Home Movie Theaters

Los Gatos, California-based cyberManor specializes in the design, installation, and integration of Internet-connected home electronics solutions that enhance the entertainment, communication, comfort, and safety of its clients’ homes. This year, the company won the Microsoft Windows Media Center Ultimate Install Contest for this immaculate and eco-friendly installation at the Kreaden residence in Sunnyvale, CA.

The homeowner desired a centralized, user-friendly entertainment and automation system. CyberManor’s solution was to incorporate a complete wholehouse integration system using the Windows Media Center interface as the central command platform.

“The goal of this project was to unify all the digital entertainment and automation of the home in a simple and effective system that had one consistent user interface,” said Jim Kohl, project manager at cyberManor. “The simple and intuitive Windows Media Center allowed us to accomplish this while staying consistent with the sleek and clean design the homeowner desired.”

The homeowners had two main objectives in this whole-house system design. They wanted to simultaneously distribute high-definition personal video recordings to multiple high-def video zones in their home and consolidate all of their A/V sources to a single rack-mount computer.

CyberManor used several products that are firmly committed to the Windows Media Center ecosystem, including Niveus Media’s Rainier media server with four CableCARD tuners. The company also used multiple Niveus EDGE and Xbox 360 extenders that distribute live and prerecorded digital HD content, plus a Niveus Ice Vault that stores the family’s entire DVD movie collection, music library, and digital photos.

The Windows Media Center platform accesses all the media from 12 zones of distributed audio and allows for lighting and window shade control as well. It also provides climate control in individual rooms, which is automated by the time of day and outside air temperature. This system works in tandem with Exceptional Innovation’s Life|ware software, which provides complete whole-house automation to control thermostats, lighting, audio distribution, and surveillance cameras, all at the touch of a button from the Windows Media Center interface.

The Kreaden family is committed to making their extraordinary home as environmentally friendly as possible. Their home incorporates both rooftop solar panels and exclusive use of LED and fluorescent lighting. The family maximizes its energy conservation with a Lutron lighting system that automatically turns off power and specific lights at certain times of the day.

Microsoft recognized cyberManor as the 2008 Windows Media Center Ultimate Install Contest winner because its use of the Windows Media Center platform provides the Kreaden family with a super easy-to-use solution. CyberManor’s installation and design is an exemplary demonstration of how high-level integration can combine with Windows Media Center’s scalable entertainment and automation platform.

CONTACT cyberManor, (408) 399-3331, www.cybermanor.com