Digital Trends

Got an Xbox 360? Use it to connect all the video, photos, and music on your home network and view them on your TV. In this step-by-step guide, we'll show you how to set up a UPnP sever on any Windows or Mac computer so the Xbox can access it, and then how to connect and browse your media. That way, when friends come over with their laptops, they can connect to your network and play their digital media too.

To prepare, make sure your Xbox 360 is connected to your network either by Ethernet cable or by using the Xbox 360 Wireless Networking Adapter. From the Xbox's main menu, go to the Media tab and sign into your user account by selecting the Sign In button at the top.

WINDOWS XP/VISTA

1) Fire up Windows Media Player 11 on your PC. Make sure your computer is connected to your home network and that you know your network's name and password (unless it's an open network).

2) Set up Media Sharing for Xbox by clicking on the arrow below the Library tab and choosing "Media Sharing…" from the dropdown menu.

3) In the window that comes up, check the "Share my media to:" box and highlight the Xbox 360 icon in the pane below. Click Allow, and then OK.

4) On the Xbox 360, go to the Media tab and select Music, Pictures, or Videos. Then press the X button on the controller to change the source. Choose your computer from the list on the left -- chances are it'll be the only other option besides "Console" that's not grayed out.

5) Once the Xbox 360 connects to your computer's UPnP server, you can browse and play all the media in your Windows Media Player library on your PC.

You can also use the Xbox 360 as a Windows Media Center Extender, which essentially mirrors your computer's Windows Media Center interface on your TV screen. From the Media tab, select Media Center and follow the onscreen instructions. It requires a software install on your PC and takes just a couple minutes.

Read on to figure learn how to use your Apple Mac with the Xbox 360.