up to 4GB of Memory, and 8-channel audio.
Reconfirming the company’s commitment to providing its
valued dealers with the tools needed to easily integrate and control a Niveus Media
Center, Niveus announced
its participation in the following programs: AMX’s InConcert manufacturer
partner program, Crestron’s Integration Partner program and Exceptional
Innovation’s Life|ware Ready program. The company will also continue to work
with Netstreams, Universal Electronics and Vantage to ensure compatibility.
Imaging Science Foundation (ISF) certification (pending)
will allow the Pro Series to join the Niveus’ Summit Series as one of the few
media centers to achieve the highest quality video available resulting in a
high fidelity experience for custom install professionals. Niveus Media’s
Professional Series n7 and n9 MSRP start at of $6,999 and $14,999,
respectively, and is expected to ship September 30, 2006.
For more information on Niveus Media, Inc., please visit www.niveusmedia.com.
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