Computer network hardware manufacturer Netgear has joined the race to dominate the living room, unveiling a new product that will let users access pictures, music and video from anywhere in their wireless home network.

Released Wednesday, the Netgear Wireless Digital Media Player does not require a computer for playback. Instead, users can listen and view multimedia through their television set and home entertainment system.

The unit comes with built-in software and a remote control that allows for use anywhere where there is a television, as long as it is within range of the wireless network.

"Now, even average users can experience their entire collection of digital content in full glory without being tied to a PC," Vivek Pathela, Netgear Director of Product Management said.

By using software located on a networked PC, a user can choose what media he or she wants to make available through the Netgear player. Netgear has built in support for all major standard audio and picture formats. However, those wishing to play video may be disappointed to find that the new player only plays MPEG files - meaning videos made in programs such as Windows Movie Maker will not play.

The Netgear Wireless Digital Media Player will retail for a price of $220 USD.