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TiVo and ReplayTV haven't won vast numbers of converts, but those they have won swear by their digital video recorders (DVRs). Also known as personal video recorders (PVRs), these hard-disk–based devices are revolutionizing TV viewing as we've come to know it, allowing users to skip commercials, play "catch –up" with programs as they are recorded, perform seamless fast-forward and review, and free them from the tyranny of network scheduling.

More than a year of relentless campaigning to acquire DirecTV ultimately put EchoStar exactly back where it started, but patiently waiting in the wings has paid off handsomely for News Corp. and its CEO Rupert Murdoch.

Morel
You can't deny the appeal of twins, and Morel's new high-end Octwin speaker is no exception. The Octave/Octwin Series is a modular loudspeaker system based around the Ocatve unit, which houses a 5.25-inch rear-vented woofer and a 1.12-inch tweeter. The Octwin is simply a combination of two Octave units, which you can arrange vertically (as shown here) or horizontally to form a center-channel unit. The Octave's cabinet is made of Corian, a material that resembles marble but incorporates the acoustic qualities of more-traditional enclosure materials. Available in a black or white piano finish, a pair of Octaves costs $4,400, and a pair of Octwins costs $8,000.
Morel
(800) MOREL-14
www.morelhifi.com

Photo by Tony Cordoza All diagrams by Dimitry Schidlovsky except for the LCD which is by Mark Schrieder. Given that cathode-ray tubes (CRTs) provide the best pictures, why are so many companies moving away from tubes and into new technologies? Because that's how they can make the thinner and lighter TVs everybody's clamoring for.