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| EMagazine Volume 4 Issue 5 October 1999 |
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Toys Article - October99 - [HTI Home Page] |
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In order to enable the home entertainment networks of the future certain technology components have a key role to play. Many observers are looking to IEEE 1394 to enable become the premiere bus technology to interconnecting digital technologies, as well as connecting consumer multimedia devices to the PC. |
Navin Sabharwal is an analyst with Allied Business Intelligence, covering residential technologies. His latest report is titled "Digital Set-Top Boxes: World Markets, Architectures and Vendors." Allied Business Intelligence, Inc. is an Oyster Bay, NY-based technology research think-tank specializing in communications and emerging technology markets. |
Entertainment networks in the home have thus far been synonymous with multi-room audio/video (A/V) systems based around a home theater concept. Most of the multi-room A/V systems installed today are "hardwired" with specialized wires and equipment. Radio frequency, phone lines and power lines have not been traditionally been considered viable transmission mediums for carrying the signals because they lacked the necessary bandwidth. For the most, current entertainment networks use unique proprietary approaches to network devices in a somewhat closed system. Not surprising most home entertainment networks are more suited for the high-income consumer or the A/V enthusiast.
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At the moment much of the compelling content that consumers want to access is limited to broadcast television and pre-recorded content. Yet, the Internet and specific service provider content will play a large role in the entertainment networks of the future. To that extent networks will need to be connected to broadband connections and in doing so will be interfaced to data networks in the home (that perform computer networking and Internet sharing). Of course a number of people envisage the PC as becoming an important entertainment platform within itself.
Indeed, PC-TV convergence has been touted for a number of years but it appears that we are finally on the verge of realizing its true potential. The goal should not be to obsolete either the TV set or the PC but to converge on a certain set of applications and if possible leverage each device's strengths. Nevertheless, there are significant question marks over whether consumers really desire this functionality. It should not be forgotten that the TV set is fundamentally a device suited to passive human behavior, while the PC is quite the opposite.
The promise of digital television (DTV) broadcast in particular will have a significant impact on the evolution of home entertainment networks. Though there is some doubt about whether high definition TV (HDTV) will prevail over standard definition TV (SDTV) there is little doubt that digital broadcast via terrestrial, satellite and cable transmission platforms will have a profound effect on the development on entertainment networks. The promise of interactive, enhanced TV will further blur the lines between the PC and TV applications. It will also introduce into the many homes the digital set-top box (STB), which will not only decode digital transmissions, but will have the capability to handle applications including broadband Internet access, video on demand and IP telephony. As these applications are processing and bandwidth intensive the STB will be equipped to perform both media and PC-centric functions.
Since the DTV-ready TV set and the digital STB will not be the only digital devices that will become prevalent in North American homes over the next decade. DVD players and digital video recorders (DVRs) will add the prevalence of digital devices that are suited for networking. The technology convergence to the MPEG-2 format and the use of interfaces such as IEEE 1394 will be a key enabler in networking these devices. Moreover, the home entertainment network will be part of a broader home network that will probably include a data network, and possibly control and voice networks. The PC will be an entertainment platform for some applications and/or an enabler for others. Thus the PC will play a broader and more varied role in the home entertainment networks of tomorrow.
The fundamental problem to distributing entertainment content in the home has been the fact that most existing homes simply do not have the bandwidth and infrastructure in place to do so. However, with the development of phone line and wireless technologies it will become possible for consumers to cost effectively implement such networks.
In the near future low-grade copper wire, traditionally used for voice, is going to become a viable transmission medium for multimedia content. The Home Phoneline Networking Alliance (HomePNA) has recently released its 2.0 specification for 10 Mbps. Soon the existing phone wire should be capable of carrying bandwidth intensive streams including HDTV formatting that requires a transfer rate capability of approximately 20 Mbps.
In addition, there are companies looking to provision home entertainment networks by wireless means. ShareWave for one has been aggressively promoting its proprietary portfolio of wireless technologies for just such a purpose. The Home Radio Frequency Working Group (HomeRF) is also looking at specifying a multimedia standard. Interestingly, Philips Semiconductors is looking at a wireless implementation of IEEE 1394 (FireWire) using proprietary wireless technology from Wi-LAN in Canada. This technology, with a net transfer rate of 24 Mbps, would be positioned to handle bandwidth-intensive multimedia streams.
In order to enable the home entertainment networks of the future certain technology components have a key role to play. Many observers are looking to IEEE 1394 to enable become the premiere bus technology to interconnecting digital technologies, as well as connecting consumer multimedia devices to the PC. While the Universal Serial Bus (USB) will also be an important enabler its role will be more limited to PC-centric data networks that do not require the ability to transmit large amounts of real-time data.
Of course all this is not going to happen without software connectivity solutions. The three most promising technologies in this regard are HAVi, Jini and Universal Plug and Play (UPnP). The HAVi specification is the result of the efforts of a group of major consumer electronic firms such as Sony, Philips, and Panasonic. The goal is to create an interoperable standard for A/V devices so they can be networked. Each device will incorporate "middleware" that contains elements common to all appliances on the network. As currently envisaged, the networking will be accomplished by an IEEE 1394 interface. The communication between devices is based on Java. Both UPnP and Jini are "distributed computing" efforts aimed at allowing a diverse range of devices to be networked with minimum administration.
In summary, there are a number of trends that will increase the functionality, flexibility and nature of home entertainment networks. These trends combined with efforts underway by companies involved in consumer electronics, computing and communications will serve to make home entertainment networks far more prevalent.
Allied Business Intelligence, Inc. is an Oyster Bay, NY-based technology research think-tank specializing in communications and emerging technology markets. ABI publishes strategic research on the broadband, wireless, electronics, automation, energy and transportation industries. Details of these studies can be found at www.alliedworld.com . Or call 516-624-3113 for more info.
