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News, Analysis, and Opinion on Microsoft Digital Media Technologies (and TGB News!)
Home Automation
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Customers get new capabilities, more
options, and a better digital cable experience in Windows Media Center.
ATLANTA, Sept. 9 -- Today at CEDIA EXPO
2009, Microsoft Corp. discussed key Windows Media Center features for Windows 7
and announced a series of initiatives that enhance the digital cable experience
in Windows Media Center. With the addition of native support for additional
international broadcast TV standards, including QAM and ATSC, there will now be
support for switched digital video (SDV), a new tool that will make it possible
for end customers to add a digital cable tuner with CableCARD to their PC, and
for existing digital cable tuner with CableCARD customers to enjoy more
portability for digital cable TV that is marked as "copy freely"
(CF). In addition, Microsoft and the Media Center Integrator Alliance (MCIA)
announced the winner of the 2009 Windows Media Center Ultimate Install Contest,
showcasing the many ways Windows Media Center can be used in a whole-home
solution.
"We're continuing to work on creating opportunities for
partners that will enable great entertainment experiences on the PC," said
Craig Eisler, corporate vice president of entertainment client software for the
TV, Video & Music Business at Microsoft. "Consumers understand that
having access to content via the PC is critical when it comes to entertainment
experiences, and with these announcements, we're underscoring our broader
commitment to deliver a rich experience with Windows Media Center."
Switched Digital Video (SDV) Support Added for Windows
Media Center
In response to customer requests and cable providers'
deployment of SDV, Microsoft now supports SDV in Windows Media Center for
Windows 7. In conjunction with a device known as a tuning adapter, supplied by
a customer's cable provider, Windows Media Center and a digital cable tuner
with CableCARD will be able to tune to SDV channels. Customers can enjoy SDV
broadcasts on PCs running Windows Media Center in Windows 7 and a digital cable
tuner with CableCARD.
End Customers Can Now Add Digital Cable Tuners With
CableCARD to Their PCs
Microsoft and CableLabs announced that customers will now be
able to add digital cable tuners with CableCARD to a Windows 7-based PC with
Windows Media Center. A new tool will be provided by Microsoft that assesses
the PC's ability to support the solution. This tool will analyze the customer's
PC and enable digital cable support if the PC meets requirements, opening
digital cable options to Windows Media Center customers across the country.
Microsoft also announced that, with Windows 7, it has increased the number of
TV tuners that can be connected to the PC from two to four per tuner type,
thereby allowing customers to simultaneously record or watch as many as four
digital cable TV channels.
"We are excited that digital cable customers will now
be able to take advantage of this new opportunity to bring great cable TV programming
to the PC," said So Vang, vice president of OpenCable at CableLabs.
"We are dedicated to helping customers get the most from their cable
service, and this will be a great win for both the customer and the cable
operators."
Digital Cable Customers Can Now Enjoy More TV Portability
in Windows Media Center
Microsoft and CableLabs also announced that they worked
together to enable digital cable tuner with CableCARD customers to enjoy more
portability for digital cable TV that is marked as "copy freely" (CF).
Customers will be able to play CF-marked digital cable recordings, such as
those from local channels, on other PCs, devices and portable media.
Windows Media Center Features in Windows 7 Highlighted
Using new Windows 7 features such as Windows Touch,
HomeGroup, Remote Media Streaming and PlayTo, sharing recorded TV, videos,
music and pictures throughout the home, while on the road and to remote
locations has never been easier. There is also support for the AVCHD format.
This allows customers to view HD video from many popular HD video cameras.
In addition, support for the international broadcast TV
standards that was released with the Windows Media Center TV Pack 2008 will
also be included in Windows Media Center in Windows 7. This includes native
support for both ATSC and QAM, the ability to remap channels, and support for
subchannels.
New Firmware for ATI TV Wonder Digital Cable Tuners
In conjunction with the Microsoft and CableLabs
announcements, Advanced Micro Devices Inc. (AMD) will be providing a new
firmware update that is available to all ATI TV Wonder digital cable tuners
being used with Windows 7 and Windows Vista. This firmware update will allow
existing digital cable tuner with CableCARD customers to enjoy more portability
for digital cable TV marked as CF. Customers will be able to play CF-marked
digital cable recordings, such as those from local channels, on other PCs,
devices, and portable media. In addition, the firmware will contain support for
SDV. When installed on a Windows 7-based PC with a digital cable tuner with
CableCARD and a tuning adapter from a cable provider, it enables access to
switched digital channels in locations where SDV has been deployed.
