The first question is, what do you want from your hi-fi? Do you want to play LPs, CDs, or an occasional movie? Next, where will you put the speakers, and how large or small do they need to be? I'm writing this blog post for folks trying to put together the best-sounding hi-fi they can on a fixed budget. That's why I won't be covering wireless systems, because dollar for dollar, the better wired speakers always sound better than wireless models.

Setting the budget is the next logical step. I've written about an amazing-for-the-money $70 hi-fi system, … Read more

After expanding their streaming video service to the iPhone and iPod touch devices just a month ago, Amazon announced yesterday that their Instant Video service is now available on the Nintendo Wii. Here's how to set up the new app on your Wii:

Step 1: Go to the Wii Shop Channel on your Internet-connected Wii.

Step 2: Download the Amazon Instant Video app.

Step 3: Launch the Amazon Instant Video app from your Wii.

Step 4: Select "Register Your Device" and make a note of the code that appears.

Step 5: Go to the Amazon Instant Video device registration page … Read more

Mounting a TV up and out of the way above a fireplace seems logical, convenient, and undeniably cool. However, there are serious issues with such placement.

If you're planning on watching the TV only occasionally, that's one thing. But if this is your main TV and you're going to be watching it more than a few minutes at a time, beware.

… Read more

When Apple released iTunes 11, an update was pushed for the iOS Remote app. The Remote update enabled users to take advantage of the new "Up Next" feature when playing music from a local iTunes library, along with on the Apple TV.

At the same time the Remote update and iTunes 11 was released, an update to the Apple TV itself was also released. This update enabled Up Next when streaming music through Home Sharing or iTunes Match on your TV. Here's some tips for using Up Next via the Remote app or directly on an Apple … Read more

The official length of last week's thrilling Giants-Cowboys game was 3 hours and 25 minutes, although by my calculations there was only an hour of football worth watching.

That's not commentary on the quality of the game, but rather the endless stream of commercials, "analysis," and challenges that end up taking twice as long the actual football action. For DVR users accustomed to zipping past every commercial, watching a live NFL game can be an unbearable slog, even if the game itself is great. That's why I gave up watching NFL in real time years … Read more

Cable box or satellite box, DVR or digital media receiver, it's important to set the output resolution so it looks best with your TV.

But what looks best with your TV?

The answer is probably easier to find than you'd imagine.… Read more

Many smart or connected devices come with wired-only connections (Ethernet), like your TV, game console, DVD player, TiVo, or other streaming-media device. Unless your Internet modem or wireless router happens to be at the same location as those devices, connecting them to your wireless network can be a challenge.

Possible solutions include, power-line adapters, dedicated wireless adapters for each device, or installing Ethernet jacks. Unfortunately, those options can get expensive and each has its unique drawbacks. Another option is using a wireless bridge. A wireless bridge connects two wired networks together over Wi-Fi. The wireless bridge acts as a client, … Read more

There still seems to be some confusion about the difference between 1080i and 1080p. Both are 1,920x1,080-pixel resolution. Both have 2,073,600 pixels. From one perspective, 1080i is actually greater than Blu-ray. And, you can't even get a full 1080p/60 source other than a PC, camcorder, or some still cameras that shoot video.

True, 1080i and 1080p aren't the same thing, but they are the same resolution. Let the argument commence... … Read more

Apple released an update for the Apple TV shortly after iOS 6 was made available for iOS devices. You should have already been alerted to update your black box to Apple TV software version 5.1. If not, you can manually update by going into Settings > General > Update Software. The update should take less than 20 minutes, depending on the speed of your Internet connection.

Here are four new features the update brings to your Apple TV, each with a link to a guide covering how to use them.

Rearranging icons Finally! Up until now, Apple TV owners … Read more