A hardware engine that streams media asset data from a media buffer to a network under instructions provided by a host PC is disclosed. The PC preferably stores control blocks that provide packet header formatting instructions in a media buffer along with the media asset data to be streamed. In a preferred embodiment, the hardware engine comprises programmable logic devices so that the engine can be upgraded. The present invention further comprises methods for designing the hardware engine, methods for upgrading the hardware engine, and methods for streaming digital media asset data.