2009 Windows Media Center Ultimate Install Contest Winner
Announced
Microsoft, in collaboration with the Media Center Integrator
Alliance (MCIA), announced the winner of the 2009 Windows Media Center Ultimate
Install Contest. The winning installation was submitted by Dustin Anderson,
general manager at Vision Audio in Lubbock, Texas, who built a system with
Windows Media Center at the core of the entertainment experience in an
extensive whole-home installation for a customer in Odessa, Texas. The
installation integrates six Windows Media Center-based servers, one Windows
Home Server, five dedicated theater-style rooms, 12 media racks, 98 speakers,
and 30 zones of distributed audio. The home includes products from key MCIA
member companies such as Autonomic Controls Inc., Crestron Electronics Inc. and
Niveus Media Inc.
The Windows Media Center Ultimate Install Contest, now in
its third year, encourages integrators to show off their talents by presenting
their most unique and creative installations that leverage Windows Media Center
technologies. Vision Audio's integration of the family's music, movies, videos
and pictures, as well as the integration of Windows Media Center and Windows
Home Server with the Crestron home automation system, and the large scope of
the installation set it apart as the winner for 2009.
"We're thrilled to receive this recognition from
Microsoft and the MCIA. The Windows Media Center platform has enabled us to be
on the cutting edge of technology, which has provided us with critical business
advantages during the economic downturn," Anderson said.
More information on the contest and images from the install
can be found online at http://www.microsoft.com/ultimateinstall.
Also on Display at CEDIA EXPO 2009
At the Microsoft booth at CEDIA EXPO 2009, Microsoft will
show additional hardware and software installations that enhance the digital
cable experience. Demonstrations include these:
- The new Zune HD portable media player using the Zune HD AV
dock to display 720p content on an HDTV. The Zune HD and updated Zune PC
software will launch on Sept. 15.
- A home server powered by Windows Home Server software. The
upcoming Windows Home Server Power Pack 3, currently in beta testing, will add
enhancements for Windows Media Center. Power Pack 3 features include the option
to move recorded TV content to the home server in a variety of resolutions, and
the ability for users to see statistics about the home server through Windows
Media Center.
- A technology preview of the new Multi-Channel Cable TV
Card from Ceton Corp., which enables PCs with Windows Media Center to play or
record multiple live channels of premium HDTV at once, and stream live HD
channels or recordings to multiple TV sets throughout the home, all with a
single CableCARD.
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Co-sponsoring this
year’s contest with Media Center Integrator Alliance, Microsoft again seeks
best residential project design based on Windows Media Center in custom
installation industry.
ORLANDO, Fla. — March 12, 2009 — Today at the Electronic House Expo in
Orlando, Microsoft Corp., in cooperation with co-sponsor Media Center
Integrator Alliance, announced the 2009 Windows Media Center Ultimate Install
Contest. This industry design contest, now in its third year, seeks to
recognize the residential integration business that best utilizes Windows Media
Center in a custom home installation project. With the support of the newly formed
Media Center Integrator Alliance (MCIA), a group dedicated to driving awareness
and adoption of Windows Media Center technologies in the custom channel, the
Windows Media Center Ultimate Install Contest will represent the best of the
best in the ecosystem.
Last year, the winner of the Windows Media Center Ultimate
Install Contest was a home installation designed and implemented by Los Gatos,
Calif.-based integration firm cyberManor. The system was created for a family
in Sunnyvale, Calif., that desired a centralized, user-friendly entertainment
and automation system. The result was a complete integration solution with
Windows Media Center at the helm.
“Once again, custom installers have the chance to
demonstrate how a connected home can be designed using the Windows Media Center
platform,” said Kevin Collins, director of the Custom Installer Channel in the
Connected TV Business, Entertainment and Devices Division, at Microsoft.
“Microsoft and MCIA are excited to give custom installers the opportunity to
showcase their creativity, execution and personalized solutions for their
customers using all the products that make up the Windows Media Center
ecosystem.”
