Need a cheap way to get the media—even the high-definition stuff—on your PC to your TV? The SageTV HD Media Extender lets you watch live or recorded HDTV programming as well as online video, music, and photos on any TV in your home. Since it’s a true media extender, you don’t have to transfer files to the actual box. While it’s not as dead simple to use as, say, the Apple TV , this device does an excellent job of streaming beautiful HD video.

Since the HD Media Extender comes with no software and doesn’t work as a standalone box, you’ll need to buy a license to use the device. SageTV sells a package that includes one HD Media Extender and one license for $249.95 (the HD Media Extender alone is $199.95). One license will work in conjunction with one or more TV tuner cards installed in one computer to watch live television, record shows using a schedule guide, and place-shift live programming like a TiVo. Additional licenses ($29 each) are required for each additional host PC. For standalone video, the HD Media Extender supports AVI, H.264, MPEG-1, MPEG-2, MPEG-4, VOB, and WMV videos at up to 1080p resolution.

Source pcmag