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Multiple solutions competing for prize of becoming living room media hub, says ABI Research

May 28, 2008 - A variety of non-PC devices are competing to become the media hub of consumer living rooms, according to a new report from ABI Research, as consumers move beyond basic PC-to-PC networks and start connecting other devices to access and share digital media.

The report, entitled "Media Hub Snapshot: The State of Today's Home Media Hub Market", adds that the growth in non-PC devices on the home network has been "significant", with a recent survey of online US households finding that over 26% had a game console connected to their home network, while 10% had a network storage device and a further 8% had some form of set-top box connected.

“The growth in non-PC devices on the home network continues as consumers look to access digital entertainment and community services being deployed over the Internet,” commented Mike Wolf, Research Director at ABI Research. “The growth in streaming music services such as Rhapsody, the positioning of popular video services such as YouTube for non-PC devices, and a host of other content-related services have created a surge in interest in going beyond the traditional PC-to-PC network... The challenge will be one of finding ways to bring together the pay-TV, IP and home content domains into an interface that is easy for consumers navigate, and to make management of these devices simple and easy to troubleshoot.”

The report adds that PC vendors are not twiddling their thumbs in the face of this competition however - PCTV hybrids have gained significant consumer interest for the living room in Japan, while Media Center PCs with TV tuners have found a place in UK living rooms as an alternative to Freeview set-top boxes.