Each year at CEDIA, we've been downright floored with Niveus' lineup. Unfortunately, it's out of reach for the vast majority of "mainstreet" dwellers. At long (long!) last, the company has decided to expand its reach and offer a product for the blue collars in America, and on paper, the Zone looks like a real champ in the flagging HTPC arena. Measuring in at 6.5- x 6.5- x 1.97-inches, this 3.2 pound box packs an awful lot of media playing oomph into a ridiculously small enclosure. Specs wise, we're looking at a 2GHz Core 2 Duo T5750 CPU, 2GB of RAM, gigabit Ethernet, a 160GB SATA drive, slot-loading Blu-ray optical drive, front-mounted IR receiver, bundled media remote, Intel's GMA X4500 HD graphics, HDMI 1.3 / eSATA ports and support for 7.1-channel surround sound. Over on the software front, you'll see Windows Vista Home Premium along with Niveus' own suite of apps (Movie Library, Studio, Media Server Companion and Weather). Unlike any other Niveus system, consumers can purchase the Zone for $1,499 directly from the outfit's website, and there's also a unique Zone Community down in the read link; check out a promotional vid after the break if you wish.

At the Cable Show this week Macrovision is showing off its new tru2way Passport software, which we have to say is pretty cool looking. Of course it isn't the coolest looking software we've seen, but it is the best looking tru2way option so far and at least it is widescreen. But maybe in what might be bigger news to Comcast fans customers around the country -- or anyone who uses the Passport of iGuide software really -- is the that like the Passport tru2way software, the new Passport and iGuide software will also support multi-room viewing. So you'll finally be able to have your content follow you around the house and automatically pick up where you left off. Unfortunately like other solutions based on the Motorola boxes it's limited to two tuners throughout the house -- because a DVR can only act as a server and not as a client -- and we'd bet our old friends at the cable company will continue to only offer DVRs with puney 160GB hard drives, which really makes it hard for most families to get by with a single DVR.

We'll just cut to the chase: if you've been cautiously eying Sony's S-AIRPLAY system in hopes of it solving your multi-zone audio desires, you'll be sorely disappointed at how it performs in real world use. The AIR-SA20PK showcased just decent audio quality, odd design choices, unintuitive controls and a wireless range that was less-than-stellar. 'Course, the unit was being held to some pretty high standards, but given the $400 sticker, we can understand that. In the end, critics determined that the unit wasn't an outright failure, but for four bills, they'd prefer it to be much easier to use and sound quite a bit better. Good thing you didn't pull the trigger already, huh?

At CEDIA, home install is king. Thus, it shouldn't come as any shock to see Sony introducing a few products not exactly aimed at the consumer crowd. Enter the NHS-A30C / NHS-70C home automation racks and the HomeShare multi-room entertainment solution, both of which were generating a bit of buzz while we were bobbing and weaving in an attempt to snag a few shots. The HomeShare system seemed particularly amazing, with the wall-mounted touch panels being among the most attractive at the show. Check out the full walk-through below.

While most of Sony's offerings thus far at CEDIA have catered to the general electronics consumer, this one is pointed directly at the custom install market. The new HomeShare HD multi-room entertainment solution delivers up to 16 zones of entertainment (four zones of HD video) to any room in the house via standard CAT5e wiring. The neatly packaged, um, package includes the HS-KP1 keypad (4.3-inch screen to display the XMB-based UI; pictured), the HS-MB1 distribution panel, HS-WV1 audio / video wallport, HS-AC1 power supply, HS-WA1 local audio wallport and the HS-WD1 digital media wallport for connecting an iPod (or similar). The kit will be available early next year through Sony's network of installation dealers, and pricing is expected to be between $1,000 and $2,000 per room. The whole release is after the jump.

Got a whole lot of rooms? Does each one need its fill of audio? If so, you should give Audio Design Associates Suite 8200 multi-room receiver a gander. Upping the ante on its own Suite 8100, this device is an 8-source, 8-zone (16-channel) single chassis pre-amp / amplifier that utilizes a class A/B amp outputting some 25-watts per channel. Additionally, you can get it customized with two tuners of your choice, including XM, Sirius or HD Radio. The 2U design should make those with racks quite happy, and you'll also find line-level audio outputs for each zone alongside line-level subwoofer outs for zones 1 and 2. Sure, the Suite 8200 will run you a cool $4,999, but if you're really looking to pipe music to eight separate zones, coming up with five large shouldn't be a problem.

[Via Widescreen Review]

Satellite radio provider Sirius really is busy today, announcing a bunch of products, and also a collaboration with Sonos to deliver wireless multi-room streaming Sirius content via broadband. By updating to version 2.3 software, the Sonos hardware can directly connect to Sirius Internet Radio and stream throughout any of the 32 supported zones. Current Sonos owners can also get a 30-day trial to Sirius to try out the system, and decide whether compressed audio sounds better in the bathroom than it does from their computer speakers.

If you're inclined to go big and multi-room with audio and video, Sony has unveiled some distribution products for you at the Pacific Coast Builders Conference, with two sets of high-definition video distribution products -- one for new construction, and one using existing Cat5 cabling. The NHS-3040 rack system is for new homes, and combines various Sony products for a whole-house distribution network: a home theater, XM Radio tuner, Blu-ray player, 400-disc DVD changer, and 80GB music storage and management server, along with support for 13 different audio/video zones. The NHS-2040 model drops you down to six zones, while the NHS-1040 removes the changer as well. For existing wiring, Sony offers up the CAV-CVS12ES HD switching system, which uses a single Cat5e per zone to route your video into up to 12 zones, and supports eight 1080p-capable component inputs. The system supports IR and RS-232 control, and pairs up with Sony's CAV-M1000 line of audio distro systems. As long as you're wiring up your house anyway, why not throw in Sony's WS-ADP4 doorbell intercom adapter with electronic door release, so you don't have to bother the butler to open the door for you while you're both in the third-floor bedroom watching Desperate Housewives in HD.

Read - Sony NHS series distro system
Read - Sony CAV-CVS12ES Cat5e system
Read - WS-ADP4 doorbell intercom