In previous newsletters I've highlighted ways that home network users can watch and/or store TV content through their home net without having to give in to the Microsoft Windows Media PC way of thinking (see editorial links on the right).

Two more products have recently hit the market that take different approaches but have the same goal: letting users access TV content through existing broadband connections and a home network.

The first, Plextor, recently announced the ConvertX PX-TV100U Personal Video Recorder, an external device that connects to a TV source (cable, satellite or antenna) to record shows and then connects to a PC (Windows 2000 or XP) via USB 2.0 to store the recordings. The $99 device is available at retailers or the Plextor Web site. Click here for a picture.

The system comes with SageTV Lite software, which includes a free three-day integrated electronic programming guide (EPG) so users don't have to subscribe to a monthly service in order to find out what's coming up on TV (Tivo and other PVRs charge monthly fees to access two or more weeks of TV listings, plus search software to help users find what they want to watch).

The PX-TV100U also lets users capture home movies and other video content from a camcorder, VCR or DVD player, and move it to the PC via the composite or S-video connection. The system includes Ulead VideoStudio authoring software to let users record stored TV and video content onto a CD or DVD in several formats.

I tested the second product, Slingbox from Sling Media. Slingbox acts as an intermediary between a TV source (again cable, satellite, antenna, cable box or even a Tivo or similar recorder) and a router (wired or wireless) via Ethernet, wireless or powerline. Once connected, the Slingbox lets a PC user (Windows XP only at the moment) watch TV content from any broadband connection – whether the PC is inside the house or halfway around the world.

In my tests, I was able to watch television content in any room of the house where my wireless Ethernet could reach. I then went to the local Barnes & Noble and watched part of a Red Sox game through their public wireless hot spot. I can't wait to travel to a different time zone and hook up a PC and watch local TV through the hotel's broadband system.