Universal Plug and Play for A/V UPNP can do for A/V what it did for computer hardware: put UPNP-capable devices on the same network, and they should work seamlessly. There's some commercial products out there, but why go that route when TVersity and GeeXboX have everything you need!? Personally, I have a Pentium4 2.0 Ghz machine, with 512MB of RAM, a 7200-rpm 8MB cache 80GB hard drive, and an old ATI 7500 All-in-Wonder card that I use to record TV. This computer also runs TVersity to "serve up" this recorded TV, which is played by some old Compaq M700 laptops using the TV-out port to a VCR.
 | TVersity
TVersity is the UPNP A/V Server. Typically it will hold all your personal A/V files on its local hard drive, but it also has links to Internet content, and you can insert links to content stored in other locations on your network. TVersity will stream your A/V content to your UPNP A/V Renderer, which can be a dedicated hardware device (such as one of those new-fangled, "connected" DVD players), or can be a computer running UPNP A/V Renderer software. Best of all, TVersity is FREE!!! Go to the TVersity website for more information. |
 | GeeXboX
GeeXboX is a bootable Linux distribution that can be installed on a computer's hard drive, or you can simply boot your computer from a CD-ROM. When your computer boots with GeeXboX, it runs UPNP A/V Renderer software, and it can receive streamed content from your UPNP A/V Server. Personally, I use an old Compaq laptop with a TV out port to run GeeXboX, and it works sweet! GeeXboX is open source, so it is FREE!!! Go to the GeeXboX website for more information. |
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