I what ways are you using your electronics to enjoy digital media in your life? Here are some of the things I have going on.

I purchased a 360 Elite last spring and a new (refurbished) computer in the summer. Since they are both on the home network the 360 acts as a media center extender for the computer across the house to the big screen in the living room. I can easily stream most media on my PC across the house as well as use the 360 (really the PC) like a Tivo. Interesting thing I did was that since I didn't want to spend money for the wireless 360 adapter and have questionable performance and that since the network cable running across the house on the floor is troublesome and ugly, I ran a cable through the AC/heater vents to the living room from the computer room. Net cost of this feature is zero beyond what I already was going to spend on the hardware.

Now I also have a laptop that unless I am traveling somewhere or deployed overseas just sits idle in the house. I knew that Netflix had a Watch it Now feature but that the only way to have it on the big screen would be to connect a computer to it. Well, I hooked the laptop up to the computer pull up Netflix and over a wireless network I am now watch Netflix content and a video quality that exceeds the quality of my cable connection. I do have occasional hiccups due to the wireless connection so I am looking at wiring the laptop in too. That will also help me to better conceal the computer since I have it located up high for wireless reception now. Interestingly, Netflix was providing one hour of free watch it now for every dollar of your plan. A few days after I started using it I received an email that it was now unlimited. Time to finally watch all the Heroes episodes! What I would like to know is the cable I have coming off my wireless router with 4 port hub (or is it a switch) can also be connected to a switch (or is it a hub) at my TV to allow me to connect my 360 and laptop to the network with the cable, can't it?

Lastly, I recently started playing around with Amazon Unbox. I have only used it to download free videos (I can't really picture myself paying for stuff). The service is very liberal and allows you to view your content on any device you register through their software. It downloads to the computer and will also work with Windows Media Center so I can stream it on the big screen. Right now they have the first Sarah Conner episode for free. If you like to purchase music online, they are following the new trend of being DRM free. Good for them.

Oh, I guess I should give props to Xbox Live. I purchased some points over the holidays and have downloaded numerous TV shows. Very fast and perfect quality. I even used it to rent a movie for my son when his birthday presents didn't arrive in time (Cars and Underdog, which he would watch all day everyday if you let him). The 120 GB HDD on the Elite really comes in handy if you like the video content.

What I'm not doing is I have no integration with my car audio system. The best I can do is use a tape adapter in my Grand Cherokee if I want to play something in there. I'm really not concerned with this now, though. I do use a PDA but I hate Windows Media Player on it so I haven't even explored the ability to sync with a WMP Library on the desktop. I only really use it for media when I am deployed and due so by simply copying the content to an SD card.

Quite wordy post here but since we all like our media and technological toys, I figure it's okay!

I have a linux server running in my spare bedroom with 2tb of storage, gigabit ethernet run throughout the house to wall plates, modded xbox in the bedroom with xbox media center for streaming, and a vista media center pc in the living room.

Music library is copied from my macbook using rsync, and i use my ipod in my car with the vw ipod kit, which allows me to change albums and tracks from the steering wheel controls.

also canceled cable and got a giganews account. $15 less a month, and i get pretty much any movie, tv show, or album i can think of. and if i download on my 30mbit connection at work i get a xvid movie in around 5-7 minutes.

Err, Apart from owning a PC and a laptop I do nothing special with them.

I've done quite a few crazy things, although typically none of them are permanent.

I have my PC with a dual-tuner card in it which records TV pretty much all the time (Family Guy, Mythbusters, Whose Line, Robot Chicken, etc). The TV folder is shared across my 360 and also available to my laptop via wireless anywhere in the house.

The most recent change I made was a smart one. I used to have a small ghettobox linux server acting as a router, and a WAP54G giving wireless out. I trashed that crappy setup, went with a WRT54GL and threw Tomato on there. Upped the wireless signal by about double, and wireless quality has been nearly flawless in the entire house now. Plus the thing has a ton of cool features in it and is stable as a rock. It also helps that it's not a big old loud box

I just moved my 360 out of the basement and into my computer room where it gets far more usage hooked up to my PC's 5.1 surround and LCD.

