Media servers, Blu-ray & HD DVD technology to revolutionise music & movies

CEA is sponsoring the Hometech Middle East exhibition in Dubai, scheduled for May 13-15.

Rapid advances in the fields of high definition CDs, DVDs and information storage will soon see us enjoying easily accessible libraries of all our favourite music and movies; films and soundtracks, which will be viewed with outstanding picture and sound quality, relegating our current optical disc collections to a thing of the past.

Christopher Hudson, Chief Operating Officer for Messe Frankfurt, who are hosting the CEA at the region's largest consumer technology trade fair, points to a radical media transformation greater than the DVD revolution that has evolved over the past ten years.

"There's no doubt that we're seeing a steep curve in the progression of home entertainment technology right now, with hard disc media servers becoming increasingly popular and new advances for the CD format waiting in the pipeline. These new systems are much more convenient, much more practical and offer greater enjoyment because of the enhanced quality that they offer."

Media servers are featuring in larger than ever numbers of home entertainment systems across the Middle East. A typical unit with a 9000 GB hard disk has the capacity to store over 1,300 DVDs or 13,500 CDs, allowing instant access to a personal catalogue of music and films. When linked up to a home entertainment set-up that includes more than one television, it means that this library can be viewed on screens in different rooms, displaying the album or movie cover alongside the title selected. "Media servers are certainly the way forward," says Mr. Hudson. "The advantages are numerous when compared to the existing DVD and video systems. There are no worries about storage, no fumbling around to find the right title and the choice of music or film can be made from the comfort of your armchair. These servers offer the customer much more convenience in the way they interact with their media collections and they will feature heavily in the home entertainment systems of the future."

But it's not completely curtains for the ubiquitous shiny disc just yet. A new high definition (HD) DVD system has been developed by Toshiba that breathes new life into the format, offering crystal clear images and studio quality sound resolution. The first generation players are just out and have been eagerly received by reviewers, although the price of the new players remains high in comparison to conventional machines. "When linked up to an HDTV, the new HD DVD machines offer stunning performance and playback quality. Prices may be high at the moment, but they are sure to come down as the format takes off," says Mr. Hudson.

Blu-ray technology is another recent advance that is revitalising DVDs and will see new discs capable of delivering nine hours of HD video. "Blu-ray has been jointly developed by a consortium of the world's leading consumer electronics, personal computer and media manufacturers; including Apple, Dell, Hitachi, Panasonic, Pioneer, Philips and Sony," says Mr. Hudson.

"The format offers more than five times the storage capacity of traditional DVDs and uses a shorter wavelength blue-violet laser instead of the traditional red laser system of the current format - hence the term Blu-ray. The extra capacity combined with the use of advanced video and audio features will offer consumers an unprecedented HD video experience. Seven of the eight major movie studios are supporting this new format and five of these are configuring their releases exclusively as Blu-ray films," he adds. "Back catalogues of movies are being compiled each month, so this format is well supported and is definitely here to stay."

The latest Blu-ray technology, high definition DVD and media server home entertainment systems will be on display at the International CES pavillion at Hometech Middle East - the largest event of its kind in the Middle East for consumer technology, home automation and domestic electrical appliances. The exhibition runs from 13-15 May at the Dubai International Convention and Exhibition Centre and will host over 250 companies exhibiting from 23 countries. It is anticipated that 5,000 visitors will attend over the three days.