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One highlight of the Custom Electronic Design & Installation Association's annual Expo is the Garden of High Definition Delights. Flagship HDTVs from nearly every manufacturer are lined up in this large, darkened space, all displaying pristine high-def images. You can call up programming on any set to compare performance with identical source material.

Although flat-panel LCD TVs have been hanging around even longer than plasma models, their small-size screens have garnered less attention. But things changed in the past year: LCD TVs started zooming up in size, undoing the myth that the technology is good only for small displays in the kitchen, bedroom, or office.

Sharp continues to explore the frontier of what's possible in high-definition LCDs. The company recently announced a new flagship Aquos model, the 45" widescreen LC-45GX6U. The unit is based on Sharp's "next-generation" liquid crystal display panels.

It's hard to find home theater-related products on the convention floor at the twice-per-year Audio Engineering Society (<A HREF="http://www.aes.org">AES</A>) gathering. It was therefore a treat to discover a fascinating cinema sound system at San Francisco's Moscone Center during the society's recent meeting there, October 28&ndash;30.