__30-INCH LCD TV__s
LCDs are the future of television. Sure, they still cost more per inch than plasma screens and aren't yet available in gargantuan sizes, but liquid crystal displays are thinner, lighter, and more durable. LCD TVs also last longer than plasma ones, holding brightness and proving impervious to image burn-in (a trait especially important in TiVo or Media Center environments). As prices continue to drop and size and performance ratchet up, LCD TVs will soon be the only skinny tellies worth drooling over. - Brian Lam
WHAT TO LOOK FOR
• Contrast: Winning LCDs possess a range of brightness - from solid black to blinding white.
• Gray detail: A first-class screen portrays dimly lit scenes with finesse.
• Realistic colors: Bad color often shows up in skin tones. Scarlett Johanssen could look like a ghoul or a fake-tan victim rather than a fair beauty.
• Picture scaling: LCDs vary in resolution, and don't conform to standard TV, HD, or even DVD specs. To prevent jagged lines and fuzziness, an LCD needs to adjust these signals to its format.
HOW WE TESTED
Each TV was hooked up to:
• TV: Analog bunny ears, an over-the-air HDTV tuner, and Comcast HD Digital Cable.
• Movies: The dim yet neon-saturated Lost in Translation, the fast-action Matrix, and the super hi-res T2 Extreme DVDs.
• Xbox: Twitch-heavy fighting in Ninja Gaiden.
• Hi-res art: Roku media streamer slideshows at multiple resolutions.
• DisplayMate: PC software that quantifies gray detail and other specs.
Sharp Aquos LC-30HV6U
Of all the displays tested, the Aquos had the most perfectly balanced visuals. It deftly handled quick action, keeping Keanu's kung fu and Ninja Gaiden's swordplay blur-free. Most impressive, however, was its delicate portrayal of the lonely bar scenes and Tokyo-scapes in Lost in Translation, thanks to amazing grays and blacks as thick as oil. It wasn't the sharpest or brightest - that honor goes to the Mitsubishi LT - but it was the most consistently beautiful across all media. Even cruddy VHF broadcasts looked best here.
The picture isn't the only thing to love. The onscreen menus are brilliant, balancing endless display tweaks with useful tips. And it sports a separate media box for connecting all your inputs, so the screen's clean design isn't marred by a rat's nest of tangled cables. OK, one complaint - the cluttered and complex remote had us cursing under our breath.
WIRED: Amazing contrast yet still displays dark scenes with nuance. Elegant cable management. Best all-around monitor for realism in any format.
TIRED: Expensive. Not as razor-sharp or bright as the Mitsubishi LT. Confusing remote.
$4,500, www.sharpusa.com
Mitsubishi LT-3020
WIRED: Extremely sharp picture makes HD signals pop. So bright, you'll be reaching for sunglasses during ball games and beach scenes.
TIRED: Standard-definition signals - and even dark HD scenes - look distractingly grainy. Too much contrast in bright regions. Expensive.
$5,000, www.mitsubishi-tv.com
Dell W3000
WIRED: Best screen of the bunch for PC duties. Standard-def TV and DVDs looked similar to the twice-as-expensive Mitsubishi LT.
TIRED: Video noise during HD programs. Not as vibrant or as subtle as the pricier Aquos. Low red levels make skin look somewhat zombie-like.
$2,519, www.dell.com
Westinghouse Digital 33001
WIRED: A decent PC monitor with both VGA and DVI inputs. Relatively inexpensive. Better than your old non-HD TV.
TIRED: Ultimately, lower quality than Dell's similarly priced W3000. Poorest shadow fidelity of the group. Dull image. Oversaturated reds.
$2,599, www.westinghousedigital.com
Online DVD Rental
Netflix
The pioneer of the online DVD rental industry is the most heavily marketed hub. Luckily, it's also the best. Boasting more than 18,000 titles, the selection is better than any brick-and-mortar we've ever set foot in, stocking everything from Bruckheimer blockbusters to freaky foreign flicks like Ichi the Killer. Launched in 1999, the megaservice has since built several warehouses nationwide, making for lightning-quick shipping. For nearly every brand of film fan, it's a one-stop supershop.
WIRED: Massive library. Breezy customer service. Almost no wait for rentals.
