Build a cheap media server for the living room

Who wouldn't like to have all the media on their PC available anywhere in the house where there is a television and stereo? If you're like most of us, all those pictures, videos and music files are neatly tucked away on your PC (or on many PCs), when all that content was really meant for enjoying where you watch and listen to things in the home the most: where televisions and stereos are located.

Yes, an iPod is a great portable solution, but wouldn't it be nice to have that massive music catalog running through that expensive surround sound setup? Now, there are many products that already allow this (like the Apple TV), but if you have an original Xbox system around that you rarely use any longer, did you know you can use that ancient gaming machine as a full-fledged media server? And the cost? Well, if you already have an Xbox, the materials required are not that expensive. As in, $50 or so.


The modification to make this happen does require a decent heft of know-how (not really technical, though) and does require some internet elbow grease -- and it does take some patience. Still, for a price of under a hundred (or a little more if you don't have an Xbox), this is a worthy household hack I've already performed and it works perfectly. Want those YouTube videos on your living room television? This is a solution for that. Note: have an Internet connection near your television and/or stereo if there's not one already located there.

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