Kevin James

After two straight years of heady double-digit price drops, it's sometimes hard to get beyond the fact that high-def TVs of all stripes are far more affordable than ever. But to just focus on price misses the bigger picture, so to speak: TVs haven't just gotten cheaper, they've also gotten better.

If you've confused some of the recent TV commercials from Verizon, AT&T and the cable companies with ads from Metamucil, that's to be understood. Both, after all, extol the virtues of fiber. But while the former claims it can help you lead a longer life, the latter promises to make it a happier one.

For most people, Hawaii is an earthly paradise, filled with awe-striking natural beauty and blessed with a near-perfect climate. Even noted cynic Mark Twain wrote that in Hawaii, "the good that die experience no change, for they but fall asleep in one heaven and wake up in another." I can only guess he never tried to get a decent DirecTV satellite signal there.