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NAD Electronics, the highly regarded manufacturer of high-performance audio/video components, announces its strategic relationship with Control4, a leader in automation for the broad market, to embed control capability in NAD’s line of Modular Design Construction (MDC) AV Receivers and Processors. 

The new CM 200 Automation Module embeds the Control4^® Operating System into the MDC product family enabling each component to function as the core of a Control4^® smart home, controlling not only AV but lighting, climate control, security systems and much more.  NAD will become a Control4 Licensee, and the CM 200 is its first product with Control4^® IQ.

Developed exclusively by NAD, MDC greatly improves product performance, functionality and ease of use, while protecting products against premature obsolescence. It also simplifies product servicing, and enables NAD to more quickly bring to market new “advanced technology” features like the Control4^® Operating System.

MDC places the signal processing sections of select, high-value components on replaceable plug-in modules.  MDC is featured on NAD’s T 785, T 775, T 765 AV Receivers, its T 175 Preamp-Tuner-Processor, and on its Masters Series M15HD Preamplifier. Installers can also upgrade existing models with MDC capability to add new features and functionality. NAD is already shipping four MDC modules — the VM 100, VM 200, AM 100 and AM 200 — that offer enhanced video and audio performance.

The new CM 200 Automation Module Powered with Control4^® IQ adds home automation to the MDC feature list. It simplifies control and enables consumer electronics products to smoothly and easily work together. The module replaces NAD’s standard Component Video Module, which included 3 inputs and 1 output. The CM 200 retains 1 input and 1 output for Component Video and adds 1 Ethernet port, 2 USB ports, 2 infrared inputs, 2 IR outputs, and a ZigBee antenna. This allows integration and control of the entire ecosystem of Control4^® Certified devices.

The high level of integration means the Control4 Operating System will become part of the NAD AV Receivers’ On Screen Display (OSD) system, raising it to a new ease of operation. Users can operate Control4-enabled devices without interrupting favorite shows or movies, or switching inputs. “The tight integration of Control4® technology with NAD’s own Modular Design Construction is a win-win for customers and installers alike,” said Greg Stidsen, NAD Director of Product Planning. “It allows the AV Receiver to become the primary control point for the connected home.”

MDC AV Receivers that include the CM 200 qualify for the Control4 designation, which means the Control4’s core Operating System technology is seamlessly embedded into the receiver, enabling it to also function as a home controller. This allows other consumer electronics and systems in the home to easily work together, which enhances the operation and efficiency of applications such as home theaters, multi-room music, smart lighting, temperature control, and security.

NAD’s CM 200 Automation Module is expected to be available early next year at a price still to be determined.

About Control4^®

As developer of the operating system for the connected home, Control4 brings home automation and control to the broad market. Control4^® technology is at the heart of an expanding ecosystem of leading consumer electronics products designed to work together with ease. Control4 develops and delivers award-winning control software and hardware for virtually any room, home or building from anywhere at any time. Control4 is the affordable, easy to use, and easy to install solution for digital living. From essential energy management to effortless entertainment, from whole-home lighting control to comprehensive security systems, Control4 is the platform for managing all the pieces of today’s connected life.

About NAD

NAD is renowned for its line of audio and video components for custom installation, home theater, and high-fidelity applications. Every NAD component is designed and manufactured for realistic, detailed reproduction. When it comes to performance, NAD focuses on the inside where it counts, and where consumers can hear the results, believing that the real point of home audio equipment is the enjoyment of lifelike, involving sound from music and movies — and that the qualities central to creating this are performance, value, and simplicity.

Tags: - CEDIA 2009 - - NAD Electronics - - Control4 - - Modular Design Construction (MDC) - - CM 200 Automation Module - - -