Structured Media(tm) Box Debuts from Leviton

The company's new Media Versatile(tm) Panel gives custom installers and system integrators a professional edge in residential structured cabling.

Las Vegas, Nevada, January 1999. As the business of home entertainment and communications becomes more sophisticated and complex, the emphasis is on systems. And one of the most formidable challenges facing the designers and installers of these systems is organizing and managing all the associated componentry and cabling. To make their job easier, Leviton is introducing a basic but essential system building block: the Media Versatile(tm) Panel.

The Media Versatile Panel's availability is planned for the first quarter of 1999, and will be on display at the Leviton Corporate exhibit (booth 5965 LVCC) from January 7-10th during the winter Consumer Electronics Show. While pricing was being finalized at press time, the planned manufacturer's suggested retail price (MSRP) for the MV Panel is $134.00.

Notes Pete Newman, Marketing Director for Leviton Telcom, "Because this product will be very competitively priced to the trade, custom installers can configure an entry-level signal distribution system starting under $150.00. And because the MV Panel is an open-architecture solution, it can house the distribution components for a greatly expanded system or systems as the end-user upgrades their home or office."

"We wanted to distinguish this product from the typical home offering," adds Tim Langfitt, Leviton's Vice President of Product Development, "And we had considerable involvement from the data-comm field to draw upon. The Media Versatile Panel is built to the higher standards of that industry, where protecting system connectivity and distribution components is of paramount importance. It's not designed for every homeowner-just for the ones who are serious about protecting their investment in a home theater, home office and automation system."

Bucking the trend toward "all-or-nothing" pre-loaded enclosures, the Leviton Media Versatile Panel is intended for system design and installation professionals whose services include custom-configuration. The MV Panel's more than 1,600 cubic inches of installation space can accommodate the entire complement of voice, data, audio/video, automation and network distribution components that a typical home office, home theater and automation-equipped household or small business might require. For expanded or combined systems, multiple Media Versatile Panels may be stacked. The Panel easily installs on a wall or between standard studs, and optional mounting brackets accommodate off-center construction and special mounting situations.

The plywood back, derived from the commercial data-comm standard, is an ideal mounting platform for voice and data modules, punch-down termination blocks and video distribution components. The Media Versatile Panel's professional credentials continue with a cold-rolled steel frame, professional black powder-coated finish and securable, tamper-resistant heavy-duty cover. Six knock-outs provide entry and egress for conduit-run cables, and two oval cut-outs accommodate existing cable bundles in retrofits and remodels.

The knock-outs feature an innovation from Leviton's optical fiber boxes: a unique self-healing foam that re-seals around the cables, keeping out dust and dirt. "That's another example of a professional-level product's application in high-end residential design," notes Tim Langfitt. "In optical fiber installation, protecting delicate hub components from damage and contamination is absolutely essential. In home installation, the Media Versatile Panel provides a welcome professional touch in high-end system integration."

Since its inception in 1906 at the dawn of the electrical age the name Leviton has become synonymous with quality and safety in electrical connectivity. Today, Leviton stands as one of the world's most extensive and diversified electrical manufacturers, operating some 22 facilities around the globe dedicated to engineering, producing and improving over 25,000 separate products for every conceivable need. Leviton products are present in the most famous buildings in America--and in any major American city lit-up at night, chances are 9 out of every 10 of those lights are connected to a Leviton device somewhere. An ISO-9000 certified manufacturer, Leviton is a company that is dedicated and equipped to providing its customers with the best level of service and technical support in the industry.

Structured Media(tm) and Media Versatile(tm) are trademarks of Leviton Manufacturing.

Leviton Expands Decora(R) Multimedia Line

Additional colors and capacities in Decora-style multimedia connector housings allow greater consolidation of services, and compatibility with other Leviton Decora electrical wiring devices. The result: greater flexibility for the whole-house wiring solution sought by today's architects, interior designers, builders, installers and end-users.

Leviton Telcom. Bothell, WA. April 1999. The installation of audio/video, voice/data, home automation and lighting control systems is on the rise, requiring wall outlets to handle a greater variety and number of wiring connections. At the same time, architects, interior designers, builders, installers and end-users seek an integrated solution that supports a multitude of wiring services without sacrificing performance, flexibility or style.

"Let's take a typical situation, where a homeowner wants to plug in a computer with Internet access, a fax, and one or two phone lines. Already, you need at least a four-port wallplate," explains Pete Newman, Director of Sales and Marketing, Leviton Telcom. "And for each application throughout a home, whether you need just one connection or a multitude-the homeowner wants all the wallplates and switches to match. In new higher-end homes where structured pre-wiring is more likely to be installed, the specification tends to call out decorator style wallplates."

To meet demand for a multi-port device in a decorator-style configuration, Leviton Telcom has expanded its line of QuickPort Decora Wallplate Inserts. Joining the original 2-port version are inserts with 3, 4 and 6 ports for snap-in connectors. As a result, multiple connectors for voice, data, video and audio wiring can be consolidated more effectively under one Decora wallplate, or combined with other Leviton Decora electrical devices in a smaller wallplate than previously achievable. With availability in Ivory, White and the popular new Almond color, these new wallplate inserts provide more ways to achieve a fully-matched, whole-house Decora solution for multimedia wiring applications.

This solution combines the assets of two popular Leviton brands. The performance and flexibility hark back to QuickPort® field-configurable voice/data housings and snap-in modules, which were developed to support commercial-grade network applications with high-bandwidth requirements and frequent adds, moves and changes. The designer style comes from Leviton's renowned line of Decora® electrical rocker switches and electrical devices--the first choice for architects, interior designers, contractors, installers, and aesthetically-minded homeowners.

The inserts can be installed anywhere multimedia performance is needed and the Decora look is specified. Built upon the standard footprint of a single-gang Decora wiring device, QuickPort Decora Wallplate Inserts fit standard NEMA openings, and are compatible with all single- or multi-gang Decora Wallplates and Leviton Sectional Wallplates. They may be installed in combination with any other Leviton Decora device, such as switches, receptacles, and volume controls.

These modular devices can be configured to support any room's connectivity requirement with a combination of QuickPort snap-in modules for voice, data, audio and video applications. From full-scale office setups and printer or computer networking, to entertainment centers, Internet, phone, and audio speaker connections, these versatile devices can be configured to meet virtually any wiring specification required in homes and offices today.

"Already between 5 and 10% of all new homes are putting in structured media systems," notes Mike Shatzkin, Leviton's Residential Market Manager. "But homeowners do not want to look at mismatched wallplates or a proliferation of wallplates. They want their living spaces to offer the latest connectivity for home office, home theater, entertainment and computer networking, with as little visual interruption as possible." The new capacities in Decora multimedia give today's home builders and owners more options than ever to combine all their wiring services under one wallplate, and retain a true Decora installation throughout every room.

"Decora wiring devices have been preferred by high-end home designers, builders, and style-conscious consumers ever since they were introduced by Leviton over 40 years ago," says Karl Trimmer, Residential Product Manager. "Over the years, many new components have been added to keep pace with market demand for additional wiring system capability and convenience, while retaining the popular Decora look. Leviton invented that look, and only Leviton can offer true Decora products-and with this recent line expansion, Leviton brings the latest in structured wiring capability to the residential market. Today, Leviton offers the largest whole-house Decora wiring solution available from a single manufacturer."

QuickPort Decora Wallplate Inserts are available May 15, 1999 through select retail and distribution channels. For more information, contact Leviton Telcom at 1-800-922-6229, or visit our web site at www.levitontelcom.com http://www.levitontelcom.com.