Contest Eligibility
The goal of Windows Media Center Ultimate Install Contest is
to identify the best implementation of the Windows Media Center platform as
designed and installed in a residential electronics system:
Read
Full Press Release
Cross Posted from Chris Lanier's Blog at http://msmvps.com/blogs/chrisl/
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Westbury,
NY - March 11th
- VidaBox is proud to announce support for LiteTouch®, an innovator in
residential lighting controls, on their vAutomation™ control and integration
platform. All of the standard lighting controls can be integrated onto a
single VidaBox TouchClient™ or vPad™, providing the convenience of whole house
lighting control from any location.
"Not only did we develop a driver for LiteTouch®," says Steven
Cheung, President of VidaBox LLC, "but we've created a semi-automatic,
integrated solution where virtually no programming is needed. First,
every lighting station and button can be configured within the LiteWare
software. Next, by running a special program we've developed, this
configuration is then exported for use by the CQC driver, and presented on our
vAutomation templates. These custom templates automatically generate
scene keypads with LED status feedback, along with scene buttons for each
LiteTouch® station. This solution makes it extremely easy to set up
LiteTouch® on vAutomation™ touch interfaces without any programming."
"We are excited to work with VidaBox in providing an excellent whole home
automation solution," says Kevin Davidson, Corporate Training Manager of
LiteTouch, Inc. "VidaBox provides a simple interface and a powerful
platform which allows LiteTouch to maintain our focus in providing the very
best and the most reliable lighting control solutions in the world."
"By choosing LiteTouch® and VidaBox vAutomation™," Cheung continues,
"dealers can offer a tightly integrated solution that allows lighting
control to be added easily, without any complex programming. This
tremendously minimizes installation time without sacrificing quality.
Combined with integrated support for media centers, audio servers, and other
smart home technologies, the vAutomation™ platform provides a truly all-in-one,
complete solution."
vAutomation support for LiteTouch® is available now. For more details and
information on this innovative automation platform and VidaBox's comprehensive
line of media servers, extenders, and complete entertainment and control
solutions, please visit their company website at http://www.vidabox.com, or contact them at
516-730-7500. For more details on LiteTouch and their lighting solutions,
please visit their company website at http://www.litetouch.com.
About VidaBox LLC
VidaBox LLC is a digital entertainment and controls solutions company focused
on manufacturing premium media centers, audio servers, and integrated home
control & automation solutions. VidaBox is on a mission to create
user-friendly, stable high-performance Media Center systems that work right out
of the box and integrate seamlessly with multizone audio and smart home
technologies. For more information, visit www.vidabox.com
or call 1-516-730-7500.
About LiteTouch Inc.
LiteTouch lighting control products offer real-world benefits including
convenience, security, time-savings, safety, energy conservation and design
aesthetics. "Experience Lighting Control", an online tour detailing
many of these benefits is available at LiteTouch.com LiteTouch, a lighting
control industry leader for more than two decades, is headquartered in Salt
Lake City, Utah.
Cross Posted from Chris Lanier's Blog at http://msmvps.com/blogs/chrisl/
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VidaBox Releases New
vPad8, an Enhanced Ultra-Mobile Tablet Designed for Automation
VidaBox LLC, a manufacturer of digital entertainment and
control solutions, is proud to present the vPad8™, a thin and light
ultra-mobile tablet PC. Running on
Windows XP embedded, it features a full-color touch screen with 800x600
resolution and comes standard with WiFi connectivity, making it an ideal
control interface device.
"We're excited to release the new vPad8™ panel,"
exclaims Steven Cheung, President of VidaBox. "This is a smaller, less
bulky version of our original vPad10™.
We've also added some improvements like a brighter screen for easier
legibility in direct light, and optional protective rubber bumpers, making it
extremely durable."
Read
Full Press Release
New VidaBox Touch3.6
Touch Pad Provides Truly Customizable Controls
VidaBox, a manufacturer of digital entertainment and control
solutions, is proud to debut the Touch3.6™, a full-color touchpad capable of
presenting an interactive, fully-customizable interface. This 320x234 resolution screen will allow
control of any device via RS-232, TCP/IP, IR, and other control protocols
through the vAutomation™ platform.
"We're absolutely thrilled to offer our dealers the new
Touch3.6 panel," exclaims Steven Cheung, President of VidaBox LLC.
"Integrators can finally install a double-gang sized panel to control
anything in the house - lighting, security, climate, shades, whole house AV, and
more. This is all possible because of
vAutomation's support for customizable interfaces."
