Re: Media Servers - Sony Cocoon

["Tom Dubourg <thomas.dubourg@xxxxxxx>" <thomas.dubourg@xxxxxxx>]

Interesting article on BBC news website about Sony and their new 
Cocoon device :

Mr Ando showed off Sony's Cocoon, a device about the size of a DVD 
player that hooked up the TV to the internet by broadband. 

The machine runs on Linux and has a hard disc that can record 100 
hours of video. It is already gone on sale in Japan. 

"Cocoon will transform TV into an interactive, intelligent 
experience," said Mr Ando.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/2644589.stm


Tom




--- In ukha_d@xxxxxxx, "Keith Doxey" <ukha@d...> wrote:
> Hi All,
> 
> the subject of the XP Media edition certainly raised a few posts
!!!
> 
> I read the review last night and have been thinking about several 
of the
> points raised in it and also thinking about the requirement that 
others on
> this list have mentioned in the past.
> 
> At first glance it looks very good until you consider some of 
things they
> indicate it should be used for.
> 
> 1. PVR - This is the application that will probably get hammered 
the most
> and as pointed out in the review, despite a hardware encoder and a
meaty PC,
> it still suffered stuttering. Totally unacceptable :-(
> 
> 2. Audio Player - I would say that a substantial proportion of 
those on this
> list already have some form of centralised MP3 distribution system
with a
> central repository of files namely the MP3 Server. Playback methods
vary
> with some people using PC applications like WinAmp, others using 
dedicated
> playback devices such as RIO and SlimMP3 etc, and in my case, my 
web based
> jukebox software that I designed for my individual needs.
> 
> 3. DVD and Video playback - across between 1 & 2 in so much as the
video
> files were obtained from elsewhere such as a ripped DVD as we are 
doing with
> CD to MP3. Playback only needs a suitable Codec and control 
application for
> any decent PC or dedicated playback device.
> 
> 4. Photo album - again easily achieved with a bit of webserver 
software, a
> database to store info, and lots of disk space for storage of the 
photos
> 
> 5. Normal workstation !!!! - well hardly :-(
> The photo on the review shows that the VGA output was blocked off 
so the
> only intended method of connection is S-Video to the TV. This will
not have
> the display resolution to do any serious work and the rest of the 
family
> would be seriously unimpressed if you stole the TV to check your 
email while
> they wanted to watch Eastenders.
> 
> What have we learned from the hardware we already have....
> 
> Tivo - GREAT :-)
> A vast improvement over the VCR because you can watch a recording 
whilst you
> are recording something else. OK, so some of us could do that with
VCR
> because we had more than one machine, but VCR's didnt have the 
superb TV
> guide, the ability to learn what you like and suggest programs to 
record and
> a VCR isnt anywhere near as user freindly. Just try remembering 
which tape
> you recorded something on never mind where on the tape. I know you
could
> make a note of where and when but many of us are not that organised
and TiVo
> takes care of that for us.
> 
> Which is where Tivo's biggest limitation (IMO) comes. It is sold as
a PVR
> (Personal Video Recorder) IT ISNT !!!
> 
> Tivo is a FVR ( Family Video Recorder ). Whilst the suggestions are
superb,
> it learns from everything it shows and records irrespective of WHO
watched
> it. Hands up anyone who wouldnt readily have a Tivo for each member
of the
> family so that it was truly a PERSONAL video recorder.
> 
> If several Tivo machines could be networked together, could learn 
individual
> preferences, and share the TV guide distributing the recording 
tasks amongst
> the machines it wouldbe the untimate recording system. There are 
often time
> when a couple of programs clash but more that 3 clashes are very 
rare
> especially given Tivo's ability to record alternative showings.
> 
> So... what do I want from the convergance of Computers and 
Entertainment.
> 
> Total flexibilty - the ability to watch what I want, listen to my 
music,
> view my photos, email, surf, a bit of work maybe. Thats what the 
reviewed
> machine and software claimed to be able to do. But I want to do it
from
> anywhere in the house and I also want anyone else in the house to
be
> exercising their freedom of choice at the same time.
> 
> What do I need to achieve this.....
> 
> 1. A data network - GOT THAT
> 2. Display devices - I have PC's with monitors and I have TV's.
> 
> The PC's would be used for "proper" PC type tasks such as
email, 
work, and
> surfing where the resolution of a TV is not up to the task and the
task
> itself tends to be a private one rather than a shared experience. 
The whole
> family dont want to see me typing email etc.
> 
> The TV's need a way to convert signals on the data network into a 
picture I
> can watch and audio I can listen to. Several people already have 
their own
> "Set Top Box" based on the Via ITX PC's. I see these as
highly 
suitable for
> that task and they could also be used for games etc where only 
simple
> controls are needed. Obviously some form of IR control would be 
required.
> 
> 3. Source devices  - 1 or more servers for the mass storage of
media.
> Located in node 0 or similar.
>     Live feeds or PVR - dedicated Mini PC with a
TV capture card 
doing the
> recording or streaming. Programs could be buffered on the local 
hard disk
> and shipped off to the central server as processor resources 
allowed to
> avoid stuttering problems .
> 
> 4. Control - isnt that what Home Automation is all about :-)
> Many of us already run a webserver on our own intranets, be it 
Apache, PWS,
> IIS or something smaller and more specific such as HomeVision, 
Homeseer etc.
> 
> With my web based jukebox software, (which also handles video files
as well)
> the webserver is only used for searching the database for the file
to be
> used and telling the client where to find it. It doesnt need to be
on the
> same server so if you want to keep the webserver machine separate 
form the
> file server you can. You can also add additional file servers if 
you need
> the extra storage.
> 
> Great work has already been done with xAP thanks to a dedicated 
band of very
> talented and dedicated people. xAP could be the ideal way to pass 
commands
> to the dedicated Mini PC's that have the sole task of encoding 
video. In a
> household with low recording demands you could have just one 
encoding
> machine, other houses could have 2 or 3. There is also another 
option for
> recording... recording the digital data streams from Freeview or 
incoming
> ADSL feeds. That would have low processor requirements unlike the 
conversion
> of analogue video.
> 
> The biggest stumbling block is the electronic program guide. 
Digiguide is
> good but is a dedicated application that isnt designed to 
relinquish its
> valuable data to an external application. I spent a long time 
devising my
> own TV guide by parsing the HTML files grabbed from ananova and 
just as I
> was ready to deploy it they redisigned their website and totally 
screwed my
> application. I havent had time to do anything else on it since. A 
reliable
> source of TV program data in XML format would give us the 
information we
> need and work could then start on an application to capture and 
predict our
> viewing choices as TiVo already does.
> 
> With the skills of people on this list we can achieve most of the 
above for
> a fraction of the cost of the Microsoft system with the added 
advantage that
> we are free to mix and match operating systems, hardware, and 
functionality
> as we choose.
> 
> Anyway, thats what I would like to see :-)
> 
> No doubt others will have different views!!
> 
> Keith
> 
> www.diyha.co.uk
> www.kat5.tv



http://www.automatedhome.co.uk
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