Media Center: Listing of Media Center Stories - Cedia Expo 2009

Media Center

Thursday, September 03, 2009

Niveus to Offer White Glove Service for Media Center Products

If you've avoided Windows Media Center because set-up can be a pain, then you might appreciate Niveus' new White Glove service offering.

"Normally you [dealer] have to do all of the set-up," says CEO Tim Cutting. "With our service, they can tell us how they're using the product. We set up the servers here and ship them for a nearly plug-and-play install."

Niveus will set up its Media Center machines for static/dynamic IP addresses, content sharing, audio, video and more.

In addition to the original set-up, Niveus will provide "proactive management" of media servers in the field, so problems like impending drive failures can be thwarted before they happen.

"Our support team will come in every morning and look at the dashboard," Cutting says.

Niveus can alert the homeowner or the dealer or simply fix any issues on its own.

"A good number of…

Posted by Julie Jacobson on 09/03 at 07:32 AM
News, Product News, Media Center, CEDIA, Media Servers, (0) Comments, Permalink

Tuesday, September 09, 2008

CentraLite Enhances ZigBee Options for Wireless Lighting Control

CentraLite is shoring up its wireless offerings for the ZigBee-enabled JetStream lighting control system.

At the CEDIA Expo, the company demonstrated – but did not provide details on -- several new ZigBee-compatible devices that communicate with JetStream.

A ZigBee-enabled door sensor, occupancy sensor and thermostat were part of the lineup. They were all promoted as part of CentraLite's energy management initiative.

The folks at the CentraLite booth would not say who is making the ZigBee devices, but the door sensor and occupancy sensor look like products from UK's AlertMe, which offers ZigBee-enabled devices that are compatible with wireless control systems from Control4.

In other CentraLite/ZigBee news, Lifeware demonstrated at CEDIA an interface that integrates Lifeware's Media Center-based automation system with JetStream.

The integration goes beyond the usual scenario in which a software driver enables you to operate a subsystem through a…

Posted by Julie Jacobson on 09/09 at 04:09 PM
News, Product News, Media Center, Control Systems, Lighting, CEDIA, (1) Comments, Permalink

Latest on DVD Ripping: RealNetworks, Control4, Crestron, Kaleidescape

RealNetworks is causing quite a stir with a new DVD ripping program called RealDVD.

Big deal? The software appears to be the first from a studio-friendly, name-brand provider, and the company claims it is entirely legal.

From the RealDVD FAQ:

Is it legal to save movies with RealDVD?
Yes, provided that you are the owner of the original DVD and you use your saved copy solely for your personal use.

I'm not sure where this stipulation comes from – certainly not the DVD CCA (Copy Control Association), which licenses the decryption software to RealNetworks for DVD playback.

Even so, RealNetworks says it is abiding by the DVD CCA's licensing mandates because the ripped DVDs maintain their copy-protection wrapper (and, by the way, everything else about the DVDs including the extras).

Kaleidescape Part II

Sounds a lot like Kaleidescape, which has been

Posted by Julie Jacobson on 09/09 at 09:57 AM
News, Product News, Slideshow, Digital Rights, Legal, Media Center, CEDIA, Media Servers, (22) Comments, Permalink

Saturday, September 06, 2008

cyberManor Wins Microsoft Media Center Install Contest

Microsoft has named cyberManor the winner of its Windows Media Center Ultimate Install Contest.

The winning installation, announced at CEDIA Expo 2008, was submitted by Gordon Van Zuiden, president of cyberManor. It's installed in the home of Mike Keardon.

"We couldn't be prouder of this accomplishment," Van Zuiden says.

“Winning the Ultimate Install Contest is a testament to the phenomenal efforts of the cyberManor employees who worked so diligently to make this installation one of the greatest integration projects in our company’s history.”

Windows Media Center controls numerous aspects of the family's digital lifestyle, including 12 zones of Russound distributed audio.

The home also features Lifeware for whole-home control of thermostats, lighting, audio distribution, surveillance cameras and IP-based door strike at the front gate.

The Media Center ecosystem in cyberManor's installation includes:

Niveus Media's n9 media server with…

Posted by Steve Crowe on 09/06 at 04:50 PM
News, Product News, Slideshow, Media Center, CEDIA, (3) Comments, Permalink

Friday, September 05, 2008

HAI Media Center, Home Server Deliver Automation, Surveillance, Multiroom Music

Home Automation Inc. (HAI) one of the first automation companies to create a plug-in for Media Center, now plans to offer a Media Center PC of its own.

Do they really want to go there? I asked HAI chief Jay McLellan.

"We do," he says. "We wouldn't do that if we didn't see the progress of Windows Media Center. If we were just putting me-too Media Centers in there, we wouldn't do it."

What's different about HAI's Media Center, a prototype of which is being quietly demonstrated at CEDIA Expo 2008, is that it's pretty darn basic.

"To start with, we're not going to go all out and try to do too much," says McLellan. "We're not supporting every output, just HDMI," McLellan says. "We'll discourage [through the setup] people from putting too much extra stuff in there."

