Digital disconnect

Networking specialists Netgear started branching into multimedia products several years ago as affordable broadband and home networking gear put technologies such as music and video streaming in reach of the masses. Such devices let users access digital audio and video content respectively from anywhere in the home, says Netgear Asia Pacific vice-president Ian McLean.

"I think when the music-streaming MP101 was first introduced in 2004, Netgear believed it was the start of the emergence of the broadband and home networking revolution and that it would expand out. The reality is that whilst there was still a lot of interest its time had not yet come, it’s still a fairly young industry."

After limited success with early AV-enabled products, Netgear is more cautious today and considers channel support important for future success. "This is where the channel comes into it in such a big way because I still believe products such as wireless networking are an involved purchasing decision. The good sellers, retailers and mass merchants still are looking for someone to give them some advice. So for Netgear, we have to get out there and educate them as to how this would fit into a total solution," McLean says. "Right at this point in time it seems the end user is happy to pick up the components they need to make the total solution."

One Australian manufacturer that is having success providing such convergence devices is Zensonic. The company is not an established brand like Netgear, but the Adelaide-based vendor has built the Z500 High Definition Network DVD player, a device that lets users access digital music, video and images on their existing television and stereo, plus it is also a traditional CD and DVD player.

Zensonic deals mostly with specialist IT channels, many online, and is approaching the mainstream channel cautiously, says PCRange chief executive Raaj Menon. "To be honest, I don’t think a lot of the sales people really know what the digital home is, all they’re concerned about is, 'Here’s a big TV, here’s a player, and there you go'.

"That’s basically all the do. Education is missing from retail stores, such as showing consumers the difference between standard and high definition. This is the biggest hindrance to uptake up at moment. When people go out to buy something they need to be sold on it; the problem is, people are not doing a good job in selling it," Menon says.