Connecting your PlayStation 3 to a wireless network is the first step to joining in the world of online gaming. Almost all versions of the PS3 (all except the 20GB) have a built-in wireless capability. Many of today's most popular games operate entirely over online game servers and those that don't usually have an option for online game play.

When you add friends on the Wii, you connect your Wii consoles to each other. Adding Wii friends enables you to play games with (or against) them. You can also send messages, chat, share photos, and even talk them (if you both have a Wii Speak Microphone). The Wii allows you to store up to 20 friends in your Wii Address Book by registering their friend codes.

With the Xbox 360's outstanding graphics card and a high-speed Internet connection, you have everything you need to stream Netflix videos directly to a TV. No need to wait for a DVD to arrive in the mail. The only other thing you need to get started is a Gold Netflix account. Within minutes you can be watching Netflix’s vast collection of movies and TV shows using your Xbox 360.

Connect your Wii to a wireless network to play against online gamers around the world or locally. Using the Wii and your wireless network, you can also browse the Internet, share pictures, chat with friends, or read e-mail. All you need to get started is a wireless access point.Turn off all your network equipment (modem and router), as well as the Wii.

It's fun to take a tour of the Xbox 360 console. In the front, you find memory slots, the disc drawer, and more. Around back, check out the power supply socket, AV cable socket, and Ethernet port. When you're familiar with all the plugs and inputs, including the USB connections, you can plug in all your accessories in a jiffy.

Every Xbox 360 can play DVD movies right out of the box — with no additional parts necessary. Watching a movie on the Xbox 360 is a straightforward process. If you have Xbox 360, you probably don't need a separate DVD player. Console operation It's easy to start a DVD movie with Xbox 360: The movie is loaded automatically if you do either of the following:• Pop the DVD into the tray (like a game disc) • Switch the console power on with a DVD in the drive If you have a movie in the drive when you're using the Dashboard, you can pick the Play DVD option from the bottom of any of the blades.

Xbox 360 allows two types of audio connections: analog and digital.Both analog and digital audio connections can give you surround sound or stereo sound, depending on the sound system that you use with your Xbox 360 console. Remember, your Xbox 360 audio setup applies to both games and DVD videos. The Xbox 360 audio connection that you should use depends on the sound system that you connect to your Xbox 360 console: Digital audio is the best option if you have both of the following:• A sound system with a Toslink digital audio input • A Toslink audio cable (which you can get from most stores that sell Toslink-equipped sound systems) Toslink is the optical version of SPDIF (Sony/Philips Digital Interconnect Format) digital audio.

Each parent makes different decisions about what games his or her children play and the movies they watch. If you're worried about your kids making that decision without your input, you might want to investigate the Xbox 360 parental controls. The parental control system blocks access to material rated beyond certain limits by requiring a password.

Each member of your family can have his or her own profile on the Xbox 360. This way, players can keep their own scores, game saves, and Xbox Live information separate. Players can't share an Xbox Live Gold account at the same time. If you want to play on Xbox Live at the same time, you probably need more Gold accounts (unless you're playing a game that allows multiple players on the same home console).