Russound announced plans to develop a new iPod docking component for the company's visionary Collage Powerline Media and Intercom System. The new CPD1 lets users turn their Apple iPod into a powerful, robust and easy-to-navigate multiroom audio source, with metadata display in each zone and no new long wires needed for installation.
The Collage Powerline Media and Intercom system is a powerful, scalable and affordable multiroom solution that works via Internet Protocols (IP) over existing home AC power lines. Unlike other PLC systems that require a hub, the Collage system is not reliant on a central controller. This decentralized design makes Collage a low-cost investment for consumers who want to begin with two or three zones, and allows them to easily expand the system to additional areas in the home at a later date. Since Collage is a distributed system, there is no cost penalty to the end user for installing as few as one or two zones, or as many as 10.
The Russound CPD1 will turn the popular Apple iPod into a true multi-room, multi-source component for the Collage ecosystem, complete with metadata such as title, artist and playlist information in every zone. Content selection is viewable in any room via the intuitive user interface of the Collage keypads, and users can enjoy different musical experiences in different zones of the house. Because Collage is designed to fully maximize the IP backbone created by the system, access to digital content from iPods and online services such as Rhapsody® and RadioTime are simple and convenient for the end user. Thanks to its innovative use of PLC technology, Collage requires no new wiring in the home, and is virtually plug and play for the integrator.
