News

Axonix MediaMax Multimedia Home Server Supports Cover Art and Crestron Remote Control (3/3/2005)

MediaMax Retrieves Cover Art Database of over 205,000 Movie Titles and Offers Crestron Touch Panel Compatibility

Axonix Corporation has announced the addition of several value-added features to its MediaMax(TM) multi-room, multimedia on-demand home entertainment system including the support for Movie cover art and universal compatibility with home automation remote Touch Panel controllers.

MediaMax allows any user in any room to instantly watch any DVD movie with a click of a remote control button. Unlike other movie-only servers, MediaMax users can also listen to their favorite music or an Internet radio program, watch recorded TV shows, show-off family movies or photo albums, email, and surf the Web. All media is instantly accessible through the included hand held wireless remote controller or other home remote controllers.

The new MediaMax V4 software upgrade supports the automatic retrieval, storage, searching and selectable playback of a DVD movie by its cover art and associated information about the movie including the related genre, actors, story summary, rating and other "metadata" from a dynamically updated Axonix managed online database of over 205,000 movie titles.

The user can now scroll through a list of movie cover art and with a single click either play the movie or learn more about the movie from locally stored metadata. In addition a Web based service may be browsed for more detailed information such as an actor's filmography, movie reviews and related news.

DVD movies are loaded onto the MediaMax either locally on the MediaMax's MediaServer or remotely with the optional Remote MediaLoader software utility that runs on any Windows(R) PC or Tablet. Loading DVD movies is a one step process. Simply insert the DVD movie into the MediaMax or Remote MediaLoader PC and the movie is automatically loaded with its associated cover art and metadata. Loading a DVD movie takes on average 10 minutes locally and 20 minutes from a Remote MediaLoader.

In addition the new MediaMax V4.0 software release includes a new Advanced Programming Application Interface (API) which provides universal compatibility with virtually any custom wall mount or touch panel remote controller including those offered by vendors such as Crestron(R), AMX(R), Universal Remote(R), Philips(R), Control 4(R), NetStream(R) and HAI(R). An Interface Module is available at no charge from Axonix that supports a majority of the Crestron(R) line of Touch Panels including the STX-1700CXP, TPC-2000L, TPC-3000, TPS-4000, TPC-5000 and the new TPMC-10.

Axonix is committed to complying with all copyright laws and regulations. Because MediaMax does not ship with a movie descrambling utility, MediaMax, like a generic PC is in full compliance with content copyright regulations. To ensure that only personally owned movies and not rented movies are viewable, the MediaMax includes a utility that requires the user after a set period of time (i.e. eight weeks) of initially loading a DVD, to confirm ownership of the DVD disc by forcing the user to re-insert the DVD into the MediaMax and re-authenticate the physical presence of the DVD disc before the movie can be viewed.

These new features add to the growing list of unparalleled benefits offered by the MediaMax including the ability to support an unlimited number of rooms and unlimited "add as you need it" media storage capacity. Unlike any other Media Server, with MediaMax you can add as many MediaDeck(TM) Set-top Players per Server with up to 30 rooms having simultaneous access to any movie, song or other media, anytime.

MediaMax is the most affordable Multimedia Server available. On average the MediaMax costs less than one third of comparable movie only Media Servers.

Sold exclusively through Highend Integration Partners (HIP), MediaMax is the perfect value-added peripheral since it can be cost effectively installed, supported, expanded and customized using non-proprietary software and standard off-the-shelf hardware.

MediaMax installs in minutes on wired or with optional hardware, wireless Ethernet LANs. MediaMax comes complete "Ready-To-Play" with a MediaServer(TM) and a set of MediaDeck Set Top Players- requiring no additional hardware, software or costly subscription services. Unlimited room systems are available for hotels and other high capacity room applications. Special "Yacht models" are also available.

MediaMax supports virtually unlimited, very affordable "add as you need it" storage expansion. Storage expansion options include removable 250GB MediaDrive(TM) modules, MediaStore(TM) Firewire appliances or any Windows(R) compatible Network Attached Storage appliance. Other media interfaces include USB, Serial, Parallel and a 6 in 1 memory card reader for single step loading of photos.

Retail pricing starts at $8,895 for a 1 room MediaMax system that stores, on average, 40 DVD movies and hundreds of music CDs, MP3's, photos and other media. Add-on MediaDrive 250GB modules that store on average 40 movies are priced at $695. MediaStore external Firewire add-on storage appliances with capacities from 250GB's to 2 TeraBytes are retail priced from $1,495 to $8,995.

Adding additional rooms costs only $895 for a MediaDeck Set Top Player and a wireless remote controller.

All MediaServer models come with a 15 inch color Administrator LCD monitor and are available in either a desktop or a 19-inch rackmount chassis. The optional Remote MediaLoader, a Windows(R) compatible software program that allows you to load movies and music onto the MediaServer from anywhere on the LAN, retails for $795.

www.axonix.com