Unlike media servers that require that content be ripped and stored digitally onto a hard drive, a mega-changer Sony plans to release in 2009 will physically hold each Blu-ray disc in your entertainment library. “Right now, there’s no way to legally pull a Blu-ray movie off a disc and store into onto a hard drive,” says Sony’s Neal Manowitz.

Of course, organizing and managing that many discs could be a real nightmare for most people. Escient, for one, hopes to simplify the task by enabling the Sony changer to interface with the navigation software found on its Vision line of media servers. Through the software, users will be able to categorize their movies by genre, artist or other data to make finding a flick quick and easy. Escient provided a similar setup for Sony’s DVD changers a few years back. That changer has since been discontinued, so Escient is now focused on Sony’s new Blu-ray solution. “Our servers are ready and waiting for the Sony changer to come out,” says Marty Wachter, senior product manager at Escient.

Home control manufacturer Control4 also plans to join Sony in its megachanger endeavor. “We were big fans of Sony’s DVD megachanger,” says John Yoon, Control4 vice president of marketing. “It’s our plan to integrate their 400-disc Blu-ray changer into our control system when the software drivers become available.” Once that happens, users will be able to see titles in their Blu-ray library on the same TV screen interface that presents titles in their DVD collection.

Lisa Montgomery - Contributing Writer

Lisa Montgomery has been writing about home technology for 15 years, with a focus on the impact of electronics on a modern lifestyle.