John Sciacca

Given that this issue features S&V's awards for the finest gear reviewed in 2006, I thought it would be a good time to talk about how reviews are handled and products are selected for awards. I'm sure you think a reviewer's life is all sunshine and rainbows.

My experience, nay, love affair, with Harmony remote controls began four years ago when I reviewed one of the first, the 768 (that remote is no longer available, even though the review still is, at soundandvisionmag.com). The marching orders for developing the Harmony remotes were simple yet groundbreaking, then and now.

With all the press that wireless technologies like Wi-Fi have been getting, it's easy to forget that hard-wired systems make the A/V world go round. Ninety-nine times out of a hundred, adding a component to your system means running at least one wire.