There will be no CableCard support right now. "There's a lot to…

Posted by Julie Jacobson on 09/05 at 07:01 AM
News, Product News, Slideshow, Home Automation and Control, Control Systems, Media Center, CEDIA, Multiroom Audio, (0) Comments, Permalink

Thursday, September 04, 2008

Niveus, Lifeware Stretch Media Center with Support for 8 CableCards, 10 Extenders

Niveus and Lifeware are developing the first and only Media Center products that support eight CableCards and 10 Media Center Extenders, doubling the capacity of other Windows Media Center machines.

For everyone else, Media Center supports only four CableCards and five Extenders (active Extenders, that is – only five can be used simultaneously).

Both Niveus and Lifeware have worked with Microsoft to enable these capabilities, which are not part of the new Media Center TV Pack or any formal Microsoft program at this time.

Lifeware's solution, dubbed "High Density TV" is the LMS-810, which supports two internal CableCards and up to six external CableCards (via the Lifetune Server LTS-600).

Lifeware's Lifetuner with six CableCards

Niveus, on the other hand, relies solely on external CableCard boxes. "We've gone completely outboard with tuners, especially because…

Posted by Julie Jacobson on 09/04 at 08:54 AM
News, Product News, Media Center, CEDIA, Multiroom Video, Exclusive, (2) Comments, Permalink

Wednesday, September 03, 2008

AMD, Crestron, HP, Intel, Lifeware, Microsoft, Niveus Launch Media Center Alliance

AMD, Crestron, HP, Intel, Lifeware, Microsoft and Niveus Media have founded the Media Center Integrator Alliance (MCIA) to "provide both integrators and manufacturers with best practices and training for technologies using Media Center."

Perhaps Windows Media Center hasn't been the runaway mass-market success that Microsoft and partners had intended. Now the key players are turning to the channel – the folks that can provide the best experience from the myriad Media Center services that consumers don't tend to know about.

The Alliance, which launches during the CEDIA Expo 2008, has four key missions, according to Microsoft's Kevin Collins, chairman of the board and president of MCIA:

Drive awareness of Media Center
Document best practices for installation, integration, and more
Train installers on Media Center "from soup to nuts"
Institute some kind of certification program

Since MCIA is new, the group hasn't hashed out specific plans. Working groups to address publicity, training, documentation and certification will form after CEDIA.

Posted by Julie Jacobson on 09/03 at 09:36 AM
News, Business Resources, Associations, Certification, Media Center, CEDIA, (1) Comments, Permalink

Media Center Integrator Alliance Debuts at CEDIA Expo 2008

September 3, 2008 -- CEDIA EXPO -- Booth 469B -- The Media Center Integrator Alliance (MCIA) announces its entrance into the custom install channel to drive adoption and raise awareness of the Media Center ecosystem. Comprised of some of the industry's top companies, MCIA was founded to provide both integrators and manufacturers with best practices and training for technologies using Media Center.

Through the MCIA, the industry for the first time will enjoy a central point of contact and interaction for all things Media Center. The founding members of MCIA now comprise the Board of Directors and include Gabe Gravning of AMD, Fred Bargetzi of Crestron, Ameer Karim of HP, Greg Schlechter of Intel, Seale Moorer of Life|ware, Kevin Collins of Microsoft Corporation, and Brian Paper of Niveus Media.

"Based on the shared idea that the capabilities of the manufacturers and integrators that currently support or wish to support Media Center technologies are greater when combined, MCIA hopes to pool resources and ideas…

Posted by CE Pro Editors on 09/03 at 09:29 AM
Press Releases, Media Center, CEDIA, (0) Comments, Permalink

Monday, September 01, 2008

Lifeware All-in-One Server Includes Media Center, 5.1 Surround Sound and ZigBee

Lifeware is launching an all-in-one Lifemedia Server (LMS) that packs Windows Media Center, a 5.1 surround-sound amplifier, and ZigBee control technology into a single box.

The new LMS-170 series of media servers will debut at CEDIA Expo 2008.

"We think it's perfect for a single room," says Lifeware CEO Seale Moorer. "This is our in-and-out-without-a-doubt box."

Moorer says that Lifeware, developer of home automation solutions based on Media Center, has received many requests lately for ZigBee mesh-networking capabilities. Rather than rely on a ZigBee dongle ("I don't like dongles; they're messy," says Moorer), Lifeware decided to build the technology into a new entry-level box that also includes surround sound.

In particular, says Moorer, many Lifeware dealers are integrating Media Centers with ZigBee-enabled lighting controls from Centralite. With ZigBee built into the LMS-170 line, the servers can communicate…

Posted by Julie Jacobson on 09/01 at 12:44 PM
News, Product News, Home Automation and Control, Control Systems, Media Center, CEDIA, Media Servers, Exclusive, (2) Comments, Permalink

Media Center at CEDIA: Surprises, Secrets, and Speculation

So far, the pre-CEDIA news on Media Center has been little news at all: Organizers are keeping quiet about the new Media Center Integrator Alliance; Microsoft plans no new revelations on Media Center TV Pack; and Microsoft has not elaborated on partners that "are taking Media Center to the next level."

Here are a few more pre-CEDIA tidbits concerning Media Center.

Inteset Payment Plan

Inteset apparently is adding "banking" to its roster of offerings. The manufacturer of Media Center-based entertainment and automation solutions will let dealers and their customers buy product on credit.

With as little as $1,000 down, dealers can purchase an Inteset server, and pay the rest over a period of two years or less with "a small finance fee."

Dealers can pass the payment plan on to their customers, or collect money in full to improve their own…