Up on stage during Sony's gala press conference Wednesday night was a dark, rectangular column. The front projectors and Blu-ray players got the bulk of the run during the presentation, but the HES-V1000 Home ENtertainment Server is no less fascinating.

The unit has a 200-disc Blu-ray Disc/CD/DVD changer and a 500GB hard-drive that can be used to store and access a wide variety of digital media. It is also Sony's first non-computer device to include a Blu-ray Disc burner. Like so many Sony components it used the cross media bar user interface (a la PS3) and it has avariety of features for managing and accessing your various forms of digital media, whether it be photos, home movies or music. It can also stream digital media via Wi-Fi throughout your house, and features an HDMI output.

The HES-V1000 will be available in October for $3,500.