Austin, TX — September 10, 2004 — NetStreams, the leader in Networked Audio/Video distribution, announced the highly anticipated launch of its DigiLinX IP-based distributed audio system. This innovative product line is the first IP-based multi-room audio system in the custom market, putting forward capabilities never seen before, plus a rich user experience only available in other systems that require extensive programming today. DigiLinX delivers on the promise of convergence, effectively marrying networking technologies with hi-fidelity audio and later video, marking the introduction of ‘Networked Digital Entertainment’.
“Our new DigiLinX system is the result of years of research and development in the fields of networking, audio/video distribution, and control,” stated Herman Cardenas, founder and chief executive officer of NetStreams. “Today, with the shipment of our first production run products to our dealers marks the beginning of a paradigm shift in the way audio is distributed throughout a home.”
The DigiLinX system, using NetStreams’ IP-based patent pending technology, distributes audio over CAT5e using TCP/IP on an Ethernet network, in a meshed networked architecture. DigiLinX converts audio from a legacy source (Tuner, CD Player, other) in real-time, to uncompressed audio streams, allowing up to 24 bit, studio quality audio to be distributed throughout a home or commercial facility. All devices are network upgradeable. NetStreams’ DigiLinX products are available through AVAD distributors domestically, as well as selected distributors worldwide.
Cardenas added: “Traditionally, distributed audio systems have been hampered by mediocre performance, limited expandability, poor user interfaces and highly specialized programming. Control signals were routed one way, IR signals another, audio and video handled in a myriad of ways, all with expandability limitations. The DigiLinX Audio Distribution System has been designed to overcome these issues and deliver high quality networked audio with ease and versatility throughout a home.”
Among DigiLinX’s most impressive features is its ability to access and distribute metadata from advanced digital audio sources like Request Multimedia’s Audio Request digital media servers. The data is then displayed on the color display of the DigiLinX keypads. Now, a consumer can access any source, from any room, at any time, and if the source provides meta-data, DigiLinX allows the music to be selected by Artist, Album, Song, and Genre, and can also display the ‘cover art’.
The DigiLinX System can also distribute and play both uncompressed (.wav) and compressed audio formats like MP3. Additionally, because all of the processing code is stored in flash memory, updates to allow DigiLinX to support other new digital audio formats will be easily available in the future. DigiLinX does not limit the user interface to its keypads. Each component contains its own IP address and web server that can serve-up rich control pages to third party products such as PDA’s, Web Tablets, Web TVs, or computers, for a new experience in music management.
NetStreams’ DigiLinX family of IP-based products is comprised of the following components (with many more to come):
SpeakerLinX – is a family of IP-based amplifiers with unmatched intelligence. A SpeakerLinX module contains not only an IP-controlled amplifier, but also decodes and plays MP-3, WMA (future), or WAV (uncompressed) audio streams, encodes audio from a local source, and contains a web server for generating rich control from any computing or display device that hosts a web browser. These Class-D amplifiers have a small footprint and are designed to mount on or adjacent to a speaker. By localizing the amplifier right at the speaker, power and damping losses are minimized, yielding impressive clarity and definition typically only heard in expensive audiophile component systems.
MediaLinX – an IP-based product designed to convert (in real-time) analog or digital audio signals from a legacy source (CD player, tuner, other), into TCP/IP 24-bit audio streams and IR control that can than be distributed over a home entertainment network.
TouchLinX – is an elegant IP-based touch-screen keypad featuring a high resolution color LCD, which displays the metadata (artist, album, song, cover art) and transport controls available for each audio source and network amp. TouchLinX’s simple, intuitive design allows users to access their favorite songs, artists, play lists, or stations easily and quickly. Each room can have customized bass, treble, balance and loudness contours.
SwitchLinX – is an IGMP (Internet Group Message Protocol) enabled, multicasting, non-blocking Ethernet switch designed specifically for handling the high demands of networked audio/video distribution products. Additional SwitchLinX modules can be employed to expand the network audio inputs.
PowerLinX – is a rack-mounted power supply that designed to distribute up to 21amps/28 volts of power to multiple DigiLinX devices on a network.
About NetStreams
Headquartered in Austin, Texas, NetStreams provides sophisticated networked audio leading the marketplace in technological innovation. NetStreams is committed to utilizing state-of-the-art human engineering to create home entertainment products that are truly user-friendly and future-compatible. NetStreams is creating the future of home entertainment today.
For additional information on NetStreams and its innovative products, please visit www.netstreams.com.
NetStreams, DigiLinX, SpeakerLinX, MediaLinX, TouchLinX, SwitchLinX, PowerLinX, and AudioLinX are registered trademarks of NetStreams. Burr Brown is a registered trademark of Texas Instruments.
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