Netgear MP101

The Price; no TV required

PC needs to be on though

If you are fed up of having plenty of songs on your computer, but then not being able to listen to them anywhere else than the PC, this unit will allow you to share the love in another room. Because you're only transmitting song files around the place...

Streams audio from Listen Rhapsody service and a PC's hard drive; built-in 802.11b wireless and Ethernet networking; software scours hard drive for audio files; minijack headphone output; low price.

Device and server software need occasional rebooting; Rhapsody service requires monthly fee; display can't be read from a distance; doesn't stream video or images; no digital audio outputs.

If you can overlook its sometimes flaky performance issues, the Netgear MP101 delivers wireless digital music at a great price.

The End Of 2004 MP101, however, gets a Recommended from me. It's not the perfect lounge room music stream receiver, but the price is right

Small footprint -- Similar to a stack of VHS movies on the nightstand. Amplified 1/8" "headphone" jack in rear. Line-out for stereo receiver Clean lighted LCD screen Screensaver, which turns off screen lighting after 15 seconds -- perfect for bedroom use.

Wireless stability is a joke -- this device actually inspired me to wire the whole house with cat5e. First room was of course, the bedroom with the mp101 in it. The device is from back in 2004, and it shows; operationally. Sometimes, it will fail to...