Thanks to relatively fast internet speeds and cheap hard drives, we’ve never had access to so much digital media. Many people’s music collections run to tens, if not hundreds of thousands of songs, and while most methods of downloading TV shows and movies are generally not exactly legal, you can bet that most technologically aware consumers have a healthy library of AVI and MPG files.
However, while the various forms of digital media can all be viewed or played on a PC, few people choose to have a PC located in the living room. Microsoft’s persistent vision of the PC as the centre of your digital living room has generally failed to materialize. Although it’s now easier than ever to connect a flat-screen digital TV to a PC, few of us actually want an ugly, noisy and generally large box in our living rooms.
PCs were never intended as media delivery platforms, and although they now excel at that task, they are generally found in studies and bedrooms. Even if you do have a PC in your lounge, the chances are that it’s tucked away in a corner, probably connected to printers and other peripherals, and nowhere near your TV and surround-sound amp.
