Simon’s Blog

Apple’s release of a new piece of software, Front Row, has sparked a debate on who will lead the market for what might be called the “Home Media Server”. Will it be Apple, or Microsoft, or someone else? Russell Beattie’s (of Yahoo!) first impressions from seeing Front Row are that Apple are going to win this one. I think it’s too early to tell for sure. However, looking at the key elements of a successful Home Media Server strategy may provide some clues.

So what are the key elements? Let’s take them one by one.

Connectivity

The most important thing a Home Media Server has to do is connect effectively to a Home Media Network. For the visuals, you need to be able to plug the server into your TV or your cinema projector. For the sound, you need to be able to plug the server into your AV system. Bottom line - good Home Media Servers have lots of connectors on the back: HDMI; DVI; Component; VGA; RS232; Dolby 5.1/7.1 etc.

Form Factor

Where will the Home Media Server be sited? Some people might want to put it under their TV or in a rack in the living room. In that case, a form factor like a DVD player or a Hi-Fi component makes the most sense. Others will want the server locked away in another room, connected into a multi-room Home Media/Cinema network. In that case, the same form factor applies. Others still will want their home media server integrated into their TV. In that case, the media server hardware needs to be built into to a large high-definition display (32″ and upwards).

Functionality

What do people want to do with their Home Media Server? They want to: play DVDs; stream music and movies from the hard drive; record TV shows; rip CDs and DVDs to the hard drive; look at their digital photos; and maybe check their e-mail and browse the web on the big screen.

So, a great Home Media Server is not just about software; it’s about hardware too. There are already examples of Windows Media Center boxes that are 80% of the way towards being a really effective Home Media Server (the Elonex Artisan, above, is one example). Apple’s current offering (the new iMac) has very few of the properties you need. My conclusion is that Apple has a long way to go if it wants to compete effectively this market. However, I don’t think it’s so far behind that it couldn’t easily catch up in a future product offering. There are other companies around, such as iMerge, that have strong offerings; but these kind of companies need to find ways to lower their prices if they want to compete.