Connecting an Audio System with Media Center PC

To implement a whole house audio system, you need one main Media Center PC (located anywhere in your house) and a Media Center Extender for each room you want to include. The main Media Center PC, of course, should be connected to your home network. Each Extender must be connected to a television display and an audio system; any type of audio system will do, bookshelf or floor-standing. The connection to your TV is typically via composite or component video; the connection to your audio system can be via optical digital or stereo analog cables.

Naturally, you need a network connection of some sort in each room in which you install a Media Center Extender. The connection between each Extender and the main PC can be via either Ethernet or WiFi; the wireless solution is probably the easiest to implement. You can connect up to five Media Center Extenders in total.

After everything is connected, using your Media Center Extender is pretty much identical to using a regular Media Center PC. The Extender uses the same Media Center interface that you have on the PC -- minus the Play DVD menu, since Extenders don't have built-in DVD players. Just scroll through the onscreen menus using the Extender's remote control unit, and make your selections as you would normally.

Michael Miller is a writer and commentator on technology and digital lifestyle topics.