The Best of the Best: Ultimate AV's 2006 Top Ten Product of the Year Awards By Thomas J. Norton and Shane C. Buettner   •   January, 2007 UAV's annual Editor's Choice Awards have now morphed into the Ultimate AV Top Ten Products of the Year—our top choices in ten different categories for the products that impressed us the most this past year.

It was a great year for home theater fans. High definition on optical disc finally made its way, however haltingly, to stores. High definition at 1080p became the killer app for video displays, often at prices that were far lower than the best 720p designs of a year ago. And flat panel displays increasingly dominated the market. Consumers couldn't get enough of them.

To be eligible, a product must have received a review in Ultimate AV since September of 2005—the month our last Editor's Choice Awards were given. We reviewed a lot of great stuff at UAV in 2006, and the final selections were not easy. But we finally narrowed the field down to ten outstanding products. Some of them were truly groundbreaking.

You'll also find honorable mentions in those categories for which there were enough candidates. And to find the full scoop on more great recommended products, all you have to do is click over to our Buyer's Guides for a wide selection, in all price ranges.

So without further delay, the envelopes, please. . .