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These do-it-all devices are your ticket to cineplex grandeur with minimal fuss. Each packs a projector, a built-in disc player, and an audio system. But if you want hi-def, look elsewhere: Most have mere DVD-quality resolution (854 x 480 pixels). And the speakers are neither surround nor very loud. Still, when was the last time you set up a screening room in less than a minute? - Seén Captain
SIMPLE SET UP TIPS
Raise the projector Ignore the feature that lets you digitally fix the "keystone" shape of an image that’s projected at an upward angle; it reduces clarity. The better fix is low tech: Raise the entire projector until the picture is square.
Select a screen Sure, you can watch movies on any light-colored wall. But you’ll get higher quality from a portable screen made by Da-Lite (www.da-lite.com) or Draper (www.draperinc.com).
Tweak the settings Adjust your projector for the screen and room lighting using a basic calibration DVD, such as Sound & Vision Home Theater Tune-Up or AVIA’s Pro DVD.
HOW WE TESTED
Calibration We used the AVIA Pro DVD kit to determine the optimal image presets for watching movies at night: "Cinema" on the Optoma,-"Theater" on the Epson, and "Film" on the RadioéShack. (The Hasbro doesn’t offer image presets.)
Performance We played a battery of challenging DVDs - Charlotte Gray for shadow detail and saturated colors, Star Trek: Insurrection for deinterlacing, Kill Bill: Vol. 1 for sound effects, and Standing in the Shadows of Motown for audio quality and flesh tones.
Optoma MovieTime DV10
This projector delivers a hearty helping of eye candy, with the sharpest visuals and most accurate colors (especially evident in skin tones). The sophisticated, though somewhat clunky, controls let cinephiles tweak the picture to perfection. Plus, its steep projection angle and relatively short "throw" - from 60 inches back, it beams a 4-foot-wide image that’s 15 inches higher than the surface the unit rests on - make it ideal for coffee tables and cramped apartments. Unfortunately, the integrated 5-watt stereo system sounds a bit thin; you’ll need the optional $199 subwoofer to add boom to your room. Or, as with the Epson and Radio Shack models, you can connect the MovieTime to a 5.1-surround system via a digital audio connection.
Wired: Best overall image. Full controls on player handy if you misplace the remote. Three adjustable feet for easy leveling. Quiet cooling fan. Stylish carrying case.
Tired: Wimpy audio. Vague, poorly translated manual. Slight speckles appear in shadows.
$1,299, www.optomausa.com
Epson MovieMate
Wired: Brightest projection. Shortest throw:
4-foot-wide picture from 50 inches back. Killer audio. Includes powerful subwoofer and 80-inch screen.
Tired: Gaps between pixels cast shadows, giving images a screen door effect. Low projection angle. Dark flesh tones look a tad yellow.
$1,199, www.epson.com
RadioShack Cinego D-1000 Instant Theater
Wired: Accurate color. Comes with a decent subwoofer. Very compact.
Tired: Video isn’t deinterlaced, resulting in squiggly lines and crawling pixels. Low contrast. Unimpressive stereo speakers. Chintzy remote.
$1,300, www.radioshack.com
Hasbro’s Tiger Electronics Zoombox
Wired: Cheap. Audio doesn’t completely suck.
Tired: Everything else completely sucks. This toy projector can barely muster a dim, 25-inch-wide image in a dark room. Pathetic 557 x 234-pixel-resolution creates hopelessly grainy projections. You’d be better off buying a portable DVD player.
$299, www.hasbro.com
Tired of getting caught in your headphone cable? These cans use Bluetooth to transmit your music wirelessly. Some even support a cell phone and put your tunes on hold while you chat. - Cathy Lu
TEN Technology naviPlay Bluetooth Stereo Headset
These headphones are designed to work only with Apple iPods. In this case, exclusivity rules: iPod owners need look no further. While the transmitters for the others we tested plug into any music player’s audio jack, the naviPlay links to the iPod’s dock connector, which enables the ’phones to control tracks. And, when you charge the transmitter and headset, it powers up your player, too. NaviPlay is compatible with Bluetooth-enabled phones, but not other digital audio machines.
Wired: Rich sound. Cranks up the loudest. Embedded mike for phone calls. Good battery life: 8.3 hours.
Tired: Answering the phone means fishing for the Call button under the right earpiece.
$199, www.tentechnology.com
Logitech Wireless Headphones for MP3
Wired: Crisp, clear audio with ample bass. Solid connection: almost no hiccups or stuttering.
Tired: Tight fit and heft (3.2 ounces) made it uncomfortable. No cell phone connections.
