An ophthalmologist in Texas has created a web page for each of his 11 wristwatches. A mountain dulcimer   enthusiast in California has dedicated a web page to every one of the 15 instruments in his collection. It gets worse—a little girl in Ohio has authored a page for each of her six hamsters.

POWER TRIO
One $1,000 PowerLinX supply provides power for as many as eight DigiLinX devices; three supplies can fit side-by-side in an equipment rack. (Click image to enlarge)

It seems to me that if these obscure items deserve their own web pages, so does every one of the rooms in my home. After all, each one has an entertainment system of some sort. For what the wires running from my DVD player to my surround processor cost, you could buy 10 of those damned hamsters. And the wires will still be functional two years from now—a claim few hamsters can make with confidence.

But a company named NetStreams has now elevated two of my rooms to the same plane as hamsters. Yes, each of the two rooms has its own web page from which I can access my home entertainment options. And I can extend this capability to as many rooms as I wish, simply by adding a tiny amplifier box and a pair of speakers. Why, oh why, you ask, might each room require its own web page?The answer is more plausible than you might expect. The magic of the web page is that any computer can access it. Think about a web-based e-mail service like Hotmail—you can get that from any computer, right? It does not matter if the computer is a desktop PC, a web tablet or a PDA. What, then, if you could control your home entertainment systems from any computer in your home? You would not need a proprietary, complex touchscreen-based control system such as a Crestron or AMX. Nor would you need a separate handheld remote for each room. Any place you could carry a wireless Pocket PC, you could control your home entertainment—and a Pocket PC can, by definition, go anywhere your pockets can go. So as long as you do not try to control your system from the shower, you are good to go.

PATH TO THE FUTURE
“Legacy” devices that do not stream audio over Ethernet require a $1,000 MediaLinX interface, two of which can fit side-by-side in a rack. (Click image to enlarge)

Fortunately, I do not have to type in www.charlescrowleyslaundryroom.com/audio/volume every time I want to turn up the music. All those Internet Protocol (IP) addresses and other such technical stuff are already programmed into NetStreams’ DigiLinX system. What you see on the control screen is actually quite similar to what you might see on the screen of a well-programmed Crestron. At the top are buttons such as “sources” and “rooms” that take you to different control screens. Along the bottom are the controls for whatever source device is playing—perhaps the stop, play and track skip buttons for a CD player. In the middle is a display that tells you what source is playing in what room. Choose a room, and you can select what plays there, set the volume and even play with the bass and treble controls.

If you have a NetStreams-compatible music server connected, you can see the names of albums, artists and music genres stored on your server—and even the CD cover art. Right now, Audio ReQuest servers are compatible, and NetStreams says other server manufacturers are soon to follow.Seeing the cover art from my favorite CDs appear along with all the controls I need to play the music opens a window into the future for me—I suddenly realize that someday, every piece of home electronics gear will work the way these advanced music servers do. Not only can these devices be controlled through a home network, they can also stream their content out across the network. In fact, the NetStreams people refer to any component that cannot stream its content over a network as a “legacy” device. Of course, that derogatory description may seem a bit arrogant, since it fits every DVD player, satellite receiver, VCR and CD player ever made. Yet it also seems correct, especially in light of the fact that any computer is quite happy to stream out audio or video through an Ethernet connection.

NetStreams is kind enough to loan me a gratifyingly large Motion Computing web tablet that I can use as a controller. My personal aesthetic, though, tilts toward built-in home entertainment—flat-panel TVs, in-wall speakers and flush-mount keypads. Given that in-wall computers are scarce, it’s a good thing NetStreams created one for DigiLinX. The TouchLinX screen measures 3.8 inches diagonally, just enough to accommodate the necessary controls. And it has a built-in four-port Ethernet switch so your installer can plug more DigiLinX components in.

In fact, that is the weirdest thing about DigiLinX—all you have to do to expand it is plug more devices into the network. Want sound in a room? Your installer connects a 20-watt-per-channel SpeakerLinX stereo in-wall amplifier into your network and attaches a pair of speakers. Want to connect a CD player or some other source? Add a MediaLinX interface, which sends the sound from that source out onto the network, and also lets you control the device from other rooms. Most multiroom systems are centered around a big box that takes in all the audio and video sources then spits them out to different rooms. But DigiLinX is delightfully decentralized—as long as a device is connected to the network, DigiLinX does not care where it is.Despite all the hype about IP control, this expandability is DigiLinX’s real advantage, at least for now. Unlike every other multiroom audio system I have tried, you do not acquire this one in units of six or eight or 12 zones, or four or six or eight source devices. Nor is it limited to any particular number of zones. Whether it is a three-room system or a 3,000-room system, two sources or 200, your installer simply tacks on as many SpeakerLinX, MediaLinX and TouchLinX modules as you need.

SPEEDY SWITCHING
Only a very fast switch or router can handle DigiLinX’s intense data streams. NetStreams recommends its $1,000 SwitchLinX. (Click image to enlarge)

I expect some lag in control response as the system sends millions of digital data bits through my network. But the controls on the TouchLinX screen and the web tablet respond as quickly as those on any other touchscreen system. Otherwise, the system’s as friendly as … well, a hamster.  The control layout is as intuitive as any I have used.

NetStreams has also worked to  ensure that the sound from each source arrives in every zone at precisely the same time. This synchronization is vital when you are playing music from the server throughout several rooms of you home; without it, you would get an annoying echo effect. Unless you enjoy listening to music in an empty basketball arena, you will appreciate NetStreams’ efforts in this area.DigiLinX does have one significant limitation. It cannot handle video, a capability that even some fairly in-expensive multiroom systems include. However, NetStreams is presently working to add video capability, so you can distribute, say, TV programs from a satellite receiver throughout your home. And adding video will likely mean simply tacking on some extra modules, rather than replacing the entire system. The company also plans to add home automation features, so your web tablets and TouchLinXs can control your lights, heating, air conditioning, etc.

Somehow, I feel as if my two lucky rooms are but the first of millions that will eventually have their own web page—and someday offer their owners completely new possibilities in home entertainment. IP seems certain to do as much for home entertainment as it has for wristwatches, mountain dulcimers and hamsters.

NetStreams: 512.977.9393, netstreams.com