The digital home comes of age

The connected, digital home is not a new concept. Converged media, connected devices and high-speed connectivity for home users has been around for a while, but now the support from a technological perspective is focused on the digital home. Also, acquiring the necessary hardware for Internet connectivity, gaming, networking and digital media is more affordable than ever.

Whereas previously the digital home was only practically attainable by the rich, broadband Internet, wireless networking and media streaming are now available at significantly reduced prices. Vendors have embraced the digital home concept and identified the demand in the market for solutions in the space.

Part of the driving force behind the digital home is the sheer volume of digital media owned by modern computer users. Digital cameras, portable media players and the like have bred a market where music is no longer kept on CD nor photos in physical albums - both are now contained on hard disk drives alongside videos and games. Shelf space is out and storage space is in. And with everything in digital format, sharing is now quicker, easier and more desirable than ever.

Convergence is also bringing all devices online. Mobile computers, voice over IP handsets, gaming consoles and even fridges are all being made Internet-ready. The modern home contains multiple networkable devices and, as such, requires the infrastructure to provide connectivity to virtually ever room in the house.

Operating systems and application vendors are also getting in on the game. Microsoft's Media Centre Edition of Windows, for example, makes sharing media throughout the home network easier than ever, including PVR capabilities for recording television and distributing video over the network. Microsoft's next generation of Windows, Vista, will include media centre functionality in certain SKUs of the operating system.

Online gaming is also a significant force in the market. IBM, for example, has recognised the importance of this new phenomenon and is working on technologies to support it. The next-generation gaming consoles in the form of the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and Nintendo Wii are all network-ready and offer online services where gamers meet, compete and socialise online. Having a next-generation gaming console accelerates the need for low-latency broadband connections to the home. These devices are also becoming media centres in their own right, enabling content creation, storage and sharing.

Online media services where games, videos and music can be obtained online are further driving the demand for cheaper broadband for home users, alongside online gaming and general Internet usage.

Part of the driving force behind the digital home is the sheer volume of digital media owned by modern computer users.

Andy Robb, Duxbury Networking's chief technologist and technical advisor

These factors have created a higher demand for broadband connectivity and have led to prices steadily declining, especially in SA where Internet connectivity has traditionally been both limited and prohibitively expensive. Now, however, connectivity that takes the digital home to the outside world is readily available at constantly decreasing prices.

Telkom recently announced its 4MBps ADSL offerings and as we draw closer to the introduction of services from the second national operator, a new era of high-speed broadband connectivity is steadily approaching.

Delivery challenges are also set to be solved with the arrival of technologies such as WiMax, which will enable last-mile deployment of broadband services wirelessly, taking connectivity to areas where ADSL can not currently reach.

Current broadband offerings are good enough for online gaming, media acquisition and the sending of large files - all musts for digital home users.

The home itself enjoys a range of possibilities for connecting devices and sharing Internet connectivity. Pre-N wireless networking devices offer greater speeds than ever. With the ratification of the 802.11n standard, devices will soon hit the market capable of wireless speeds in the region of 108Mbps. Wireless networking devices are already cheap enough for home users.

New technologies, such as powerline Ethernet adapters, are further pushing the possibilities for home networking. Making use of existing powerline infrastructure within the home, this form of networking offers speeds up to 200Mbps and offers the added benefit of not being obstructed by the likes of brick and mortar walls. It serves as a perfect back-end solution for the home network, which can then be extended wirelessly, bringing connectivity into every room in the house.

With connectivity in place, devices for media streaming and convergence within the home are plentiful. By connecting the television and home entertainment centre, media can then be streamed from home computers and media servers.

Storage devices aimed at home users are also bringing technologies such as network-attached storage, in large capacities, to the home scenario whereas before these were available only to business users given the high costs involved.

As convergence continues to centre delivery over Internet Protocol and encourages the use of digital media, the digital home has come of age. Vendor attention has never been stronger and the market sector can no longer be ignored.