Read
Full Press Release
VidaBox Now Offers
Pre-packaged Whole House Audio Solutions with Multi-room Distribution Systems
VidaBox LLC, a manufacturer of digital entertainment and
control solutions, is proud to offer complete whole house audio packages. Based on the VidaBox line of multiroom audio
servers, these packages include NuVo® multiroom distribution and amplification
equipment.
"These new packages are a natural progression of
delivering new features and better value for our dealer base," states
Steven Cheung, President of VidaBox LLC. "Most of our integrators are
already using NuVo® and Russound® in their multiroom audio installs. However, many of them shy away from adding a
VidaBox audio server into the mix because of the learning curve, even if it
means having new features like internet radio, sleep/wake functions, or whole
house audio control from a single TouchClient™ or vPad™ touch panel. By marrying the two as a complete solution,
dealers can get a single package that eliminates setup and installation
headaches, since VidaBox takes care of all of the configuration work at the
factory."
Read
Full Press Release
VidaBox Releases new
TouchClient8 In-wall PC Touch Panel
VidaBox LLC, a manufacturer of digital entertainment and
control solutions, is excited to announce the availability of the
TouchClient8™, a full-color, 8.4" in-wall touch panel with an XP embedded
computer.
"From the first day of offering the TouchClient12™, we
kept getting asked, 'Do you have a smaller version?'" says Steven Cheung, President
of VidaBox LLC. "As always, we listen intently to our integrators, and
created this new, smaller version called TouchClient8™. It has the same great features &
connectivity options of the original design without any sacrifices, just with a
smaller, 800x600 native resolution touch screen."
Like its larger cousin, the TouchClient8™ runs on XP
embedded, and has stereo speakers, dual USB, dual Ethernet, and dual RS-232
ports - allowing the possibility of local automation directly from the
TouchClient8™. It only requires a 12V
power source & a network connection, or a WiFi network using its built-in
802.11b/g wireless card. There are no
moving parts like fans or hard drives, allowing every TouchClient8™ to enjoy
long life and high-reliability.
Read
Full Press Release
Cross Posted from Chris Lanier's Blog at http://msmvps.com/blogs/chrisl/
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With a stunning
implementation of Windows Media Center technologies in an eco-friendly Northern
California home, cyberManor captures this year’s title.
DENVER — Sept. 8,
2008 — Microsoft Corp. announced the winner of the 2008 Windows Media
Center Ultimate Install Contest at CEDIA EXPO 2008 in Denver. CEDIA EXPO 2008
is an annual show for the residential electronic systems industry put on by the
Custom Electronic Design and Installation Association. The winning installation
for the design contest was submitted by Gordon Van Zuiden, president of
cyberManor and noted innovator in the custom installation channel.
Founded in 1999 and based in Los Gatos, Calif., cyberManor
specializes in the design, installation and integration of Internet-connected
home electronic solutions that enhance the entertainment, communications,
comfort and safety of their clients’ homes in the San Francisco Bay area. Its
contest-winning project was created for a family in Sunnyvale, Calif., that
desired a centralized, user-friendly entertainment and automation system. The
result was a complete integration solution with Windows Media Center at the
helm.
“We couldn’t be prouder of this accomplishment,” Van Zuiden
said. “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 10-year
history.”
The Windows Media Center Ultimate Install Contest, now in
its second year, encourages integrators to show off their talents by presenting
their most unique and creative installations that leverage Windows Media Center
technologies. cyberManor’s solution uses numerous industry-renowned products
from the Windows Media Center ecosystem, including NiveusMedia Inc.’s n9 media
server with four CableCARD tuners, multiple Niveus EDGE and Xbox 360 extenders
that distribute live and prerecorded digital high-definition (HD) content, and
a Niveus Ice Vault, storing the family’s DVD movie collection. Also integrated
into the entertainment solution were the family’s music library and digital
photos.
The home features Exceptional Innovation’s Life|ware software
for whole home control of thermostats, lighting, audio distribution,
surveillance cameras and an Internet protocol (IP)-based door strike at the
front gate with the touch of a button. Deriving power from solar panels on the
roof, the family strived to make their home as environmentally friendly as
possible, using only LED and fluorescent lighting and settings on their Lutron
lighting system that automatically turned off power at certain times of day.
