HDTV Almanac - Why I Love Networked Devices

[alfredpoor]

I’ve got a couple Internet-connected devices here, including network media player boxes from Roku and Western Digital. They have individual strengths and weaknessess, but both share two features that I really like.
First, they let me access content on the Internet or on my other computers on the network. This gives me a nearly-endless supply of [...]

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[jordanm]

I had a Western Digital Live box and gave me enough trouble that an advanced WD engineer arranged for a refund to me, and told me to look for a Realtek based unit. I found one, the Xtreamer Pro, and it does so much more than the WD TV Live box ever did, including streaming movies and music, and playing more files than the Live box could. It also does all tasks more reliable.

It has been a great box and I heartily recommend it over the Roku or WD TV Live boxes.

[alfredpoor]

Thanks for the suggestion on the network media player, Jordan. I'll be sure to check it out. (But of course, it will have to know how to update itself! <g>)

Alfred

[lrsiii]

I just bought a Denon AVR4311CI receiver, which is networked. The ability to automatically update firmware and directly access internet radio stations is quite nice, but, in addition, Denon has an iPhone app that allows you to control the receiver through WiFi on the phone. This is great for me because my receiver is located behind me and to the side in my listening room, and now I can control it without getting up from my chair. I'm going to set up a Harmony RF remote to acccomplish the same thing, plus it will control all my other stuff, but the Denon iPhone app is great for now.

I've also got 2 networked TVs and a networked Blu-ray player. Yep, this internet stuff is pretty darn cool.

[dsnay]

I just bought a Denon AVR4311CI receiver, which is networked. The ability to automatically update firmware and directly access internet radio stations is quite nice, but, in addition, Denon has an iPhone app that allows you to control the receiver through WiFi on the phone. This is great for me because my receiver is located behind me and to the side in my listening room, and now I can control it without getting up from my chair. I'm going to set up a Harmony RF remote to acccomplish the same thing, plus it will control all my other stuff, but the Denon iPhone app is great for now.

I've also got 2 networked TVs and a networked Blu-ray player. Yep, this internet stuff is pretty darn cool.

You can tell it's getting close the free stuff is starting to disappear. My past experience with the Hollywood folks told me they would not leave relatively current material out there......FREE

[alfredpoor]

The situation as I see it is that the whole game is changing. The marginal cost (the additional cost incurred) for Hollywood to show a TV episode or movie is zero; as long as they have a way to cover their costs, they're free to either charge a lot per viewing to a small audience or almost nothing to an enormous audience. Right now, the Netflix and Hulu (and Hulu Plus) audience is just a blip on the curve of broadcast, cable, and satellite audiences, but the numbers are shifting rapidly. As they shift, these streaming alternatives become more viable. Netflix is currently earning more than $1 billion a year so we're not talking about some ramshackle little business here. Increased revenues will mean more buying power in Hollywood, which is desperate to find ways to replace the revenue lost to decreasing DVD sales and other sources.

So I think it is reasonable to envision a future where streaming video on the Internet could become the main distribution method for episodic (television show) programming and post-theatrical release movie content. And if the numbers are big enough, it could even be paid for with a relatively low-cost flat-rate subscription. Freed from the constraints of having to maintain a physical network (leave that to the cable and phone companies), the subscription might not have to be higher than the $10 or so that you have to pay now for subscription services, especially if you can leverage the advantages of truly personalized, targeted advertising. (Hello, Google?) In any case, I expect that it will be far less than the $100 or more per month that the cable companies charge now.

The Internet does a remarkable job of removing intermediaries, which reduces costs. It also puts the consumer in control, instead of the network, which the consumer tends to prefer. It's a winning combination; we just can't see exactly how it will turn out yet.

Alfred

[ccclvib]

The Internet does a remarkable job of removing intermediaries, which reduces costs. It also puts the consumer in control, instead of the network, which the consumer tends to prefer. It's a winning combination; we just can't see exactly how it will turn out yet.

It's liable to be a long time coming, though. The existing powers (cable, satellite) won't like anything that dilutes their money stream. As they already have (Comcast/NBC), they'll try to position themselves where they still hold the controls. I'd like to see how that turns out: who will be the streaming partner for all of NBC's programming? ...and how much control will Comcast try to retain?

The name of the game is - and always will be - power and ego. It won't always turn out in the consumer's favor, either, but it will be interesting to watch - via some kind of streaming on my TV, most likely.

[jordanm]

Thanks for the suggestion on the network media player, Jordan. I'll be sure to check it out. (But of course, it will have to know how to update itself! <g>)

Alfred

There is a section in the Xtreamer called Internet, now recently renamed Xtreamering. The first choice is check for updates, and if picked, it does. First it asks if you wish to download, and when that's done, it asks for permission to run the update. The last update was a great one, but the unit had to reboot by itself 2X to finish it.

When it did, there were many more streaming options, a new digital radio section, and better ability to see PCs on the network than before.

The first update, months ago, added Dolby TrueHD and DTS-Master soundtracks.