So what is an entertainment PC? A typical entertainment PC looks like a regular computer. But its high-end audio and video components, connectivity ports to streamline internet, audio and video, gaming and voice are what set it apart.
Earlier, a Media Center PC cost about $1,500 (about Dh5,509), partly because initiators Microsoft insisted computer makers use pricey, high-end components in PCs bearing the name. With relaxed requirements, prices have fallen, causing sales to skyrocket.
These 'specialty' entertainment PCs today top regular PCs in popularity. Though Media Center PCs didn't make a mark when they made their debut in 2002, they now make up about 59 per cent of the US retail PC market, according to Current Analysis. And sales are fast accelerating; the real reason could well lie in new avenues that have opened up for the true entertainment seeker.
For instance, in 2002, Apple's iTunes music store was not available to Windows PC users, while video sites such as YouTube and Google Video didn't exist. Now the internet is inundated with video content, and whether it's Desperate Housewives or Lost, they are all downloadable for minimal payments or subscriptions. And that could well be the unique selling point that will turn computer shoppers toward entertainment PCs.
Entertainment PCs can be equipped with TV tuners, so they can receive cable, satellite or antenna TV broadcasts, as consumer preferences are slowly but surely shifting away from using them merely for managing digital music and photos. And with that comes PC-compatible TV sets and wireless networking gear. Of course, the obstacles to overcome before digital entertainment becomes the norm are many.
For instance, it takes an amazing amount of time to download a single DVD-quality video programme over a typical hi-speed home internet connection, and the huge file size can overwhelm even the most powerful computers in the market. Most video websites avoid this problem by lowering quality, which is why online video often looks grainy. Furthermore, internet servers aren't designed for constant, huge data transfers.
The PC-centric Media Center is now well on its way to becoming an integral part of today's digital home, as it encompasses home automation and provides a secure, safe repository for your media files including home movies and pictures. Today the Media Center PC is largely driven by Microsoft and some key partners, most notably Intel and HP.
Of the Media Center PCs, the HP in many ways comes closest to the ideal, as it has eliminated some of the more annoying PC behaviours, such as virus checker warnings popping up in the middle of watching a movie. In addition, Microsoft, pioneer in the segment, recently released a Media Center keyboard that vastly improved upon the Media Center experience. Intel recently launched its Viiv platform, initially with Microsoft, the company's next big move into users homes.
Viiv Technology allows users to access a wide variety of global, on-demand entertainment services from companies such as Movielink, Yahoo MusicMatch, DISCover and Adobe. Users can record, pause and rewind live TV, and network to the living room, turning it into a home theatre with support for up to 7.1 channel surround sound.
Profound impact
The promise of digital television (DTV) broadcast, in particular, will have a significant impact on the evolution of home entertainment networks. Sure, whether high definition TV (HDTV) will prevail over standard definition TV (SDTV) or not, 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 the digital set-top box (STB), which will not only decode digital transmissions but will also have the capability to handle applications including broadband internet access, video on demand and IP telephony.
So what does the future hold? Without doubt, a series of devices working seamlessly, and content flowing in easily and consistently, so users can have a Netflix-like experience and access the programming they want.
And with the concepts come the extras; such as the Z800 3D Visor, from eMagin. This eight-ounce visor is a personal display system that sits on your head like a pair of glasses. Two microdisplays made of organic light-emitting diodes produce 3-D stereovision and a 360-degree gyroscopic head tracker that places viewers in the middle of the action. The visor's 2.8 million pixels image resolution, which gives the effect of watching a film on a 105-inch screen at 12 feet, is just what the doctor ordered for gamers, designers and cinephiles.
It's yet another plus for the home entertainment PC.
