The media server business is all about features. Does your server support lossless audio, or are you still listening to MP3s? Can you control it through a web page? Can you listen to Internet radio stations through it? Missing just one hot new feature could mean losing hundreds of sales.

Escient, perhaps the first company to delve into the vexing conundrum that is polycarbonate disc management, recently introduced a wealth of new features for its DVDM-300 DVD/music server, returning it to state-of-the-art status in most respects. The company performed this upgrade not only for its newest units, but to every single one already in the field—automatically, through the Internet, and at no charge.

---

Although Escient supplies a conventional remote (left) and a wireless keyboard with the DVDM-300, most users will prefer to control the unit through a touchscreen, a computer, or a PDA. (Click image to enlarge)

---

The DVDM-300 provides an easy way for you to access your CDs and DVDs. It accesses DVDs by controlling as many as three 400-disc DVD megachangers. It also copies music from your CDs onto its own hard drive. You can search your music and DVD collections through Escient’s on-screen display—which, thanks to the free upgrade, can now be viewed in either 16:9 widescreen or 4:3 normal aspect ratio.

Hookup of the DVDM-300 proves easy in my home, aided by a quick-start guide. The DVDM-300 goes right into action, instructing the Sony 400-disc DVD changer Escient has loaned me to scan each DVD’s table of contents. The DVDM-300 accesses the Internet to grab the cover art and content information for each disc. I can see each disc’s artwork on screen, and can sort my movies by genre, title, and in a number of other ways.

In the center of the unit’s front panel is a CD tray. I insert a music CD, and the unit performs a two-step reading process—it reads the disc’s contents in around five minutes, then converts the audio data to either a compressed MP3 file or to the FLAC (Free Lossless Audio Codec) format, which packs the CD’s digital data down to about half the original size while retaining 100 percent of the sound quality. The DVDM-300 stores about 850 hours worth of music if I choose FLAC, or thousands of hours if I choose MP3. I can also transfer Windows Media Audio (WMA) files from my computer and play them on the DVDM-300. No matter what type of files I play, the DVDM-300’s upgraded software eliminates the annoying momentary silence between tracks that occurs with most music servers; this feature is not even available in the iPod yet.The CD drive is also a CD writer, allowing me to make CD-R discs of tunes culled from my collection on the hard drive; it is about as quick as the CD writer in my desktop PC and far easier to use. The Escient also has inputs that allow me to record from other music sources in my home theater system.

Escient supplies a remote with the DVDM-300, but it’s crowded with buttons and barely readable. Best to opt for one of Escient’s touchscreen controllers; use a touchscreen system from a third-party supplier like Crestron or AMX; control the DVDM-300 through a web page on a computer connected to the same network; or employ another of the DVDM-300’s upgrade features: control through a wireless Pocket PC or Palm. Escient also supplies a wireless keyboard, which comes in handy for editing the on-screen guide information.

---

The MP-150 (right) is a slave unit to the DVDM-300 (bottom)—it has no hard drive or CD drive of its own, but can access music stored on the DVDM-300. It, too, provides a colorful graphic interface for tune selection. (Click images to enlarge)

---

Since the DVDM-300 is connected to the Internet, I can access a list of Internet radio stations (the upgrade adds Shoutcast stations to this list). Internet radio is at best only a mid-fi affair, but it still lets me hear music from around the world that I would never hear on my local stations.

Escient also offers a companion MP-150 streaming digital music player that lets you access all of the music stored on the DVDM-300 in other rooms of your home. I install the MP-150 player in another room, and connect it to the DVDM-300 controller via my Ethernet network. With the MP-150, I can access any of the music on the DVDM-300 drive, and also connect to Internet radio stations. Up to four MP-150 units can be added to a DVDM-300 setup. The MP-150 remote is the same as that supplied with the DVDM-300, but the MP-150 is also compatible with touchscreen and touchpad-style remotes, as well as with wireless PDAs.

That brings to mind one more upgrade: file sharing between the DVDM-300 and other Escient music servers. This means if your kids have their own Escient music server, they can play their tunes using the Escient server in your home theater. It is also possible to transfer files from an Escient server in one home to an Escient server in another home through the Internet.

Together, both products make my CD and DVD disc management chores a thing of the past. And with the new features, accessing discs through the system is far easier than ever before. Pretty good for a free upgrade!DESCRIPTION
DVD/CD server. Stores CD music on internal hard drive, controls as many as three 400-disc DVD megachangers. Provides disc information through on-screen menus or touchscreen control systems

FORMATS SUPPORTED
MP3, WMA, FLAC

CONNECTIONS
DVDM-300: for DVD players—three component video inputs, three S-video inputs, three composite video inputs, three coaxial digital audio inputs, three optical digital audio inputs, three six-channel analog audio inputs, three DB-9 jacks for RS-232 control, three 3.5mm minijacks for Sony S-link control. For DVDM-300 output—component video output, two S-video outputs, two composite video inputs, coaxial digital audio output, optical digital audio output, six-channel analog audio output, analog stereo audio output. For DVDM-300 control—3.5mm minijack for IR input, DB-9 jack for RS-232 control, RJ-45 Ethernet jack MP-150: stereo analog audio outputs, optical digital audio output, coaxial digital audio output, component video output, two S-video outputs, two composite video outputs, RJ-45 Ethernet jack, two DB-9 jacks for RS-232 control, 3.5mm jack for IR input

DIMENSIONS
DVDM-300: 4.6 x 17.4 x 11.9 inches (hwd)
MP-150: same as above

PRICE/CONTACT
PRICE: DVDM-300 $4,999, MP-150 $999
CONTACT: 800.372.4368, escient.com