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Still not ready for Plasma or LCD? Joel Brinkley plugs in the <A HREF="/directviewandptvtelevisions/104sony">Sony Wega KV-3XBR910 direct-view HDTV</A> to determine if one of most expensive 34" CRT HDTVs is worth the investment.

Nordost
When only the best will do, use Nordost's new line of A/V power cords, specifically their flagship product, the Valhalla. This power cord is designed for use with just about all of your components: preamps, power amps, CD players, SACD and DVD players, video projectors, and other display devices. According to the company, its line of power cables offers improved signal speed, better power transfer, and increased thermal efficiency. The Valhalla boasts a propagation speed of 90 percent. Like the company's other models, the Valhalla power cords use 99.9 percent oxygen-free copper conductors for better power transfer and performance. The Valhalla also uses 70 microns of extruded silver over the conductors. Two meters will cost you $2,500, and additional 1-meter increments are $500.
Nordost Corporation
(508) 881-1116
www.nordost.com

<I>Avery Brooks, Rene Auberjonois, Terry Farrell, Cirroc Lofton, Colm Meaney, Armin Shimerman, Alexander Siddig, Nana Visitor. Aspect ratio: 4:3. Dolby Digital 5.1 (English), Dolby Surround 2.0 (English). 54 hours 31 minutes. 1992&ndash;1995. Paramount Home Video 056454, 05893, 05894. NR. $139.99 per season. </I>

We glimpse the shape of things to come.

Last fall, the editors of Home Theater beat a path to our industry's CEDIA Expo to see and be seen, as we do every year. This time around, we were surprised by the opportunity to witness the bona fide evolution of entertainment gear. We learned the names of three manufacturers (and so will you) whose creations—each multizone-friendly and high-end in its own fashion—bring next-generation features to the home theater and beyond. At press time, these products were still too new for a full hands-on review, so we'll share what we do know thus far.