Sony's PlayStation3 is looking like a better deal all the time. The latest revelation is that the Blu-ray Disc based game console will include the ability to decode up to 7.1-channels of Dolby TrueHD. TrueHD is a so-called "lossless" audio codec that attains compression rates as high as 4:1, but reconstructs the original signal bit-for-bit on playback. Although there have been delays announced for the European availability of PS3, the premium version of the console is due to hit US stores on November 17th at a price of $599.
ALL ABOARD Now that your PC is full of photos, music, and videos (all legally downloaded, of course), they need a place to be appreciated. HP's MediaSmart LCD TV lets them bust out on its 37-inch display, streaming all your PC goodies through your home network or a Wi-Fi connection.
SINGULAR SOUND Ever thought you'd see the day when you could harness the sound of a home theater from a single box? That day is today if you have the ZVOX 325, which crams an entire speaker system - amps, drivers, and sound processing - into one 17-inch-wide component.
SHAKING IT ALL Ah, subwoofers ... love the boom, hate the bulk. You can get your sub out of sight with Artison's RCC 600 in-wall model, which boldly promises bass performance as good as that of a 12-inch floor-standing model.
BAR NONE You can't stand black bars on your screen, but you still want to watch movies as the directors intended. DVDO's VP20 video processor might offer you a decent compromise, as its Precision Video Scaling II can scale the horizontal and vertical aspects of the picture independently.
PADDED UP You've got a souped-up multiroom system - don't settle for a low-tech keypad. Elan's Olè suspends a touch-sensitive button membrane above a backlit slide graphic to give the illusion of a touchpad without the crazy expense of one.
MORE SCREEN, LESS SET Got space issues with your TV? Before you go running to a flat-panel, have a look at this DLP from Samsung that's just barely over 10 inches deep. That's thin enough to put on your bedroom dresser, and the ultrathin bezel will ensure you see nothing but the 1,280 x 720-pixel (720p) screen.
GOING DOWN Are you tired of budget home theater speaker systems with dinky "subwoofers" that aren't even worthy of the name? Cast your eyes on the PB10-NSD sub that comes with SVS's SBS-01 system - a 10-inch driver and a 300-watt amp fill out its nearly 2-foot-deep chassis. Ready to go boom?
CLEAR SHOT You'll be able to capture detail that most other camcorders never see when you shoot footage with Canon's HV10. Everything is recorded in the 1080i high-def format thanks to a 1,920 x 1,080-pixel CMOS image sensor, said to be quicker on the draw and more power-efficient than typical CCD sensors. It probably gets more dates, too.
FIRST-CLASS SEAT Leather seats, power reclining, 5-inch-thick cushions - the home theater seats custom-made by Elite HTS bestow luxury viewing on the serious enthusiast. Details like scratch-resistant cup holders and a "wall-hugging" reclining mechanism that needs just 4 inches of clearance behind make all the difference.