NuVo Technologies takes NV-M3 music server to 500GB

Not content with just 160GB in the NV-M3 music server? Never fear, as NuVo Technologies has a capacious new version that packs a full half-terabyte of space and an even more astounding price tag. The June-bound NV-M3-500 handles WAV, WMA and those ghastly compressed MP3 files, and its ability to sync to a home computer means that it won't take issue with playing back DRM-laden tracks, either. On the unit itself, you'll find a polycarbonate, capacitive touch front panel interface with an OLED display and a smattering of ports 'round back, but we still can't understand how NuVo landed on $2,999 as a suitable price for this thing. Nevertheless, the full release is posted after the jump for those interested.

No sonic compromises necessary with NuVo technologies' new 500 GB music server

Offering more than triple the capacity of its predecessor, the half-terabyte NV-M3-500 enables homeowners to easily store, distribute and manage their digital music collections at the highest bit rates possible-even fully uncompressed.

Hebron, KY – April 15, 2008 – NuVo Technologies' newest music server more than triples the capacity of its predecessor, providing homeowners the ample disk space necessary to comfortably store their digital music at larger file capacities. The new NV-M3-500 Music Server, announced today, offers 500 GB (or a half-terabyte) of storage, a quantum leap in capacity over NuVo's still-available, 160 GB NV-M3 Music Server. Music lovers now have two compelling music server options available from NuVo.

"Digital music collections are growing exponentially, along with consumers' desire to enjoy high-bit-rate and even lossless audio files," said David Rodarte, president and chief operating officer of NuVo Technologies. "Highly compressed audio files are fine for portable players, but homeowners now recognize that for home theater and whole-home entertainment, only files with higher bit rates offer the sound quality they want. With the NV-M3-500, homeowners no longer need to make sonic compromises with their digital music. Every digital track in their collections can both sound great and be easily accessible in any room of the house through our new music server and our Grand Concerto and Essentia E6G whole-home audio systems."

Using Windows® Media Player and the uncompressed WAV file format, homeowners can enjoy pristine, audiophile-quality playback with a bitstream identical to every bit of what they would get from a CD. NuVo engineers estimate that homeowners can store roughly 830 CDs in uncompressed WAV on the NV-M3-500. The server can also store and play Windows Media Audio (WMA) and compressed MP3 files.

NuVo music servers offer full Digital Rights Management (DRM) compliance, three source outputs, NuVoNet Communication and Windows® Media Player music management. The server syncs to a home PC to retrieve music files and allow playback of DRM music; the experience is akin to syncing with a portable MP3 player. The music server also can act as a source for NuVo's Grand Concerto whole-home audio system, where, combined with other NuVo source devices such as its AM/FM, XM and Sirius tuners and iPod docks, the homeowner can seamlessly enjoy an enormous amount of personally-acquired and broadcast music in any room of the house with just the push of a button on a NuVo Control Pad. Full metadata for all tracks stored on the server is available on the Control Pad.

The music server offers a polycarbonate, capacitive touch front panel interface with OLED (Organic Light Emitting Diode) display (similar to that of the Grand Concerto Control Pads), backup of audio files on a connected PC or on a portable player, simultaneous output of three audio streams, and instant compatibility with downloaded and subscription-based music. CDs are simply ripped to Windows Media Player on the PC and synced to the music server.

Syncing between the PC and the music server can be accomplished in either of two ways. The first is via a standard USB port connection; for situations where the PC and the server are physically remote, a "behind-the-walls" extender system can use CAT-5 to link to USB cables at either end. In addition, NuVo's Wireless USB Syncing Device (NV-USBW, $399 MSRP) enables syncing between the PC and the music server without a hard-wired connection, providing a USB device connection over Wireless-G.

The 500 GB NV-M3-500 Music Server is slated to ship in June 2008 for an estimated MSRP of $2,999. The 160 GB NV-M3 Music Server remains available for $2,299 MSRP.

For more information about NuVo Technologies, please visit www.nuvotechnologies.com.

[Ridgecity @ Apr 15th 2008 2:30PM]

Does anyone know a good dvd player that reads WMV I can buy?

[Zak @ Apr 15th 2008 5:02PM]

PS3.

[Rob @ Apr 15th 2008 2:36PM]

For around $500 you can get the HP Windows Home Server. $3000, GTFO!!!

[Ridgecity @ Apr 15th 2008 2:56PM]

That's too much power for just serving files. I want some standalone unit like all those dvd players with divx...

[NHAnimator @ Apr 15th 2008 2:51PM]

Who is BUYING these things?

[Zoesch @ Apr 15th 2008 10:31PM]

Media Installations
Radio Stations
Studios
Basically anything that requires a sturdy, rackmountable and hassle free device to stream music.

You know, not everybody has the time, patience and support personnel to keep those lovely homemade XP and Linux servers up and running 24/7, these kinds of boxes fit that niche, sure you pay through the nose for the convenience, but honestly, that's cheaper than paying for 24/7 on-site support.

You remind me of a band that I was recording at a friend's studio, they were bewildered why in this day and age someone would still prefer a console and rackmounted effects to ProTools and plugins (Which he also had), his answer? At least in the rare chance the console goes offline I can keep working, if ProTools goes off then say goodbye to the rest of the session.

[NHAnimator @ Apr 16th 2008 8:10AM]

Well, thanks. I was under the impression these were consumer/prosumer devices and couldn't understand why someone who pay this much. If they're industry devices (designed to replace humans), I can certainly understand that.

[palehorse @ Apr 15th 2008 3:42PM]

Any idiot who buys this thing needs to kick his/her own ass.

seriously...

[madgamer @ Apr 15th 2008 3:45PM]

Princing on this thing is nuts. Even at 500$ I think they would have a hard time selling them, but for 3 grand?

[ahkmel @ Apr 15th 2008 4:25PM]

Ha! You would be an idiot to buy one of these for $3k.

[Jamie @ Apr 15th 2008 4:34PM]

WTF,. who is the ass-hat who approved this pricing? It does music, so does a $599.00 Mac Mini or $1,598.00 if you want it to come with an 23 widescreen display.

Wake up and read a fuckin paper once in a while and you'd notice that people want video and photo options that only come with displays.

When will these home audio people get real?

[phanbouy @ Apr 15th 2008 5:57PM]

this just in! NuVo has been bought out by AssHat Industries, Inc.

[Galley @ Apr 16th 2008 8:06AM]

Better yet, pick up a $229 Apple TV, and stream several terabytes of lossless audio to your home theater.

[MarxAnth @ Apr 16th 2008 1:39PM]

For people with more money than sense...

[lshanepowers @ Apr 28th 2008 9:20AM]

You guys need to chill. Obviously you are making comments on something you know nothing about. The article doesn't describe it very well but the main purpose of this device is to integrate with the Grand Concerto Whole House Audio system. The Grand Concerto system is a 8-16 zone audio system that allows you to play up to 6 different sources in any of the zones. Each room has an in-wall keypad that allows full control and feedback from any room of the house. Show me a mac mini, media center, or apple tv device (besides a monitor or tv) that gives you that kind of feedback or control from a small in-wall keypad. This is a professionally installed device targeted at a specific audience(an audience of people that doesn't have time to read Engadget and rant about a product they know nothing about.) This music server is actually priced very competitively in the market segment it is in(which is not the same segment as a mac mini, media center or apple tv). Also, Nuvo is a great company in its market segment. I"m a dealer of Nuvo and have sold a lot of their product. I just don't like to hear them unfairly criticized.