GEAR

If only getting the HD experience was as simple as buying a new player and plugging it into the TV. Not only will you need a new player, you'll need a HDTV with an HDMI port. And don't forget that HDMI cable as well. Once you have the basics, you'll be ready to experience movies in all their HD glory!

HDTVs

Ready to make your home theater a real home theater? All this goodness comes at a cost. Besides needing one of those shiny new next-gen HD DVD players, you may need to upgrade your TV to one with HD capabilities. A regular TV just won't do and won't benefit at all from the new players. The good news is, since the players are backward compatible with regular DVDs, you won't have to throw out the titles already in your library.

Westinghouse LVM-37W1

Price Range: $1,099.99 - $1,598.98

Westinghouse's LVM 37w3 is a stunning 37" 1080p monitor that enhances the decor of any entertainment room.

Sony Bravia KDL-V40XBR1

Price Range: $1,773.00 - $2,999.99

With so many unknown companies struggling to claim a piece of the flat-panel TV business, rest assured that you can still count on advanced design and superior picture quality from Sony's XBR TVs.

Pioneer PDP-4360HD

Price Range: $1,788.00 - $3,499.00

The PDP-4360HD (43") utilizes sixth generation plasma glass combined with Pioneer's proprietary PureDrive II video processing -- a combination of technologies all designed to create blacker blacks, smoother transitions and generally sharper, brighter and more accurate images than previous models.

Samsung HP-4252

Price Range: $984.00 - $2,423.00

42 in. high definition plasma TV with an integrated ATSC/Digital Cable Ready (DCR) tuner and Dolby® Digital surround output. Samsung Generation 5 panel offers a 10,000:1 contrast ration and 1300 cd/m2 brightness, plus a premium "Bezel-less" design that creates an image that looks as if it's suspended in air.

Mitsubishi DLP HDTV WD52628

Price Range: $1,499.99 - $2,749.00

The 628 Series 1080p DLP™ HDTVs employ advanced signal processing and the 1080p DLP™ chip for unsurpassed detail to produce an exceptional picture quality.

HD DVD PLAYERS

If you're not ready to replace all the movies you already own, there's good news -- HD DVD players are backward compatible with standard DVDs! In other words, you can pop in what's in your library, and if you have a HDMI setup, your old movies will look even better than on a standard DVD player. Plus, the majority of HD DVD players will also play audio CDs. What are you waiting for?

Toshiba HDA1

Price Range: $369.99 - $499.99

Toshiba's HD-A1 is the world's first HD DVD player. It produces the sharpest, cleanest high-definition images yet seen, and raises home theater realism and impact to a whole level.

RCA HSDV5000

Price Range: $449.54

Experience the RCA HDV5000 HD DVD Player with HDMI! The HD DVD offers 720p or 1080i resolution making HD DVD is at least two times clearer than ordinary DVD!

Game console HD DVD Add-on

Xbox 360 HD DVD Player

Price Range: $189.99 - $199.99

If you're a gamer with an Xbox 360, you may already be experiencing games, movies and photos in HD; soon, you can go one step further with the Xbox 360 HD DVD Player, an add-on drive available this fall from Microsoft. HD DVD is the exclusive next-generation DVD format for use with Xbox 360, and at $199.99, the add-on will be much more affordable than stand-alone HD DVD players expected to retail around $500. Microsoft is also expected to throw in the HD DVD of "King Kong" with purchase of the HD DVD drive, plus the Xbox 360 Universal Media Remote Control. Besides, if Bill Gates is backing HD DVD, how can you go wrong?