Smart Home Blog

American company ehômesys specializes in IP-based home entertainment systems. Its solutions allows to create both single room and multi-room system (up to 30 rooms). ehômesys systems offers PVR functionality, play-back DVDs, watching LiveTV (full HDTV), browsing photo galleries, internet surfing. Additionally, they allow to control light and climate and connect security system. So, ehômesys doesn’t offer just music play (if I’m not wrong).

ehômesys offers commercial systems. So, there is no any words about using OS and hardware. But I’d be very interested in to get more details about it.

Systemline announced its new MusicServer SMS3-160. Featured by 160Gb hard drive it allows to store up to 300 albums at the highest (uncompressed) standard or more than 40,000 songs at 68kbs bit-rate. Three independent stereo audio outputs allow simultaneous independent access to any one of three different sources – CD, HDD or Internet Radio. Additionally, the SMS3-160 can use file storage in the same network or you may attach your MP3 player to the USB port on the front panel. Included CDR drive allows to record music stored on HDD to CD.

You can control the SMS3-160 via a Systemline Modular Touchscreen, a TV or the front panel display.

Suggested selling price is £1250.00 inc vat and it is available now from authorised Systemline dealers throughout the UK and overseas.

[via HiddenWires]

Xperinet’s MIRV is an audio/video distribution system. It uses expandable client-server architecture and based on Linux (nice ti know that). The server can store up to 900 DVDs. You can upload DVD or CD directly to the server or use client’s DVD drive. Moreover, MIRV can stream up to 20 independent video threads at one time. Optionally, you may get NTSC video capture of VHS tapes to transfer all your favorite VHS movies to the your digital library.

Client allows to get video or audio content over your Ethernet network from the MIRV server and play it on TV in the any location of your house. It supports HD decoding capability up to 1080p. So, you’ll keep up to date.

User can control the MIRV via an On-Screen Display with included IR remote control or using control panel such as Crestron, AMX, Vantage, etc.

The new Systemline S6 multi-room system is designed to distribute up to 6 audio/video sources to 8 independent zones. Each zone can be controlled via its own monochrome or color touchscreen keypad. The S6 features are:

• 6 audio sources distributed to up to 8 zones
• RS232 integration with DAB Tuners / Music Servers / Lighting controls and video distribution
• Flexible keypad options to suit individual room requirements
• Designed and supported by the market leading manufacturers
• ‘Party mode’ and ‘all off’ feature
• Discrete IR routing to allow multiple sources to be the same
• 2 additional IR emitter socket available for additional control options
• Allows on-site upgrades
• PC programming via USB cable into S6 front panel

Magic Home Entertainment announced its multi-room music system – moodSeer. The system includes three components: moodCenter, moodSpot and moodBeamer handhold controller. The last one is nothing else than Nokia770 with custom image (I’m thinking about the same solution for Plutohome Orbiter).
The server keeps all your music. Plus you can connect it to the Internet to get Internet radio, podcasts and more. The moodSpot can be connected to powered speakers or the stereo you already have in the room. It will even connect to many boom boxes. You can connect from 6 to 36 moodSpots in your home, for music wherever you want it.
After import your music to the moodServer it stores all tracks and categorizes them according to mood. So, you choose your mood using moodBeamer handheld controller and listen music according to the mood. It’s cool and so easy.
The system also offers a support of mobile MP3 players and follow-me mode (when you listen music on one room and then decide to move to another room the music will be also transferred to the second room).
The price of moodSeer is $4100 for 1Tb moodServer and $1500 for each moodSpot (probably Nokia770 is free :)).
Recently I already blog about Linux-based DIY similar system. Generally, it’s similar to moodSeer except that the Linux-system is fully open and customizable. And also it costs much less.
If you’d like to listen mood music but don’t want to pay so much you might be interested in Squeezebox-based system which may communicates with your PC, Internet radio and file storage and build “smart” playlist according to a ‘genome map’ of music using Pandora service.