“The goal of this project was to centralize the digital
entertainment and automation of the home in a simple and effective system that
had one consistent user interface,” said Jim Kohl, project manager at
cyberManor. “Two of the homeowner’s main objectives were the distribution of
high-definition personal video recordings to multiple HD video zones throughout
the home simultaneously and the ability to centralize all A/V sources in a
single rack mount computer. The seamless integration of these Windows Media
Center products and technologies enabled us to accomplish those tasks while
staying consistent with the sleek and clean design the homeowner desired.”
The cyberManor team used Windows Media Center as the central
platform to control numerous aspects of the family’s digital lifestyle,
including 12 zones of Russound distributed audio, Lutron lighting and shade
control, individual room climate controls automated by time of day and air
temperature outside, and surveillance technology. All home automation is
provided by Life|ware software, including unique features such as fountain
control from all areas of the home. Via Life|ware, family members in various
rooms, including the outdoor patio and cabana, can dim the lights, lower the
shades, turn on the television, enjoy the distributed audio system or perform
numerous other tasks at the touch of a button.
“Microsoft is pleased to recognize cyberManor as the 2008
Windows Media Center Ultimate Install Contest winner,” said Kevin Collins,
director of the Custom Installer Channel in the Connected TV Business, Entertainment
and Devices Division at Microsoft. “Its use of Windows Media Center in this
home provided the homeowner with an easy-to-use solution for all of the
family’s digital needs and home automation. cyberManor’s incredible work is an
excellent example of how high-level integration combined with the Windows Media
Center scalable entertainment and automation platform can delight the most
discerning customer.”
This year’s edition of the contest saw an increase in both
the number of submissions and the overall quality of the technology design
projects. With more options from hardware manufacturers and the additional
support of Microsoft, Windows Media Center has seen enormous growth in the
custom integration channel over the past year.
In addition to cyberManor’s winning installation, Microsoft
named Wireless Home of Naples, Fla., and Simple Digital Home of Salem, Ore., as
this year’s finalists. Both installations featured Windows Media Center as the
basis of truly unique solutions, and both are recognized for their
achievements.
More information about the Ultimate Install Contest is
available at http://www.microsoft.com/ultimateinstall.
More information on cyberManor is available at http://www.cybermanor.com.
Founded in 1975, Microsoft (Nasdaq “MSFT”) is the worldwide
leader in software, services and solutions that help people and businesses
realize their full potential.
Cross Posted from Chris Lanier's Blog at http://msmvps.com/blogs/chrisl/
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Newest Product in the mHome Family Integrates Digital Media
and Digital Home Control
Surrey, BC – September 2, 2008
Today, Embedded Automation
announced commercial availability of mPanel, the newest member of the mHome
Product Family. mPanel will be available for pre-order on September 10, 2008,
with shipments commencing on October 13, 2008.
- mPanel provides
a integrated user interface for digital media and digital home control: mPanel’s
Digital Media Interface, which implements UPnP AV Control Point technology, can
select music, with rich meta data, from any computer or storage on your local
area network and play it through the on-board amplifier. mPanel’s Digital Home
Interface can connect to any mControl installation to allow live status and
control of lighting, climate control, security system, surveillance cameras,
audio/visual components and custom macros. When idle, mPanel, using a measly 6W
of power, automatically converts into a digital photo frame for your favorite
pictures.
- mPanel is simple
and inexpensive to install: Unlike other whole-home audio systems which require
control and audio cables to be wired to a central source and then distributed
to each room, mPanel requires a single Ethernet cable to network hub. The
Ethernet cable provides the access to digital media and, optionally, can act as
the main source of power for the unit. In-room or ceiling speakers connect
directly to the mPanel. Furthermore, mPanel’s quick and robust 4-point dog-leg
mounting system and magnetic “iPod white” front-panel, make installation a
snap.
- mPanel is easy
to use and configure: mPanel features a large 7” (800x480) touch screen
display, integrated networking and an on-board amplification system. Using a
standard Ethernet cable and Power over Ethernet (PoE), mPanel’s on-board
amplification system provides up to 20 Watts per channel at 4 Ohms - additional
wattage is available with an add-on module. mPanel’s tiny wall footprint (5.5” x
7.75”) and low-profile faceplate allow it to be mounted in virtually any
location within a home. While a single mPanel is a great addition to condos or
small homes, multiple mPanels can be installed in larger homes.
“The mPanel represents a breakthrough in two respects:
functionality and affordability. First, the mPanel integrates the capability of
controlling both Digital Media and Digital Home devices. From a single mPanel
screen, you can play music or view photos from any networked server but you can
also control and view status for all of your
digital home components,” said Ted Singh, C.E.O. of Embedded Automation.
