[CEDIA] Expo Explodes with Media Center Edition

As I said in an earlier post, Media Center Edition will be next year's iPod, with countless manufacturers supporting the platform. Today, you'll find more reliability, better multizone capabilities, and easier integration using dedicated servers such as those from Elan, Escient, ReQuest and Russound (more on all of these and more in a future posting). But MCE is a force to be recognized, and we can't ignore it.

The following are some MCE developments evident from this year's CEDIA Expo. Look for even more at EHX in November.

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One of the five Best Products of the Year (according to CEDIA anyway) was the MCE-based iHome Multi-Center from Audio Design Associates. Yes, this manufacturer of high-performance audio distribution has an MCE product, so that says something about the platform -- not necessarily that it is so worthy of the ADA imprimatur, but that ADA realized it couldn't ignore an inevitable platform. Same thing for the iPod, which ADA has embraced. ADA's iHome ships with a Lutron HomeWorks driver, and other drivers are available from ADA's partner Convelux. The iHome has several features that enhance system reliability, including RAID-configured backup drives and a Watchdog module that makes sure the QuickTime player for iTunes is healthy. A unit with two 250 GB hard drives retails for $7,000.

ADA's iHome is built around MCE; notice the redundant hard drives at right(the two blue LCDs).

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There were several other high-end MCEs on the CEDIA show floor. Niveus's K2 and Denali stand out for their ISF certification, meaning the video looks darn good. That's probably why Vidikron has chosen Niveus products for their video demos at CEDIA and EHX.

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Inteset touted its multizone capabilities -- you can stream audio to three zones from a single MCE box. Inteset separates the operating system from the storage in its MCE boxes, meaning that, in the worst-case scenario, you can rebuild a system without losing any content.

Inteset has the MCE multizone audio problem licked.

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MCE products from Securgen are optimized for CCTV control and management. The company has pan/tilt/zoom control protocols for all of the most popular cameras. At CEDIA the company introduced DVR Remote Software, an MCE plug-in that allows users to view video from a remote location. The software was developed for Securgen's sister company OpenEye, and will work with any of OpenEye's X-Series DVRs. The MCE plug-in allows users to view live video and search recorded video from remote OpenEye servers.

Securgen's servers are optimized for CCTV applications.

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I wrote about Stack9 after CES but they've been relatively quiet since then. Their high-end MCE boxes feature RAID backup protection, and ship with Homeseer automation software. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to meet with them at the show.

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After ignoring the CE Pro channel for quite some time, Alienware, which makes specialty computers for gaming and entertainment, is turning its attention to us. At CEDIA the company showed prototype control systems being powered by Windows Media Center Edition. Under the leadership of David Aiello, who worked at Niles for 12 years, Alienware plans to incorporate automation and A/V control functions into Media Center Extenders. Linksys and Microsoft (xbox) are the only companies today that make Media Center Extenders, and all they really do is serve as thin clients to access an MCE from a remote TV. Alienware is adding relays, serial ports, power sensing and IR capabilities to the extenders, allowing users to control a complete environment while accessing MCE content and capabilities. Think: MCE meets Niles Intellicontrol (or RTI's RP-6).

Alienware's combo Media Center Extender and AV/automation controller

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I won't bore you with HP. I've already written at length about how the company is serious about the CE Pro channel (See HP Taps CE Pro Channel in the current issue of CE Pro). Let's just say this about HP: They're going to be around for a very long time. That's a nice feature!

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Ditto for Intel. The company's new Viiv platform will enable its PC partners to create MCE products quickly and efficiently (See related story). Intel had products from several of its partners on display at CEDIA. Two substantial Intel-related stories will appear in the October issue of CE Pro. Plus, Intel is organizing a CE/IT networking event at EHX.

Intel's MCE partners including Niveus

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On the software side, Lutron, Homeseer, HAI and Honeywell were showing their usual plug-ins for MCE. Same for Embedded Automation, which started off with an X10 automation plug-in, and showed an Insteon version at CEDIA. Insteon is the hybrid RF/powerline control protocol from SmartHome.

Embedded Automation is the first company to implement the Insteon RF/powerline protocol in an MCE plug-in.

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The biggest surprise was Crestron, which demonstrated a nice two-way interface for MCE. If you've ever worked with MCE, you know the response time can be slow using MCE's TV-based GUI. Crestron pulls the data directly from the MCE computer so you can scroll through audio, video, photos and other content without the lag of navigating through the MCE GUI. From the main Crestron screen, for example, you can jump right to a TV program guide or Internet radio station or song list.

Crestron's MCE interface is far faster than Microsoft's own.

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Universal Electronics Inc. (UEI) takes a similar approach with its Nevo SL. The handheld universal remote grabs music and audio via WiFi from the MCE, and displays the metadata on the large-ish LCD screen. From the remote, you can select a song (album, artist, playlist, etc.) and send the selection to the room of your choice. No TV interface required. The remote also displays images stored on the networked computer, so you can run a slide show in the palm of your hand. The Nevo SL is a great solution for exploiting MCE without having to use the TV as a GUI.

UEI's NevoSL solves MCE's interface problem -- no TV required. This is a realtime rendering of the interface, since the WiFi wasn't working too well on the show floor.

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Finally, the most MCE-intensive company in our channel is Exceptional Innovation, which introduced MCE-embedded servers (built for racks or structured wiring cabinets) and XP embedded touchscreens. The servers strip out anything that isn't necessary to run MCE-related applications and EI's LifeWare automation software. But dealers who prefer to bring their own MCEs can still do that, of course. EI has teamed up with HP, but any other MCE will do. EI's touchscreens are brand new, and they are NICE. Not cheap, though, starting about $5,000 (retail). The touchscreens are full embedded XP computers, with industrial-strength drives and specially fashioned components and back boxes that eliminate heat problems from in-wall installations. Video is delivered to the hi-def screens over Cat 5, and rendered locally for stunning graphics.

You could find the same toushcreens in the Vantage booth. EI has teamed up with the lighting control manufacturer, which is the first in our industry to embed Web Services for Devices (WSD) in its CPUs. With WSD built into its next-gen controllers, Vantage gear can be automatically discovered and incorporated into a LifeWare automation environment (or any WSD environment for that matter) -- no duplicate programming required. Other maufacturers can use EI's new LifeLink module to WSD-enable their systems.

EI now supports products from ACT, Aprilaire, Axis, DSC, GE Security, Global Cache, Honeywell, Intermatic, LiteTouch, Lutron, MechoShade, Netstreams, Niles, On-Q, Panasonic, RCS, Russound, Techniku, Vantage, Vaux and devices based on Z-wave wireless technology.

Above: The backside of EI's cool-running in-wall PC touchscreens (only requires one Cat 5 for control and A/V and a pair of wires for power). Below: the hi-res screens demonstrated at the Vantage booth

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Want to learn more about MCE? I'm chairing a full-day Media Center Edition Boot Camp at the Electronic House Expo. EHX runs Nov. 9-11 in Anaheim. The boot camp is Nov. 8. For more info on the boot camp, contact me or find more info on the boot camp link above.

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View our complete list of blogs about CEDIA, Media Center Edition, and more at http://blog.ce-pro.com/news/

-Julie Jacobson, CE Pro editor-at-large