$130, www.logitech.com
Plantronics Pulsar 590A
Wired: Superb 11-hour battery life. 30-foot range - 5 feet more than any other unit tested. Tons of extras: charging stand, case, audio cord.
Tired: Stuttered every now and then. Music-quality is passable but lacks detail. Expensive.
$250, www.plantronics.com
Iogear Bluetooth Stereo Kit
Wired: Universal support - works with cell phones, PCs, and music devices.
Tired: Around-the-neck design pinched behind the ears after a few hours. Giant microphone (thankfully, detachable) screams "Telemarketer!"
$180, www.iogear.com
All audio streamers pipe music from your computer to your stereo, but few do it with such effortless style as the Squeezebox. It pulls digital audio files - nearly any format you can imagine - from across an Ethernet or Wi-Fi network. And the etched-aluminum case is super sexy. But the Squeezebox’s software is what really rocks: It serves up your entire PC music collection, plus Net radio, podcasts, and RSS headlines. Because Slim open-sourced the code, geeks have built endless plug-ins to do even more. - Paul Boutin
Analog or digital output
Besides digital optical and coax outputs, Squeezeébox has a premium Burr-Brown converter to transform digital audio to hi-fidelity analog output.
Fluorescent display
LCDs? Puh-leeze. The Squeezebox screen glows a brilliant blue-green that’s bright enough to read from the La-Z-Boy on a sunstruck afternoon.
Open source software
SlimServer handles music streaming; dozens of homebrew plug-ins let you check weather and email, control a TiVo, and even play Pac-Man.
Wired: Sounds fantastic. Big, bright display. Plays all popular audio file formats, plus Net radio. Surfs iTunes and Winamp playlists. Hackable.
Tired: Won’t play protected files from iTunes or other stores. Nearly as costly as a budget PC.
$249 (wired), $299 (wireless); www.slimdevices.com
Birds of Play
Reach for the sky with these radio-controlled helicopters. Like the real things, they’re prone to crashing, but with a little practice, you’ll soon earn your rotors. - Richard Baguley
Megatech Horse-fly
Wired: Two counter-rotating blades eliminate the need for a squirrelly rear prop, making it fairly stable. Manual explains the ABC’s of helicopter piloting.
Tired: 10-minute battery life cut flights short.
$500, www.megatech.com
Draganflyer V Ti Pro
Wired: Easiest to fly, thanks to gyros and infrared sensors. Videocam adds a copter’s-eye view. 15-minute battery life.
Tired: Price hovers higher than the chopper.
$1,600, www.draganfly.com
GWS Mini Dragonfly
Wired: Small but tough - stood up to numerous crashes without damage. 14-minute battery life.
Tired: Spartan build: You turn the copter on and off by unplugging the battery. Twitchy in the air.
$246, www.gwsus.com
Just Drive It
Early cordless screwdrivers were big and heavy - overkill for around-the-house jobs like hanging pictures. Now, with compact new designs and features like lightweight lithium-ion batteries, toolmakers are driving for your kitchen utility drawer. - Sean Cooper
Black & Decker SmartDriver
Wired: Strong driving and drilling ability. Mammoth 40-piece bit set included. Lithium-ion battery.
Tired: Cheap trigger housing sometimes didn’t engage.
$40, www.blackanddecker.com
Metabo PowerMaxx
Wired: Drove wood screws into wall studs like hot nails into butter. Five torque and two speed settings.
Tired: Pricey. Nickel-cadmium batteries lose charge when idle for long periods. Bits not included.
$159, www.metabousa.com
Skil iXO
Wired: Smallest, lightest model tested. Resilient lithium-ion battery. Solid construction and responsive-controls. Two-year warranty.
Tired: The 3.6-volt motor choked on heavier-duty tasks like drill-driving.
$39, www.skil.com
Craftsman 4.8-Volt Impact Power Driver
Wired: High-RPM motor made short work of small jobs.
Tired: Wouldn’t drive screws into wood without predrilling. Big and heavy. Lowly nickel-cadmium battery.
$50, www.craftsman.com
Optoma MovieTime DV10
Epson MovieMate 25
RadioShack Cinego D-1000 Instant Theater
Hasbro’s Tiger Electronics Zoombox
TEN Technology naviPlay Bluetooth Stereo Headset
Logitech Wireless Headphones for MP3
Plantronics Pulsar 590A
Iogear Bluetooth Stereo Kit
Squeezebox V3
Megatech Horse-fly
Draganflyer V Ti Pro
GWS Mini Dragonfly
Black & Decker SmartDriver
Metabo PowerMaxx
Skil iXO
Craftsman 4.8-Volt Impact Power Driver
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