Media Convergence

Posted on by lhl

Yesterday Tom posted three articles on a really rough proposal for an Apple Media Hub. I’m not up for writing anything long (or coherent) right now, so some random thoughts:

  • I see a much more direct link between a media center (playing/organizing digital media) both to acquisition and organizing of personal data and cataloguing of physical media
    • automatic population of a Delicious Library type application based on media usage (might as well catalogue as you play, right?)
    • As the media hub will likely be many people’s first file server, easy and automatic syncing and remote backups would be something I think would be pretty obvious, especially if it’s acting as a gateway as well (automatic encrypted backups of my Quicken files would rock)
  • Watching the finger contortions a non-techy friend put to do what he wanted w/ his PVR and HDTV setup really opened my eyes 1) about how people have taken to the power these new appliances have given them, but also 2) how the interfaces suck
    • Macros, etc: so, nothing that can’t be done with super high-end remote controls, but why not go one up and use a simplified OSD interface, something Automator like
    • Scheduling: and not just limited to media applications — I think agree that home automation is definitely a logical next step

Apple introduced its Mac mini today. It looks great. Add a breakout box w/ a nice VFD (I’d like 2 hdtv tuners, component in/out, toslink, spdif coax, and 6+ channel analog out) and you’d have a perfect base for a true digital hub. Personally, I’m hoping that sooner, rather than later, someone will release a platform w/ the building blocks for betting tapping into the opportunities that convergence could provide.

Addendum: I just spotted an interesting post about the mini and automobile computing – this is a perfect illustration of the kind of potential I see w/ convergence. What’s important to note is that general computing doesn’t go away, but rather gets infused into embedded applications. What used to require embedded toil and custom hardware instead moves towards scripting or even higher level development. Tinkertoys ready for the pro-ams.