PC World has recently launched a major new initiative, The Connected Home.

The aim is to show consumers what entertainment benefits they can get from having their PC at the heart of the home.

The high street giant is working closely with Microsoft on this initiative, as it places a Media Center PC at the hub of the connected home network

The service is then designed around this, using what PC World calls a professional sourcing and home installation service rather than leaving the consumer to put something together in piecemeal fashion.

A connected home however doesn't come cheap – for example for £3,500, a customer can get a projector, a projector screen (automated with remote control), amplifier, 5.1 speaker system, the Media Center PC and all the necessary cabling to hook these up.

But even for this price, it only connects one room; prices rise quite steeply if people want high-definition equipment and other rooms connected.

However, the customer doesn’t have to worry about installation and PC World will guarantee support for two years and an in-home check every six months. A better idea of what is on offer can be gained from a website outlining this initiative that the company has set up.

PC World said the warranty also provides accidental damage cover and on-site engineer attendance within 24 hours. Even with this help, getting your head around what is needed and what it would cost to get a truly connected home is still a minefield.

As more companies are likely to follow PC World into this arena, Computeractive is looking at this issue in our Active Home section in issue 228 out on 9 November.