The random and play-all commands work in a specific folder or with the entire library. The EyeHome lets you browse your music in the same manner that you organized it in iTunes-by genre, album, artist, or the complete library. I don't have many movies on my Mac, but my iTunes is loaded with more than 5 gigabytes of MP3, AIFF, and AAC files, and my iPhoto library has tons of JPEGs. If you want to access content that isn't in these folders, you can move it (or just an alias of it) to these folders. If you use programs like iTunes and iPhoto to import and store all of your media, then this content will be awaiting you in the EyeHome menu. The EyeHome reads whatever is stored in your Mac's music, movie, and photo libraries. Upon powering up the EyeHome with the remote, you're taken to a "Connect" menu that lists all of the Macs it sees on the network you simply highlight the one whose content you want and hit the OK button, and you're taken to a menu in which your digital content has been neatly organized into five categories: EyeTV (more on this in a moment), movies, music, pictures, and services (Web portals). This wasn't detailed in the QuickStart Guide that came with my review sample (it was buried in the manual's troubleshooting section) however, at press time, Elgato had announced plans to release a new EyeHome box in which this important setup info is more-clearly emphasized (current EyeHome owners can download the new guide from the company's Website). Important setup note: If your network is firewall-enabled (as it should be), you need to go into your Mac's system preferences and configure a custom port that allows the EyeHome and Mac to communicate. It took only moments to load the EyeHome software on the PowerBook. (The complete user's manual is only available as a PDF on the software CD-ROM.) I ran CAT-5 cable from the Ethernet switch to my living-room A/V setup and inserted it in the Ethernet port on the back of the EyeHome, which I connected to my A/V system via its component video and digital optical audio outputs. Setup is detailed on a postcard-sized QuickStart Guide that comes in the box. Initially, I chose the first setup option, connecting my primary Mac-a 550-megahertz PowerPC G4 PowerBook running the OS X 10.3.5 Panther operating system-to a Linksys 10/100 five-port Ethernet switch in my home office. There are three setup options: If your Mac(s) is already connected to an Ethernet hub or switch, you can run a standard Ethernet cable from the switch to the EyeHome box you can connect one Mac directly to the EyeHome box with a crossover Ethernet cable or you can use an 802.11g wireless Ethernet adapter. The EyeHome allows you to view all of the movies, music, and photos stored on your Mac and use your computer's Internet connection to surf the Web in your living room. That's right, Mac doesn't get many invites to the convergence party, but Elgato Systems has made him feel right at home. If you already use your computer to listen to music or download digital photos, consider instead the entry-level digital media player, which is basically a portal that links your A/V system and your PC-or, in this rare case, your Mac. The dedicated multimedia servers and IP products at CEDIA cost thousands of dollars, a pricey way to acquaint yourself with the technologies. Someday, they'll kill us all-but hey, we'll probably be gone by then, so let's talk about how IP can enhance your home theater experience. First, the computers took over our offices now they're invading our entertainment space. If your eyes tend to gloss over when your computer-savvy friends toss around words like IP, network, and Ethernet, I've got some bad news for you: You can run, but you can't hide. It's safe to say that convergence really has invaded every part of the home theater arena. At this year's CEDIA Expo, two technologies ruled the day: A/V servers and Internet Protocol (IP).
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