If technology companies have their way, homes of the future will no longer have DVD players, audio systems or even TV sets. Instead, home computing and entertainment will come together in a compact box that can be remote controlled from the comfort of an arm chair.
This is a vision of the not-too-distant future as painted by industry leaders at the VIA Technology Forum in Taipei yesterday.
The key to the transition will be smaller fashionable computers that blend into the home environment. "People are tired of big PC boxes," said Chen Wen-chi (
In some ways, the future has already arrived.
"People are using their computers and phones to listen to music, view photographs, watch videos and play computer games," Chen said.
Frances Dougherty, director of Microsoft Corp's Windows eHome division, says the trend is here today: 20 percent of PC users are using their machines to watch DVDs, 32 percent to copy and write audio CDs, 45 percent to edit and manage digital photos and 56 percent to listen to music.
And the numbers only continue to grow. Last year digital cameras outsold traditional cameras for the first time, Dougherty pointed out.
The executive demonstrated how it is possible, using Microsoft software, to eliminate the stacks of electronic devices that crowd our living rooms.
Facing a slim LCD screen, Dougherty relaxed in an easy chair with a remote control unit in hand. He navigated through an on-screen list similar to the Windows XP operating system and selected an audio track. Next he played a DVD, followed by some TV programs and finally switched to view a program he had recorded onto his computer.
But these traditional couch potato activities are not the end of Dougherty's view of the future. He also reviewed photographs his wife had taken, and peeked at video clips taken earlier in the day. This is what Microsoft calls a "media center ecosystem," where users have easy access to many forms of digital content in one place with one machine.
Aided by marketing specialist Ben Boyden, Chen also demonstrated a pre-market sample computer that was constructed with VIA components. This "Hi-Fi PC" has resulted from developments in components that have made them smaller and more powerful.
"People are thinking about real value: how good it looks, how good it sounds. Nobody wants an ugly TV set. Nobody will want an ugly PC in the future," Chen said.
VIA is seeking partnerships to produce the systems that will soon become available at retail outlets.
Boyden said the Hi-Fi PC would retail for around US$500. The unit is expected to go into mass production this month. This includes the mainboard, the chassis and a three-piece speaker system with a built-in amplifier. Users can hook up the Hi-Fi PC with an existing TV, or purchase a slim LCD screen for around US$200 to US$300.
VIA's forum takes place annually in Taipei and is an opportunity for technology companies to come together and discuss developments and cooperative opportunities. This year's event includes 45 firms who are either sponsors of the forum or technology partners of VIA.
The two-day event ends today, and is not open to the public.
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