Apple's Home Media Server

[briandunning]

I don't know what the rest of you think, but here are my requirements:

http://www.briandunning.com/browse/browse1004.shtml

There's no excuse for this product not being available already.

[hmurchison]

1. Multiple tuners.

Agreed, multiple tuners are essential today.

DVD library.
I should be able to rip all of my DVD's onto the hard disk so I have online access to all of them. This is the only major feature missing from Microsoft's Windows XP Media Center Edition, and they are crying about digital rights management (DRM) and have stated that MCE will never include this feature. Well, other vendors do include it, so there undoubtedly is a solution that Microsoft probably just finds unpalatable.
QUOTE]

Ummm no. I don't think most people want to "jukebox" their movies. I have 63 DVDs but that doesn't mean I want "Shallow Hal" available at a moments notice. My 63 DVDs would likely constitute a half terabyte of HD space. Do I really want to spend that much money? I'd rather just get a DVD Jukebox changer which holds 300 DVD/CD/SACDs and call it a day.

[QUOTE]3. TiVo functionality.

of course

4. A central server.

There's nothing "basic" about a central server. It can be done but it will by default be somewhat tricky to setup in most cases. Technology like Rendezvous would help devices talk to each other talk but wouldn't require the central management that a dedicated server would require.

5. Remotes and set-top boxes for every TV

PDA functionality and HDMI would make me happy. SPDIF for audio I/O and S-Video would be fine. You still need a way to connect the STB to the server though raising costs.

[QUOTE]Single integrated interface.
TiVo and MCE both do a great job at offering a single interface where all available media is accessible, whether you're watching live TV, recorded TV, listening to music, or whatever. The single interface, with a single remote, is key. From one interface, you should be able to access live TV, recorded TV, and your DVD collection.
QUOTE]

Sounds easy in practice but audio requirements have different UI needs over Video or Photos. I'm sure it can be done and that Apple has the chops to do it but I think the real limitation is copyright, and home interfacing. Home Networking still isn't easy or cheap. Audio is making the digital transformation but video is going to take a while. Wifi needs to increase speed and QoS. Nice STB displays that show more information will need to become cheaper as well.

We're almost there but I doubt that it is "truly" as easy as what this article suggests.