Whole House Media Server – Enabling New Services while Reducing STB Costs

There are new ways for TV broadcasters to create new services, keep customers, and reduce costs!. Kevin Neely from Arris explained to me at the IBC trade show that whole house media servers can be a platform for new revenue producing services, an important benefit to consumers (their personal media), while reducing the costs of other set top boxes that are used in the home. The TV broadcaster can create services that either run on or through the home media server. The home media server may contain a storage system (hard disk) that allow for customers to store their own media (videos and photos) along with media that may be provided by the TV broadcaster (preloaded movies, commercials, and applications). Other viewing devices within the home (set top boxes on other TVs) can use the media server for services (such as a DVR or to run applications) which allows for the use of low cost receivers instead of expensive set top boxes for other TVs.