Anyone have any feedback on the VIA! 2 yet?

Like is it available?

Price?

Performance?

Reliability?

Good points?

Bad points?

I appreciate any and all feedback on the VIA! 2 wireless touchpanel.

Thanks,

JJP

Do you mean the Via2 that was supposed to be out like one year ago? The one that still doesn't do everything that Elan has promised (oh yeah that feature will be in Version 2)? There were more questions about this item at the Elan Trio summit and Elan still did not have a definite time-frame. I've used a bunch of Elan stuff and the Via2 has potential, but at some point it has got to be too little/too late. Time for Elan to s%$t or get off the pot......

They are not available yet. I'm sure we'll hear an update at CEDIA. I hope they are going to release them soon. Same for the S12.

At their "Trio" dealer summit in May, they had some early units that had functioning screens but did not control anything.

The server station unit that comes with it looked nice. Ethernet port, IR ports, 4 serial ports and sense/status ports. (think of an Ethernet connected SC4 and SR1 plus some)

The new Via! Tools software will be a nice step up. A real-time clock will be present with time based triggers etc.

Expect to hear more products announced in the Via!2 line at CEDIA.

(putting on flame suite).........I think Elan is highly over rated, over priced, and deliberately esoteric in their protocol

I believe the server station will be available shortly after Cedia. I would assume the S12, D1650, and VIA! Quad will be available too. The engineers keep pushing off the release of the VIA!2 because its still in beta testing. They want to guarantee a bug free product on its first release.
What we do know:
Initially, one server station will be required for each VIA!2. The server station will also function as a standalone without the VIA!2. It is essentially an SC4, SR1, IR router, and clock all in one unit. Its main function though, is to associate the VIA!2 with the VIAnet and LAN.
The VIA!2 will function on 802.11b, and from what i understand, it is Flash based. The initial release will have graphical support for the VIA!dj, using responses from the dj's RS232. The second revision, which is slated for the late Q4, will have streaming video via a new product that will connect through the LAN.
Don't quote me, but i believe the price was stated as being between 3500-4500.
I hope they start shipping soon because i have 3 of them sold already.

Last I heard from our Sales Rep, they were having a hard time getting a good LCD screen for the VIa! 2. Supposedly, that's what the hold was according to him.

Thanks for all the heads up guys.

It is a bit pricey, isn't it?

Guess we'll have to wait and see though.

Thanks again guys.

JJP