Escient FireBall DVDM-300

[Chris Gohlke]

<div class='os_post_top_link'><a href='http://www.audioholics.com/productreviews/avhardware/EscientDVDM-300review1.php' target='_blank'>http://www.audioholics.com/productreviews/avhardware/EscientDVDM-300review1.php</a><br /><br /></div><i>"HTPCs have made some headway moving from the den into the living room in recent years. Many who have created their own movie management system understand the difficulties inherent in integrating a functional movie/music management system, much less a user friendly one. Oodles of wires, keyboards, hours organizing and managing the system are all common occurrences. Enter the Escient FireBall DVDM-300. An "all in one"movie and music management/storage solution designed to take the headaches out of the HTPC and create a functional, user friendly environment that EVERYONE in the family can enjoy."</i><br /><br /><img src="http://www.digitalmediathoughts.com/images/Escient_DVDM300_front_lg.jpg" /> <br /><br />Not a bad unit, but for $5,000 I want it to have the ability to rip DVD's to the hard drive and have a big enough hard drive to hold a ton of DVD's. Otherwise the ability for it to hook up to multiple DVD changers such that you can manage 1,200 DVD's is pretty awesome. Question though, with the support for changers in MCE, is there a need for a more expensive product like this?

[Felix Torres]

Question though, with the support for changers in MCE, is there a need for a more expensive product like this?

Probably.
Do consider the target audience.
The non-tech upscale doctor/lawyer/business type that simply want to write a check, have an installer come in, and pick-up the remote. Professional athletes. Movie stars and other rich luddites.

This kind of product sells through soup-to-nuts specialty boutiques that will likely sell it in a $20-30K package with the three DVD changers and a $10K Sony Bravia or $20K Sharp 65" flat panel.
Much like the upscale lossless-format audio store guys, this is a low-volume high-margin operation for the no-excuses crowd and moving downscale to a commodity system like an HP MCE to save a couple thousand bucks would be seen as tres-declassee. ;-)