The Digital MediaBridge streams media in high-def over home networks
Acoustic Research Digital MediaBridge
The product: Whether you call them digital media receivers, network media devices, or network media extenders, the category has gone from obscurity to maturity in the past couple of years as nongeeks become increasingly interested in accessing their digital media--audio, photos, and videos--away from the PC. Acoustic Research's Digital MediaBridge covers all the basics, plus it offers true HD video output (720p) and premium (pay-per-view) downloaded movies from CinemaNow.

• DVI output
• Supports resolution up to 720p
• Built-in 802.11g and Ethernet
• Supported codecs include MP3, WMA, AAC, WAV, MPEG-2, MPEG-4, XviD, and WMV 9.0

The price: Available this spring for $299.

The prospects: There's a glut of digital media receivers on the market, but the MediaBridge's DVI output, 720p resolution, and premium online content will help distinguish it from the pack (or at least keep up with the Joneses for 2005). We like the simple onscreen interface, but we wish it had a front-panel display for TV-less browsing of a digital music collection.

By John Falcone, senior associate editor, CNET Reviews