10 Must-Have Items for a High-Style, High-Tech House

By Les Shu

Many tech-savvy homeowners believe that it's the electronic toys that make house a home—and in today's homes, the flat-screen TV continues to be the must-have accessory.

"Many people who choose contemporary interior design tend to put viewing entertainment at the top of the list and have them installed in key places such as bathrooms, studies and main living areas," according to Tony Alleyne, a U.K.-based interior designer who has created futuristic, high-tech spaces.

But the plasma TV—with its sleek, sexy lines—is only one component of a well-connected high-tech home. The iPod continues to dominate the music sphere, with manufacturers introducing home speaker accessories and built-in, custom-installed solutions seemingly every day. High-definition content from video game consoles, computers, TiVo, and Blu-ray and HD-DVD players are also on tech-lovers’ wish lists.

Here are some of the newest must-have tech toys for the high-style, high-tech homeowner:

Mitsubishi 1080p Rear Projection TV

Next: Nintendo Wii

$3,299
www.mitsubishi-tv.com

If you want to upgrade to a high-definition (HD) TV but wince at the price of plasma or LCD flat panel models, a rear-projection microdisplay TV, like the WD-57732 Digital Light Processing (DLP) HDTV, is an attractive alternative. While they are thicker than super-slim flat panels and can’t hang on walls, the new microdisplays feature screens as large and picture quality as good as their HD cousins. The 57-inch screen on this Mitsubishi supports 1080p resolution—the highest HD standard currently available—and includes a variety of digital ports to connect to HD video sources like cable boxes and high-definition DVD players. The Mitsubishi’s six-color system provides richer and brighter colors, and its PerfecTint feature lets you adjust each color individually.

Pro: You get HD picture quality and a large screen size for your money.
Con: Its bulky size doesn't offer the coolness factor of a super slim TV.