OK so I have Media Center up and running with Saturn cable plugged in. All my CD’s and quite a few LP’s ripped to hard disk, my digital photos finally sorted and cataloged. I have even complied a few playlists. Beautiful if you want to live in the office bunker 20m from the lounge so

how best to pipe sound and vision to the living room. ?

I can put a Media Center Extender box in the lounge and link via wireless or Ethernet. Giving me S video and analog audio out and of course full remote control in the lounge. Having full MC experience in the lounge with the PC happily wiring away in the office bunker.  Word out seems to be that the HP or Linksys  media extenders are gonners because they will not work with VISTA. You don’t seem to be able to purchase one in NZ that’s for sure.

That the recommended solution seems to be an Xbox 360 as the extender. Linked via Ethernet to PC. Ethernet as opposed to wireless because the quality is better and you avoid the expected wireless reliability issues.  OK so state of the art is Media Center PC linked via Ethernet to Xbox360. – OR IS IT?

Here come the questions……….

DO I need an extender device at all ? Could I cable Digital Audio + S Video 20 -30m across the house add some flavor of  infrared transponder system to link my remote to the PC remote receiver and achieve the same aim?

Or is there a better option for an extender box?

If I used and Xbox would the ethernet cable give me Xbox live?

Would Xbox “core” + a remote be all I need?