If there's already a computer in the house, the single, most dazzling upgrade can be found in ATI's All-In-Wonder Radeon 8500DV.
This one graphics card turns a suitably powered PC into an opulent home theatre nexus and multimedia studio. It not only out-performs nVidia's famed 3D acceleration card, the GeForce3 (See Maximum PC Magazine, November issue), it puts said competitor to further shame by boasting compatibility with nearly every visual medium out there -- including digital and analog camcorders, video players (tape or disc), DVD, CTR, flat and plasma monitors (including TV sets) and -- get this -- cablevision! That's right, the 8500DV turns one's computer into set-top-box, and intrinsically superior to the likes of TiVo and other PVRs. It even comes with an RF wireless remote control.