It was one of those quotes that stays with you forever.

In 1997, I was talking with Ed McMahon of "Tonight Show" and "Star Search Fame," when he said one simple word: "Convergence." He was talking about how computers, the Internet and entertainment would become one.

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During the course of our conversation (and several subsequent conversations over the next few years) his booming voice used the word repeatedly and emphatically as if commanding me: "David, convergence!"

The word took on a life of its own -- but around us, convergence was having its problems. Lots of companies tried to merge entertainment and the Internet -- but few of them survive today. Even Mr. McMahon's company, NextBigStar.com, which conducted a "Star Search" style show over the Internet, couldn't make it over the hump. A visit to his old domain now brings up one of those annoying link lists from somebody taking advantage of Mr. McMahon's fame and idea.

Yet, his prediction is finally coming true. TV networks, music companies and chip manufacturers are getting together to live the vision of a converged entertainment environment.

As important as that convergence is, the one happening in your family room could have a bigger impact, as your PC, TV, stereo and portable entertainment devices are coming together.

TiVo took us far beyond videotape by allowing us to connect a box to our TV sets to record our favorite shows by looking them up in a guide, then playing them at any time -- we even can watch the beginning of a show as it is still recording.

But it's the connection between the PC and the TV that's really going to change the way families are entertained because together they are likely to become an entertainment hub for the entire home.

Imagine having a single remote control that can change TV channels, play music, start a slide show of family photos as well as play videos, whether they are Hollywood releases or home movies of the family vacation. The output devices could be any or all of the TVs in the home, the PC monitor, stereo or all of them simultaneously. With a little bit of ingenuity, some of these items can even be shared with friends and family in other cities.

I first saw the concept in action when touring the prototype home of the future on Microsoft's campus in Redmond, Wash. At the time, I thought the multimedia PC was more show than business. But it has hit the market and is likely to change the way we entertain ourselves -- if not now, in the near future.

It all becomes possible with a Windows Media Center PC, which includes a TV tuner, good graphics and sound card, DVD drive, plenty of memory and a special version of Windows XP called the Windows Media Center Edition. I've been using a Hewlett Packard m7170n, which comes standard with all the required hardware and software, as well as a fast processor and plenty of memory. That way I still can work on the PC while somebody else is using it for entertainment.

Hook the Media Center PC into your home network, attach the outputs to the TV and stereo, the inputs to the cable TV and make sure it's Internet enabled. A few minutes of setup and you're ready to go.

On top of the normal PC capabilities, the Media Center PC offers a simple, large-font menu that controls the entertainment. Clicking on "My TV" allows you to record your favorite shows or series, watch live TV or find upcoming movies in almost any genre. Clicking on "My Pictures" lets you call up any collection of digital photos that you have stored on disk, and watch them as a slide show on your computer monitor or TV screen. You even can zoom in on parts of each picture using your remote control. Or select "Radio" to tune in your favorite FM station. (I don't know why many new devices don't include AM radio, which leaves out a lot of news, sports and talk stations.)

More than meets the eye

You can also set up the Media Center for other entertainment software, including games, video editing and synchronizing with your iPod or other portable music player.

The Media Center interface is so easy that almost anybody should be able to pick up a mouse or the Media Center remote control to use it. It's much easier than a standard PC, and the menu floats to show you the part you need.

If you really want to impress your friends, add Media Center Communicator from One Voice Technologies. This program will allow you to voice commands to your PC. "OneVoice, play album -- 'Abbey Road'" or "OneVoice, TV Channel 11." It reminds me of Ali Baba saying, "Open sesame."

One of the biggest shortcomings of a Media Center PC is that it must be close to your TV to wire them together. That can be corrected with an add-on unit called a Media Center Extender, currently made by Linksys. The Media Center Extender acts like a remote version of your Media Center PC, using your home network to pull the programming from your main Media Center PC, then showing it on your TV, no matter where in your home that TV is. You'll need one Extender for each TV or other remote device.

In most cases, the Media Center Extender is just like watching a local recording -- but occasionally it overpowers the network and your recording becomes choppy for a few frames until the technology straightens it out.

The faster the network, the less choppiness you'll encounter. A slow wireless network (802.11b) doesn't give you an acceptable viewing experience. A faster (802.11g) wireless network is better; and a fast wired network (100Mbps) is best.

The Media Center Extender doesn't yet play DVDs from your PC's DVD drive. So if you want to play DVDs, you'll need to either connect your Media Center PC directly to your TV -- or keep your traditional DVD player attached.

From my experience, you'll want at least one Media Center Extender in your network. The more rooms in which you watch TV, the more Extenders you'll want to add.

Finally, if you want to simultaneously play one TV show while you record a different TV show (or record two different channels simultaneously), you'll need to add a second TV tuner to your Media Center PC configuration -- a worthwhile addition.

How your family reacts

Your kids will take to the new system quickly -- especially the easy-to-use, feature-laden TV interface, which is similar to a TiVo or a cable DVR. Beyond that, it'll be a voyage of discovery.

You won't need a manual, since it is so easy to use. But you will find yourself relying many times on old familiar devices -- like your DVD player and VCR -- until you get used to your new capabilities. The technophobes in your family also may prefer their old remote control to the new Media Center remote with its extra buttons.

Let the newness settle down, and the experience will become natural. It just takes time -- just like any other major change in lifestyle.