THE CONNECTED HOME

A revolution is starting to hit homes across the globe, and is set to enhance our lives, making them more comfortable and simpler. How? By making you the center of the technology in your home, as devices seamlessly communicate to meet your every need. This concept, which Philips calls the Connected Home, is now becoming reality, with the first products already available.

Imagine, for example, sitting at home, watching a tense high-action film, when you begin to feel hungry. You want to make something to eat, but you don't want to miss any of the action. No problem. As you head to the fridge, the film automatically starts to be shown on a display in the kitchen, so you don't miss anything. This is the future in the Connected Home.

The Connected Home is made up of a broadband Internet connection to the outside world and two or more devices connected together through a wired or wireless home network. The always-on broadband link allows devices around your home to communicate with each other, so that content can flow wirelessly from one appliance to another.

It may sound complex, but it's not and that's the whole point. The technology does all the work, communicating seamlessly through broadband connections. All you notice is that your devices react instantly to your needs as you move around your home.

What's more, experts are predicting that in five to 10 years' time most homes will be equipped with broadband as a standard utility – just like gas or electricity - bringing the Connected Home that much nearer.

Philips is rolling out its Connected Home concept step by step to make it easy to acquire and understand. One product already on the market is the Streamium MC-i250 Audio System. It's a broadband Internet system, which allows you to play tracks from vast online music databases, as well as your own CDs. And it's wireless and portable too.

Or take iPronto – our intelligent remote control. Thanks to always-on Internet access, the iPronto allows you to access email and Internet content anywhere in your home, as well as controlling audio-visual appliances, lighting and air conditioning.

Philips isn't the only company talking about the connected home concept. But what makes us unique is our competencies in display, storage, connectivity and digital video processing – all the building blocks in the Connected Home. We have all the knowledge and technology in-house necessary to make the Connected Home a reality. We are also working in close partnership with content providers to make the best use of broadband technology.

What of the future? We predict that in future devices will not only interact with one another, but also react to and anticipate our needs. Take our Ambient Lighting concept, something we're working on right now. It's a lighting system that interacts with a home display to enhance, for example, a film by showing atmospheric, multi-colored light. Other devices will be able to pick up on your personal preferences, making suggestions of content you may like to see or hear and ensuring your home runs just as you want it to.

The Connected Home is the first step on the way to better living. Are you ready to move in? more features

Also read: 'Ambient Intelligence'
Source: www.philips.com

July 1, 2004