Panasonic TH-50PHD7UY 50" Plasma HDTV
- Gorgeous picture, true HDTV, 3000:1 contrast.

If you read our monitor buying guide, then you already know 2004 is the year of the flat panel display. In fact, many of the same aspects for evaluating a LCD monitor apply to flat panel televisions, though we recommend plasma instead of liquid crystal. Plasma TV's using an HD source literally appear as though you're looking through a window at the real thing.

We recommend the Panasonic TH-50PHD7UY 50-inch Plasma HDTV. This is not a budget HDTV, but we consider it to be a very good value given the image quality. The black-level performance is excellent, offering great contrast. Use it to display images from your TV, DVD player, HDTV tuner, or your PC, in amazing quality.

The key to purchasing a plasma television is its maximum supported resolution. Why spend thousands to purchase a high-end display to find its picture quality is only slightly better than the average tube television? High Definition support is a must. HDTV formats are given as a number and a letter, such as 720p or 1080i. These indicate the lines of vertical resolution in the image and whether the image is progressive scan or interlaced (in progressive scan, the whole picture is drawn at once offering smoother motion, while in interlaced, the lines of the image are drawn in two passes). The more lines, the more life-like and crisp the image will be, in general. If you want to enjoy your TV, you need to watch video sources that supply 480p, 720p or 1080i formats, and the image quality looks best in that order (most major cities have over the air HDTV network broadcasts - you'll need an HDTV tuner and a UHF antenna to pick these up).

Be careful about buying plasma TV's that support a maximum resolution of 852x480. These sets will accept 720p and 1080i signals but may not do them justice. If you only plan to watch DVD movies on your plasma TV, these 852x480 sets are fine, but for best results with HDTV broadcasts in 1080i or 720p, a plasma TV with 1024x768 or higher is preferred.

Tivo TCD540040 40-Hour DVR
- Watch TV when it's convenient for you.

Tell Tivo to record your favorite shows (like the whole season of "The Apprentice"), and the episodes will be waiting for you whenever you want to watch. Also pause/rewind live TV. Don't forget about the $100 rebate from Tivo (requires activation)! Tivo requires a subscription at $12.95/month - it's worth it!

Hughes HR10-250 DirecTV w/ HDTV Tivo
- DirecTV Tivo with HD recording.

Not just Tivo, Tivo in HD! With the HR10-250, you can record your favorite shows in glorious High Definition 1080i. This recorder is a DirecTV unit with an HD Tivo built-in, and features 250GB of hard drive space for 200 hours of recording (200 SD, or 30 HD).

Audiovox Sirius SIRPNP2 Satellite Radio
- Commercial free digital radio from space.

At home or in the car, listen to 120 crystal-clear Satellite radio channels 100% commercial free. Great for music, talk-radio, sports (listen to every national NFL game) - good remote and easy to read display.

Philips DVP642 Progressive Scan Media Player
- Quality DVD player with 480p output.

Sure, you can buy a $30 DVD player at your local swap meet, but given the slightest abuse its likely to fall apart. Spend the extra few dollars for a brand name player, preferably with progressive scan support for quality HDTV display. Can play just about any video format.

Lite-On LVW-5005 Progressive Scan DVD Recorder
- Record your own DVD's.

If you want to take DVD technology to the next level, then a DVD recorder is a great idea for your home entertainment system. Unlike aging VHS tapes that degrade over time, DVD discs deliver the same digital video recording for years of reliable playback. Check out our full review of the LVW-5005 over at TechIMO.

Microsoft Xbox Console Gaming System
- High-end gaming console.

No home entertainment system is complete without a console gaming system, especially for entertaining the kids during those long, boring weekends. Game selection is abundant - from mild puzzles to first person shooters.