OTHER TECH

MiniDV is the most popular camcorder format even though you still have to endure that quaint ritual of rewinding tape. But the days of stringing out digital bits on tape are numbered.

1. SMALL WONDERS Most multimedia speakers make audiophiles laugh, but the Spherex 5.1 Surround Sound System ($500) - based on Mirage's critically acclaimed Omnisat 6 home theater speakers (reviewed in "Thinking Outside the Box II," May 2003) - is worth a serious listen.

One of the best things about home theater is the thrilling realism and impact that surround sound brings to the experience. Having a great sound system can make the difference between just watching TV and feeling like you're in a movie theater, immersed in the onscreen action. But what kind of surround setup is best for you?

Since many kinds of TV can deliver the high-def experience, choosing a set often comes down to finding one that fits your budget and has the right screen and cabinet size. Here are the four most common ways of producing a high-def picture.

Whether it's because of newspaper ads, TV shows saying they're being broadcast in HDTV, or the buzz from co-workers, relatives, and friends, you've probably been thinking about testing the HDTV waters. And now is a great time to buy a high-definition set.

A format war over a high-definition disc format now unfortunately appears inevitable. The all-but-formal declaration came at the Blu-ray press event on the first day of this year's Consumer Electronics Show (also see Rich Warren's article, "Next-Generation DVD").

Most of the buzz about home-network entertainment applications has focused on wireless Wi-Fi connections and traditional wired Ethernet networks. But a potentially revolutionary new technology called Power Line Communications (PLC) was spotlighted at Panasonic's press conference the day before the 2005 International Consumer Electronics Show opened to the public.