SE2 Labs Simplifies Installation Process with Modular Home Entertainment
Oct 1, 2007 8:00 AM
Custom installation is going turnkey. At least that’s the strategy SE2 Labs is taking with the ITC One (Integrated Theater Console) system it introduced at CEDIA 2007. The modular, full-featured system is the brainchild of a CEDIA veteran looking to simplify the custom design and installation process for integrators and consumers.
Headed by former CEDIA integrator Michael Pyle of Aurant, SE2 Labs plans to deliver the ITC One by year end, promising a personalized, fully integrated, one-box home entertainment solution.
The ITC One is a card-based, modular system based on the Dell build-to-order model. Installers or users build a system on the company website, selecting from a range of audio, video, and gaming options. The assembled product will ship within days, according to Pyle, who says the ITC One is the first of a new category of integrated custom electronics systems.
Base price for the ITC One is $20,000. Options include a Microsoft X-Box 360, an X-Box 360 HD DVD player, a Nintendo Wii, DirecTV, a high-def TiVo, a Dish Network DVR, a Comcast HD DVR, an AMX Netlinx control system, a Bryston preamp surround sound processor with full digital outputs, IcePower Class-D amplifiers, a Vidikron scaler, a touchpanel screen, an Apple Video iPod with dock, a proprietary Zigbee-based remote control, power conditioning, an extensive cooling system, cables, and an anti-noise and vibration system. The brain for the system is the AMX controller.
Users can add an Xbox 360 HD DVD drive, and SE2 Labs is currently working on a Blu-ray option, Pyle says. Custom-oriented features include a front-panel outlet for connection to auxiliary sources, a front-panel RS-232 port, a rear-panel light bar, and recessed outlets to facilitate rackmounting.
The goal of the ITC One is to consolidate a variety of components that would typically take up an unwieldy amount of space into a compact enclosure that doesn’t require rewiring or shelving that detracts from the aesthetics of the home. Using the same set of available products condenses the learning curve for installers who don’t have to invent a system for each new installation. The company says the installation process is as simple as connecting AC, a video source, and loudspeakers, and powering the system on.
According to Pyle, all parts can be swapped or repaired with minimal effort because components are off-the-shelf products. He described the system as “a house full of electronics slimmed down to a small console” measuring 18”x21”x20”. The microwave oven-sized console is controlled by a proprietary remote control, and the system is backed by a 5-year warranty.
For more information, visit www.se2labs.com.
