What the future holds for personal media players

With online digital video content swiftly branching out to different viewing channels ranging from mobile handsets to the PC monitor and right onto the living room TV, how does a dedicated traditional Personal Media Player (PMP) compete in a digital video future populated with more and more multifunction devices?

There are several challenges the dedicated PMP will face in the near future. Such challenges may threaten PMP's legitimacy as a standalone product, but it remains to be seen whether any of the threats will actually manifest into full fledge foes.

The first and arguably most threatening challenge is the convergence trend. With convergence looming around every corner and spanning the entire Consumer Electronics (CE) product space, initially it seems only natural that the dedicated PMP functions would eventually reside in a device like a mobile phone/PMP device or a portable video game system that plays back digital audio and video.

However, even with the obvious benefits of a converged product that would theoretically save space and time, Digital Tech Consulting (DTC) believes that it is an overrated idea in the PMP market.

Perhaps less talked about, but more threatening to the traditional standalone PMP market is the proliferation of online video content to the TV. With options like the Netflix/Roku Internet set-top box or AppleTV becoming available, online video content is no longer confined solely to the tiny screen of a PMP, or the desk space where the family PC resides.

Consumers now have a legitimate option of watching true Internet video content on the living room HDTV.