Living Control’s Studio6 MediaServer enables “abundant HD entertainment all around the home”, writes David Davies. When installed at the centre of a multi-room entertainment system, Studio6 is capable of sending two independent streams of FullHD (1080p) video and four independent streams of HD 24-bit/96kHz audio simultaneously to six or more rooms in the house.
As a result, says Living Control, it is possible for the occupants to enjoy two different FullHD movies and four different high-quality music selections wherever they are in the home.
Based on Living Control’s own Linux platform, the new device supports a host of video and audio formats, including AVI, MP4, QuickTime HD, H/264, VC1 and DiVX 4/5/6.
Other notable features include the use of the proprietary ‘openCODEC’ system to allow for multiple future HD formats; a proprietary Living Control ‘Picture-Perfect’ playback engine based on the gstreamer multimedia framework and utilising codecs from Fluendo SA; 3TB internal storage through the Seagate Pipeline HD Pro Hard Drive; and control interfaces for Pronto TSU9600, Windows, Linux, OS-X, Nokia T-Series Tablets and iPhone.
In addition to serving as the source for a Living Control multi-room entertainment system, the device – which is due to be made available next month – can also be deployed as a stand-alone device.
Justin Lawrence, MD of Living Control, told us: “The Studio6 is conceived and built here in the UK, but it’s a truly international co-development, as leading-edge products tend to be. We’ve worked with Fluendo SA to make the playback engine properly versatile and future-proof, and we believe that an international product of this calibre and uniqueness is to a greater extent protected against currency and discounting.”
Regarding the product’s potential, the company expects that “the best of European installers will find a demand from their clients for a platform this powerful. We’ve enjoyed growing recognition here in the UK, and the European consumer demographic with its love for music, movies, high performance and convenience is virtually the same. We’re planning to offer the Studio6 through our existing distributors in Austria, CIS, Malta, Spain and the Netherlands, and we’re looking forward to discussing possibilities with experts in other territories.”
