6.SOURCING OUT
The most important component in any home theater, aside from the receiver, is the DVD player. Since you’re likely to be watching a lot of DVDs, buying a $49 player isn’t the way to go. Go for a model that supports progressive-scan (480p) playback, and look for something called “2:3 pulldown,” which provides smoother playback of material transferred from film to video — which includes just about any movie DVD. If your TV has a DVI or HDMI input, consider a player that can take advantage of these all-digital video connections. These players can upconvert the DVD signal to HDTV-like resolution. If you have a large collection of music downloads, look for a player that supports the MP3 or WMA format. For topnotch sound, seek out models that can also play multichannel DVD-Audio or Super Audio CD (SACD) discs — their surround sound mixes can provide a thrilling experience rivaling a great movie soundtrack or live performance.

If you haven’t considered satellite radio, now’s the time to check out the Sirius and XM services. Hundreds of commercial-free, digital music stations sure would sound sweet on that new system. The only catch: it’ll cost you $13 a month.