A NEW class of media player is emerging and it doesn't play Blu-ray or HD DVDs.

It's called a networked media player and lets you do just that -- take media from your networked computer and play it on a flat-screen TV.

Though Windows Media Centre has been available for a while, and provides most of the functionality of the networked media player, most require some IT knowledge.

But the networked media player has most of the bells and whistles of a Media Centre yet is as easy to operate as a standard DVD player.

The Ziova CS505 (pictured) is an example of one such networked media player.

Its best feature is its unprecedented file-format support, which includes high-definition Windows Media Video 9, MPEG4 playback, XviD, Nero Digital, MPEG-4, QuickTime MPEG-4, MPEG-2, MPEG-1, DVD, high-definition FLAC lossless compressed format, OGG, AAC (commonly used in Apple iTunes), MP3, Windows Media Audio 9 and CD Audio.

Don't worry if you can't remember that list. Chances are the CS505 will play it (except H.264 which the CS505 doesn't support).

On the surface, the CS505 ($599 or sans DVD player $499) looks like a regular DVD player. The thing that gives it away, however, is the stubby black antenna. That's the built-in 802.11 wireless networking.

Don't have a wireless network at home? No problem, there's also an Ethernet port.

Connecting the CS505 couldn't be easier. If you have an HDMI input on your TV all it takes is one cable for pure digital sound and vision. If your TV is missing HDMI you can use a composite connection. Once you have the CS505 on the network you can grab media from just about anywhere.

The CS505 supports SMB shared drive, which means you can get data from any Windows, Mac or Linux drive as long as it's on the network.

The unit I tested worked well and produced a good-looking, sharp picture, but the quality of the image will depend on the quality of the source material.

The latest firmware update also adds a Real Time Jukebox player, multi-language support and faster navigation. Faster nav is critical because, in my test unit, navigation was painfully slow, and making changes to any advanced settings was too complicated.

Though the CS505 supports lots of codes, it doesn't support basic WPA wireless security, instead relying on the weaker, less-secure WPA.The CS505 is easier to set up than a Windows Media Centre, but it's still much harder to set up and use than the Apple TV ($449), which is still my benchmark media player.

Even so, if your media doesn't live in iTunes the CS505 is a good solution for those that want a networked media player.

If you're still unconvinced, my suggestion is to either wait until the product category matures or buy an Apple TV.

Ziova: (08) 8322 9544

www.ziova.com

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