Upselling the Connected Home

Jun 12, 2008 12:00 PM, By Paul Thurrott

HP MediaSmart Server

HD digital video recording

Although most consumers are probably familiar by now with TiVo and the other kinds of digital video recording (DVR) technology available through hard-drive based set-top boxes from cable companies, there are more sophisticated and powerful solutions available even for those not able to afford an ultra high-end, professionally installed home theater setup. The most potent of these do-it-yourself options is a computer system called a Media Center PC, running Windows Vista and Microsoft’s Media Center software. This software lets you record and watch live TV, including HDTV, if you have a CableCard-based system, just like TiVo. But it doesn’t come with a monthly fee, and is in fact more sophisticated than the options that do.

Media Center stands apart from the competition, ultimately, because of its cost and capability. The up-front costs are higher: A quality Media Center PC can set consumers back $2,000 to $3,000, compared with $300 to $600 for an HD-enabled TiVo. But Media Center PCs are almost infinitely expandable and provide a much nicer interface for enjoying such things as photo slide shows, digital music, or movies rented or downloaded from a host of online video services. And because a Media Center PC is, in fact, a PC, it can integrate more easily with the other PCs on your home network. So, if you have a library of digital music on a kid's PC and a collection of vacation photos in the home office PC, getting to them via the Media Center PC is a simple affair.

Media Center also offers access to a host of unique and useful services. You can access content from XM Satellite Radio, NPR, Reuters News, Fox Sports, and many others, all while using a remote control from the comfort of your couch. And with Media Center Extenders—inexpensive set-top boxes—you can watch any Media Center content from any TV in the house. Best of all, Microsoft's Xbox 360 video game system works as an Extender.

Home security

Many consumers are seeking ways to install home security systems themselves, and although any number of whole-house solutions are available, a more ad hoc approach is often worthwhile.

Individual Ethernet-attached security cameras can be had for as little as $100, providing an easy way to monitor a newborn child or a new babysitter. And when you’re on vacation this summer, these cameras can provide a way to see that your house is safe no matter where you are in the world, assuming you have Internet access, because many now offer PC software that places live camera images on a website.

Home server

Multi-PC households are a common reality these days, but managing those PCs is exponentially more difficult. Rather than force consumers into IT administrator side careers, you can offer a solution that will automatically manage such things as security updates and backing up critical data, and even entire PCs, all from a central location.

An obvious solution comes to mind. It’s a relatively new product called Windows Home Server, and it is sold with new server hardware from a variety of PC makers such as HP. Home Servers supply centrally located storage, PC backup-and-restore functionality, PC and server health monitoring, remote access, and document- and media-sharing capabilities. And if you’re using a Media Center PC or Xbox 360 game console, these products are all compatible, so you can share media among all these devices and all the PCs in the home. The remote-access functionality lets you access all your data while away from home through a simple web interface. You can even remotely control individual PCs.

Final thoughts

Wiring a home for Ethernet connectivity might seem like an obvious option in a modern connected home. But this functionality is really just an enabler, both for installers and for the people who actually live in the home. If you think beyond the simple act of wiring the home, you’ll start to see some intriguing possibilities emerge. Hopefully, this will be a springboard to further discussions about what’s now possible in the connected home.

Paul Thurrott (thurrott@windowsitpro.com) is the news editor for Windows IT Pro. He writes a weekly editorial for Windows IT Pro Update and a daily Windows news and information newsletter called WinInfo Daily Update.