Today is officially the first day of CEDIA Expo 2009 and now that Microsoft has announced its Media Center news, it's the partner's turn. Up first is Niveus which is of course releasing new Media Center PCs with Windows 7, so of course the new looser DRM and other features are included. Niveus is stepping up the hardware though too by adding RAID and SSD drives to the Pro Series, and also a new Windows Home Server requirement for its full system restoration capabilities. The other new offering is the aptly named White Glove service, which basically means the services to integrators is getting an upgrade. Prices are promised before the official launch on October 22nd, but based on the existing offering, we'd bet we still won't be able to afford it.

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.

There's no arguing the fact that Niveus makes some pretty swank gear; the problem is finding someone to sell it to you. As of this week, though, the outfit's Media Server - Vail Edition will be available across the nation at ADI branches. Expectedly, no price is given, though it is noted that all Vail Editions sold through ADI come bundled with "an exclusive HDGiants content package, including 1 HDNet film and credit towards the purchase of MusicGiants downloads." Full release is after the break.

We haven't really heard much from the single entity that emerged after VideoGiants and MusicGiants ran full force into one another, but Niveus Media is keeping said outfit relevant by bringing its movie collections to the Media Server and Storage Server – Cargo Edition. Films will be made available to dealers and consumers in packages of 50 ($1,099) or 100 ($2,099) titles, and of course, each title will come with all of the snazzy cover art and metadata to make searching a breeze. At least for now, the flicks are delivered to dealers on hard drives (50+ movies is a lot to download, holmes), but at least you know you'll be getting the best quality material. Full release is after the break.

Wondering what kind of multiple CableCard-equipped machinations were necessary to be dubbed this year's Windows Media Center Ultimate Install? Check out cyberManor's winning entry, with Niveus n9 media server, Niveus Ice Vault full of DVDs, plus Niveus EDGE and Xbox 360 media extenders deployed throughout the house. Not content to stop there, Life|Ware total home control was included, tying in distributed audio and other home automation features with the overall Media Center implementation. cyberManor beat out Wireless Home and Simple Digital Home, check out a few more pics of the winning install beyond the read link.

Niveus Media came to this year's CEDIA locked and loaded, and while most typical consumers won't look too far past the sub-$2,000 Vail system, those with cash to spare and colleagues to impress will certainly appreciate the Core i7-powered $19,999 Pro Series n9 media center PC. The rig setup on the show floor had said HTPC connected to four dual-CableCARD boxes via USB ($1,500 a pop), giving it the ability to record eight HD shows simultaneously while streaming HD movie clips to ten other Media Center Extenders (without a hiccup, might we add). The mid-range Denali was also on hand, and Blu-ray drives were found across the board. We also spent a tick with the new v1.5 Niveus Movie Library, which very neatly enabled us to surf to any media stored locally or on the networked 16TB Cargo Media Server. Even if you can't afford it, this stuff is still worth a look.

At least year's CEDIA, EI's quad-CableCARD 754 LifeMedia server was all the rage. Between then and now, Cannon PC has jumped out to offer a system with six CableCARDs. Now, Niveus Media is showing 'em all up by announcing support for up to eight CableCARDs and ten Media Center Extenders. The functionality will soon be available on the forthcoming Pro Series n9 powerhouse, which will utilize Intel's Core i7 processor. The sum of eight is reached by pairing the n9 with four Niveus Digital Cable Receivers and an external, dual CableCARD tuner device, giving users the ability to view and record eight SD / HD programs at once. Oh, and you can also stream those eight signals along with all other HD content to eleven zones. Don't kid yourself -- you know the next US President is so getting this for the White House. Full press release after the break.

Earlier this year, Niveus Media unveiled its 2TB and 4TB Storage Servers. Today, those are looking mighty anemic. Here at CEDIA, the outfit has just taken the wraps off of its Niveus Storage Server - Cargo Edition, which gets powered by Windows Home Server and features up to 16TB of space. Designed to be the "ultimate add-on" for Niveus Movie Library, this bugger should hold even the most robust HD movie collection -- at least for awhile. The unit itself is housed in a 3U, rack-mountable chassis and provides scalability for users to expand storage from 4TB right on up to 16TB. Pricing remains a mystery right now, though it will be available in Q4. Full release is after the break (but you already knew that, didn't you?).

