Meda Systems Announces New Bravo Music Servers
Reprinted from a Meda Systems press release:
Meda Systems, Inc., an innovative technology company whose digital media servers and software distribute entertainment throughout the home, introduced four new models of its breakthrough whole-house Bravo and Bravado Music Servers, at the Custom Electronic Design and Installation Association (CEDIA) Expo 2004, in Indianapolis.
New models include the full-featured Bravo 16 and Bravo 20 Music Servers, designed for large homes with many rooms and listening zones; and the ultra-compact Bravado 1 and Bravado 4 Music Servers, designed as space-saving alternatives for smaller residences, while preserving Bravo’s most important features.
The Bravo 16 comes equipped to manage 16 analog zones plus 4 digital zones of output, for a total of 20 available zones. It also includes 4 line-level inputs, and can be controlled by up to 16 users at the same time. Bravo 20 offers a huge 20 zones of analog output and an additional five zones of digital output for a total of 25 available zones. It too includes 4 line-level inputs, and can be controlled by up to 16 users at the same time. Both Bravos come equipped with a 250 GB hard drive able to record one million hours of audio content.
As with all Bravos, each zone in the Bravo 16 and Bravo 20 offer independent control of each server’s built-in preamp and digital matrix switcher via built-in TV, infrared, web browser, wireless Pocket PC, or PC desktop interfaces. Multiple zones can be linked and synchronized via Meda’s patent-pending MZSync technology, a key element of Meda’s DEOS Digital Entertainment Operating System.
The new ultra-compact Bravado1 and Bravado Music Servers are only 3 inches tall and 11 inches deep, allowing them to fit into the tightest of rack spaces, or even ventilated in-wall installations like structured wiring cabinets. Bravado is an ultra-compact version of Bravo designed for small spaces such as structured wiring applications, and shares most Bravo features.
Bravo Essentials
All Bravo Music Servers use fast, quiet, massive internal hard drives and a home’s own network to record, store, and play back digital audio content as entertainment-on-demand through multi-room audio or audio/video systems. The Bravo Server replaces the user’s CD player and holds an entire music collection of tens of thousands of songs. It can be operated from any of a multitude of visual or tactile control devices, including universal remotes, TVs, PDAs, wireless Pocket PCs, computer browsers, Web pads, and in-wall keypads.
A unique built-in matrix switcher in each Bravo Server routes audio from multiple hard-drive, network, line level and CD sources to multiple analog and/or digital outputs. It can direct any content from any source to any zone or combination of zones simultaneously, while other sources continue to play in other zones. MZSync technology keeps each zone in perfect audio sync with other zones throughout the house.
Each server includes a powerful digital preamplifier with a whole-house master volume and mute control; per-zone volume, mute and source-selection controls; and 10-band equalization for each source. The built-in CD player boasts a high-speed engine that provides fast rip speeds for uncompressed WAV- and MP3-formatted audio. Internet and local database search engines can quickly find Genre, Artist, Album, Track names, Play lists, album cover art information, and Internet radio stations.
Bravo Servers play the widest variety of music formats, including uncompressed, WAV, lossless FLAC, MP3, standard WMA, OGG, and industry-standard M3U multi-song play lists. The built-in Media Manager allows users to browse, search and select music tracks by Artist, Album, Track, Genre, File Name, Playlist and Key Word. Listeners can also create and edit an unlimited number of their own playlists.
Bravo Servers provide users with the powerful ability to transfer or play music files from other computers on their home’s local network. They can store thousands of CDs on each Bravo’s internal hard drive, add more capacity with optional storage drives, and back up or sync their music collections with other computers, other Bravo Servers, or to an optional internal backup drive.
Each Bravo system includes ready-to-use control software for wireless touch-screen control from a Pocket PC, desktop PC, TV screen, or other computers’ Web browsers. No programming is necessary when using a Bravo Music Server as a stand-alone whole-house music system. Bravo Server set-up is quick and simple and can be performed using a TV, a laptop or any Web browser. No PC is required for operation.
The Bravo 16 and Bravo 20 Music Servers, and Bravado 1 and Bravado 4 Music Servers, will be available in October. They were seen with Meda’s other outstanding products in Booth 2056, Indiana Convention Center, during CEDIA EXPO.