On the most fundamental level, the Pegasus Cynalynx just wouldn't play my files. During testing, I was able to stream DVDs successfully only a few times, and the quality was pretty sketchy. Video would sputter and often freeze and crash the system. I had no luck streaming video files, either.

Also annoying, DVD audio doesn't play via the analog stereo-out jack. The only way to hear a DVD's sound is by using the digital coaxial port. If you don't have a receiver that has a digital coax-in port, you're out of luck.

I could go on and on about how the Pegasus Cynalynx also had a problems playing all of my music files-whether they were ripped from a CD in iTunes or downloaded completely DRM-free from eMusic. I could tell you how it didn't even show up as a wireless router on one of my other systems, despite the fact that I turned off the firewall and spent hours trying to will it into action. I could tell you how it was incompatible with Vista and the ATI Mobility Radeon X1600 graphics driver on one of our test systems. But you get the point.

Compare this experience with the one provided by the less-expensive Apple TV. The Apple TV worked fine and took me less than an hour to set up, while the Pegasus Cynalynx took days of tweaking and never really cooperated. I didn't even get to listen to one full song or view one full movie. Not good.

Nobody likes to kick the little guy, but in the name of protecting your wallet, I must advise you to steer clear of this product.
Pegasus Cynalynx: $399