Media Hubs

For “media”- enthusiasts who sometimes go halfway around the world and struggled endlessly to transforming their profiles to media elites in search of that “perfect” audio and video experience, their troubles are now over and done in the emergence of an ultimate innovation - the Media Hub.  By having these media wonders guarantees pure living room transformation comfort. 

As defined by pcmag.com, a Media Hub is a device that receives multimedia content streamed from a computer to a stereo or home theater system. Residing in the same cabinet as the A/V equipment, it plugs into the A/V inputs of the receiver and connects to the home network via wired or wireless Ethernet. Media hubs may be an optional component within the A/V receiver itself.

It’s an innovation that enables its users to easily gain access, manage and enjoy almost any media form (digital photos, music, TV and video, etc.) all in one set-top device.  And just like your on-line PC, it comes with an electronic program guide, a music information service and an automatic update service that upgrades the device as new services become available in the market.

So varied in use and in function, these new-age product are available worldwide and may already be installed at your favorite gadget.  Some of it according to zdnet.com, are known in the audio, video and computer world as "digital media receiver," "wireless media player," "music hub," "media adapter," "music server," "music hub," "streaming media player," "entertainment gateway," "entertainment router," "network music player," "network media player," "media extender," "Media Center Extender" and "network audio receiver."

To list a few in the market and its features are as follows:

One of the current releases of Mediagate in the digital media receiver realm is the Mediagate MG-350HD. (mediamentalism.com) The Mediagate MG-350HD Media streamer is a box that can sit between your PC and your home entertainment appliance. It enables complete streaming media from your PC to TV or whatever when you want it. And since portability, space and mobility are a thing of the past, this baby naturally comes with Wi-Fi, so your PC doesn’t have to be in the same room as your TV.

It comes complete with a variety of connectors for hooking up to TV s and Hi-Fis, including USB device/host ports, DVI out, S-Video out, digital coaxial out, component-video out, Ethernet, optical out for 5.1 audio, composite-video out, and stereo RCA audio outs (although HDMI is conspicuous by its absence). It also comes with a remote control, which apparently is quite useful for setting the whole thing up.

And just like any media streamer, it supports almost every media format available: MPEG1, MPEG2, MPEG4, WMV9, and XviD for video; MP3, Ogg Vorbis, and WMA for audio; and JPG, BMP, GIF, and PNG for photos.

Another brand of Media Hub as media receiver is the D-link wireless media receiver, DVD and card reader.  Being introduced as the latest addition to its multimedia family of products, the D-Link MediaLounge™ DSM-320RD Wireless Media Player with DVD and Card Reader connects your home entertainment center to an existing network, allowing you to wirelessly stream music, photos and videos from the PC to your television and stereo system.

Because the MediaLounge uses 802.11g wireless technology, it streams media content at a maximum wireless signal rate of up to 54Mbps1. This technology can also stream media content via Ethernet and can integrate seamlessly with existing wired or wireless network. The DSM-320RD is also equipped with a built-in 5-in-1 card reader that provides a convenient way to view and share digital photos, music, and videos stored on a memory card. The same supports popular memory cards, including SD, Memory Stick, MMC, and Compact Flash (Type I and II).

And if one seeks for the best way to acquire, access, share, and play rich and up-to-date media on your mobile device, Nomad has the answer in its Nomad Media Hub (NMH). Satisfaction of all your needs for rich entertainment and information content is ensured. The NMH empowers you to create, share, and personalize your own mobile media channels. Since NMH is multimedia-enabled, it allows multiple channel subscription, customization, playback and support for rich mobile contents such as podcasts, videocasts, image, and text feeds.

NMH also lets you acquire, monitor, and program your favourite online content and 'Hubcast it' directly to your mobile companion, thus keeping you informed and entertained anywhere you go and no matter where you are. Distinctively, NMH includes customizable 'My NOMAD channel manager' and an entire pre-packaged 'Interest Channel Line-up' available on a fully customizable subscription mode.

Described and featured above are some of the numerous uses and types of Media Hubs available for use, further enhancement, mobility and comfort of our lives.  Much so, upgrades and current versions of are accessible either through the internet or provided by the manufacturer depending upon the developed functionality.

Various types of Media Hubs and Media Centers have steadily made a breakthrough on our media system by making our lives easier.  And like the invasion of Zworykin and Farnsworth’s modern television, these new technological leaps will forever stay for the generations to come.