Monday, March 8, 2004
Convergence Hardware in Your Living Room?
Posted by Jason Dunn in "NEWS" @ 03:49 PM
"Along with DVD's increasingly central role in the entertainment network, several trends are emerging this year: hardware that combines two or more functions for greater convenience, and products that aim to unclutter your home theater setup. DVD/VHS recorders in one: Units from GoVideo and LG Electronics that let you record onto VHS tape and DVD (and dub one to the other easily) are here; others--from companies like Panasonic, Philips, and Samsung--should follow. Prices range from $399 to $600."
We've heard about convergence for years, but it's actually starting to come true now - VCR/DVD combos and TV/VCR combos were among the first, but things are starting to get even more interesting now with TV/printer combos, among other things. I've always been somewhat leery of convergence devices, because when one thing breaks down, you lose more than one piece of hardware. However, as in the case of the VCD/DVD combo unit I just bought, the cost for a combined unit isn't outrageous, so losing the unit isn't such a risk. How many of you have converged media devices of some sort?
We've heard about convergence for years, but it's actually starting to come true now - VCR/DVD combos and TV/VCR combos were among the first, but things are starting to get even more interesting now with TV/printer combos, among other things. I've always been somewhat leery of convergence devices, because when one thing breaks down, you lose more than one piece of hardware. However, as in the case of the VCD/DVD combo unit I just bought, the cost for a combined unit isn't outrageous, so losing the unit isn't such a risk. How many of you have converged media devices of some sort?
