NuVo Technologies’ new Music Port is a compact package of hardware and software that enables home desktop and laptop PCs to act both as sources and as controllers in a NuVo Grand Concerto or Essentia E6G multi-room audio system.NuVo’s Music Port web interface
Music Port bridges a significant gap in the digital music world that our customers inhabit, said David Rodarte, president and chief operating officer of NuVo Technologies. No longer must they navigate between two islands of digital musicthe substantial amount of music stored on their PCs versus the music accessible through their NuVo systems, such as terrestrial and satellite radio through our tuners, iPod through our docks, and CDs burned to our music servers. Music Port easily connects the PC to the NuVo environment and brings a wealth of new content and control to NuVo users.
Music Port consists of the NV-MP, a small hardware device which can be installed on-wall, in-rack or otherwise hidden from view, and PC software. NuVo dealers can install Music Port as an upgrade to an existing system or as part of a brand-new NuVo multi-room audio system. Music Port software is installed via a user-friendly interface, and works with Windows XP, Windows Vista and Windows Home Server, as well as most existing PC sound cards.
Music Port delivers two primary functions. The first is to transform a PC into a full-fledged multi-output source for a NuVo system. If two 5.1 sound cards are installed on a given PC, for example, Music Port can use them to output up to six independent stereo streams that can be simultaneously accessed and enjoyed in various rooms around a house via NuVos in-wall OLED Control Pads.
The experience is seamless. NuVo Control Pad users now can easily browse all of their PC audio by playlist, track, artists, album, genre, or favorites. Music Port even aggregates iTunes, Windows Media Player and Windows Media Center content libraries on multiple PCs on the home network and presents them as a single music library to the NuVo user; no longer must the user be aware of which format a particular song or podcast may use, or where the file is stored. Music Port and the NuVo system reproduce the music as it is on the PC, with no additional conversion or compression.
The second primary function of Music Port is to enable any desktop PC, laptop PC or touch screen with a web browser that is connected to the home network to serve as a controller for a NuVo Grand Concerto or Essentia E6G system, much like NuVos in-wall OLED Control Pads and third-party touch screens already do. Music Port takes NuVo system control to a whole new level; the user can control the system from numerous locations in the home via hard-wired devices, or roam about the house controlling the system with wireless devices.
The Music Port Web browser interface further enhances the user experience by providing album cover art, which makes music selection and recognition on the NuVo system even easier and more fun. The sleek, smart browser interface provides easy and comprehensive management of music and other home technology. Users gain instant control over viewing, queuing and prioritizing an entire music collection.
No extra power supply is needed for Music Port, and connections are simple. The PC connects to an amplifier via one to six RCA cables (depending on how many PC audio outputs are being used), and it connects to the Music Port hardware with an RS232 cable. Music Port then connects to the amplifier with an RS232 cable and a CAT5 NuVoNet cable.
NuVo Music Port “black box” Music Port was engineered by Autonomic Controls specifically for use with NuVo multi-room audio systems. Its multi-source output capabilities are made possible by Autonomic Controls exclusive PolyTunel technology, which enables a single sound card to provide multiple, independent stereo outputs. Autonomic Controls Media Control Server 2.0 facilitates communications between the NuVo Control Pads and the host PC; the software provides two-way remote access to Windows Media and iTunes media purchased online or ripped from a users CD collection. It also manages digital rights management (DRM) compliance, making it one of the few options available to installers and customers for DRM music consumption in a custom install environment.
Collaborating with NuVo Technologies on Music Port has been greatly rewarding, said Michael de Nigris, CEO, Autonomic Controls Inc. We believe our collective engineering resources have produced a great product. Digital media is here in force, and Music Port makes it accessible around the house like never before. NuVos best-of-breed multi-room audio solutions paired with our industry-leading control technology provide the most hassle-free enjoyment of digital media available.
NuVo Music Port is slated to ship in August 2008 for an estimated MSRP of $999.
