Even with the housing market down and the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) predicting it will get worse, it’s a good time for builders to think about incorporating technology, says Neal Manowitz, Sony’s director of marketing for consumer systems and applications.
There is a tremendous inventory of unsold new homes, according to the NAHB, and Manowitz says it makes sense to retrofit those vacant homes with affordable home technology.
Sony is showing two of its recently launched custom products here at the International Builders Show in Las Vegas.
HomeShare HD is a multiroom audio, video and surveillance solution that is now shipping. Also on display is the Sony and Control4 line of pre-integrated NHS rack systems, including the A30C entry level model, which launched at CEDIA Expo 2008.
Sony’s HomeShare is intended as a low-cost entry to the multiroom audio/video category. Manowitz estimates that installed HomeShare systems will cost between $1,000 and $2,000 per room, adding that it will only be distributed through the custom channel. “It will not be in retail storefronts.”
Any room with an in-wall keypad, about 6 inches by 6 inches, can access audio and video from sources including high-definition programming, an iPod dock or radios sources. The keypads can act as intercoms and as monitors for video surveillance.
Manowitz says adding a HomeShare system is an easy retrofit for any home with Cat 5 wiring.
The expansion of Sony’s NHS line to include the relatively small NHS-A30C is part of an effort to offer a pre-integrated rack system for various types of buyers, Manowitz says. The A30C is targeted at homeowners seeking small-scale custom installations and multi-dwelling unit owners.
Although integrators ultimately determine the prices of the NHS systems, Manowitz estimates that A30C systems go into sub-$10,000 projects.
The A30C's features include:
- 5.1 ES home theater
- Control4 HC-300 home controller
- 1 zone of HD video distribution
- 1 audio zone
- Blu-ray disc player
- iPod dock