So, you have your CD collection ripped onto your PC but your PC is in the upstairs study and you don’t particularly want to sit up there to listen to your music. Besides, you have a topflight Hi-Fi system in your lounge that has a much better sound than the speakers attached to the PC in the study. Wouldn’t it be nice if you could listen to all the music on the PC in your study, but through your Hi-Fi in the lounge. And wouldn’t it be really nice if you could set up pre-defined playlists that you could call up as your mood dictates, or select any track, album, or artist on demand by remote control from the comfort of your lounge. All this, and more, is possible due to the advent of media streaming appliances.

Media streaming is the process of passing entertainment media (most commonly music) from where it is stored on a PC to where it is enjoyed e.g. on your Hi-Fi, via a home network. This network can either be wired or wireless. Typically this allows you to release your MP3 collection from the confines of the home PC or MP3 player and enjoy the music wherever you wish. To achieve this you will need to have a home network in place (though this can be as simple as a single network card attached to your computer) and you will need a dedicated piece of hardware known as a media streaming device.

While there are a number of such devices now on the market, there is only one that we at PC Medic unreservedly recommend and that is the Squeezebox 3 from Slimdevices, the Rolls Royce of media streaming devices. The Squeezebox 3 only streams music, unlike some other devices that also stream digital photos to your television, but what it does, it does superbly. We have been using a Squeezebox for nearly a year now here at PC Medic and we can honestly say that it revolutionizes the way you listen to your music.

For more details, check out the Slimdevices website. The Squeezebox 3 is available in both wired and wireless versions and we are so sure that you will be thrilled with these units that we are happy to give you a no-obligation demonstration in your own home. If you are impressed, and we think you will be, we can arrange for you to trial a unit for a week before you decide whether the Squeezebox is for you. Contact Brendan at PC Medic for to arrange a trial and for current pricing.