Control4 Adds Controller, HD Switcher

By Staff -- TWICE, 9/17/2007

DENVER — Control4's new $2,995-suggested HC-1000 home controller/music server/DVD-management system is a dedicated master controller intended for large home automation projects, the company announced at the CEDIA Expo. The company attributed the unit's capacity to a 1.3GHz processor and 1GB solid-state drive, delivering stability and speedy command execution.

Previous Control4 controllers were intended for moderate-size installs, the company said.

In another announcement, the company said it would distribute Sony's CAV-CV12ES 12x12 video switcher, which allows for four zones of S-Video and eight zones of 1080p component video distribution over CAT-5e cable from connected video sources. The device connects to Control4 controllers via RS-232.

The HC-1000 controller is a 3.46-inch by 19-inch by 13.9-inch component due in the fall with 500GB HDD, which stores music and photos for distribution over 100Mbps Ethernet (802.3) networks. Music streams to SpeakerPoint clients with built-in audio amplifiers. The HC-1000 also lets users select hundreds of movies in DVD changers.

It also controls all Zigbee (802.15) devices via a connected $699 HC-300 home controller and $599 home theater controller, both of which incorporate a variety of ports for connection to non-ZigBee home systems.

The HC-1000 connects to currently available Control4 touchscreens, keypads and handheld remotes that control multiple home systems.

The SpeakerPoint clients decode MP3 files and PCM audio for 2x50-watt amplification. Music can be streamed from the HC-1000's server or from a network-attached storage device, USB hard drive, networked PC or connected Sonance iPort iPod dock.