Play your video, photo and music files on your TV from a networked PC. We put five network players to the test

Stack your system full of software without paying a penny, with our guide to essential downloads

A Media Center Extender, upscaling DVD player and great games console

Video support isn’t the best, but the PS3 remains a superb piece of kit

It lacks Wi-Fi, but is otherwise an excellent budget video-streaming choice

A reasonable option if your budget is tight, but you get what you pay for

Easy to use, and with space for a second SATA disk, but it struggles with small files and is overpriced for the features.

Beautifully designed with a clear interface, but format support is limited

The USB port is a great feature, but we’d still choose the Squeezebox.

Share and back up music, photos, video and documents on your network with a high-capacity NAS drive.

Stunning design and innovative features make the Squeezebox extremely desirable, despite the price.

Superb performance, quiet running and excellent value for home use, especially if you want to stream media.

A huge screen and an affordable price, but it doesn’t rival a desktop PC where power is concerned

The Photosmart 7960 is HP's flagship photo inkjet and comes with the new Photoret Pro engine. It's a development of Photoret IV, and a fourth cartridge containing three grey inks has been added too. The 7960 can print 4,097 shades of grey - ideal for black-and-white photographs.

If you’re looking for a well-featured, great-value desktop replacement, the A7S fits the bill. Plenty of grunt, a 200GB drive and great features - Asus is looking better and better.

All the power of a desktop PC in a fraction of the space. We put a selection of desktop replacements to the test.

If you’re looking for a well-featured, great-value desktop replacement, the A7S fits the bill

All the power of a desktop PC in a fraction of the space. We put a selection of desktop replacements to the test.

Plenty of features for such a small box. If you don’t already have a wireless router, this is a fantastic choice.

Great performance, near-silent running and the FTP server make the Buffalo a great alternative to the Maxtor.