Digital media is electronic media accessed through a computer, digital media player, or streaming device. These devices handle various file formats and can be classified differently by manufacturers. Compatibility and connectivity are important considerations, and common problems include incompatibility issues and unreliable streaming bit rates.
Digital media is electronic media, as opposed to paper media. Digital media accessed by a computer user can be viewed through a browser, hosted on an internal or external hard drive, played through a digital media player, or streamed in an ongoing delivery stream. A digital media streamer, or streaming media player, is a device that plays some or many types of media files. Newer game consoles, such as the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and Nintendo® Wii, can also act as digital media streamers.
A digital media streamer may be capable of streaming a variety of media content, depending on capabilities and licensing. Apple TV, for example, can handle media from iTunes, but won’t play Window Media files, while Windows-oriented streamers might be quite the opposite. Digital media streamers typically handle a variety of file formats, including MPEG1, MPEG2, MPEG4, and AVI video formats; MP3, WAV and AAC audio formats; and JPEG, PNG, and TIFF photo formats. They can also work with a variety of playlist formats.
These devices can be classified differently by manufacturers and retailers. They may be referred to as digital media receivers, live HD media players, theaters or media center extenders. Devices with a more limited range of media will typically have a name that reflects their capability, such as the DVD player, but the media reference can be flagged later.
Product differences include ease of installation, cost, capacity, and download speed. Operating system compatibility and connectivity protocols are two essential considerations when integrating a digital media streamer with an existing computer and wired or wireless local area network (LAN). Some products of this type do not have Wi-Fi and can be adapted to different LAN standards, often 802.11b, 802.11g or 802.11n, or offer a choice.
There are some common problems that can arise when using a digital media streamer. These include unreliable streaming bit rates, incompatibility issues, licensing and media rental restrictions, menus that are too simple or too complex, and no built-in DVD player or lack of Wi-Fi support.
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