Items Tagged With av distribution

Marmitek have launced two new HDMI switchers.  The Connect410 and the Connect411 models are both 4-way affairs but the 411 will be of particular interest to smart home enthusiasts.  Supporting 1080P and HDMI 1.3b, the unit can be controlled by the included infrared remote - with the option to hide the switch and plug in an external IR receiver.  Most interesting though is the 411's inclusion of an RS-232 serial port for control, something usual seen only in high end equipment...

Back in the summer I wrote about replacing our aging AV Amp at the heart of our Home Cinema system.  We knew the builders were coming to fit a wood burning stove and so the room needed to be gutted - the perfect excuse to move our home theater into the HiDef world.  The work was completed last December, all except for one vital componant - the new Mac mini.

At last we now have the fantastic user experience of the XBMC days, along with the horse power to play 1080P content.  Here's our quick video on setting the mini up as an HD media player ("basic" 2.0Ghz / 1Gb RAM moodel)...

Interest in Boxee has been growing steadily, especially since it became available on the Apple TV (we contacted Apple PR to ask them their views on installing Boxee on the Apple TV but they replied saying Apple declines to comment on this).  With a quarter of a million users, even before the Windows version has been released, Boxee are capturing people's imagination and with the possibility of new hardware boxes on the horizon with a "Powered By Boxee" logo on them, its time to sit up and take notice.  Read on for Automated Home's interview with Boxee Founder, Avner Ronen...

Crestron have announced their new "DigitalMedia" HDMI distribution system.  Available from March 2009 it will send uncompressed digital audio and video signals over a choice of either CAT5e/6 or fibre. Creston say there will be a full selection of switcher input cards, wall plate transmitters, and room controllers available to support a complete range of analogue and digital signal types...

We've been contacted by Control4 in Australia, who were keen to show us how they've integrated XBMC into their professional home automation system...

"Control4 Australia's XBMC interface allows IP control over the open source XBMC media center. Full control can be accessed via Control4's wireless and wired touchscreens, zigbee remote controls, keypads or Control4's onscreen graphical user interface.  What this means is that you can create a full on demand theatre experience with automated blinds, lights and temperature control and touchscreen movie selection or perhaps a multiroom distributed audio/video system.