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There is no doubt in home theater enthusiasts' minds that high definition television (HDTV) offers far superior picture quality compared to standard definition television (SDTV). So, apart from movie studio piracy concerns, why is it taking so long to roll out more HD content? In a word, bandwidth. HDTV requires substantially more bandwidth than SDTV, which forces broadcasters to consider cutting back SDTV content to make room for high-def.

Plasma screens are among the most promising current video technologies. Most consumers who’ve seen them say they'll buy—when the prices drop.

Until recently, the beer-budget options available for equipping a home theater with a projection system were severely limited. You either bought used or you settled for a projector designed primarily to serve the business market. Both approaches saved money, but neither was ideal. You can luck out buying used gear—a car holds its value far longer than a video projector—but you can also get burned. A business projector can perform reasonably well at home, but it won't be optimized for home applications and often lacks important features, such as full control of aspect ratio.

<I>Directed by Chris Hilson. Aspect ratio: 1.85:1 (anamorphic). Dolby Digital 5.1, Dolby Surround, PCM 16-bit/48kHz. Two DVDs. 180 minutes. 2001. Columbia Music Video C2D 54071. NR. $29.98.</I>