OTHER TECH

If you've never lived with a TV channel guide, it will be like manna from heaven. The guide lists what's playing on every channel - with descriptions of each program - and peers up to 12 days ahead. A cool Find feature searches for media on the server or for upcoming TV programs. This let me track down Morgan "Super Size Me" Spurlock's new show, 30 Days.

Like a super-sized TiVo, the MX 1000 records everything that's being watched throughout the house. This delivers full DVR functionality - pausing and rewinding - for live TV, DVDs, or whatever. Each eDeck pulls its own stream, meaning three users could be enjoying the same program simultaneously but watching different points in the program. And with up to three separate TV tuners supported, you'll be time-shifting to your heart's delight! However, since each eDeck can encode only one program at a time, if a source is being watched in one room, no other sources connected to that eDeck can be accessed from that or any other room.

Previously, DVD enjoyment was limited to my living room, where my surround system is located. With the addition of an eDeck, I was able to distribute movies from my Escient DVD manager throughout the house, adding tremendous value to the system. Moreover, starting a movie - or any video source - in one room, pausing, then resuming it in another room without missing a beat is trés cool! A DVD can be recorded while it is playing, but since the program guide breaks recording times into 2-hour blocks, long films are recorded as two separate files. Picture quality was great, though only stereo audio is recorded.

Music management can be good or disappointing, depending on how music is stored on your computer. If files are neatly sorted into artist and album subfolders, as in "Music: Coldplay: X & Y: Track Titles," they will transfer and be presented to you that way on the eDeck onscreen menus. However, if your music is all tossed into one folder, like mine, the system will only present your files alphabetically by artist (with track and album information). Files can be manually reorganized, however. Some other caveats: playlists can be created only on your computer - not from the eDeck interface - random play isn't an option, and only MP3 files are supported (no WMA, WAV, or other popular formats).

Controlling devices located in different rooms requires remote commands to be routed through the eDeck in the room you're in and sent over the network. This means you have to use DigitalDeck's remote to control your source components (or transfer DigitalDeck's codes into a universal remote). To operate so many devices, the remote is festooned with smallish buttons, and without any backlighting, low-light operation can be tricky. While the built-in IR library is extensive, my Escient and iCEBOX weren't included. Currently, the system is unable to learn new codes in the field, and remotes for components not in the database must be briefly lent to DigitalDeck so the library can be updated and the update posted for all users. Not exactly convenient!

BOTTOM LINE The DigitalDeck system is easy and fun to use. "I'm ready for bed" no longer has to mean, "Movie's over." If streaming audio files is paramount, this might not be the system for you - at least until DDeck upgrades the file management. But if components are spread around your home and you do a lot of TV recording, the DDen Entertainment Network demands a look.