Streamium

Streamium was a Philips Consumer Electronics product brand created around the idea of the connected home. Introduced at the beginning of the 2000s, it placed network connectivity and Internet content access in consumer audio and video equipment at a time when most digital media activity was still centered on the personal computer. Streamium products could connect through a home network, generally using Wi-Fi or Ethernet, to computers and other devices running Universal Plug and Play Audio/Video media-server software. Depending on the model, they could also access Internet radio, music services, photo-sharing services, music videos, movie trailers and other online content without requiring the user to download the material first. The line developed from Philips' early Internet audio work. The FW-i1000, first shipped in 2001, combined a compact audio system, CD changer and AM/FM radio with access to Internet radio through the iM-networks service, then associated with Sonicbox. Philips subsequently used the Streamium name and the slogan “Don't dream it, stream-it” for a widening family of connected products. The range included networked micro hi-fi systems, wireless music receivers, multiroom systems, multimedia adapters, network music players, a connected television and the iPronto wireless touch-screen controller. A central part of the concept was that the device was connected not only to a local network but also to a Philips-operated service infrastructure. The back-end presented a navigation structure for available content providers, while the actual media could be delivered by the relevant external service. Philips also offered web-based account and device management through the Club Philips and my.philips portals. These services could be used to manage favorites, preferences, device settings and, where applicable, subscriptions. Streamium products also supported local media stored on UPnP-enabled computers, personal digital assistants and other network devices. The product architecture reflected Philips' attempt to make network entertainment usable in both “lean-back” and “lean-forward” settings. Basic browsing and playback were handled from the product itself, while more complicated account management and personalization tasks were shifted to a computer-based web interface. Devices commonly incorporated network stacks, UPnP functionality, media decoders, device identification and mechanisms for software updates. Philips Media Manager, derived from the SimpleCenter software line, was bundled with Streamium products as a UPnP media-server application for Windows and Macintosh computers. Streamium also served as a vehicle for Philips technology demonstrations and industry participation. Philips Consumer Electronics worked with UPnP, DLNA-related initiatives and other connected-home projects, demonstrating combinations of home entertainment, home automation, mobile access, RFID, near-field communication, digital rights management, recommendation systems and portable media. These demonstrations extended beyond commercially released products and were used in Philips presentations and Consumer Electronics Show events. Commercially, Streamium anticipated later network audio, streaming-media and connected-home categories, but its market performance was constrained by the immaturity of the ecosystem. Early products did not support some important proprietary media formats, including parts of the Windows Media family. The need for broadband access, compatible media servers, online service availability and a functioning Philips service back end also made the experience more complex than conventional standalone audio equipment. Philips broadened the connected-home concept into “Connected Planet” in 2003, but that initiative was less successful and produced only a limited number of products. Philips ultimately abandoned the Streamium line; the available reference material identifies January 2013 as the point by which the brand had been discontinued. The Fidelio range was subsequently viewed as occupying part of the market space left by Streamium.

