The 7-channel R-972 provides a variety of innovative and high-performance features, chief among which are Trinnov automatic room correction, 3D audio remapping, and HQV video processing. In his review for Home Theater, Mark Fleischmann concluded, "The Sherwood R-972 would be a pretty formidable A/V receiver even without the Trinnov Optimizer, with a strong feature set and HQV Reon-VX video processing. But the debut of the Trinnov Optimizer in an AVR is big news. Especially with movies, the 3D Remapping took me places I hadn’t been before. Although I spent longer than usual reviewing this product, I felt I only scratched the surface of its full potential. The Trinnov Optimizer is the sort of thing that may take the home theater community years to assimilate. I look forward to getting to know it even better."

[This sweepstakes is now closed.]

Buying a new TV ain't what it used to be—there are a lot more choices and features to think about than yesteryear, when the only decision you needed to make was screen size. Among the most common questions I'm asked these days is, "Should I get an LCD or plasma flat-panel TV?" If you want the quick answer, jump to the end of this article. But if you want to understand the answer, read on.

As I write this, I'm sitting at Gate 7 in the JetBlue terminal at JFK International Airport, awaiting my flight home after attending the first-ever CEA Line Shows, held June 10 and 11 across the street from the Empire State Building in midtown Manhattan. I made the long trip to New York because I wanted to support the concept embodied by the event and encourage it to grow next year.