If you've ever spent a weekend wrestling with a recalcitrant media server, you'll be relieved to hear that there's a much simpler alternative.

Essentially a hard drive enclosure with video firmware, DViCO's TViX connects to your PC's USB 2.0 port and acts as a mass storage device. The capacity depends upon the hard drive in the unit itself--our review sample came with an 80GB drive, but you can buy the bare unit and easily add your own.

Copying your media files across is as simple as dragging and dropping them into the corresponding folder on the TViX. You can then carry it over to your TV, hook it up with the comprehensive AV ports at the rear and play them back.

Most of the major media file types and codecs are supported (including DivX and XviD), but Windows Media Video (WMV) isn't supported--a limitation of the Sigma EM8510 chipset. Nor can the TViX play ISO image files or .TS digital TV recordings like the Mvisto can. However, if you've created your own DVD movies, these can be copied across and played back, complete with menus. Upscaling of standard definition content for HD displays (1080i) is also supported.

The TViX's most important asset is its simplicity. It does what it does with the minimum of fuss, with no network expertise required. The TViX is an excellent product, although we'd like to see more extensive file support, as well as support for Ethernet, in future versions.