In a report from Research and Markets, entitled Entertainment Networks & High-end Media Servers, the development of the domestic market for such devices is discussed.
Bill Ablondi, director of home systems for market analyst Parks Associates, which conducted the research, says: "Media servers have become a must-have component in high-end entertainment systems, exemplifying the mass migration from the analogue to the digital world."
Driving forces behind this include the wider availability of high-speed broadband internet access, mass storage devices and wireless in-home networks.
High-quality audio connectors could grow in popularity as a result, with Mr Ablondi forecasting a trend towards fully fledged IP-based audiovisual distribution networks in the home.
Parks Associates specialises in home systems, wireless connectivity, consumer electronics and services relating to broadband and to the internet and digital entertainment in general.
