Checking out the Sound & Vision Reviewer's Choice Awards is probably the quickest way there is to get a reading on the state of the home entertainment art. The 1999 awards featured the groundbreaking Rio MP3 player, Philips's first-generation TiVo hard-disk-drive recorder, and the first Super Audio CD player.
Sunfire Forget about separate power amps for your back surround speakers-Sunfire's Ultimate Receiver is rated to deliver 200 watts each to seven channels, which should satisfy even the most demanding Dolby Digital EX or DTS-ES soundtrack.
Sharp Flat-panel LCDs are starting to light up the TV world, and Sharp's 30-inch Aquos LC-30HV2U is one of the largest so far. With its wide 16:9 screen and 1,280 x 768-pixel (WXGA) resolution, the set is a respectable HDTV monitor, and its 3 1/2-inch depth makes it suitable for wall mounting.
Green Design Prefer your TV not in view when not in use? Green Design's Series 2 media armoire can keep it out of sight, but the beautifully finished solid cherrywood cabinet may catch your eye anyway. The top part can hold most 36-inch direct-view TVs, and the lower shelves are adjustable for the height of your gear.
Until recently, no self-respecting home theater nut would even consider giving a permanent berth to a videogame console in his main system. But Microsoft's Xbox ($299) is suddenly finding itself cohabiting with A/V gear on component racks across the country.