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…

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…

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…

Since we broke the news about the new Media Center Integrator Alliance last week (5 Top CEDIA Secrets), we've discovered more about the group.

Unfortunately, all we can say for now is this:

At CEDIA EXPO 2008, the Media Center Integrator Alliance (MCIA) will be announcing 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 has been founded to provide manufacturers, dealers, integrators, and individuals with best practices and training for technologies using Media Center. To learn more, visit CEDIA EXPO booth 469b.

Stay tuned for more.

Now that thousands of guests have streamed through the Innoventions Dream Home at Disneyland in Anaheim, the sponsors of the house – Microsoft, Lifeware, HP and Taylor Morrison Homes -- are crunching some numbers.

Based on preliminary results, up to 3 million guests are expected to pass through the attraction each year.

During peak hours, some 50,000 device commands are logged into the Lifeware home automation system that runs the house.

In only a month, Taylor Morrison sold about five homes as a result of its presence in the Dream Home. Lifeware dealers closed four jobs. (And that's before the lead-generation programs have really been solidified.)

But the most important number to Lifeware: Zero.

That's how many reboots the system has required since its last update.

"We have not rebooted a controller in a month," says founder and CEO Seale…

At CEDIA 2008, our friends in Redmond will be "reaffirming the commitment that Microsoft has in the custom install channel," says Kevin Collins, director of the custom installer channel for Microsoft's Connected TV Business, Entertainment and Devices division.

The company will have a much larger presence at the show this year, sharing spaces with both Lifeware (#410) and Runco (#510).

"We'll have a much larger section, and we'll be highlighting a lot more partners that are participating in the channel," Collins says.

We all know that Microsoft has close ties to Lifeware, the most enthusiastic user of Media Center in the home-control space. Microsoft's partnering with Runco, however, might come as a shock to traditional integrators who think Media Center has no place in a high-end home theater.

For the dealers who are believers, a large number of them entered Microsoft's second annual

Read more

Posted by Julie Jacobson on 08/21 at 06:53 AM
News, Product News, Media Center, CEDIA, Exclusive, Permalink