Sony
You’ll see TV in a different light the moment you turn on Sony’s KF-60DX100 Grand Wega HDTV monitor. The 60-inch rear-projection set uses a novel design in which light passes through three XGA LCD panels and is then focused onscreen by a wide-angle lens system. The 16:9 screen’s antireflective layer is said to reflect 80% less light than conventional rear-projection screens for a higher-contrast picture. A built-in scaler converts standard interlaced signals to progressive scan with 2:3 pulldown processing. The set contains an NTSC tuner but must be used with an outboard HDTV tuner. With both, you can watch a high-def program beside an analog one. There are two component-, four composite-, and three S-video inputs. The Grand Wega measures 63 3/4 x 43 1/2 x 21 3/8 inches and weighs 132 pounds. Price: $8,000. www.sonystyle.com, 800-222-7669

Wharfedale
Designed to be seen as much as heard, Wharfedale’s Zaldek speaker line comprises seven models. There are center, surround, and subwoofer designs as well as the flagship Zaldek 2000 tower (shown), which combines dual 8-inch polypropylene-coated woofers with a horn-loaded tweeter and midrange driver. Frequency response is rated as 30 Hz to 20 kHz –6 dB, sensitivity as 91 dB. The 9 1/8 x 39 x 12 3/8-inch MDF cabinet is finished in black with a titanium-color baffle and port that complement the metallic-blue woofer cones. Price: $600 a pair. www.iagamerica.com, 781-440-0888

Zenith
You’ll have a tough time finding a DVD player with progressive-scan video that’s cheaper than Zenith’s DVB216. Besides sending progressive signals through its component-video output, the Zenith player can read CD-Rs, CD-RWs, and discs with MP3 files. Composite- and S-video connections round out your video options, and you get both optical and coaxial digital audio outputs. An attractive silver finish makes it look pricier than it is, and a backlit universal remote control is included. Price: $160. www.zenith.com, 847-391-7000

Atlantic Technology
With its up-to-the-minute decoding capabilities, including Dolby Digital EX and DTS-ES (Matrix and Discrete), Atlantic Technology’s first preamp/ processor, the P-2000, is ready for home theaters with two back surround speakers in addition to the usual five satellites plus subwoofer. Besides Dolby Pro Logic II and DTS Neo:6 processing, which can provide 5.1-channel output from two- and four-channel sources, the preamp features Cirrus Extra Surround processing, which can do that plus derive a back surround channel. And if you have a DVD-Audio or Super Audio CD player, the receiver provides bass management for its six-channel analog audio input. There are seven S-video inputs and two component-video inputs as well as outputs for a second zone. A backlit remote control is supplied. Price: $1,699. www.atlantictechnology.com, 781-762-6300

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