03.14.2008 — ADI, the giant security and low-voltage distributor, revealed today at EHX that it would carry HP’s line of MediaSmart networked-entertainment solutions, including televisions, servers and digital media adapters.

That makes ADI the “key distributor for the custom installation channel,” says Doug Robert, HP’s channel marketing manager, North America Digital Entertainment. (D&H Distributing carries the MediaSmart and other HP products, and is considered to be the key national distributor for retail and IT channels.)

Robert says HP selected ADI for its “huge brand reputation, extensive reach, large number of will-call locations, and the kind of customer support that HP would expect from its partners.”

For its part, ADI appreciates HP’s brand, but likes the product for “how it fits in our Media Center strategy,” says RJ Hirshkind, ADI product manager for A/V, telephony and central vac.

ADI announced earlier on that it would distribute Russound’s Smart Media Consoles, and more recently that it would resell the high-end Sierra Media Center from Niveus.

“HP offers a different user interface and works with XP and other PCs that don’t have Media Center,” Hirshkind says.

HP’s MediaSmart TVs ship with HP’s proprietary platform that apparently offers a kindler, gentler interface and set-up experience than traditional media-centric solutions.

“It makes sense for a lot of security dealers that are just getting into it,” Hirshkind says.

The MediaSmart TVs, however, have the flexibility to tap the full Media Center experience via a free download. ADI also will offer HP’s MediaSmart Server and the company’s new Media Center Extender, now called MediaSmart Connect (formerly known as MediaSmart Receiver.)

To support its Media Center lineup, ADI plans to display the solutions at the majority of ADI’s 100-plus branches.

“The majority of our dealers will be eligible for HP and Russound,” Hirshkind says.

He notes that Media Center “is still in the early-adoption stage. We’re trying to get our dealers ahead of the curve.”