Mike Flacy's Picks

JVC XV-BP1 Blu-ray Player

 "JVC’s XV-BP1 receives enthusiastic approval for its aural and visual quality and relative versatility, sure, but more for its capacity to sprint beyond its competitors in regards to loading / boot-up times.  Though there are players that perform ever-so-slightly better in terms of cinematic prowess, its speed, ease of accessing multimedia files, and overall capacity to handle standard-definition material as well – including zoom for non-16x9 DVDs, an NTSC-PAL decoder, and quality 1080p upscaling – are what set it apart from others within its price-point hemisphere."

Apple iPod Touch

 "Apple has created a device that works as Wi-Fi video phone, online mobile gaming machine, and portable camera in addition to remaining the best portable audio player on the market.  If you have a recent smart phone already, like a Droid or the iPhone 4, you are probably used to those features.  But if you currently have a previous generation of the iPod Touch, the speed, quality and new features of the new player is well worth the upgrade."

Western Digital TV Live Hub

"The Western Digital Live Hub is one of the most fully featured media players I've tested  in a while, something that may not bode well for the upcoming release of the Boxee Box later this month.  While they really need to find a better partner for their downloadable DRM filled media, the player is a powerhouse when it comes to storing, cataloguing and playing an enormous variety of file formats.  Also, this is the most user friendly revision of the user interface to date.  If you are looking for a more robust platform to consumer digital media on within your home or even just your home theater, don't hesitate to consider the Western Digital Live Hub as your primary media player."

Apple TV

Toshiba Qosmio X505-Q896 Laptop

"The Toshiba Qosmio 505-Q896 is, by far, the fastest laptop that I’ve ever used and makes for an incredibly user friendly HTPC experience with Media Controller and Windows Media Center.  If you want to expand the reach of the media located in your main home theater to other sections of the house and are looking for a new desktop computer, consider combining those goals and take a look at the Qosmio X505.  Alternatively to the home theater space, this laptop is also perfect for graphic designers seeking heavy Photoshop & Illustrator use, directors & musicians looking to edit / produce media though tools like Premiere Pro and gaming fanatics that crave the latest tech to play 2010’s releases at 1080p resolution."