NuVo NV-M3 streams multi-zone PlaysForSure

Maybe we're a little dense, but we're having a bit of a time trying to figure out why someone would plunk down $2,200 for a 160GB PlaysForSure enabled audio streaming device -- even one so sexy as NuVo's (no, not that Nuvo) new NV-M3, above. Granted, NuVo seems pretty proud about implementing PlaysForSure in a multi-zone system, something Sonos users have been waiting a while to get going, but for a substantially smaller price you could go with something a little more versatile, like a Media Center PC or an Xbox 360 or a long list of other devices that wouldn't only limit you to playing music, either. Still, now apparently the onus is no longer on the PlaysForSure team to create a multizone standard for streaming DRMed audio since it can obviously be done without Microsoft's backing, so expect to hear more about this little number when CEDIA rolls around.

[Via eHomeUpgrade and Talk About CEDIA]

[Qriz @ Aug 29th 2006 4:57PM]

A fully uninteresting article.

[Ben Hobbs @ Aug 29th 2006 11:46PM]

Do you guys actually know what this does?

I've been waiting for it to come out for over a year, Nuvo is a multi-room system. I can wire upto 16 rooms up to two single slimline Nuvo boxes with a wall control panel in each room. These boxes acts as the brains and contain 6 stereo amplifiers. When this Nuvo NV-M3 is hooked up each room can listen to any song from the hard drive, chosen in the room by the wall panel.

Now with this device every single room can play, pause, rewind, fast forward - choose playlists their music independently.

Its the equivelant of having an ipod etc... in every sinle room, yet this can sit in a cupboard untouched.

You can laugh and say its uninteresting or useless, but unless you know how it works and the functionality it enables how are you supposed to review or comment on it.

Try hooking up a media centre PC and controlling it (fully) through wall panels, or any pC or other device - the brains in this piece of hardware are what makes it so powerful.

For $6,000 I can have 16 rooms of stereo amplified audio, all controlled by sophisticated control pads embedded in the wall running and controlling their choice of MP3's, easily.

[Ben @ Aug 30th 2006 8:18AM]

What's the fetish about embedded wall control pads? They just mean you have to jump up and down whenever you want to change the volume or the music playing. The Sonos system of wireless control pads is much better (though their support for things like asian characters and formats such as realaudio is lacking).

[Ben Hobbs @ Aug 31st 2006 10:31AM]

Yes, The Sonos rocks - but is quite a lot more expensive when doin large installs.

If your clever about it though you can combine a traditional multi-room system with a Sonos as one or more of the sources. Besides for those with kids, visitors or people technologically impaired a keypad on the wall that you press to "on" to hear music is a blessing.