Residential AV: Pre-wired Home Control System Expands Future of Custom Market

Residential AV - brought to you by the editors of Sound & Video Contractor

March 3, 2008 | A Penton Media Publication

Didn't have a chance to attend one of our Webcasts? No problem. Visit the Sound & Video Contractor Webcast Series archive at svconline.com/webcasts. Listen to past events and download the post-event Q&A sessions in one convenient location, svconline.com/webcasts

	Top Story

Pre-wired Home Control System Expands Future of Custom Market
Sony and Control4 have taken their relationship to the next level, offering custom installation dealers a pre-wired integrated home control and entertainment system. Last year at CEDIA Expo, the two companies showed Control4 management of the Sony 400-disc DVD changer and video switcher. At its open house last week in Las Vegas, Sony took the wraps off the NHS-130C, an integrated rack system combining 7.1-channel, high-definition audio/video for the main theater, HD video distribution and multiroom music in 12 additional zones—with Control4 management.

The addition of home control functionality for lighting, thermostat, and security brings new capability to Sony dealers from a company already established in the home control field. "We were looking for a partner that had dealer support and to fit the need we had to address the growing trend in whole-house automation," says Neal Manowitz, director of marketing for Sony Electronics' consumer systems and applications division. "By leveraging the capabilities of Control4, we're able to tie in all these other pieces we don't do business in—lighting and thermostat control—so it was a good match." more>>

	In Depth

Glamorous, Intimate Seven-Seat Theater

The video challenge of hiding the Marantz projector in an enclosure in the rear soffit was tedious. There were different elevations on the front and rear soffits. In addition, the design element of a monogram dropped below the soffit a few inches. If it got caught in the crosshairs of our projector line-of-sight it would have created a shadow cast on the screen. The long-throw projector was at the fringe of the minimum tolerance for a 110in. screen. more>>

	New Products

Sony Introduces New Rack System Delivering Whole-House HD Entertainment and Control
Next-Generation System Saves Time and Money for the Custom Installation Market

Designed for faster and easier installation, Sony has announced a new high-end, fully featured NHS rack system that delivers whole house high-definition entertainment and control over movies, music, lighting, temperature and security systems. more>>

Control4 Unveils HD Home Controller HC-500 at CES 2008

HC-500 Enhances Large Home Theater Experience with Additional Storage and Faster Processing

Control4 has announced the release of the Control4 Home Controller HC-500 at the 2008 Consumer Electronics Show (booth #21407). The Control4 HC-500 is a high-performance media server, optimized for whole home automation systems with large home theaters requiring extensive I/O connections for device control. more>>

High-end Entertainment Systems Market Projected to Nearly Double in Five Years
Adoption of networking technologies will make installed home theaters and multiroom audio systems more affordable, opening up this market to more consumers at low-to-medium income levels, according to Parks Associates' new report, "High-end Entertainment Systems: Analysis and Forecasts." more>>