Integrating Your PC with Your Home Entertainment Center
iPods...iTunes...MP3s...Computers are inserting themselves more and more into the audio world. If you have a home entertainment center, one of the possibilities open to you is to tie your computer to your stereo. But what about when the stereo is in the den and the computer is in the bedroom or home office? You have 20-40GB of tunes all ripped and organized on your MP3 player, but you can't get those tunes to your stereo.
Enter the Linksys Wireless-B Media Adapter. This adapter hooks up to your TV and/or stereo, enabling you to access MP3, JPG, video, and other media files on your network with a remote that displays your selections on your TV.
Like any wireless device, there are pros and cons to using a wireless device. The main pro is that it's easy to install--it sits next to your entertainment center, and you hook it to your audio inputs on your receiver/amp. The main disadvantage to this product is that any wireless device may not provide a good network link in your environment. Some buildings and homes just have too much steel or concrete between two points to make a good Wi-Fi connection. If you've had success with Wi-Fi computer connections in the past, you should be OK with this device.
I've found a neat application for this device that I can't wait to try out. My friend Al owns a bar that has a DJ booth. Instead of using the computer in the booth, the WMA should allow me to sit at the bar and spin tunes from my laptop!