These day, thanks to the entry of budget notebooks that are pre-configured with Wi-Fi, even the average home user has a hotspot at home. Basically, surfing the internet has become simple and convenient, whether it is from dining room while have your morning tea or on the bed just before you turn out the lights.
But can you say the same about multi-media? Don’t we all know how messy wiring elaborate multi-channel home theater systems and the DVD players can get? Then those how have a large collection of multimedia on their computers have their own issues as well. Getting all those movies and songs out of the computer to the large screen in the living room is quite a headache! All you can do is burn all the media on a blank DVD and pray that your DVD player supports MP3 audio and MPEG4 video. If it doesn’t, you’re better off renting DVDs from your local video guy than suffering hours on end while the PC puts in your efforts and time to convert all those videos into a format that the DVD player can understand.
Wouldn’t it be really convenient if you could magically beam all the content on the computer to your television and music system without wires? Fortunately, there’s no magic involved here – you can have such a setup running in your house if that is what you want. Companies such as Linksys, D-Link and now even Apple have such products for sale at prices far more reasonable than they were only a couple of months ago.
All the start of such a setup the most basic element required is a wireless LAN card (also called wireless adapter). If your laptop has built-in wireless, you can jump to the next item required. However, if you are looking to stream media from your desktop computer, then the chances are that it won’t have a wireless adapter. If such is the case, you can pick one form the computer store for Rs. 1000 to Rs. 1500. Just make sure that the adapter supports the wireless 802.11g standard, which allows for faster streaming of data. These LAN cards are required to stream videos and connect your PC to the TV. You can jump off to the next component if streaming is not your objective.
Next, you’ll need to pick up a wireless media adapter. This is the most important element in the setup and cannot be eliminated by any means. How such a device works is simple: Using conventional cables, it connects to your flat-panel display and home theater system. Then it will scan for a Wi-Fi setup in its specified perimeter. Once, you have setup Wi-Fi on your home desktop or notebook, it’ll automatically pick up any sort of media you’ve allowed the player to access and transfer all to its library. Then using the adapter’s own menus, you can navigate to any songs of video of your choice and have it played before you without long wires trailing from your computer to the music system or television. You can expect such devices to cost anything from Rs. 10,000 to Rs. 20,000.
For instance, Netgear’s latest offering, the EVA8000 Digital Entertainer HD is a treat if you can get hold of it. One of the best things going for it is that it supports HD video and can connect to your HDTV using the new HDMI (high definition multi-media interface) standard. Using its USB slot, you can also plug in any USB flash drive or card reader and the media adapter will automatically search for music, photos and videos it can play. This product should set you back roughly Rs 18,000 though but is capable of playing avi and xvid formats.
Also have a look at the D-Link DSM-320RD media adapter. The good thing going for this device is that it has an integrated 5-in-1 card reader and doubles as a DVD player as well. This is the media adapter rated the best in the lot for its features and comparatively low cost. At a price of around Rs. 12000 you get a 5-in-1 card reader and a DVD player connected to your TV and a media adapter that connects to your PC to play streaming videos. Like EVA 8000 , it can also play internet radio.
Cheaper options would be Linksys WMA11B that would cost around Rs 4500. The official site fails to mention any of its video capabilities but the device is featured with a S-video port.
A better option than this would be ViewSonic WMA100 priced around Rs. 14500 and can play MPEG1, MPEG2, MPEG4 and several audio formats like the DSM320RD and EVA8000 but not avi and xvid formats. The D-Link DRM320RD competes with this model for low price and more features.
Finally, if you’re an Apple fan who owns the latest Macbook or Mac Pro desktop, have a look at the Apple TV. While this device resembles a slob of marble, don’t be surprised if it does a lot more that merely look good. Using the Apple TV, you’ll be able to play everything in your iTunes library – from downloaded music, movies, TV serials and trailers to content already in your hard drive – in the apple manner, that is, everything works with the maximum ease and convenience. You can pick it up from any Apple store in the country or from an Apple reseller. But in Apple fashion, just don’t expect it to have it for the price of a song.
Although the setup is a bit expensive initially but it allows you to play quality audio - video from your computer directly. With easy downloads from P2P softwares; movies, videos, MP3s are readily available for you to watch on the big screen. Next time when you be to an electronic shop to purchase a LCD or Plasma TV, this would be your add-on option.
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