OTHER TECH

The DVDM-100 becomes the nucleus of an A/V system. Essentially, it acts as a pass-though; that is, I connected audio and video sources to the DVDM-100, then connected its outputs to my TV and receiver. I also connected the DVDM-100 to a phone line so the internal dial-up modem could contact the Internet. (Alternatively, you can tap into a home network via its Ether net port.) Be aware that the DVDM-100 will not work with free ISP providers, but it does work with AOL, which I used to log onto Escient's Web server.

Most important, I connected the FireBall to a Sony DVP-CX777ES 400-disc megachanger using an RS-232 cable. This let the FireBall see the discs loaded in the Sony. The FireBall can talk to up to three changers, but only certain Sony and Kenwood models are supported.

The DVDM-100 can be controlled via a handheld universal remote similar to the remotes you find with DVD players. But this one is a cut above with blue backlit buttons and a soft, tactile rubbery finish. A cordless, infrared keyboard is also supplied for manually entering track or title information for your CDs and DVDs, but you'll usually just down­load that stuff from Escient's online movie database and Grace­note's CDDB music database.

Once everything was connected, I entered the AOL access information I needed to log on, and the DVDM-100 connected to the Escient server. The FireBall automatically found all the discs in the changer, cataloged them, and displayed information on each title. For playback, I could select what I wanted to watch or listen to by title, genre (you can create your own), song, artist, or even by merely browsing through cover art. Moreover, it was easy to create custom playlists (with up to 200 tracks each) of my favorites.

The excellent thing was that the DVDM-100 assumes complete control. Everything is displayed on your TV through its clear, easy-to-navigate onscreen menu system, and you control the changer through the FireBall remote, so you can put your changer's remote in a drawer. The DVDM-100 also automatically switches its inputs, selecting which­ever changer is being played. This means you can load up the changers, and then lock them in a closet or wherever and not have to mess with them.

Played through the Escient FireBall controller, a DVD of The Pianist looked and sounded just as if it was played directly through a megachanger.

Curious as to whether the DVDM-100 would alter the audio or video signals passing through it, I cued up The Pianist, the powerful recounting of Wladyslaw Szpil­man's ordeal surviving the Nazi occupation of Warsaw, and switched outputs between the changer and the FireBall. Simply put, I couldn't see or hear any difference. For example, the opening scene begins as the beauty of Chopin is violently interrupted by the onset of war. The subtle colors of the radio-station studio, the dust clouds billowing through air, and the weave of the protagonist's suit looked the same whether the signal was passing through or bypassing the DVDM-100. Similarly, there was no difference in sound quality in either the analog or digital pass-throughs. In other words, signal quality depended on the DVD player and the connections used to convey the signal to my system - not the Escient FireBall.

As noted, the DVDM-100 uses the Internet for more than identifying disc titles and displaying associated information. When I hit the iRadio button on the FireBall, a radio menu appeared, showing streaming Internet stations available from Escient's server or other URLs that I entered, though only Windows Media Audio streams are supported. I could browse through the offerings, display information about the selected station, and listen. In practice, iRadio is usable only over a broadband connection, and even then, you can expect some interruptions in its streams. I also used the FireBall to access Escient's OpenGlobe entertainment service, which provides music and movie information, biog­raphies, discographies, reviews, etc. Finally, the DVDM-100 will automatically log on and download software updates and enhancements.

The FireBall will let you manage your entire disc collection, or at least all of the discs you can stuff into three megachangers (more than 1,200 discs). But you can unlock its full potential by connecting it to an Escient E-40 or E-120 hard-disk audio server ($1,999 or $2,999), which can store and stream music as MP3 files. With the DVDM-100, a hard disk's vast music database is as easily accessible as the contents of a megachanger.

The DVDM-100 is another step toward our converged future, when A/V components and local and distant databases are all networked. That sounds complex - and it is - but the beauty of products like this is that they make everything seem simple. The seamless integration of your discs and someone else's catalog that describes them provides terrific convenience and will let you enjoy your collection in new ways. Yes, if you have only one megachanger, you probably don't need a DVDM-100. Frankly, sometime in the future, megachangers will probably be able to call up Gracenote themselves. But in the meantime, if you have several changers and can't remember which of the 1,000 slots has the movie you want to watch or the CD you want to hear, the FireBall is ready to log on and lead you to just the entertainment you're looking for.