Networked Media Device (Windows Embedded CE 6.0)
1/5/2010
As the price of storage has dropped, consumers have converted more and more of their media library into digital form. For years customers have managed this library with Microsoft Media Player, and more recently the Windows Media Center PC has allowed them to add recorded video, pictures and home movies to that database. As these customers have become more comfortable with digital media, they have found a need to listen to and view that media in other locations in the house where a PC might not be practical or cost effective.
A networked media device (NMD), along with a Microsoft Windows Media Connect (WMC) server, is a solution to this problem. If you have your media stored on a WMC media server (perhaps a Windows Media Center PC), you can still play that media by using an NMD.
An NMD displays the contents of the media server and allows the customer to browse and play that media over a wired or wireless network.
You can customize the functionality of an NMD to support any combination of audio, video, and still pictures. An NMD can be a stand-alone device that only plays back media that it finds on the network, or it can be an integrated component of a device with additional media capabilities, such as a networked DVD player or an IP set-top box.
The NMD solution described here is a WMC client. Connections between an NMD and a desktop computer over the network are managed through the Universal Plug and Play (UPnP) framework that WMC establishes. An NMD that is a WMC client also supports playback of audio, still images, and video content that is protected with Windows Media DRM 10 for network devices.
An OEM can modify the sample that is provided to support other standards (such as Digital Living Network Alliance [DLNA]) and other third-party UPnP media servers.
NMD User Scenarios
The following illustration shows two possible user scenarios.
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In either scenario, the NMD recognizes any WMC media servers that are located on the local wired or wireless network.
The following illustration shows the suggested structure of a networked media device.
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NMD Hybrid Devices
An NMD may be combined with other functionalities to form hybrid devices. The following are some example hybrid devices.
- NMD and a DVD player
These devices play media over the network and also play local media from a DVD
- NMD and a local media player
These devices play media over the network and also play local media from a DVD or local media storage (such as a hard disk and memory cards).
- NMD and DVR
These devices play media over the network and also record media to storage (such as a hard disk).
- NMD and DVR and a DVD recorder
These devices play media over the network and also record media to storage (such as a hard disk). Adding a DVD recorder allows recorded media to be archived to a DVD.