Group test: what's the best digital home equipment?

5. Audiolab 8200CD

• Reviewed on: 19 January 11
• RRP: £699 inc VAT
• Rating:

The Audiolab 8200CD is a most versatile CD player, and ideal as a primary digital source component in a modern hi-fi system. The extra inputs extend the player’s span to take in almost any other digital product you may have in your living room too. A quartet of digital filters means the player or converter’s sound can be tweaked to taste, although the core sound remains incisive and supremely detailed, particularly from the primary CD drive. If sound quality is more important to you than convenience, the Audiolab 8200CD works at its very best as a CD player.

4. Elgato Netstream

• Reviewed on: 25 November 10
• RRP: £199 inc VAT
• Rating:

Try as we might, we couldn’t get the Elgato Netstream to deliver the same smooth playback as the company’s other adaptors. But the advantage this network-attached system offers over a direct-connected adaptor is profound. The streaming of live television, in unadulterated MPEG-2 broadcast quality, to a computer of any type in the house is a fantastic asset, with two TV tuners to help allay domestic programming conflicts. In spite of its flaw, we can't help but like this product, but would love it even more if it could play as well as the USB versions.

3. Samsung PS50C6900

• Reviewed on: 28 March 11
• RRP: £995 inc. VAT
• Rating:

With its sub-£1,000 price tag, the Samsung PS50C6900 is brilliantly priced. It isn’t perhaps quite as strong as the Panasonic, but then that screen will set you back several hundred more. The PS50C6900 is a very capable screen with good setup options and a surprisingly full features set. Throw in the excellence of its 3D and HD, and you have a superb deal that will prove much the best buy here. Do make sure that 3D glasses are being provided for the price, though, as some companies are supplying the television with no glasses, and it could well cost you an extra £100 to get your hands on a pair or two.

2. Samsung BD-C8900

• Reviewed on: 19 January 11
• RRP: £426 inc. VAT
• Rating:

All in all, the Samsung BD-C8900 is an excellent 3D Blu-ray player with good PVR functionality. While a little on the steep side, it's one of the only ways to record 3D television - which is sure to appear more frequently in the future.

1. Veebeam HD

• Reviewed on: 20 January 11
• RRP: £139 inc. VAT
• Rating:

We're very impressed by the Veebeam HD. Those who’ve already bought an HD TV and don’t want to start looking at Internet-Ready options or Google TV boxes will be hard pushed to find a better device for getting their content from their computer to a TV.