Browsing photos is a bit more logical: Select a folder of pictures, then choose the ones you want from a gallery of thumbnail-size previews. You can't set up a slide show from in front of the TV, but they're simple to arrange in MediaManager. A similar interface allows you to pick a video file to play.

The big worry of any wireless system is reliability, but I didn't hear any dropouts in music playback, even while I flipped through photo albums on the MediaPlayer and downloaded other files to my computer. Video was another matter: My laptop's slower 802.11b WiFi adapter didn't lend enough bandwidth to play a movie (saved in the DivX format) without frequent hiccups.

Prismiq's Web access is intriguing but possibly useless. Text-heavy sites are unreadable on TV, and while the MediaPlayer does work well for looking up weather forecasts, stock quotes or news headlines (these can be viewed together on a portal page you can bring up by tapping a "home" key), TV already delivers that sort of info.

D-Link's MediaLounge (Win 98 SE or newer, $199 at www.d-link.com) has a fast 802.11g WiFi receiver built in, but that's about its only advantage over the MediaPlayer.

Its setup was even worse than the abysmal Prismiq experience: Not only could the D-Link box not find my wireless network, I couldn't even tell it where to look -- the command in its setup "wizard" that should have let me enter the network's name didn't work. Following advice from D-Link's tech support, I plugged the MediaLounge into my WiFi router's Ethernet port and could then configure these wireless settings via a different interface.

D-Link's crude, ugly desktop software looks like a Windows 3.1 relic. It's hard to believe that the crisp, stylish interface on TV came from the same company -- but underneath those snazzy looks you'll find some seriously boneheaded thinking.

For example, the MediaLounge can't play more than one song in a row unless you create a playlist on your PC -- unlike a $20 boom box, this box can't simply play through one album. (D-Link says an upcoming firmware update will remedy this.) While you're listening to a song, the remote's basic navigation buttons -- "photo," "video," "home," etc. -- don't work; this device can't continue playback while you view a photo album.

The MediaLounge supports MP3 and Windows Media files but not most purchased downloads. Your only choice for Web radio is America Online's Radio@AOL, which requires a subscription to the online service.

Prismiq's MediaPlayer. (Courtesy Prismiq)

Images can be browsed only by their file names (100-0045_IMG.JPG, 100-0054_IMG.JPG and so on) unless you know to change a setting in a setup screen.

Like the Prismiq box, the MediaLounge had no trouble sustaining music playback, but I couldn't test video output, since it didn't accept the files on my laptop.

Unless you have a high threshold for technology-induced pain, hold off on these two media receivers. Others are on the market or on the way, three of which I plan to test soon: SlimDevices' SqueezeBox, Roku Labs' SoundBridge and Apple's AirPort Express. It would be nice to see this streak end.

Living with technology, or trying to? E-mail Rob Pegoraro at rob@twp.com.