The complete guide to multi-room entertainment

Unless you have an iPod permanently strapped to you head, chances are there are going to be plenty of times in the day when you, your music and your movies just aren't in the same place at the same time.

The solution, of course, is to pick up a multi-room system than enables you, your family and friends to enjoy your content whenever, wherever and however they choose.

To get your started here's our take on three different options available: from pocket change starter systems to dedicated multi-room AV gear.

Option 1 - The entry-level multi-room system

At its most basic, multi-room entails piping music (even video) from one location in your home to another - or better still to multiple rooms at the same time.

Luckily there are plenty of media adapters available that enable you to do just that - typically streaming content stored on your Mac or PC to a hi-fi located elsewhere.

One of the best examples we've come across is Logitech's Squeezebox Classic (£179), but we also like Apple's AirPort Express http://www.apple.com/uk/airportexpress/features/airtunes.html (£79), which enables you to take advantage of a feature built-in to iTunes called AirTunes - it works in exactly the same way.

For true multi-room you'll need to add a digital media adaptor for every room in which you want to listen - and also have a local hi-fi or home cinema amp with a spare set of inputs.

The other problem at this level is that you also lose central control - you can't easily start and shut down all the devices at once or move sound around from room to room remotely

EASY APPLE: Apple's AirPort Express is a self-contained Wi-Fi router and music streamer - just hook it up to your home stereo and then enable AirTunes within iTunes on your Mac or PC

SQUEEZEBOX CLASSIC: The Logitech Squeezebox Classic enables you to stream music stored on your computer to a hi-fi in a second room. It's easy to set up and use and comes with its own remote control