Sony, Control4 to Release Multiroom Entertainment/Control Solution

Sony is about to roll out a "pre-configured" and "pre-wired" 12-zone home entertainment and control rack system that includes home control via a Control4 HC-500 and comes in a pre-built Middle Atlantic AXS rack.

The system will be available this spring with a fully-installed price that will vary based on the selection of components, according to Sony, adding that typical installations will range from $40,000 to $85,000.

The announcement was made to CE Pro during Sony's "Open House" event for press and dealers in Las Vegas on Tuesday. Neal Manowitz, director of marketing for Sony Electronics' consumer systems and applications division, adds that the systems will only be sold through authorized dealers and will not be sold through big-box stores.

"This is truly an installation product."

Sony says the NHS-130C provides consumers with a whole-house entertainment and control solution that's cost effective and saves installation time.

"The NHS-130C model pairs a top of the line home theater system with whole home automation that can be fully integrated and installed in a fraction of the time normally required for custom installers to build and integrate the system themselves," says Manowitz.

"Because the system is already pre-racked and pre-integrated, installation becomes extremely simple, saving integrators significant time and money."

To the consumer, Manowitz adds, "this is very custom; to the dealer, he knows exactly what to do. The first job and the 50th [NHS-130C systems integrators will install] will be similar, with just a few tweaks."

John Yoon, vice president of marketing for Control4, calls this "repeatable customization" and says it's among the keys to effectively bringing control to the middle market.



"We like partnering in the NHS [Sony's New Home Solutions division] to do the repeatable customization that we've told our dealers they need to be successful."

The basic system, according to Sony, includes a home theater, 12 high-definition video zones, popular source components and an integrated Control4 HC-500 controller for controlling systems like lighting, thermostat and security.

Keypads and touch panels can be added on as can lighting, temperature controls and a local zone controller for on-screen navigation zones.

To facilitate installation, Sony says all components are pre-integrated into the custom-designed HC-500.

Since the basic systems come pre-racked and pre-programmed, Yoon says it's easy for integrators to add touchpanels, keypads and control of additional systems for customization. "Dealers can easily add components," he says.

Sony chose to work with Control4, in part, due to feedback from its dealerbase, according to Manowitz.

For Control4's part, the venture with Sony is reflective of its continuous efforts to bring elevated control of home systems to a broader market, Yoon says. He concedes that this "pre-integrated" system doesn't carry the level of control that more customized, more expensive control systems offer.

He maintains, however, that their is a market for the levels of control that the NHS-130C offers. "It's kind of like Lamborghinis and Acuras," he says, indicating that everybody appreciates Lamborghini's superior performance, but there is a big market for lower-cost, high-performance cars.

"We are extremely pleased to work closely with Sony on this innovative approach to simplify installation and bring to life the digital home for a broader market of homes," says Will West, chief executive officer at Control4.



The home theater is 7.1 system that includes HDMI output and upscaling up to 1080p. The Middle Atlantic rack allows for a easy access to pre-wired auxiliary trays, according to Sony.

In addition to the Control4 HC-500, the NHS-130C's components include a 400 disc DVD player (DVP-CX777ES) with Internet lookup and content manager, a built-in 160-GB music server, a Blu-ray high-definition DVD player (BDP-S300), XM/Sirius tuner, built-in iPort iPod port, 12-zone HD component video switch (CAV-CVS12ES), two six-zone matrix switch with 12-channel amplifier (CAV-M1000NR x2) and the flexibility to add three additional components.

The system will be available this spring with a fully installed price that will vary based on the components added. Typical installations will range from $40,000 to $85,000.

At CEDIA 2007, Control4 announced it would be distributing Sony's 12-zone video system to its dealers.