Russound Collage: Music, Intercom, Surveillance & Control over Powerlines

Russound, the most popular brand in multiroom audio, is taking its technology to the powerline.

At CEDIA Expo 2008, the company will demonstrate (behind closed doors) the new Collage system, which offers whole-house music, video surveillance, and intercom functionality for retrofit applications – no new wires required (unless you count a few short runs of speaker cable).

Russound is using HomePlug 1.0 to deliver the audio and video streams, as well as the control signals from the touchpad to the sources.

Russound is the second company in a week to announce a multiroom audio system based on HomePlug. Rival NuVo Technologies is launching Renovia, a whole-house music system that taps into the Romex (electrical) wiring prevalant in every home.

Except for the fact that both Russound and NuVo are using HomePlug, the two solutions are substantially different.

Furthermore, this Russound powerline system is completely different from the other powerline system (Avenue) that Russound introduced last year. (We compare Collage vs. Avenue here.)

Russound Collage

Unlike NuVo, Russound created a whole new keypad and multiroom architecture for its Collage powerline system.

All of the "smarts" in the system are contained in a new in-wall controller that includes both the interface and the processors.

On the front: a capacitive touchpad, click wheel and quarter VGA display; behind that: a 30-watt amp, power supply, HomePlug technology and a CPU.

Where do the sources go? One of them – an FM tuner – is built into each keypad. The others can plug into any AC outlet in the home to be accessed from any zone.

Russound has created a new communications protocol called Gridcast that is built into every product in the Collage ecosystem, including the keypads and the powerline plug-in modules. There's a Gridcast iPod docking station, and Gridcast bridges for connecting (and controlling) analog audio sources and surveillance cameras.

Finally, the Gridcast-enabled Media Manager gateway delivers IP-based content from media servers and DLNA-compliant devices, as well as Web-based music from sources such as Rhapsody, Shoutcast and Internet radio stations (no PC required).

"All products are self-discovering," says Walt Zerbe, product manager, emerging technologies. "They find each other when they plug in. There's very little programming."

Radical for Russound

Collage is a radical new system for Russound, which worked with legendary designer and Meridian co-founder Allen Boothroyd to develop the product.

The controllers are the same width as a two-gang box and about one-third taller. A slight standoff from the wall provides ventilation and makes the keypad look like it's floating. "It has a very slimming look on the wall," Zerbe says.

He adds that the QVGA display "has the same type of resolution and look as an iPhone or Touch."

But that's not all. Collage also serves as an intercom system, with all of the high-end features (room-to-room, all page, listen-in, handsfree, etc.) of traditional intercoms.

And it's a very capable alarm clock with a sleep timer and snooze button.