Media Streamer Platforms Roundup
I’m not sure I agree with Ganesh that the main selling point of a Media Streamer is low power, but there’s no argument that he knows the platforms and ecosytem really well.
The advent of digital downloads and music / movie streaming have made
the HTPC
scene quite popular. While pundits keep on debating the reasons as to
why the HTPC remains a niche market, companies
have recognized that a new market has opened up, namely, that of the
media streamer. While streaming conventionally refers to communication
of the IP
variety, it is customary to include playback of media from local sources
while discussing this market. The selling point of the media streamers
lie in the fact that, unlike HTPCs, they do not consume a lot
of power and they are supposed to work right out of the box. For the
purpose of this article, we will not cover media streamer platforms
which consume more than 50W in detail.