Since many kinds of TV can deliver the high-def experience, choosing a set often comes down to finding one that fits your budget and has the right screen and cabinet size. Here are the four most common ways of producing a high-def picture.
One way to improve the performance you get out of your home theater is with a component that can be adjusted in so many ways, you can enhance the whole system just by setting it up right. That's what Denon's hyperadjustable DVD-3910 does for multichannel music and movie soundtracks.
Ever since "universal" DVD players first appeared, I've waited patiently for prices to come down and for the flood of Super Audio CD and DVD-Audio titles initially promised to arrive. Well, the flood never came - I've got Yes's Fragile on DVD-Audio and Miles Davis's Kind of Blue on SACD, but I'm still waiting on the Beatles' Sgt.
One of the best things about home theater is the thrilling realism and impact that surround sound brings to the experience. Having a great sound system can make the difference between just watching TV and feeling like you're in a movie theater, immersed in the onscreen action. But what kind of surround setup is best for you?
Telarc has released the Berlioz Requiem on a five-channel Super Audio CD. Why should you care? Because fans of surround sound are always looking for showpieces.
They say memories are precious. Well, if that's the case, why do so many of us have years of treasured moments captured on videotapes gathering dust in closets? Recordable DVDs would make a better resting place for your home videos.
1. SMALL WONDERS Most multimedia speakers make audiophiles laugh, but the Spherex 5.1 Surround Sound System ($500) - based on Mirage's critically acclaimed Omnisat 6 home theater speakers (reviewed in "Thinking Outside the Box II," May 2003) - is worth a serious listen.
Sure, it's great to be an "early adopter" of new technology. You get to play with the latest, coolest gear before any of your oh-so-20th-century friends, and you can learn about new trends as they emerge, transforming yourself into a thundering bore . . . er, valued cocktail-party guest.
MiniDV is the most popular camcorder format even though you still have to endure that quaint ritual of rewinding tape. But the days of stringing out digital bits on tape are numbered.