Contest Winner cyberManor shows what's possible with this award winning Sunnyvale, CA home.

Microsoft, seeing the potential of their Media Center in a custom install environment, started a contest for the best install that was based around one of their Media Center PC (or, as the case may be, PCs).

As you can imagine, each entry was based on how well they integrated the Media Center, along with the gymnastics sounding "technical merit" and creativity/originality.

This year's winner, announced at the CEDIA Expo in Denver, was cyberManor based in Los Gatos, CA.

“We couldn’t be prouder of this accomplishment,” said Gordon Van Zuiden, president of cyberManor. “Winning the Ultimate Install Contest is a testament to the phenomenal efforts of the cyberManor employees who worked so diligently to make this installation one of the greatest integration projects in our company’s 10-year history.”

"Microsoft is pleased to recognize cyberManor as the 2008 Windows Media Center Ultimate Install Contest winner,” said Kevin Collins, director of the Custom Installer Channel in the Connected TV Business, Entertainment and Devices Division at Microsoft. "Its use of Windows Media Center in this home provided the homeowner with an easy-to-use solution for all of the family’s digital needs and home automation. cyberManor’s incredible work is an excellent example of how high-level integration combined with the Windows Media Center scalable entertainment and automation platform can delight the most discerning customer.”

The Sunnyvale home features the n9 media server and Edge media extenders from Niveus. Adding to the media extender functionality are several Microsoft's own Xbox 360 extenders. The Ice Vault, also from Niveus, physically stores (and plays back) all the family's DVD collection.

For audio, the cyberManor team went with Russound all around. Getting everything to talk to each other was put in the hands of a Life|ware system. This not only controls the home's audio and video, but also the lighting, HVAC, and several cameras on the property.

Lighting is LED and florescent, and there are solar panels on the roof to provide some power generation.