JANUARY2006 WHICH?
48
HOME NETWORKS

AUDIO MEDIA

EXTENDERS

SENDING MUSICAND VIDEO FROMYOUR COMPUTER
One ofthe handiest things about a computer
network is thatyou can use a TV or hi-fi to listen to
music, watch videos orview photos that you’ve
stored on a computerelsewhere in the house.
To do this, you need a media extender, a box
which plugs into yourTV or hi-fi. Itreceives music
orvideo from your computerand converts it so that
the TVor stereo can play it.
You can send music to the extenderwirelessly
butvideo will tend to stutterbecause the wireless
link struggles to keep up with all the data required.
Ifyou want to send video from your computer to a
TV, buy an Ethernetcable (around £12 for25m).
The BestBuy audio
extenders are easy to
setup and have clear
instructions to help you
through the process.
And they work with a
reasonable range of
file types – different
formats ofdigital
music, forexample.
We also make
sure they don’tmake
yourmusic sound too
glitchy and digital.
(The othermodels
are justas good as the
BestBuys on that
front, though.)
The first step is to put music and video on
your computer. Your computer probably has
either iTunes or Windows Media Player
software on it; both are good for converting
CDs into digital formats, such as MP3s, which
take up less memory on your computer. To
find software to convert DVDs, go to
www.google.com and type in ‘DVD rippers’.
All media extenders work with normal MP3
tracks. But be careful if you use other formats
which have built-in copyright protection. Your
media extender – which we’re going to buy in
step 2 – won’t work with all types of format.
For example, if you’ve bought songs from
Apple’s iTunes online music store, they’ll work
only with Apple’s own Airport extender.

Digitise your

music and video

1
There are two types of media extender: those
that receive only music and those that handle
music and video.
Music-and-video models all let you use a
remote control to choose what to watch; the
TV screen shows the options and menus.
Music-only models usually have a remote
control and a small built-in screen that shows
the track name. (The only exception to this is
the Apple Airport Express.)
For the media extenders to understand
what your computer is telling them, they
have to be compatible with the software it
uses to play the video and music. If you
don’t have this already, you can download
it free from the internet.

Buy a media

extender

2
1Roku SoundBridgeM1000 84%
£180 from online retailers
This is a great way to send music from your computer
to your stereo. It’s easy to set up and use. You can
even search remotely for a track on your computer –
no traipsing through to the computer to change
songs. The menu options are logical and easy to
understand and the remote control is well laid-out
and comfortable.
It works with Windows Media Player and iTunes
software. But copyright protection stops it playing
any music you’ve bought from the iTunes website.
2Apple AirportExpress 83%
£90 from www.apple.com/uk
Compared with the Roku (1), this is a simple
product, with no remote control or screen. But it is
the easiest way to send music around the house and
it sounds great. And it’s the best choice for people
who’ve bought lots of songs from the iTunes website.
Its simplicity is refreshing but it will be too basic
for some people. You can’t skip tracks or playlists, so
if you want to change your tune, you have to walk
to your computer – not very futuristic.
USING THE TABLE
We tested the latest
extenders from big brands.
Price
We give a guide price for
what you can expect to pay
for the products online.
Compatibility
This shows the main
media software packages
you can use with the
extender.
iTunes Apple’s player.
WMPWindows Media
Player. WMCWindows
Media Connect.
CustomExtender comes
with its own software.
Performance
QualityThe quality of the
sound and video outputs.
Extenders lost marks for
stuttering and glitches,
blurry pictures or indistinct
sound. VersatilityBased
on how many different
formats of music, video
and photo file the extender
can relay.
Ease ofuse
Set-upShows how easy
the device is to get
working initially. It takes
account of the clarity of
instructions and whether
the software is intuitive.
UseHow easy it is to
select the music, video or
pictures you want.
1Roku
AUDIO EXTENDER
2Apple
AUDIO EXTENDER