This weekend, I rediscovered the local home network. My computers have always been networked for file sharing and LAN gaming, but for some lazy reason I hadn’t found the motivation to explore the network potential for my Xbox and PS3. I can’t pinpoint what finally kick-started me into networking mode, and I know that I’m behind the curve compared to many of my hardcore gamer friends, but I am thrilled to have finally discovered that all of my awesome technology is even awesomer when put together to form the Super Thunder Megazord of media networks! (Power Rangers, anyone?)

Here is an example of how my media consumption has evolved. I like watching television shows through my television and cable connection, but I am frequently too busy to watch my favorite television shows on a schedule and I don’t have a DVR. As a solution, I could watch those shows I missed on my computer by way of sites like Hulu.com, but this brought up another problem. Watching TV on my computer screen is a kind of a drag because it’s much less comfortable than my TV/couch set-up. The challenge would then be to find a way to watch TV shows through my computer on my TV screen, and ideally in a convenient sort of way. I could just use my TV as a monitor with speakers, but that method has proved clunky, especially since I do the majority of my computing in a room separate from my TV.

I gladly discovered that either my Xbox or PS3 could be the magical ingredient I needed to create a smooth media circuit between my computers, game consoles, and television. Mixed in with TVersity, I now watch all of my TV content through my game console, streamed from my PC, no matter the format of the media file (TVersity graciously converts formats on the fly). I’m sure I’m months behind on joining this bandwagon, and this little daisy chain may seem convoluted at first, but it all works so beautifully that I have to share the basic idea.

If you haven’t yet learned about TVersity, you must check it out so you can either fall in love with it like I have or tell me if you know of something better. The general set-up instructions are pretty simple

1 - Set up your local network so that all of your computers and devices can talk to each other on one network connection. I like the tutorial on geekgirl.com.

2 - Then download and install TVersity on whatever computer you would like to have as your media server (most likely the one with all of your cool video and music content on it). You can find the detailed instructions on the Quick Start Guide page, though I should point out the helpful hint that if you have shared media to your Xbox 360 before, make sure your Windows Media 11 is not set up to share content if you want to use TVersity because it takes care of everything. The TVersity site has specific tips for setting up your Xbox 360, PS@ UPnP/AV or DLNA devices.

3 - Once the program is set up and your have the TVersity Graphical User Interface open, any folders that have audio or video content can be added to the library of folders to play from. In fact, TVersity will most likely have added them for you already, but you can easily add internet video or radio content by adding RSS feeds to the list (just drag the RSS icon from supported websites to the TVersity client). There is a whole list of supported sites including Hulu, YouTube, Flickr, Google, The Daily Show, The Discovery Channel, etc. Note that you will need to download the Pro version of TVersity to interface with these premium content sites, but the Pro versiont of TVersity is FREE for however long you want to test it out. I am a full supporter of paying for products that are actually worth my money, but I do like to try stuff out first and I always take it as a good sign when a product’s makers are so confident in its goodness that they are willing to provide free access knowing that people will then want to pay money for it anyway.

I have been a technophile for years, but even as I have acquired cooler and fancier toys, it almost seems like their functionality has outstripped my imagination. For too long I have been contented with what my Xbox and PS3 could do for me on the surface. They both provided stellar and easy ways to play my games and watch content downloaded through Xbox Live or PlayStation Online. It was only laziness that kept me from figuring out how to cobble together all my pieces of beautiful technology to make them work as one fluid unit. After having overcome that laziness, I can only vouch for how worthwhile it will be for you to investigate the hidden potential of the technology you already have sitting at home. Magic happens when you start to fit all your different pieces together.

My next project is to figure out how I might synch my iPhone with the rest of my Frankenstein media network. If you all have any ideas, please share! Until then, I’m going to be happy as a cat with cream watching old episodes of House through Hulu, through my Xbox 360, on my television…