Remote Connections Made Easy Warren Ernst , October 14, 1999 If there's a problem with MP3 music files and DVD-ROM drives, it is that what you want to see and hear is "stuck" within your PC rather than your "good stereo" or home-theater system. Of course, you could run cables through walls or doors between your equipment, but not only can it either look ugly or require some drywall patching skill, but you would still need to run between your PC and your couch to start and stop the action. Enter MP3Anywhere / DVDAnywhere, a combination wireless audio/video transmission system with wireless mouse/universal remote that works surprisingly well and is surprisingly inexpensive at $88. Though we had a few issues with it, we think if you've amassed a large library of MP3 and have a DVD-ROM drive along with a good home theater system, MP3Anywhere is exactly what you need, earning it a spot on the WinList. We were initially skeptical, and X10's confusing marketing strategy doesn't exactly instill confidence. The system is marketed as two different products with two different names, MP3Anywhere and DVDAnywhere, even though they are the same product, with the same capabilities, at the same price. The product consists of four pieces: a wireless sending unit with RCA jacks for video, audio left, and audio right; a wireless receiving unit with the same jacks for output (along with a coaxial antenna lead); a huge universal remote; and a pass-though mouse port to receive mouse signals from the remote. Add software to map your DVD and MP3 software to the remote control's buttons, and you have the kit, regardless of its name. Little problems annoyed us, but none was insurmountable. The sender/receiver has a range of about 100 feet, but the remote is only good for around 50, by our tape measure. However, both use radio signals rather than infrared, so you don't need to worry about walls or floors getting in the way. Most sound cards' output jack is a 1/8" stereo plug, so the included RCA cables won't work (check with Radio Shack for one that will), and there's no S-Video connector to send the very high quality video signal most DVD-ROM drives can generate. Despite these minor problems, both the video and audio were extremely clear and static free, and once we programmed the remote (a daunting task, since it can control all of your home theater, computer, and software), everything just worked. And it's a bargain to boot. We recommend it, and are adding it to the WinList.

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