September 13 - In the past, Microsoft has been a conspicuous no-show at CEDIA, but this year the company debuted some new features in its Windows Media Center platform designed to extend its reach both at home and on the road.

Windows Media Center has become a popular platform for custom installations—particularly for those on a budget—and many media servers now come with standard or customized versions of Media Center already installed.

Microsoft’s new “media extenders� allow Media Center PCs to stream music and videos—even protected, high-definition content—to networked TVs and stereos in five different zones in a home.

The first group of hardware makers that are building media extender devices includes Niveus Media, D-Link, and Linksys.

In related news, Niveus Media and Exceptional Innovation showed off new, souped-up servers that support up to four digital cable tuners, allowing for four different channels to play simultaneously in different rooms.

Microsoft also announced a new tool for Media Center called WebGuide, which is a Slingbox-like application that allows you to “place-shift� media.

With the free plug-in, you can remotely view live and recorded TV, schedule, and manage recorded television programs, and access music, pictures and videos using any Web browser.

Microsoft is also adding a new Internet TV channel to Media Center that will feature free (ad-supported) video content in a variety of genres.

The channels will be able to stream to any Windows Media Center or Extender in a networked home.

Internet TV will be available to any Windows Vista Home Premium and Windows Vista Ultimate-based PC in the U.S. Further details on Internet TV, WebGuide, and WMC Extenders will be announced at the DigitalLife show in New York on Sept. 27, 2007.

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September 5 - We’ll see major innovations at the CEDIA Expo 2007. Watch here for our ongoing video coverage of the show.

Also, check out these tips from CEDIA on how you can prepare your home for tomorrow’s technology. These innovations trickle down fast, so get ready to upgrade.

1. Wire for everything now – If you are building or remodeling your home, wire it with a plan for future needs. While no one can guarantee what the future will look like, CEDIA Professionals make it their business to stay current to offer good advice about technologies that are on the horizon. Best of  all they can help you sort out the hype from the reality.

2. Plan for HDTV now – High Definition TV is the new digital standard for enhanced picture quality for  TV broadcasting. If you’re buying a new TV or video projector, make sure you’ll be able to enjoy the incredible sound and pictures that are part of HDTV.

3. Insist on integrated systems – As you buy new electronic components, make sure you shop for equipment that can be hooked up together and operated with one, easy to use control system.

4. Don’t buy yesterday’s products (often what is in stock) – Many stores purchase large orders of all equipment and sell it at discounted rates. Shop with a dealer that only provides you with new equipment and technologies.

5. Consider integrating lighting control with your home electronics system – Lighting sets the mood for home theater, entertaining, or just a quiet night at home. You can control your home lighting from the same remote that you use to control your theater or music system.

More… Tips 6 - 10.

Bower & Wilkins Intros High-End Ceiling Speaker

North Reading, MA—September 2007— The latest architectural loudspeaker introduction from Bowers & Wilkins, to debut at the 2007 CEDIA Expo in Denver, Colorado, is a very high performance model intended for in-ceiling installation. The British maker, whose designs for home audio and home theater systems are an accepted reference standard worldwide, adds the new CCM818 to its impressive lineup of installed speaker options. With technologies derived from B&W’s world-famous Nautilus family, the new model offers an exceptionally high standard of performance from an in-ceiling location.

 The B&W CCM818 is finished in matte, paintable white, with perforated-aluminum grille. It will be available in September 2007, at a manufacturer’s suggested price of $800 each.

About Bowers & Wilkins
Bowers & Wilkins (B&W) is Britain’s leading exporter of loudspeakers, and is also the number-one imported brand in North America. Since 1966, B&W’s “Quest for Perfection” has resulted in a succession of technical loudspeaker innovations that have satisfied the world’s most demanding listeners. B&W’s rave reviews and universal acceptance as the monitor for classical music recordings have helped B&W become the dominant premium loudspeaker company throughout the world.

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Russound Goes Whole-House

Whole-house integration is one of the great emerging trends of the 21st century, and it seems Russound is right on top of it with its new “Smart Media Console.� Based on Intel’s “Viiv� technology and Core2 Duo processor, and Windows Vista software, Russound’s whole-house solution is no mere PC add-on, as pointed out by company VP Jeff Kussard, but is designed from the ground up as the hub of multi-room audio-video home entertainment systems.

Demonstrated in two locations here at CES, the Smart Media Console differs significantly from other media center products  by including custom desktop or rack-mountable chassis, standard and high-definition video tuners, and audio in both Dolby Digital surround and multiroom stereo. The Smart Media Console supports home automation and systems integration with the inclusion of Life|ware software by Exceptional Innovation. (In the Las Vegas Convention Center parking lot, EI’s mockup “next-gen� home is a big draw, with long lines of people waiting to take the tour.)

Compatible with the company’s RNET systems and source components, Russound’s Smart Media Console can include XM and Sirius satellite and FM radio tuner cards, for multiple media options. The Smart Media Console should be available in June, at prices to be determined.

In addition, Russound has announced the “Complement On-Wall LCR7,� the company’s first on-wall loudspeaker. Intended for use as left-, center-, or right-channel speaker adjacent to a flat-panel video display, or for surround applications, the extruded aluminum LCR7 incorporates patent-pending “Super Bessel Array� (SBA) technology, said to produce smooth sound dispersion patterns by using multiple small drivers (six 3.5� mid-woofers and one 1� tweeter) with minimal electrical and acoustic interaction between them. The result is a “wider soundfield that remains clear and detailed throughout the listening room,� according to Russound manager Brad Sylvester. Product Line Manager for loudspeakers.  In black or silver, the On-Wall LCR7 should be available after April 2007, at approximately $625 retail.

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