Just moments after
ABI Research published a report suggesting that all-in-one PCs and internet TV would invigorate the HTPC market comes something similar from
Forrester Research. Its latest analysis suggests that the growing trend of maintaining files rather than physical discs could give home
media servers a significant boost. Essentially, HTPCs and home storage / networking devices could become
entirely relevant as digital downloads become more common and physical media
fades out. Granted, we're a firm believer that said scenario is still years away from happening, but we don't doubt that this prophecy will be realized in due time. As it stands, only around 400,000 US households posses a home server, suggesting that the market is just barely in its infancy.
Forrester says that figure will grow to 4.5 million by 2012 -- we've got 3.5 years to find out.
posted Jul 24th 2008 12:50PM
Well, I just finished building my Office/powergaming PC this spring. Now I'm at the HTPC doorstep for the livingroom. After HTPC is at its place under the TV, I really urge for that media/file-server for all my CD's, DVD's and Photos.
Still, I like to have a physical copy of my media. I will never have the feeling of ownership with a download, and I'd rather have the original copy of media than a download burned to a physical media.
There's a possibility that digital downloads will overtake tangible media for entertainment content; just look at the sales stats for iTunes. Obviously storage will become a problem and as the article suggests, the home server is the answer. Personally I'd rather buy the physical media so I can rip it to my server and keep the original in a safe place.
DRM of digital downloads hopefully gets more negative attention. I understand the desire to protect IP from piracy, but limiting how one can play something sucks and having to go back to a vendor's server to authorize a playback sucks more. Just take a look at MSN Music Store shutting down; when they shut down their servers they screwed everyone that bought music from there.
I do have a server at home where I store everything, but I don't think I'll be buying any prebuilt storage servers anytime in the next few years. Most manufacturers generally screw something up and inconvenience things vs. me just building something from parts.
So tell me .. the iTunes is a totally miss then? So everyone who buys music there.. MILLIONS AND MILLIONS of people are gonna lose it?
I think it's just raising smoke when there is none. There are kinks to work with the way DRM works.. there are hints now but it will take a bit..but once that's clear there's no stopping. In the meantime rentals will overtake. I don't think anyone will have the need to own any movies anymore since you'll have full libraries of movies at your disposal at any time. That's the whole point of owning a movie to begin with. To be able to watch it when you want.
In the new digital age where optical media is gone, which is already in swing, you will have access to all content at anytime from the convenience of your couch. Simple as that.
For that I don't even need to own the movie since I watch it like 5 times in the disc's lifetime anyways.
Two scenarios:
ONE: Blu-Ray is the movie format of the future -- but you cannot rip it legitimately (and managed copy has been canceled), so why do you need a server?
TWO: Downloads are the future -- you can download and watch any movie, any time, so why do you need a big old server at your house?