News

ELAN Home Systems' New VIA!migo Offers Access and Enjoyment of iPod-Stored Music Throughout the Home (24/11/2006)

Innovative VIA!migo(tm) iPod Integration Dock Marries the Best of Apple iPod and ELAN VIA! Touch Panel Technologies

ELAN(r) Home Systems, a leading manufacturer of award-winning Multi-Room audio/video and home automation systems, announced today the company's plans to release VIA!migo(tm), a new iPod(r) Integrated Docking Station. This innovative docking station transforms the world's most popular portable media player to a multi-room home audio player, offering complete control and seamless integration with ELAN multi-room systems. The announcement was made by Bob Farinelli, ELAN's President and Chief Technology Officer.

The new VIA!migo catapults the iPod to a whole new level of whole-house functionality, providing users with the ability to easily control their iPod's from any VIA! Touch Panel located within the home -- offering familiar iPod control options and on-screen 'Now Playing' information for Artist, Song, Time Playing and Time Remaining through ELAN's user-friendly VIA! interface. Both IR- and RS-232-controllable, VIA!migo is fast and easy to program with ELAN's VIA!TOOLS software and features discrete IR and RS-232 commands for every function. Best of all, VIA!migo is compatible with the entire award-winning line of ELAN VIA! Touch Panels and can deliver iPod music content for listening enjoyment through any model in ELAN's extensive line of multi-room A/V controllers and indoor or outdoor speakers.

"Millions of people worldwide own iPods. The beauty of this is that now homeowners can enjoy their favorite music anywhere in the home and access it with ease using ELAN control panels and our multi-room systems," stated Mr. Farinelli. "No longer will users be forced to listen to their iPod-stored music in a single location as with other traditional docking stations or solely on headphones, as the VIA!migo provides new freedom, turning iPods into whole-house, multi-room audio players."

"Individual Consumers have different listening habits and needs and always will," he noted, "Some enjoy their music on the go, while others have massive home-based collections that they can access and enjoy throughout the house. Most importantly, many want both of these music access options and want them all in one system. Between our new VIA!migo and our long-standing VIA!dj music server products, we have the ability to satisfy all Dealer and Client needs."

In addition to controlling iPods from VIA! Touch Panels around the home, the VIA!migo has two video outputs (composite and "S") that can be distributed to VIA!s, televisions and monitors, allowing the user to view iPod 'Now Playing' information almost anywhere in the home. There is also a local IR input that allows users to control their iPod from any learning remote control.

Another breakthrough feature of the VIA!migo is its ability to be upgraded without purchase of a new docking station. Through the RS-232 serial port, VIA!migo's software can be updated to correspond with the newest iPod software out, allowing it to stay current and in sync with the latest and greatest technologies.

The VIA!migo is compatible with virtually every iPod music model to date including the iPod mini (4GB, 6GB), the iPod nano (2GB, 4GB, 91GB), the 4G iPod with the click wheel and color display (20GB, 30GB, 40GB, 60GB, U2), and the 5G video iPod (30GB, 60GB). VIA!migos can be placed anywhere in the house where it's most convenient, and users can even have multiple VIA!migos in different locations around the home.

The new VIA!migo is targeted to ship in December 2006 at the manufacturer's suggested retail price of $599.00.

www.elanhomesystems.com