Thread: Media Streaming

Windows Vista can already stream music, videos,' and other content between networked PCs in your house, but Windows 7 goes a step further: It makes your media available over the Internet. By taking advantage of that option, you can watch a recorded TV show at a friend's house, say, or stream your mammoth music library to your storage-strapped netbook.

The new OS's media-sharing system has at least one major drawback: It requires Windows 7 to be running at both ends. Third-party alternatives, on the other hand, usually have no problem with different versions of Windows-or even with different platforms (Mac and Linux). Simplify Media , for example,saved in various formats from your desktop music library (or from any friends whom you care to invite) to any other Pc. An associated iPhone app (Simplify Music 2.0) handles streaming on the run. Both the software and the service are free.

Another possibility is Orb , which streams music, videos, photos, and-if your PC has a TV tuner-live or recorded TV shows. Using Orb can even help you share documents.