Aside from the setup guide's failure to address this issue, however, the lack of a second set of analog cables may not be as stingy as it sounds: Many HDTVs do come with component cables that sit unused because HDMI does deliver superior quality. Check your set's manual to see if there should be one kicking around someplace, or pay a few dollars to get the second set of cables. Also, you can still enjoy the superior quality of digital video once you finish the setup routine: Simply keep the HDMI connection between the set-top box and the TV, and use the HDMI input as the TV's video source.

You must also connect the Vulkano Flow to your home network. I ran an ethernet cable between its gigabit ethernet port and a free port on a HomePlug AV switch, but the Flow also has integrated support for 802.11n Wi-Fi. However, I experienced problems trying to watch TV remotely over a Wi-Fi connection, especially when the remote connection also used Wi-Fi. In general, I strongly recommend using a wired connection for streaming media.

Once all the connections are in place and you've plugged the Flow's AC cord into a wall outlet, you must switch the TV to the input the Flow uses, and then complete setup through either the PC or Mac software player. The player detects the presence of a Flow on the network and prompts you to give it a name and a password. You must also enter your location and cable or satellite service provider, so that the unit can download the appropriate electronic program guide.

You must specify the brand and model of your set-top box so that the software players can control the set through virtual remotes that prompt the Flow to send commands via infrared, the same way an actual remote does. The Vulkano Flow can emit infrared signals on its own, but if the box doesn't respond to them (mine didn't), you can plug in an included infrared blaster cable to focus the signals more precisely.

With the blaster connected, my set-top box responded accurately to all commands sent from my players. But several seconds of lag always occur, during which the player screen blacks out as it processes the command and buffers content. This can be particularly annoying when you are using a virtual jog wheel to scroll through menus embedded in other menus. You have to wait several seconds for each and every scrolling operation, so it can take half a minute or more to get to a program choice, for example.