Zap to It

Tired of having your computer stand in for a stereo? Hankering to download Net media straight to your TV? It's time to consolidate your home-entertainment system and take advantage of all the screaming, streaming, and digitizing out there. The ZapStation Internet appliance from ZapMedia, available this December, is a broadband-connected component that does it all. It plays CDs, DVDs, and MP3s, and it allows you to download digital movies, streaming audio, and streaming video, then play your selections on your TV or stereo -- all through a handy remote-controlled TV interface. You can store it all locally, on your ZapStation -- up to 10,000 MP3 songs and 20 hours of digital video -- or remotely, on the ZapMedia Portal. You can also access the Net, and read and write email messages, on your TV screen -- all for $599. Visit ZapMedia on the Web (www.zapmedia.com).