TIRED: Doesn't carry the most obscure of the indies.
$20 (monthly), www.netflix.com
cafedvd.com
WIRED: Selection and recommendations for the Sundance-savvy cineast. Speedy mailings. Admirable customer care. Three-dollars-a-disc-la carte option.
TIRED: Offers mostly art-house fare, so it's not a great choice for mainstream movie fans.
$20 (monthly), www.cafedvd.com
Wal-Mart DVD Rentals
WIRED: A buck less than the other services. Top-notch customer support.
TIRED: Limited catalog. Slow shipping left us flickless for days on end. That icky feeling you get from supporting a soul-crushing megacorp.
$19 (monthly), www.walmart.com
FilmCaddy
WIRED: The Blockbuster-owned service offers four discs at a time for your monthly Jackson. Prompt and informative customer care.
TIRED: Lackluster DVD stock. Shockingly sluggish shipping - up to two weeks delivery time means no tip for this caddy.
$20 (monthly), www.filmcaddy.com
Did the iPod really need a kid brother, or is the mini another Cousin Oliver debacle? Sure, it will outsell the other microdrive players and slow the inroads being made by smaller flash-based players, which all seem clunky in comparison. But apart from an interface tweak - building the four buttons into the scroll wheel - and an extra hour of battery life, the mini is form over function. We'd rather pay another $50 to get a 15-gig iPod that holds three times more tuneage. Alas, we know - the mini is cute, comes in pink, and some people just gotta have it. Sigh. - Chris Baker
Body: The single, ultrasmooth tube of anodized aluminum comes in five colors, but its sharp squared-off top and bottom edges are a real pain. As in "Ouch!"
Storage: Have more than 1,200 songs? iTunes will try to calculate your preferences Amazon-style, pulling down the tracks you listen to most frequently or have rated highly.
Screen: It's sharper than its predecessors, and the backlight is much brighter. But the menus are a line shorter, so track listings exclude the album title (more proof that the LP format is dead).
WIRED: It's from Apple, which means it's gorgeous and has an intuitive UI.
TIRED: It's from Apple, which means it's overpriced and a tad ostentatious.
$249, www.apple.com
Ceramic chef's knives
Kyocera Kyotop
WIRED: Razor edge and elegant pakka handle make for a masterpiece of modern cutlery. Perfectly balanced blade cuts through everything from tomatoes to cable.
TIRED: If you're on a budget, you'd better move on.
$300, www.kyoceratycom.com
URI Eagle Black Diamond
WIRED: Nicely designed slip-resistant handle is great for repetitive mincing and chopping. A real bargain.
TIRED: A sharper cutting edge would have put the Black Diamond at the top of our list.cheap trill
$108, www.urieagle.com
Cerastar Profi Knife
WIRED: Second only to the Kyocera in sharpness. Thick blade allows for extra cutting power - perfect for quartering a chicken.
TIRED: The handle gets slippery when wet - a significant liability in a slicing and dicing environment.
$94, www.cerastar.com
Boker Ceramic
WIRED: Feels nice in the hand.
TIRED: Uniquely shaped handle hinders rocking the blade when cutting on a board. The edge could have been sharper, too.
$150, www.bokerusa.com
An ultrathin portable DVD player can keep travel from feeling dreary. You'll never be subjected to an in-flight Hugh Grant comedy again! - Suzanne Ashe
Panasonic DVD-LX9
WIRED: The whopping 9-inch double-hinged screen adjusts to the perfect viewing angle - it can even lay flat. All-around sturdy and nice design. Quiet.
TIRED: For this price, you could buy a laptop.
$1,000, www.panasonic.com
Audiovox D1705 7"
WIRED: Slim design allows it to fit easily in a bag. Quick disc-loading means less thumb-twiddling. Seven-inch screen is framed in black, a nice touch.
TIRED: Slightly wider than the Mintek MDP. Three-hour battery life is just barely enough for epics like the LOTR trilogy.
$349, www.audiovox.com
Mintek MDP-1720 7"
WIRED: Smallest of the bunch - without the battery, it's the size of a cheese sandwich.
TIRED: Limited viewing angles. Oddly shaped battery bar makes for a strange lump in your bag. Beware: Casing scuffs easily.
$300, www.mintekdigital.com
