Universal remote controls can be great for integrating the control of a home theater system. However, all infrared (IR) remotes suffer one significant drawback: they must be pointed at the component they are controlling, with a clear line of sight. If components are hidden and/or located in several different areas of the room, it's difficult or impossible to operate them in an integrated manner. Of course, you can spring for a high-end control system from a company such as Crestron or AMX, but we're talking big bucks there.

DVD recorders are quickly maturing into a product category that promises to topple the venerable VCR from its perch as the predominant video-recording format for consumers. Yes, videotape is still less expensive than most blank discs, especially rewritable discs, which are more directly equivalent to tape than write-once discs. And yes, analog VCRs are much less expensive than DVD recorders. But prices for blank discs and recorders are dropping fast, and the functionality and convenience of DVD recording are so far beyond videotape that the extra expense is well worth it.

I've always appreciated the quality of Yamaha receivers; in fact, my very first "serious" stereo receiver was a Yamaha. So it was with eager anticipation that I agreed to review the company's current flagship receiver, the Rx-Z1.

The successful transition to digital television depends on several factors. For one thing, broadcasters, satellite providers, and cable companies must upgrade their equipment to transmit DTV signals. In addition, consumers must upgrade their video screens to accept and display DTV images. Unfortunately, this is a chicken-and-egg problem: content providers are reluctant to invest in the upgrade until a significant number of homes have DTV reception, and consumers are unwilling to spend extra money on a digital television until there is a significant amount of programming to watch on it.