Wi-Fi Music
May 2006
Wireless media bridges span the airwaves
The way we experience music is changing. Not long ago, you'd hear a song on the FM dial, wait for the album to hit stores and then throw it in the CD changer when you got it home. Today we listen to satellite radio, download individual songs over the Internet and the only reason we touch our CDs is to rip them for playback on our iPods. Like I said, things are changing. Die-hard audiophiles will tell you the sky is falling and compressed music is the embodiment of pure Evil. I take my music a little less seriously and for my wife and I, convenience is priority number one. Judging by Apple's profits last year, it's safe to say many of you feel the same way. If so, you probably have a PC somewhere in your house bursting with MP3 files. With all of that music at your disposal, it makes perfect sense to want those tunes in the living room so you can enjoy them on your stereo system. Enter the wireless media bridge.
Product offerings in this relatively new "bridge" market vary quite a bit, ranging from inexpensive music-only devices to pricier high definition-capable audio/video media receivers. I've gathered a few of each type here, hoping to shed some light on your current options.
Please note that the feature sets vary significantly in this roundup and this was not a head-to-head competition. The grades assigned are based primarily on ease of use and overall execution. None of them are perfect, but they all share one primary goal. They all aim to bridge the gap between your computer and your stereo, between your office and your living room. Depending on your specific needs, some will accomplish this goal better than others. --Greg Robinson
Linksys WMB54G Wireless-G Music Bridge
Media Support: Music
Grade: B-
www.linksys.com
Price: $99
Consisting of a small box (less than 6" square and 4" high), an AC adapter, and a CD-ROM, there's not much to unpack here. Step one is installing the software, but this process isn't as "quick" as the manual promises. Unless I missed something, it's impossible to configure the bridge by connecting it directly to your PC via Ethernet cable as the manual suggests. My PC only saw the bridge when the bridge was connected to my router. After a few hiccups, the wireless connection worked as advertised and my PC's tunes found their way to my living room. The Music Bridge works with any player (iTunes, Windows Media Player, etc.) and you can listen to any song, including purchased downloads. The only major drawback is that you have no control over the music you're hearing. Commands such as Pause, Next and Stop must be entered at the computer. There's plenty of value here provided your PC isn't too far from the stereo.
The way we experience music is changing. Not long ago, you'd hear a song on the FM dial, wait for the album to hit stores and then throw it in the CD changer when you got it home. Today we listen to satellite radio, download individual songs over the Internet and the only reason we touch our CDs is to rip them for playback on our iPods. Like I said, things are changing. Die-hard audiophiles will tell you the sky is falling and compressed music is the embodiment of pure Evil. I take my music a little less seriously and for my wife and I, convenience is priority number one. Judging by Apple's profits last year, it's safe to say many of you feel the same way. If so, you probably have a PC somewhere in your house bursting with MP3 files. With all of that music at your disposal, it makes perfect sense to want those tunes in the living room so you can enjoy them on your stereo system. Enter the wireless media bridge.
Product offerings in this relatively new "bridge" market vary quite a bit, ranging from inexpensive music-only devices to pricier high definition-capable audio/video media receivers. I've gathered a few of each type here, hoping to shed some light on your current options.
Please note that the feature sets vary significantly in this roundup and this was not a head-to-head competition. The grades assigned are based primarily on ease of use and overall execution. None of them are perfect, but they all share one primary goal. They all aim to bridge the gap between your computer and your stereo, between your office and your living room. Depending on your specific needs, some will accomplish this goal better than others. --Greg Robinson
Linksys WMB54G Wireless-G Music Bridge
Media Support: Music
Grade: B-
www.linksys.com
Price: $99
Consisting of a small box (less than 6" square and 4" high), an AC adapter, and a CD-ROM, there's not much to unpack here. Step one is installing the software, but this process isn't as "quick" as the manual promises. Unless I missed something, it's impossible to configure the bridge by connecting it directly to your PC via Ethernet cable as the manual suggests. My PC only saw the bridge when the bridge was connected to my router. After a few hiccups, the wireless connection worked as advertised and my PC's tunes found their way to my living room. The Music Bridge works with any player (iTunes, Windows Media Player, etc.) and you can listen to any song, including purchased downloads. The only major drawback is that you have no control over the music you're hearing. Commands such as Pause, Next and Stop must be entered at the computer. There's plenty of value here provided your PC isn't too far from the stereo.
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