All Home video

The Bottom Line: The Dish Network TR-40 CRA is a great DTV converter box with a best-in-class electronic program guide and should be your top choice, unless you value the simplicity and superior remote of the RCA DTA800.

The Bottom Line: The Insignia NS-BRDVD is competent as a relatively cheap, barebones Blu-ray player, but better players are coming and the Sony PlayStation 3 is a superior option for those with just a little more cash.

Specs: Blu-Ray disc player, Tabletop, Remote control, Dolby TrueHD, DTS-HD decoder, Dolby Digital Plus, Stereo, 9 lbs

The Bottom Line: The Toshiba D-R410 handles basic DVD-recorder functions at a budget price, but you can get better features and performance from Panasonic's DMR-EA18K, if you're willing to spend a little more.

Specs: DVD recorder, Tabletop, Universal remote control, Stereo, 5.3 lbs

The Bottom Line: The combination of its small design, solid feature set, and excellent image quality make the Sony BDP-S350 a worthwhile standalone Blu-ray player--especially if you can find it for less than $300.

Specs: Blu-Ray disc player, Tabletop, Remote control, DTS decoder, Dolby TrueHD, Dolby Digital, DTS-HD decoder, Dolby Digital Plus, Stereo

The Bottom Line: The Zenith DTT901 DTV converter box has an easy-to-use design and solid video quality, but other boxes have more features or are easier for seniors.

Specs: Stereo, Universal remote control

The Bottom Line: Outstanding recording quality and tons of features, like flexible recording speed and chasing playback, make the Panasonic DMR-EA18K an excellent all-purpose DVD recorder.

Specs: DVD recorder, Tabletop, Remote control, Stereo, 6.2 lbs

The Bottom Line: The Samsung BD-P1500 offers generous Blu-ray functionality at a budget price, thanks to several firmware updates and aggressive retailer discounts.

Specs: Blu-Ray disc player, Tabletop, Universal remote control, DTS decoder, Dolby TrueHD, Dolby Digital, Dolby Digital Plus, Stereo, 8.6 lbs

The Bottom Line: The Dish Network DTVPal is a great DTV converter box with a best-in-class electronic program guide and should be your top choice, unless you value the simplicity and superior remote of the RCA DTA800.

The Bottom Line: Excellent soundtrack support and Profile 2.0-compliancy make the Panasonic DMP-BD50 the most recommendable standalone Blu-ray player to date, but the PS3 is still better and cheaper.

Specs: Blu-Ray disc player, Tabletop, Remote control, Dolby TrueHD, DTS-HD decoder, Dolby Digital Plus, Stereo, Black, 7.3 lbs

The Bottom Line: The BDP7200 has a unique design and is Profile 1.1 compliant, but subpar Blu-ray image quality and the lack of onboard audio decoding options limit its appeal.

Specs: Blu-Ray disc player, Tabletop, Remote control, Dolby Digital, Surround Sound, 9.3 lbs