New generation digital Home Networking Solution

Dedicated Devices (DDi) has released a new generation of digital home networking solutions that utilise a 120gb hard-drive hub to create a complete digital entertainment system, giving homeowners a secure and reliable way to access and manage their digital content. Private home networks promise the ability to share music, video, photos, as well as internet access, files, printers and other equipment in a fully realised digital environment, enhancing living and facilitating working from home.

At it's core the Digital Distribution Center features a massive 120gb hard-drive at the point where cable, internet and other wiring join in new homes.The Digital Distribution Center will then act as the audio server, video server, and photo server for the whole-house digital entertainment system. This device includes an eight-zone, commercial grade residential gateway and firewall, internal digital media storage, and four USB 2.0 expansion ports and runs on the Linux operating system. The flexible design of the Digital Distribution Center allows for adding new functionality, which will include higher capacity storage modules and software upgrades for future home entertainment and control applications.

DDi's Digital Player is the bridge between the Digital Distribution Center and the homeowner's TV or stereo equipment. The Digital Player uses standard audio/visual cables, connects to a TV or stereo, and communicates with the Digital Distribution Center over a home network using a standard Ethernet (Cat-5/5e) connection. Using the DDi Remote Control and easy-to-read and use menus on a TV screen, homeowners can browse through and select their collection of music, video, photos and files stored and managed on the Digital Distribution Center.

DDi's Digital Distribution Centre will be embedded in new homes built throughout the United States, where, according to market research firm Parks Associates, 5.2 million U.S. households are expected to install structured wiring by 2005, growing to an estimated 10.7 million by 2008. In addition, during the next year, consumers are expected to purchase over $150 billion in digital entertainment products and content. Thus, like electricity, phone and water the home network system can be installed when the home is built. Unlike similar home digital management systems like that recently announced by Microsoft with it's Windows XP Media Centre, the DDi system will also monitor home security and control other home functions like lighting in an all-in-one digital network. It also promises interference free access to other electronic devices and objects around the home and compatibilty with new hardware and sofware as it is introduced.

DDi has a co-branded distribution agreement with Leviton Integrated Networks, the residential structured cabling division of the Leviton Manufacturing Company, a leading manufacturer of electrical and electronic wiring devices in North America.

The suggested RRP for the Digital Distribution Center is US$2,250 and US$299 for the Digital Player and Remote Control and will be available to order mid-December through Leviton-certified contractors.

http://www.leviton-lin.com/