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The changing face of consumer electronics

The transition from an analog world to a digital one is being cemented by the lifestyle of millions thirsting for digital entertainment, says Yogesh Kamat.

Today, about 30 million households are surfing at high speed, and over 130 million are expected to do so by the end of 2007. Mankind has been perfectly in sync with the digital world. The digital consumer has made a smooth transition from electricity, energy and the phonograph to television, transistor, pager and VCR. Today he finds himself amid personal computers, digital cameras, cell phones, camcorders, portable screens, home theatres and other consumer electronics. The digital consumer has a big appetite for consumer electronics which is cemented by the endless list of gizmos and gadgets that flood his world. Undoubtedly, there has been a transition from an analog world to a digital world, and this is cemented by the lifestyle of consumers thirsty for digital entertainment.

The explosion of digital entertainment could not have come at a better time as millions of consumers want to create and maintain personal media libraries of music, movies, digital photographs and family videos. They are connected to the Internet, constantly surfing, exploring, downloading and discovering. Add to this their enthusiasm for wanting to share these goodies with families and friends all around the world. To satisfy this increasing demand, users will need a central location to store, access and back up their personal data and media content. Hard disk drives are being considered as a solution to this.

The emergence of consumer electronic devices such as DVRs/PVRs with high-capacity hard disk drives is intended to bend conventional use as they will transform the way people watch television or listen to music. With the hard disk storage base, new consumer electronic devices are redefining the boundaries of digital content. They can now store up to 300 hours of video. The consumer could simultaneously record, pause, rewind, fast forward or play back programmes, providing more control over the TV. Apart from these, other devices such as PVRs, DVD players, recorders, video game consoles, portable digital audio players, digital audio juke boxes, slot machines and karaoke players will benefit from increased storage making them the ultimate digital consumer’s delight.

Digital consumers want seamless connectivity to their content anytime, anywhere on any connected device, and regardless of what wireless interface, media file, standard or specification is used. They have begun to understand how the presence of high-capacity storage can infinitely enhance the quality of their entertainment. This realisation will inevitably increase worldwide demand for consumer electronic products that integrate hard disk drive-based storage.

Digital content is growing at a near exponential rate, and therefore there is a need for high-capacity storage to store one’s favourite music and television programmes. Television presents a huge potential for increased storage space as it promises consumers more channels, better quality performance and images, ability to record and pause live programmes, and so on. The increased storage trend will mould television programming to suit consumer needs. There will be no more missing a crucial moment in a match or an intense moment in a movie while answering the doorbell or tackling an overactive phone. Recording more than one programme while playing another is a dream come true for the viewer as he can look forward to enjoying the luxury of a personalised TV channel.

In the future, devices such as PDAs/handhelds, portable A/V players, digital camcorders and mobile phones will either converge or become inter-operable to create the perfect personalised digital experience. The annual consumer electronics show where gadget lovers meet every year to see the latest devices and future concepts has already witnessed the theme of convergence. The traditional PC, Super Audio CD, and DVD audio are being overshadowed by devices such as DVD-RAM/CD-RW, glossy Internet appliances, new MP3 devices and web-enabled cell phones.

High-capacity storage in consumer electronics has defined the current lifestyle trend of the Indian consumer. According to In-Stat/MDR, home networking with entertainment network connections is expected to double from 2003 to 2004 and reach 22 million by 2005. In the next few years we might just see hard disk storage play an invaluable role in various consumer electronic gadgets varying from personal media devices to wearable memory assistance devices to navigational devices.

The Indian consumer can now get ready to wave goodbye to boredom—and get set to experience digital entertainment at its best.

The author is Country Manager, Indian Subcontinent, Maxtor. He can be reached at yogi@maxtor.com