Compare Prices : Linksys DMA2200

Pros: Windows Media Center Extender with built-in upscaling DVD player ; 802.11n Wi-Fi for streaming HD videos ; various connection options ;

Cons: Unreliable streaming bit rate ; laggy interface ; frustrating remote control ; incompatibility issues with various movie file formats ; only streams from Media Center-compatible PCs ;

Verdict: A bargain price and built-in DVD player distinguishes the Linksys DMA2200 from rival Windows Media Center Extenders, but we found the performance to be inconsistent.

Review summary: Linksys, a division of Cisco Systems – the supplier of just about everything technical at Jack Bauer's CTU (and don't we know it) – has released the first official Media Center extenders in the UK (Xbox 360-excepted) and the DMA2200 is unique in that ...

Verdict: You can record TV, watch video, look at pictures, play music, even stream high-definition content, such as WMV HD files, essentially do anything that your media centre PC can do, with the same fantastic graphical user interface. However, there's no ...

Review summary: We've been waiting for media-streaming devices to catch up to 802.11n, and the Linksys DMA2200 does it in style-geek style, that is. The box isn't particularly attractive, but we dig the dual-band Wi-Fi radio inside that's capable of operating on ...

Pros: Dual-band 1080p streaming with built-in DVD player ; wide format support ;

Cons: Vista-only ; not much reason to pick one of these over an Xbox 360 ;

Review summary: It's a close race between this draft-n Vista Media Extender and the Xbox 360 for getting HD video to your TV. If you watch video from your Vista PC, read on.

Verdict: " target="_blank">Xbox 360) and, despite the fanfare it was launched to at CES earlier this year, we have to say we're underwhelmed