Niveus Release “ZONE” Multi-room media solution

Niveus produce some great hi-end equipment and they have launched a new compact (6”x6”x2”) network media player called the ZONE. The idea being that you have multiple ZONEs around the home to consume content from any PCs (not just Niveus boxes). The retail prize is £1499 which is pretty low for a Niveus box and comes with their own Movie, Music and Picture library software. Tim Cutting from Niveus will be on [tmcs] in the future to explain about the new product

Full press release after the video

NIVEUS RELEASES “ZONE” MULTI-ROOM MEDIA SOLUTION

Customer can link multiple ZONEs to play back their entire media collection in any room of the house.
Milpitas, CA – April 1st, 2009 – Niveus Media is pleased to introduce the all new “ZONE” media player. Featuring the Niveus Movie Library, and other proprietary Niveus features, the ZONE delivers upscaled DVD and native 1080p Blu-ray movies to any room of the house. The bundled music & photo library features transform your high definition television into a high resolution photo and slideshow viewer set to the soundtrack of your favorite tunes. The ZONE is also Digital Cable Compatible, allowing customers to add-on a 3rd party television tuner for additional Digital Video Recorder functionality.

Multi-room equals multi-ZONE. With multiple ZONEs it’s easy to create that ultimate whole-home solution. ZONEs can share content with each other, as well as look to centrally located media storage solutions. Simply put, if it’s on the home network or a ZONE, you can browse and enjoy your content on any Niveus ZONE.
When it comes to networked media playback, performance & design matters. The Niveus ZONE uses the latest Intel Core 2 Duo processing, and provides powerful interconnects such as HDMI 1.3, and eSATA for additional storage. From a design aspect, the Niveus ZONE features a brushed aluminum chassis that is accented by a front facing, slot load Blu-ray/DVD drive. Additionally, the ZONE’s compact form factor (6”x6”x2”) allows for placement practically anywhere in and around the home. ZONE has been designed to deliver on power, without compromising your power bill. At full load, the ZONE consumes less than 50 Watts of power.
Unlike some proprietary multi-room solutions, the ZONE is compatible with a wide range of digital products such as: digital cable tuners, wireless keyboards, network attached storage, remote controls, and more. Niveus believes in the open architecture, and for that reason customers can use ZONE with both Niveus Media Servers, as well as existing PCs in the home environment. The goal is to create a powerful home entertainment network, and ZONE will help get you there.

It’s all about the community. Niveus is focused on building a community around the ZONE. Whether a Niveus Authorized Dealer, or enthusiast customer, users of the ZONE can interact with each other at the newly launched Niveus Forums. It’s about getting answers quickly, and the community can help. Niveus ZONE users will also have access to early software builds of proprietary Niveus features, as well as access to the full suite of features found at the Niveus Software Labs. As Niveus readies new versions of its software, the ZONE Community will be able to provide valuable feedback and interact directly with the development team at Niveus.

Available for order worldwide today from Niveus.com and select Authorized Niveus Dealers, the ZONE is Niveus’ most affordable media solution yet. From $1499 per ZONE, customers and dealers now have an important building block in creating a powerful home media network where movies, music, photos are accessible in any room of the house. The ZONE represents Niveus Media’s most recent addition to its award winning line of media solutions. With over 6 years of experience and technology development, Niveus Media is at the forefront of home media networked solutions.
For more information on Niveus Media, Inc., please visit www.niveusmedia.com.