LATEST ADDITIONS

Recently I visited a friend's home. Since we're music buddies, we listened to some music. That entire weekend, I didn't see him touch a single CD or LP. Instead he picked up his remote and commanded his Slingbox to summon music from an upstairs PC. Looks as though a lot of other people have the same idea. According to a Slingbox executive, 70 percent of users use Slingbox as a home networking device. What is odd is that they use it only that way, ignoring its outside-the-home possibilities.

The real collectors' version of the new Star Trek movie might not be some multi-disc Blu-ray release. It might not even be high-def. British media shopping site Play.com has posted a limited edition Star Trek USB drive. Each drive is a 4...

Price: $2,400 at A Glance: Excellent color, detail, blacks, and frame interpolation • Mediocre shadow detail • THX mode not as close to correct as it should be

Black Is Back

As you no doubt know by now, LCD HDTVs command the lion’s share of the flat-panel market, outpacing plasma by a wide margin. This is due, at least in part, to the fact that LCDs are generally brighter than plasmas, which draws more attention on the showroom floor. They also consume less power, which makes them the greener choice.

Despite the down economy, one thing's up. Customer satisfaction with TV providers has improved markedly for all types. Telcos lead the list but satisfaction is also up for satellite and cable providers.