Entertainment Pack Rat

Record your favorite shows--then store them away for a rainy day.

Cathy Lu, Digital World

Cathy Lu is contributing news editor for Digital World magazine.

As my mother can tell you, I save everything. That's why her house still has a closet full of smelly old stuffed animals; boxes of college textbooks; and a drawer full of floppy disks with my old college thesis papers. I just can't let go of anything.

That goes for my entertainment archives as well. In my basement there's a giant crate full of old VHS tapes--everything from my favorite movies (Gotcha and Groundhog Day) to season one of American Idol. Shush: No criticizing the author's tastes.

I had lusted after a TiVo digital video recorder for quite some time, but I held off on getting one for many years. The stock models aren't conducive to archiving--you can export recordings to a VCR, but VHS tapes have neither the longevity nor the quality to suit my pack-rat needs. But last year I bought one of the first combination TiVo/DVD recording devices to come out: the Pioneer DVR-810H. Now I can have it all in one box: the conveniences of a DVR with the ability to save all my favorite shows on DVD.

Last year, the Pioneer was the only product of its kind--but now it has plenty of less-expensive company. For the December issue of Digital World magazine, we tested nine DVD recorders--both stand-alone models as well as ones that integrate a hard drive (including one combination TiVo/DVD recording device). Hours of lab testing later, we found out which models offer the fastest dubbing times, highest video quality, and easiest-to-use interfaces. We then proclaimed a winner, the model most deserving of your hard-earned cash. We also tested four small and lightweight portable DVD players for entertainment on the go. Check out "Next Generation DVD" for our results.

While most people tend to associate DVDs with video, high-resolution music formats also use DVD as a medium to offer high-quality, richly detailed sound. Digital World's Tech at Home columnist Michael Desmond explores the world of DVD-Audio and Super Audio CD and explains the pros and cons of listening to Sting in high resolution. Read what he has to say in "High-Res Music to Your Ears."

Break Out the Stockings--and the Credit Card

So you've barely cleared out last year's frozen turkey remains from your freezer, and your bank account hasn't fully recovered from Christmas 2003. You know what that means: The time for stalking grannies for parking spaces at the local mall is upon us.

Now, I've pretty much taken care of all of my family's home electronics needs over the past couple years. I bought my sister a TiVo recently (yes, including the lifetime subscription--ouch); I installed a satellite radio in my husband's car for his birthday (yep, including a one-year subscription); and I gave my parents a digital camera for Christmas (only they've yet to figure out how to move the pictures to their PC). Sure, I'm a great and generous person; but I'm also running out of ideas. Lucky for me, Digital World's December issue has a great gift guide that's chock full of clever gift ideas for the gadget freak. From $6 DVDs to $1300 projectors, we give you ideas for everyone--from that coworker who gives you a stupid mug every year to the great uncle who's already got a 50-inch plasma TV.

Of course, the key to any good gift is to make sure that your ingrate of a relative can return it without hassle. Skeptical Shopper columnist Roberta Furger examines the electronics return policies of some of the biggest brick-and-mortar and online retailers. Make sure you read Roberta's column before you stick your beloved with a 15 percent restocking fee--and have to endure even more spousal wrath.

Ultimate Home Theater

Speaking of angry spouses, mine's kind of annoyed with me. I forbade him from setting up our 5.1-channel surround-sound system in our living room. In my view, the experience of hearing the Rohan horsemen riding up behind me (in Lord of the Rings, The Return of the King) just isn't worth having to trip over wires and look at giant component boxes. But to each their own.

We came up with five ideal home-entertainment setups. Read "Home Entertainment Your Way" fore five home-theater setups aimed at different folks, including possible furniture layouts and recommended equipment. From singles to families, newbies to movie buffs, we've got you--or rather, your home--covered.

Of course, the heart of any home-entertainment center is the TV. We've lab-tested and rated three of the latest 50- and 52-inch rear-projection high-definition television models. Read "Rear-Projection TVs Step Up" to find out which HDTV is the current winner of our DW Choice Award.

Play That Funky Music

Like every college student, hip-hop artist, and overpaid athlete, I own an Apple IPod. Actually, I own a first-generation IPod and a silver IPod Mini. So to feel a little less unoriginal, I've equipped it with a few accessories, like Altec Lansing's InMotion IM3 portable speaker system. In James A. Martin's Gear to Go column, he looks at the InMotion IM3 and other IPod accessories--including one for listening to your IPod while you're swimming. (And guess what? It works!) We also review the Bose SoundDock, another docking station/speaker for the IPod.

Of course, the IPod's not the only game in town (although Apple would have you think so). In "Entertainment to Go," we look at 14 digital audio players and tell you which ones reign supreme in the large-size, mid-size, and byte-size categories. We also check out six of the latest portable video players to find out which of them is worthy of your precious episodes of The West Wing.

Finally...

All this technology is cool. But I'm really never going to be satisfied until I have a personal robot that will cook, clean, and rub my feet. Then I can concentrate on eating bon-bons and calling in votes for my favorite singers on American Idol. Actually, I guess my robot should take care of that too. Unfortunately, that scenario is several years away. But engineers are inching closer, and in "Hot Bots" author Eric Hellweg looks at where we're at in the field of robotics.

Of course, there's plenty more in the latest issue of Digital World, but Digital World Online has even more indispensable info--we're constantly adding new reviews and exclusive content you won't find anywhere else.