Powerline Trumps RF

Kukulies says the company "made the decision on powerline" about two years ago. In contemplating a retrofit solution, NuVo considered wireless, but not for long.

"The powerline is predictable and the environment is more manageable now and in the future," Kukulies says. Concrete walls, steel studs, and everyday items such as mirrors can undermine a wireless signal, he explains.

High voltage, however, can be a scary word for low-voltage integrators who may not be comfortable with the powerline. But NuVo makes it easy to separate the two disciplines. The electrician wires in a specially designed power supply, and leaves a connector exposed for the low-voltage installer.

Then there is the perception among integrators that wirefree solutions – whether RF or powerline – are simply inadequate for their clientele.

While NuVo suggests that systems be prewired when possible, for retrofit situations the powerline makes for a good substitute. Kukulies says that NuVo added "secret sauce" to the core HomePlug protocol in order to enhance music quality and improve synchronization across zones.

The latency with Renovia is "imperceptible," says Kukulies. "If four rooms are all open to each other, there will be no echoes."

Because NuVo has tweaked HomePlug, its products cannot communicate with other HomePlug products on the market. Kukulies says that HomePlug does not have mandates for interoperability. "What they do have," he says, "is guidelines for performance."

Technical considerations aside, the powerline system may face hurdles among an integrator population that is "used to stringing it [installation] along for five days," says Rodarte. "This is a serious business model, and we have to educate dealers about the concept."

That's just what NuVo plans to do at CEDIA Expo 2008 where the company will preview Renovia at booth 240 (view CEDIA floor plan).

NuVo is planning to ship products in the first half of 2009.

The Competition

While wireless multiroom audio systems abound (Sonos is just one), currently there is nothing for professional-looking in-wall installations.

Last year, Russound showed the new Avenue powerline audio system that essentially HomePlug-enables its existing line of RNet communicating audio products.

That product, however, requires a bulky powerline module (the Avenue Point) to be installed outside the wall near the local keypads and speakers.

Channel Vision also has shown a powerline-based multiroom audio system, but the product is less of a "system" than a series of plug-in modules

NuVo's Renovia is a completely integrated system that offers audio distribution (with metadata), power amps, source control, and an elegant in-wall solution

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