If you are after strange looking but good sounding speakers then pick up the LaCie's Sound2 system. They don't cost too much and they'll be a great conversation starter.

The Sony BDP-S360 is a reasonably priced Blu-ray player that does the basics well. However, the Sony BDP-S560 is also reasonably priced -- and it comes with two USB ports and inbuilt Wi-Fi.

This projector's low display resolution means you won't be able to make the most of 1080p high-definition media, but for 720p movies and games, the VPL-BW7 does an admirable job considering its price.

While the concept - to make stored digital files easily playable at higher quality over a hi-fi system - is a very worthy aim, the Olive Media Olive 2 fell short of our expectations for a product at this price. It's limited to playing last century's 16-bit files, which it does competently enough once you've navigated its clunky interface. Ultimately though it's that awkward, dated and slow user interface, lying just below a cramped and insensitive small touchscreen, that deterred us from turning to the Olive 2 for regular music playing duties at home. In its present guise at least, this is not audiophile technology we'd recommend for your investment.

Great image quality saves the Toshiba BDX2000 from being just another mundane, low-cost Blu-ray player.

The Xtreamer media streamer is a low-cost option for anyone who wants to play their collection of digital video files collection on their big screen TV. It's not as feature-packed as some other media streamers we've tested, but it's a good choice given its low price.

DVICO's TViX M-6600N is a personal video recorder that improves on the solid groundwork of earlier TViX models. It's not a perfect PVR, with occasional hiccups that might annoy novice users, but the expansive feature-set makes it a tempting prospect.

Sony's BDV-E800W is a solid pre-built home theatre. It's not going to blow you away with its sound quality or construction, but what you get for your money is a competent system that handles the high-definition audio tracks of Blu-ray movies well.

We do like the idea of using your iPhone or iPod Touch to control one or more home theatre setups within your home, but Thinkflood's RedEye Remote Control System has too many drawbacks.

The Sony BDP-S560 delivers very good images -- exceptional ones on DVD -- and Wi-Fi connectivity, but its poorly designed remote and lack of streaming extras hurt its value.

Apart from a few problems handling large collections of music and movies, the Iomega ScreenPlay Director HD is a significant step up from the previous ScreenPlay media streamer.

The Panasonic DMR-XW350 is a tricked-out DVD recorder that wont leave AV enthusiasts wanting. On the downside, the user interface is needlessly complicated, which makes it a steep learning curve for beginners.

In all honesty, you can pick yourself up a fan that will cool you just as much as the Dyson Air Multiplier and cost a lot less. However, we're yet to find a fan that exudes the same sense of cool as this one. In addition, the lack of blades adds to the appeal for those who have small children or pets without a strong sense of self-preservation.

Overall we are very pleased with the Bush BR20DAB digital radio: it has a reasonable price and good sound quality.

The Soundmatters foxL portable speaker packs quite a punch given its small size. It's a good companion for an iPod or mobile phone if you're travelling, with warm and expansive sound.