“But perhaps more significantly, mPanel is a solution within the reach of all
home owners. Now, being able to select the music of your choice for a zone,
setting a lighting mood for a room, verifying if your home is operating within
a power consumption range (using the mHome Power Management Module) or even checking
an outdoor camera view are capabilities that can be added affordably to each
room.”
Embedded Automation, for a limited time only, and exclusively from the
company’s website, is bundling mPanel with a package of mControl for
USD$999.99. This introductory price includes free software updates for mPanel
software for one year.
For dealer enquiries, please contact sales@embeddedautomation.com.
About Embedded Automation
Founded in 1998, Embedded
Automation designs, manufactures, and markets solutions for “Digital Home”
under the mHome product family. mHome products allow consumers to easily and
affordably add control and media management
capabilities to their homes. mHome products are available from Embedded
Automation and through the mHome Authorized Dealer Network.
Cross Posted from Chris Lanier's Blog at http://msmvps.com/blogs/chrisl/
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VidaBox Partners with
Charmed Quark Systems to create vAutomation™: Complete Media Management &
Automation Solutions for the Mid-to-High-End AV Market
Westbury, NY - September 2nd - VidaBox LLC proudly presents its new line of
automation and media management packaged solutions called vAutomation™, powered
by Charmed Quark Controller (CQC), the popular control and automation system
from Charmed Quark Systems, Ltd. As an
extremely powerful, professional-level software package, CQC allows
mid-to-high-end custom integrators to offer automation solutions with the
features, flexibility, and extensibility formerly found only on more expensive
and proprietary systems.
"One of our goals has always been to simplify every AV
project as much as possible for the custom installer & integrator,"
says Steven Cheung, President of VidaBox.
"By preinstalling CQC with our VidaBox systems, our dealers can now
offer complete solutions where users can access their entire AV media library
while controlling any automatable system in the home - right at their
fingertips - through a single, easy-to-use, customized touch screen
interface. CQC can control or accept
feedback from devices via TCP/IP, RS-232, IR, and other standard communication
protocols, making it compatible with a myriad of AV and automation hardware -
not just VidaBox equipment."
CQC can come preinstalled on VidaBox hardware, and includes
a set of pre-defined templates that can be used as-is to control music, pictures, videos,
movies, and TV playback on any VidaBox server or extender. Very powerful solutions can be created in a
purely point-and-click environment starting with these pre-defined templates,
without the need to do any coding.
However, a trained integrator can customize these templates and add
control of other equipment by using a WYSIWYG interface editor to add/remove
buttons, change graphics, backgrounds, what each press action does, etc. Completely customized solutions can be
created and designed using CQC's extensive customization capabilities.
"We are very happy to join forces with VidaBox,"
said Dean Roddey, Chairman and CTO of Charmed Quark Systems, Ltd. "Their
experience with delivering solid media systems and high quality hardware,
combined with the powerful automation and media management capabilities of CQC,
will make for a very robust, cost-effective, and flexible solution for custom
installers and their clients."
"By choosing our pre-designed vAutomation packages with
CQC," Cheung continues, "dealers can take advantage and offer
comprehensive AV solutions from a single manufacturer. Every standard package we offer can be
tailored slightly and customized for each individual job to cover any unique
needs, providing tremendous time savings by eliminating tons of design work,
compatibility problems, and other potential headaches."
For more details on Charmed Quark Controller, please visit
Charmed Quark Systems website at charmedquark.com. For more details on VidaBox's vAutomation™
and their comprehensive line of media servers and extenders, please visit the
company website at vidabox.com, or visit them in Sound Room 17 at CEDIA Expo
2008!
About VidaBox LLC
VidaBox LLC is a digital entertainment and control systems
integration company focused on manufacturing premium Media Center systems &
complete home control solutions. VidaBox
is on a mission to create user-friendly, stable high-performance entertainment
that work right out of the box. For more
information, visit www.vidabox.com or call
1-516-730-7500.
About Charmed Quark
Systems
Charmed Quark Systems, Ltd was founded to address looming
changes in the automation industry, a move towards the use of standard
computing hardware and a greater emphasis on software as the differentiating
factor in automation solutions. The massive economies of scale of the computer
industry, the ubiquity of home networks, and the fast growing power of PCs,
operating systems, and hand-held computing products, allows CQC to provide very
powerful, robust and scalable automation solutions for a reasonable price.
