Sony NHS Series Adds Home Control

LAS VEGAS — In custom "rack" systems, Sony added home-control technology for the first time to a prepackaged NHS-series custom-installed home theater/multiroom-audio "rack system."

The NHS-130C system incorporates wireless home-control technology from Control4 to add whole-house control over lighting, temperature, and security subsystems from a handheld remote or from in-wall controllers, which also control the rack's A/V components.

The NHS-130C rack system consists of pre-wired, pre-integrated components, excluding TV and custom speakers, to create a 7.1-channel home theater/music system and a multiroom A/V system delivering HD video and music to 12 additional zones. The rack also comes with Control4's HC500 brain, which integrates control of home subsystems, incorporates 160GB HDD to store pictures and music, and controls connected 400-disc single-transport CD/DVD changer from Sony.

To control home subsystems and the rack's A/V equipment from any room, the rack comes with a handheld ZigBee-RF remote that controls the brain, which in turn controls ZigBee-equipped thermostats, light switches, dimmers and other ZigBee devices. The brain can also be controlled from separately sold in-wall Control4 controllers equipped with wired Ethernet and Wi-Fi.

The brain also synchronizes the operation of lighting, temperature control and security system with the home theater system in the home theater room.

The NHS-130C system consists of a Sony ES receiver, 400-disc DVD/CD changer with management system, Control 4's brain/160GB music server, a Blu-ray Disc player, an AM/FM/XM/Sirius tuner, iPod in-wall dock and the ability to add three auxiliary devices. The system ships in the spring for installations that would typically range from $40,000 to $85,000.