1) Best HDTV Under $1,000
Samsung LN40A550 $999
We took in an NFL tripleheader on four of the top sub-$1,000 HDTVs, and Sammy’s 40-inch 1080p LCD set clearly emerged as our champ. The glare-free panel’s colors are bright and accurate: Fake turf looks fakely green, and Detroit Lions fans’ faces carry a gray pallor. And its blacks were nearly as dark as the plasmas we tested. Though this set doesn’t have the blur-killing 120 Hz processing of higher-end LCDs, we didn’t notice the trails or digital artifacts that plague similar LCDs during fast action. Plus: Its input and color-control menus are easily tweakable even when the TV’s operator is seven-deep into a case of Icehouse.
Runner-up: LG 42PG20—a 720p plasma set with saturated, supersharp visuals and a bargain price. $800

2) Best Soundbar Under $500
Sony HT-CT100 $299
While HDTVs have made Reggie Wayne–style leaps in display quality, their built-in speakers still deserve to ride the bench. Upgrading with a soundbar—a speaker bar placed underneath the set—is an easy way to get big sound without turning your den into a rat’s nest of speaker cables. This Sony unit adds a subwoofer to the mix, and can’t be beat for its price. You plug your PlayStation, DVD player, and cable/satellite HDMI cables into the sub and run just a single HDMI cable to the TV, so you can banish your old receiver to storage space. It’ll sound like NBC’s studio team is bickering right there on your love seat.
Runner-up: Denon DHT-FS5,  a standalone bar that pumps convincing surround sound into smaller rooms. $370

3) Best Universal Remote
Logitech Harmony One $190
This hand-friendly “clicker” boasts a color touchscreen, the ability to control up to 15 devices, and a sleek interface that makes all other universal remotes we’ve tried seem about as fun as calculating derivatives on a TI-83. Setup happens through your PC or Mac, so there’s no Game Genie–like code book to sort through before settling in to watch the game. If you’re feeling lucky, you can try the infrared learning function, which can make some devices work just by pointing it at them. Still too hard? Press the help button, which troubleshoots your problem and sends an extended middle finger to the Geek Squad.
Runner-up: Radio Shack’s pleather three-in-one football-shaped remote. Discontinued in 2002; try eBay


Special thanks to Monster Cable and Monoprice.