Other than that the network in the house is pretty typical. Wireless + couple hardwired things ran through the floorboards.

As for on the move, I have my zune naturally, which I sync over USB (unless I'm sitting in the driveway and forgot to sync, then wireless for the win!) I bought a new car stereo a while back, which besides playing MP3 CDs, also has a line-in input on the front. I abuse the hell out of that option, hooking my zune up whenever I travel for more than about 10 minutes >.>

My music library is pretty massive, and I supplement it with a Zune Pass, which I am in love with. It's like having a legal version of ye olde Napster that doesn't have crappy tags or low quality.

pc is hoked up to my tv by s-vid, watch TV and movies with the g/f that way.

i have an iRiver PMP-120 that plays divx files natively. hard to find them in a small enough resolution to play without conversion though. but yeah, after conversion the thing is awesome. i have TV and movies on the go, and an adapter so that if i go to the g/f's house we can watch our shows or movies on her tv at home.

fun times.

Linux server that subscribes to a TVRSS service that downloads torrents automatically and transfers them to my computer, which I then, sometimes, put on iPhone.

I have around 40gb of music and downloaded radio shows (loveline) that I've got on the linux box, and backed up on a external HDD.

I'm not sure about how well cat5e would do in a heat duct. Hooking up a switch to the end of it will allow you to expand off of it, though.

My media is usually watched from my laptop while I'm in bed. I usually just watch anime acquired from torrents or IRC channels. My laptop has two 120 GB drives in it, and I have access to a 400 GB drive in my desktop via SSH, FTP, or SMB.

NoESC, are there any free usenet servers that compare to the paid ones? I've used news.verizon.net before, but the amount of binaries are lacking.

I have a 360 hooked up to my 32" TV. I also have a laptop I can hook up to my 32" TV. If it's divx/xvid content, I watch it from an external harddrive on my 360 on my TV. If it needs to be transcoded to watch on the 360, I first stream it over my network to the 360 using TVersity. If performance is poor, I plug my laptop into the TV and watch it from there.

I also watch TV on my laptop between classes at school. Currently watching The Sopranos Season 3, The Wire season 5, American Gladiators 2008 (for a laugh) and I'm on Scrubs season 4.

nice setups

360 elite into 42" lcd 1080p
laptop into 42" lcd (playing portal through this setup r0cks my s0cks.. also for watching HD movies)

windows pc, dual moniter one into svideo to bedroom tv to watch all my movies/tv shows/pr0n.. and excellent sound systems.. um, my favorite shows to watch include weeds, entourage, star trek tng, dexter

Windows Media Center goes to xbox360 and PS3.

Zune goes to 360 also, but for some reason it's choppy when I play newly added stuff.

Keypad on the 360 controller for MSN Messenger. I'm pretty much set computer wise, except Amarok won't share to the 360, thus none of the music I listen to gets submitted to last.fm. Lame. >:\

My laptop is my alarm clock.

The desktop background on it switches between pictures of naked women and dead bodies.

I film lots of things I do.

That is all.

Oh yes, music players.

My palm pilot has amazing flashcard software on it. It's in every way better than a stack of flashcards, plus it keeps track of all sorts of neat stats to help me study better.

I have a PC and a PS2 here. But the PS2 is stand alone (LOL OLD TECH LOL) and the network isn't mine. One of the guys I'm living with sorted that out.

Only other thing I have, really, is my MP3 player. And that's nothing special.

I've not found one yet.. Giganews + Newzbin to search is pretty much the best thing ever though.

Technically it's cat6 cable. I doubt the temperature in the ducting is any worse than the temperature the attic in general reaches during the summer. Has to greatly exceed 100 degrees. I thought a switch would do the trick. I need to pick up some cheap crimpers before I pick one up though.

Cool. Thanks anyways. I don't really have the pipes to justify buying a subscription, so whatever. I'll stick with IRC and torrents for now. ( TO DOWNLOAD THINGS THAT ARE NOT ILLEGAL )