Escient has bolstered its AV server lineup with a new MX series that features an improved interface and new features for managing and playing music and movies in multi-room systems. The company also introduced a universal iPod dock, the FireBall FP-1 Music Manager (SRP: $599), which integrates with its server system to create a single, comprehensive interface for viewing and playing music.

The new servers come with internal hard drives for digital music storage, ripping functions to archive music collections, and artist/track lookup features. To get around the copyright restrictions on DVD movies, the servers link to high capacity DVD/CD changers, which are accessed through a straightforward user interface. The MX series software adds a jukebox mode to queue up songs as you’re listening, AAC audio support, new artist and music guide views, and support for third-party remote control systems.

The MX Series includes three models: the entry level MX-111 (SRP: $1999) has a 160GB drive and support for up to 400 changer-based discs; the mid level MX-531 (SRP: $3999) has a 500GB hard drive and support for up to 1200 discs; the high-end MX-752 (SRP: $5999) has a 750GB drive, support for up to 2000 discs, and two independent video outputs (when used with the FireBall MP-200 Media Player) for watching the same movie or two different movies in two rooms of a home. A new FireBall ZP-1 Zone player (SRP: $499, availability November 2006), provides incremental audio zones for FireBall music servers.

We recently reviewed a collection of media servers in The Perfect Vision, and the Escient E2-200 proved to be one of the most polished of the bunch, with a well-developed interface and easily-navigable features.