Cross Posted from Chris Lanier's Blog at http://msmvps.com/blogs/chrisl/
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It looks like QWebL has
decided hold off until after CEDIA to launch the full details of their upcoming
home automation system, but they have put up an overview of what the solution
attempts to offer as well as choosing the winners of their video contest.
QWebL is designed to be an out-of-the-box solution to
control lights, climate, audio distribution, garage doors, security systems and
more using an interface on your Media Center PC, desktop PC, touchpanels,
wireless device, etc. Based on the About QWebL page
on their website they are targeting everyone from the homeowners to custom
integrators and even home builders.
They have one early shot up of their interface and while it
doesn’t match Media Center’s look and feel after getting a demo on it you can
see why they went a different direction.
I’m looking forward to seeing more after CEDIA comes and goes.
Cross Posted from Chris Lanier's Blog at http://msmvps.com/blogs/chrisl/
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New Module Makes Power Monitoring and Control Within Reach of all Homeowners
Surrey, BC – August 20, 2008
Today, Embedded Automation announced its mHome Power Management Module. The
mHome Power Management Module, which provides real-time energy usage
information and control functionality, is available as an add-in to Embedded
Automation's mHome products, including the award-winning mControl Digital Home
Software and soon to be released mPanel Digital Home Portal. Initially
supporting the TED (The Energy Detective) energy monitor, the mHome Power
Management Module will scale to support other power measuring devices and
future technologies such as "Smart Meter" solutions.
The mHome Power Management Module offers the following
benefits:
- Available as an mControl plug-in module - no user
programming is required.
- Real-time status display, allowing users to view current
energy consumption and historical usage from any mControl user interface.
- User-configurable power management conditions for use with
mControl macros based on any of the following properties: current power usage
(kW), peak power usage today (kW), total power today (kWh), total power
month-to-date (kWh) and others.
- Live view on mPanel for view-at-glance status information.
"The mHome Power Management Module represents a big
step towards conserving energy. The solution is affordable and easy to install.
All a user needs to do is enter where the device is located on the network and
the information is automatically presented in a easy to understand format on a
variety of user interfaces – including on their Vista Media Center, from any
Internet Explorer browser session, on their cell phone or on any mPanel
connected to the home network,” said Ted Singh, C.E.O. of Embedded Automation.
“Not only have we given our users the key first step of having a live reading
on their energy usage with which they can use to localize energy waste, but via
mControl’s automation engine, users can also create energy-saving macros.”
The mHome Power Management Module will be available in
August 2008.
Cross Posted from Chris Lanier's Blog at http://msmvps.com/blogs/chrisl/
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Adding to the long list of mControl add-ins, drivers, and
plug-ins is
their text to speech beta driver that allows the Microsoft Speech API to
make your Vista machine speak text as part of a macro. The speech commands are specific to Windows
Vista, so the client will not work on MCE 2005 (the controller part of the
driver should work on MCE 2005 however).
Source code and documentation are also
included in the download.
Cross Posted from Chris Lanier's Blog at http://msmvps.com/blogs/chrisl/
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Recently QWebL announced their
intentions to bring their home automation software to Media Center and
other platforms including touchpanels, phones, and more. A week or so ago they also announced
a contest in which they are giving away two $1,000 American Express gift cards
for video entries on your frustrations with remote controls for your home and/or
your dream feature in a home automation system.
I’ve recently had a chance to see QWebL in action, and I can
really say that they are doing things differently than anyone else on the
market. As I’ve been trying to write
more about home automation, I was wondering what everyone would like to see in
home automation software. Not only will
it let me better know what to cover, but those who are smart can take the
information and record it in a 1-5 video
for a chance to win $1,000 (and if you don’t, I will).
From a consumer standpoint what do the existing Media Center
applications do right and wrong? For you
custom installers out there, do you currently use Media Center based home
automation systems (Life|ware, mControl, Cortexa)? What do they do wrong?
According to the countdown
on their website you have 3 weeks 3 days 22 hours 57 minutes 29 seconds (as
of my typing this) to enter the contest that QWebL is holding, and I think
around the same time you will get to see what QWebL is about.
Cross Posted from Chris Lanier's Blog at http://msmvps.com/blogs/chrisl/
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