URC To Expand Home-Control Presence at CEDIA Expo

By Joseph Palenchar -- TWICE, 9/6/2010

Harrison, N.Y. - URC will go to the CEDIA Expo to further expand its presence in the home-control market with the launch of its first IP-controlled multizone-audio system, IP surveillance cameras, and rack-mountable MRX-10 home-system controller.

The MRX-10 controller receives commands via Ethernet and WiFi to control the new multiroom-audio system, surveillance cameras, components in a connected home entertainment system, and other-brand thermostats.

Commands are sent to the controller via two new handheld WiFi/IR remotes and a new in-wall KP-100 seven-button in-wall keypad, which talks to the controller via power-over-Ethernet (POE) cable.

All the new products are marketed under the Total Control brand name, which will also be applied to current products - excluding a wireless lighting system -- that integrate with the new models.

Although the company launched its first wireless-RF lighting-control system about two years ago, said marketing director Jon Sienkiewicz, "until now, we lived mainly in the home theater." Such home theater products include the MX-5000 IR/narrowband-RF handheld remote; MX-6000 wireless tabletop touchscreen with WiFi, narrowband RF, and IR; and the in-wall KP-4000 touchscreen with POE. All talk to the Ethernet-networked single-zone MRX-1 home theater controller to control a single-zone home theater system. The touchscreens and handheld remote also use narrowband-RF to directly control URC lighting dimmers in multiple rooms of the house.

For its next act in home control, the company plans a staggered rollout between the CEDIA Expo and the end of the year of its MRX-10 network system controller, DMS-1200 multizone audio amplifier with speaker-level and preamp-level outputs, a single-zone local amplifier, the SNP-1 networked streaming audio player, the PSX-2 networked iPod dock, the KP-100 in-wall Ethernet-connected keypad with POE, a wand-style MS-1200 WiFi/IR remote with buttons and color touchscreen, and a wand-style MS-780 WiFi/IR remote with hard buttons and color LCD display.

Prices will be announced at the Expo.

The rack-mount MRX-10 network system controller gets its IP-based commands via WiFi and wired Ethernet, then issues commands via RS-232, IR, relays, and 12-volt outputs to control a home theater system, URC's multizone audio system, and surveillance cameras.

The MRX-10 also connects to an optional 418MHz/433MHz RFTX-1 RF transceiver to talk control URC's wireless lighting-control dimmers installed throughout the house.

The MRX-10 will also control home theater systems in other rooms via a currently available MRX-1 network base station, which is intended for single-zone home theater control. It connects to the wired Ethernet network and features RS-232 and IR outputs.

The DMS-1200 eight-zone amp is rated at 12x50 watts with speaker-level outputs for six zones and preamp-only outputs for two additional zones. Four amps can be connected to create a 32-zone audio. The Ethernet-connected amps stream music from the networked PSX-2 iPod dock and the networked SNP-1 Internet music streamer, both of which stream one song at a time. Multiple SNP-1 2 models can be placed anywhere on the network to stream multiple songs simultaneously, weheras the PSX-2 streamer must be connected directly to the amp.

The PSX-2 and SNP-1 feature on-TV display.

To get the MRX-10 controller to issue commands, consumers use the new MS-1200 remote with WiFi and IR, the new MS-780 remote with WiFi and IR, and new in-wall Ethernet-connected KP-100 keypad. The MRX-10, however, can also be controlled from the current Ethernet-connected KP-4000 in-wall touchscreen, which also controls the MRX-1 network base station, and from two other current WiFi/IR remotes, the MX-6000 and MX-5000.

Three flavors of IP-based cameras are also new: basic, box-type, and dome type for ceiling mounting.

Security-camera video is displayed on a TV connected to the MRX-10 as well as on the KP-4000 in-wall touchscreen and MS-1200 remote.