Features

Plasma vs. LCD
Our first flat-TV smackdown puts two popular technologies to the test.

Beyond DVD
The high-def Blu-ray and HD DVD formats both want to be DVD's successor. Format war, anyone?

Setup Screwups
We diagnose five of the most common problems ailing home theaters — and prescribe the right medicine.

A Charles B. Wessler Production
A comedy producer's passion for movies and music extends to his home theater — and throughout his new house.

Back to Basics: How to Set Up Your Receiver
Our step-by-step guide will take your receiver from fresh-out-of-the-box to Control Central.

S&V Entertainment Awards
The Top 10 DVDs and CDs of 2004.

Test Reports

Spotlight: Traditional Values
You can get a great picture and save a bundle with classic three-tube HDTVs from Mitsubishi, RCA, and Zenith.

Spotlight: DVD Diversity
Recorders from Sony, Philips, and JVC do much more than just burn DVDs.

Hitachi Exclusive!
42-inch plasma TV

Sony
DVP-NS975V DVD/SACD player

Boston Acoustics Exclusive!
Plasma Series home theater speaker system

Sonos Exclusive!
Multizone digital music system

Mirage Exclusive!
Nanosat home theater speaker system

Quick Take Exclusive!
Delphi MyFi: XM satellite radio in your pocket

Quick Take
Polk Audio XRt12 XM tuner

Entertainment

Movies
Seinfeld, I, Robot, Harry Potter 3, Short Cuts,
De-Lovely, Bob & Carol & Ted & Alice, more

Games
Call of Duty: Finest Hour plus sequels aplenty
— Metal Gear Solid 3, Bond, Star Wars, more

Music
U2, Gwen Stefani, Nirvana, Eminem, Le Tigre, Tom Waits, Destiny's Child, the Beatles, more

Departments & Columns

Track One Bob Ankosko
A note from the editor

Random Play
DualDisc arrives (sort of), 15 minutes with Kenny Wayne Shepherd, more

Tech Update
Does multichannel music have a future?

Feedback
Readers sound off

New Products
The latest home-entertainment gear

Q&A Ian G. Masters and Al Griffin
Your audio/video questions answered

Tech Talk David Ranada
Surround standards: better late than never

The Custom Installer John Sciacca
To err is human

Digital Horizons Ken C. Pohlmann
DVD-Audio, SACD: M.I.A.

The Connected House Eric Taub
Let's get together

BackTalk
Michael Richards on the Seinfeld DVD set, how he almost became Al Bundy, and more