Media Extenders

[[JiF]Sly Gambit]

Anyone have any experience with media extenders? D-Link and Linksys both just pushed out new boxes:

http://www.engadget.com/2007/09/26/d-li ... -official/
http://www.engadget.com/2007/09/26/link ... extenders/

I'm looking for a wireless player that will allow me to use my PC as a DVD/BlueRay/HDDVD/etc. player but I've so far avoided knocking down walls/carving holes/ripping up carpet to wire the place. Wireless G wasn't good enough to provide consistent throughput and N just went to a draft standard that is close enough to being final that there's almost no risk to buying it.

So now my options appear to be becoming a full-fledged DIYer and getting non-big-company components or buying windows media center / upgrading to Vista and then using an extender or even an old x-box to act as a reciever.

What I'd like to do is have a piece of equipment with HDMI output sitting beneath my TV that can receive 1080 HD content streamed over my network, process the content (the more processing is moved to that component instead of my PC the better), and NOT force me to upgrade my Windows. I've been waiting months for a good box that will use 802.11n so it won't kill me to wait a lot longer.

[[JiF]Mike]

Personally I'm not a big fan of the signle product media extenders. I don't like the idea of not having any control over the hardware. Although I haven't used any of the new ones I did try out the MediaMVP a few years ago..worked ok but I ditched it in the end. For a number of years I've been using a software product from SnapStream called BeyondTV. It does everything, from all the typical PVR functions but can also play most video formats, and will burn files directly to DVD for archiving. They also have a number of other products that compliment the whole system. If you can afford the thing, it's money well spent. I have never been disappointed with my setup. Though it did take me a while to get everything I wanted, and I am not quite done yet.

Here's a good list of features: http://www.snapstream.com/products/beyo ... atures.asp

Any questions let me know...I think I own nearly everything they offer lol.