Stream digital media to the living room

You've got a ton of digital music, photos, and video on your computer's hard drive, but you want to enjoy all that media on the big TV and stereo system in your living room--not hunched over the laptop screen. If you've got a network connection and one of the latest game consoles (an Xbox 360, a PlayStation 3, or--when paired with the free Orb software--even a Nintendo Wii), you may not need any new hardware. Each of them can stream a wide variety of audio, video, and photo formats from your PC to your TV over your home network. If you're not a gamer, or you need a more specific solution, there are alternatives. We've highlighted six products--three audio-only models, as well as a trio that does audio, video, and photos. Not included in the line-up are the Logitech Squeezebox Duet (audio only) and the Sling Media SlingCatcher (audio and video), both are due to be released later in 2008. Just remember to check purchases to ensure they are compatible with the specific file formats and copy-protection used on your must-have files.

See more rockin' music gear in Living With Technology: Music tunes into tech.