Simple Users want: -easy access to their media files in multiple places. eg a Samsung 3d TV in their lounge, a PS3 on an older TV in the games room, a Revue in the bedroom, a Squeezebox under the pergola in the backyard, an Android phone in their pocket. All their files available everywhere they want them. -to make this access as simple as possible eg a common interface to all these random devices from random vendors that they have collected over time
UPnP is currently the answer to the above. Squeezebox is currently a propriety, audio only solution. While very powerful, it doesn't integrate well with other unrelated devices. Design: For all the above you need a server. It makes zero sense for any of the listed clients to be the server. The clients tend to be "hardware" based players. They suffer from numerous issues -they are simplified and not running complex software(most the time simply not capable of running complex software) -they have dedicated tasks which once finished with the user will turn the device off independently of other devices needs -they do not have a lot of spare horsepower because users want low cost devices and low power usage for the purpose bought task -the user doesn't want to buy a "server" every time they purchase a new player. Eg PS3, Samsung TV, Android phone, Revue, Squeezebox, no one wants to buy 5 servers, they want 5 players. The logical answer is the thing that happens right now, it is a PC or NAS server. Solution: -The customer buys one server or uses an existing PC as one. Built for this task. A complex machine running a common OS like Windows, Linux or OSX which is then capable of running 1 of any number of possible UPnP servers. The brain is always going to be the most complex part. -The customer buys whatever players/controllers they like. Built for this task. A simple device capable of very little to keep things simple for day to day use by the user, to keep cost and power use low. Future: -The UPnP server will move to wherever the users media is. The media is currently local for most users. As internet speeds and service providers cater for hosting all the users media, the media and UPnP server will move to the cloud. -Logitech will have good experience with UPnP server technology and will be able to offer hosted UPnP services easily. -Only once this move happens will the local UPnP server not be a core part of the solution. PS: -Logitech can't sell a product as the best thing in the world with a little asterisks saying Logitech can not guarantee the device will work. They cant depend on 3rd party software to support their players. Logitech can't support the customer if there is any bugs in that software. What if that software becomes unavailable or unexpectedly blocks their product. What if that software was to damage a users device after Logitech pointed their users towards that software? It is also commercial suicide to send your customer to another company for things you should have delivered yourself. The other company would be foolish to not just sell a directly competing product with free customer leads given by Logitech themselves. -Logitech need to develop a UPnP server in order to sell devices like the Revue -Logitech need to develop a UPnP server for future products based on UPnP server. -- bits ------------------------------------------------------------------------ bits's Profile: http://forums.slimdevices.com/member.php?userid=13375 View this thread: http://forums.slimdevices.com/showthread.php?t=90063 _______________________________________________ beta mailing list [email protected] http://lists.slimdevices.com/mailman/listinfo/beta