Philips Consumer Electronics developed Streamium from its early experiments with Internet-enabled consumer audio. The brand was created in 2000 within Philips' Audio business unit as part of a connected-home strategy. Its premise was that network access should be built into familiar entertainment products, allowing people to listen to Internet radio and digital music from a dedicated appliance rather than using a computer as the primary interface. The FW-i1000, shipped in June 2001, was an important precursor and early commercial expression of this approach. It combined a CD changer and conventional AM/FM radio with network access to Internet radio through the iM-networks service, then known as Sonicbox. Philips demonstrated the system at the January 2001 Consumer Electronics Show and used it to promote a broader vision of Internet access embedded in everyday products. The Streamium name and “Don't dream it, stream-it” slogan were subsequently used for the expanding product family. In 2002 Philips introduced the MCi200 and the iPronto. The MCi200 used Philips' own service infrastructure and web interface, while the iPronto combined Wi-Fi and UPnP capabilities with features such as access to security-camera feeds and an electronic program guide. In 2003 the MCi250 added Wi-Fi and UPnP compliance, and Philips announced wireless multimedia adapters, the MX6000i entertainment system and Streamium-TV. These products extended the brand from Internet audio into photographs, video, movie trailers and broader home-entertainment services. The Streamium architecture connected products to both local and external content. On a home network, devices could discover UPnP-enabled computers, personal digital assistants and other media servers. Online, a Philips back end acted as an intermediary that exposed a directory or navigation tree of content services, while the selected media was delivered from the relevant provider. Depending on the product and market, partners included Internet-radio providers, music services, video and movie-trailer services, and photo-sharing platforms. Club Philips and my.philips provided browser-based management of devices, preferences, favorites and subscriptions. Users could generally perform basic playback and browsing from the appliance while using a computer for more detailed configuration. Philips Media Manager was bundled as a media-server application for Windows and Macintosh computers. It evolved from SimpleCenter and allowed Streamium devices to access local audio, image and video files over the network. The products also incorporated software and hardware provisions for device identification, protected content delivery and firmware updates. Many models used a module based on an NXP TriMedia PNX1300 processor to handle networking, UPnP functions and compressed-media decoding. The Streamium team contributed to Philips demonstrations involving UPnP, DLNA-related work, interoperable digital rights management and connected-home applications. Demonstrations linked entertainment equipment with lighting, Zigbee, mobile and GPRS connections, RFID, NFC, recommendation systems, printing, fitness and well-being scenarios, and portable storage. Some of these concepts were research or showcase projects rather than retail products, but they illustrated the strategic scope Philips attached to the brand. The range continued through the middle and late 2000s. Philips added the SL50i and SLA5500 wireless receivers in 2004, the SLA5520 in 2005, and WAK- and WACS-branded multiroom systems from 2006 onward. Later products such as the SLM5500, SLM5520, NP1100, NP2500 and NP2900 combined network playback with television output, color displays, picture streaming, built-in speakers or access to online music services. The MCI300 and MCI500H added wireless micro hi-fi functionality, with the latter including a large internal hard drive for locally stored music. Despite its technical ambition, Streamium faced significant commercial and ecosystem challenges. Early models lacked support for some important media formats, including elements of Microsoft Windows Media technology. Broadband availability was uneven, service partnerships could change, and the user experience depended on a mixture of Philips infrastructure, third-party providers and compatible local media servers. Philips also had to balance an apparently open system, in which users could add or access selected streams, with a managed service environment and licensing obligations. In 2003 Philips broadened the connected-home program into Connected Planet and attempted to involve additional business units in product development and industrialization. The broader initiative was less successful and generated only a limited number of products. The Streamium brand itself was eventually discontinued. Reference material places Philips' abandonment of the line by January 2013 and suggests that Fidelio filled part of the resulting product and positioning gap. Streamium is therefore best understood as an early Philips connected-entertainment platform that anticipated later network audio, multiroom streaming and smart-home products, even though the original brand did not remain active.

• 2013

  Streamium discontinued

  [1]Streamiumen.wikipedia.org

  Philips had abandoned the Streamium line by January 2013, with Fidelio identified as occupying part of the subsequent connected-audio space.

• 2008

  Late-generation network players launched

  [1]Streamiumen.wikipedia.org

  The NP1100, NP2500, NP2900, MCI300, MCI500H, WACS7500 and WAS6050 represented the line's later network-player and wireless hi-fi products.

• 2007

  WACS7000 and multimedia adapters released

  [1]Streamiumen.wikipedia.org

  Philips introduced the WACS7000 and later the SLM5500 and SLM5520, combining multiroom playback with PC-based media streaming.

• 2006

  Multiroom systems introduced

  [1]Streamiumen.wikipedia.org

  The WAK700 and WAK3300 extended Streamium into wireless multiroom listening and networked music storage.

• 2004

  Wireless receivers and online services expand

  [1]Streamiumen.wikipedia.org

  Philips added the SL50i and introduced further online music, video, movie-trailer and photo-service integrations.

• 2003

  Video and multimedia products added

  [1]Streamiumen.wikipedia.org

  The MCi250, SL300i, SL400i, MX6000i and Streamium-TV broadened the line beyond network audio.

• 2002

  MCi200 and iPronto introduced

  [1]Streamiumen.wikipedia.org

  Philips expanded the platform with a networked audio system and the Wi-Fi-enabled iPronto controller.

• 2001

  FW-i1000 enters the market

  [1]Streamiumen.wikipedia.org

  The FW-i1000 shipped with CD, AM/FM radio and access to Internet radio through the iM-networks service.

