Ethernet and WiFi allow devices in a converged home to connect to the internet through a router. Ethernet uses wired connections following standards for networking at the physical and data link layers, while WiFi provides wireless internet without cables by connecting devices to access points within a hotspot range. Personal video recorders like the PVR store broadcast programs to watch later by digitally recording to local storage. Current MP3 players require USB to download music but future models will directly connect to the internet using available wireless connections like WiFi.

1. How Media Convergence Works
Ethernet
WiFi
Personal Video Recorder (PVR)
MP3 player (with WiFi connection)

2. Ethernet
All the devices in the converged home connect to the Internet
thought the router, using a wired connection. Most of as are
using Ethernet.
Ethernet is a family of frame-based computer networking
technologies for local area networks (LAN). The name came
from the physical concept of the ether. It defines a number of
wiring and signaling standards for the Physical Layer of the
OSI networking model as well as a common addressing format
and Media Access Control at the Data Link Layer.

3. WiFi
We also use WiFi to connect to the Internet without using cable.
Wi-Fi is a trademark of the Wi-Fi Alliance. A Wi-Fi enabled
device such as a personal computer, video game console,
smartphone or digital audio player can connect to the Internet
when within range of a wireless network connected to the
Internet. The coverage of one or more (interconnected) access
points — called hotspots — generally comprises an area the
size of a few rooms but may be expanded to cover many
square miles, depending on the number of access points with
overlapping coverage.

4. Personal Video Recorder (PVR)
After a slow start, the Personal Video Recorder (PVR) is finally
catching on. These devices store your favorite programs when
they are broadcast so that you can watch them later.
A digital video recorder (DVR) or personal video recorder (PVR)
is a consumer electronics device or application software that
records video in a digital format to a disk drive, USB flash
drive, SD memory card or other local or networked mass
storage device.

5. MP3 player (with WiFi connection)
Current-generation MP3 players require a USB connection to
your PC to download music, but the next generation of players
will connect directly to the Internet, using available
connection.
A digital audio player, shortened to DAP, MP3 player or, rarely,
as an OGG player, is a consumer electronic device that stores,
organizes and plays digital audio files. In contrast, analog
audio players play music from cassette tapes, or records.
Portable devices that also play video and text are referred to as
portable media players.

6. Reference
• Wikipedia
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Main_Page
• Google Picture Search
http://www.google.co.jp/webhp?hl=ja
• HOW NETWORKS WORK
Frank Derfler Jr. Les Freed