Four short months after going gold, Niveus' Movie Library has reached the monumental v1.5 platform. Okay, so maybe it's not that huge of a deal, but it's still notable for those out there with the coin to spend on a Niveus Media Center. The new version of the movie management application includes disc-in-drive support, a 10' interface for backing up movies to the Niveus Media Server and expanded metadata with high-resolution cover art (yes, including Blu-ray). Just to reiterate, the software supports "all possible movie formats" including DVDs, Blu-ray Disc, recorded TV movies, WMV, VideoGiants, Amazon Unbox, etc. Best of all, v1.5 is available to download right now in the Niveus Software Labs. Full press release is after the jump.

If you were curious as to which manufacturer would begin utilizing those fancy Core i7 chips first, we highly doubt Niveus Media came to mind. Granted, it isn't first to the punch per se, but Intel's latest will help power some of the 2009 line of media servers. The passively cooled Rainier, Denali Limited Edition (rear pictured after the break) and the rack-mountable Pro Series have all been upgraded with niceties like HDMI 1.3 and Seagate's Pipeline HD hard drives. You'll also find the G45 Express chipset, SSDs and support for eight CableCARDs scattered about, though pricing won't be disclosed until we get closer to the Q4 release date. More specifications are listed after the jump.

With Blu-ray drives for PCs selling for less than $150 -- and only getting cheaper -- many HTPC fans are left wondering, what is the best HTPC Blu-ray software? While the old favorites were the first on the scene with PowerDVD and WinDVD, ArcSoft has recently been bragging how popular its TotalMedia Theater is with high end HTPC vendors like NiveusMedia and Vidabox. We assume the reason is because these companies are keen on Vista Media Center and ArcSoft works harder on integrating with Media Center than the rest. But Media Center integration isn't the end all be all for Blu-ray playback, and it isn't that difficult to integrate the other players yourself. So this left us wondering, which is the best Blu-ray player software for Windows?

The good news is that after four weeks of being in Beta the super cool Niveus Movie Library is ready to go prime time. The bad news is that we can't afford to buy a Niveus Media Center, so we can't use it. But for those lucky few, you can now download the ultimate software that gives you access to just about every movie stored on your Media Center, no matter if you recorded it, ripped it -- yes even Blu-ray discs -- or downloaded it. And not only does it look cool, but you also get easy access to the cover art and meta data of each movie. As for the rest of the Vista Media Center community, we continue to wait for a nice plug-in that still looks like Vista Media Center, but with any luck Niveus will eventually be kind enough to share its new toy, the way it has with its Media Center Companion software.

Remember that Niveus Movie Library we got a chance to check out in-person at EHX? Yep, it's finally ready to break away from the show floor and into your home. Starting today, any user piddling around on Niveus Media Center Vista can test out the Beta version of the software. Put simply, the application is a "movie management tool that aggregates an entire movie collection into one distinct and intelligent interface," and better still, it'll play nice with material from nearly anywhere. Click on the read link [Warning: PDF] for the full release, check out the images below and get your download on if you're so brave.

NiveusMedia has always been known for making the coolest Windows Media Centers around, but when it comes to playing content from other places on your top of the line Media Center, you were on your own. We completely understood where Niveus was coming from, not wanting to get involved in the grey area of the business, and while the My Movie plug-in works really well, we always felt Niveus needed to provide a solution it could support. And after a quick visit to the Niveus demo at the EHX's Demo Alley this week, we got an up-close look at the new Movie Gallery plug-in -- yes it supports ripped movies -- and it is exactly that. This cool feature will bring together all your movies from whatever source, (DVD, recorded TV, VideoGiants, Blu-ray and wherever) and give you easy access to your content. We have to say we were impressed, but what we really want to know is when Niveus will allow us to try it out on our DIY box, like Niveus does with its Companion software.