Our 10 Best Gear Awards

The best gear of the year.

Just when you thought your Blu-rays were safe…

Like it's rival, the LG BD300, the BD-P2500 is no simple Blu-ray player.

It has the ability to stream content directly from Netflix.

While this may seem odd, it adds a level of functionality that is surely the future of entertainment.

Blu-ray and… Netflix?

Why would you want to download SD movies on your new Blu-ray player? That was my first thought when learning about the BD300 (and it's rival, the Samsung BD-P2500).

Upon using it though, I get it.

And it's really cool.

THX’d and Super-Sized

Throwing down the HD DVR gauntlet, TiVo’s top HD XL model ups the storage ante by including a comparatively huge one terabyte hard drive, making the typical cable HD DVR’s 160 GB capacity look downright puny.

The HD XL also provides an E-SATA port for an external hard drive that can further add to the already large HD recording capacity.

Plus, the HD XL is TiVo’s first THX-certified model to ensure top notch picture and sound quality.

Wireless HD has long been the dream of many home entertainment enthusiasts. Looks like that dream is coming true.

The dilemma has hounded many since the advent of flat TVs: hanging the TV on the wall made difficult when you realize you need to run wires from your DVR, DVD, and so on up to the TV. This unsightly jungle of wires certainly ruins the effect of a floating TV.

Sure you could hire a custom installer to run the wires through the wall, but how about going a step further? How about wireless?

An Audio Lover’s Video Player.

Over the past year, Denon has quietly assembled an interesting array of Blu-ray players designed to suit a host of budgets and systems—from the digital-only DVD-2500BTCI transport ($999) to the recently announced “entry-level” DVD-1800BD ($749).

Residing at the top of the chain is the reference DVD-3800BDCI ($1,999), a beefy unit whose build quality and high-end components befit that higher price tag.

Serve it Up – Audio and Video Servers Galore

Maybe you've got a huge collection of digital music, and you'd really love to listen to it throughout your home, instead of simply on your iPod.

Perhaps you want to rip your DVD collection to disc and secret the cases away in storage.

No matter the particulars, chances are you have digital media you want to enjoy in the more comfortable parts of your home—away from the desktop. Enter media servers.

Don’t call it a home theater in a box—SE2 Labs’ ITC One packs a lot of functionality into one sleek package, and does so with style to spare

Within ten minutes of unpacking and installing SE2 Labs’ long-awaited all-in-one device, the ITC One, I realize that something is seriously wrong. Most of my video outputs aren’t working and one speaker isn’t getting sound. I’m seriously dreading having to lug this behemoth back to my front door to send it back.

Not a very flattering intro, I know, but this unfortunate incident ends up being key to my realizing what an amazing product SE2 Labs has created.