• 2000

  Streamium concept created

  [1]Streamiumen.wikipedia.org

  Philips Consumer Electronics' Audio business unit created the Streamium brand around a connected-home entertainment strategy.

A connected-home entertainment brand intended to make Internet media and locally stored digital content accessible through dedicated Philips audio and video products rather than only through a personal computer.

• Internet-enabled mini hi-fi system · 2001

  FW-i1000

  The FW-i1000 was an early Philips Internet audio product and the precursor to the wider Streamium family. It combined a CD changer, AM/FM radio and network access to Internet radio, initially using the iM-networks service associated with Sonicbox. Its significance was less in advanced local networking than in making online audio available through a conventional living-room music system.

• Wireless network music systems · 2002

  MCi200 and MCi250

  The MCi200 introduced Philips' own connected-service infrastructure and a web-based account experience. The MCi250 followed with Wi-Fi and UPnP compliance, enabling access to media stored on compatible computers as well as selected Internet services. Together, the systems represented Philips' core network-audio proposition during the early development of the brand.

• Wireless home-entertainment controller · 2002

  iPronto

  The iPronto was a Wi-Fi-enabled Philips controller associated with the Streamium connected-home strategy. It could interact with networked entertainment and included functions connected with security-camera access and web-based electronic program-guide information. It also served as a demonstration platform for the broader idea of controlling multiple home services through a networked interface.

• Wireless home-entertainment system · 2003

  MX6000i

  The MX6000i combined conventional home entertainment, including a five-disc DVD changer, with Wi-Fi and UPnP access to music, photographs and video. It could also connect to online entertainment services offering music videos, web movies and cinema trailers. The product illustrated Streamium's movement from Internet radio toward a broader connected television and media-center proposition.

• Wireless multiroom music systems · 2007

  WACS7000 and WACS7500

  The WACS systems were Streamium-branded multiroom music platforms. They used a central hard-drive-based unit and wireless stations to let listeners play different music in separate rooms, move music between rooms or synchronize playback throughout the home. Later generations increased storage capacity and added features such as color displays and access to free Internet radio.

• Network music players · 2008

  NP1100, NP2500 and NP2900

  The NP series connected a home audio system, and in the NP2900's case built-in speakers, to music stored on a computer and to Internet radio or online music services. The NP2500 added a color display, picture streaming and Philips' FullSound processing, while the NP2900 used built-in speakers and LivingSound processing to create a wider listening effect.

• Wireless micro hi-fi system · 2008

  MCI500H

  The MCI500H was a wireless micro hi-fi system with a 160 GB hard drive intended to store a large personal music collection. It combined local music storage with network connectivity and formed part of Streamium's later effort to merge traditional hi-fi controls with computer-free access to digital music.

• 2005CES World Tour connected-home demonstrations

  United States · International trade audiences

  Philips presented a large set of connected-home scenarios involving entertainment products, mobile devices, home automation, personalization and other networked services. Professional actors were used to demonstrate everyday use cases to selected audiences.

  Outcome. The event showcased Philips' connected-home vision and research concepts, but many demonstrated scenarios did not become Streamium retail products.

  Source
• 2001Don't dream it, stream-it

  International

  Philips used the slogan to present Streamium as a practical connected-home alternative to computer-centered Internet media. The campaign emphasized one-button access to Internet radio and digital entertainment through household appliances.

  Outcome. The slogan became closely associated with the early Streamium proposition, although the line later faced ecosystem and format-support limitations.

  Source

• 2013

  Abandonment of the Streamium lineStrategy

  Background

  The brand faced challenges associated with changing online services, broadband dependence, media-format compatibility and the complexity of maintaining a connected-product ecosystem.

  Action taken

  Philips discontinued or abandoned the Streamium line by January 2013.

  Aftermath

  Reference material indicates that Philips' Fidelio line filled part of the product space left by Streamium, although no formal discontinuation explanation is provided.

  Source

• 2003

  Broaden the connected-home program into Connected PlanetStrategy

  Background

  Philips sought to move beyond the original Audio-led Streamium program and involve additional business units in connected-product development and industrialization.

  Action taken

  The company broadened the strategic label from Connected Home to Connected Planet and attempted to coordinate development more widely across Philips.

  Aftermath

  The broader Connected Planet effort was less successful and resulted in only a limited number of products, while Streamium continued for several more product generations.

  Source

1. 1Streamiumen.wikipedia.org