Those combined units have finally appeared more frequently and less expensively on the market. But as with any combined pieces (phone, fax, copier, scanner is another set one sees frequently) you have to hope that all of the parts keep working together. As the newer individual pieces also drop in price and all have the S-video cables, connecting them will be easier. It's still a jugdement call.

Liz, we're at the point in one room where the antenna runs into the VCR and we have to have the VCR on and change channels through there to watch the local channels. That's where we do our tv recording. On the second setup, the antenna is directly into the tv so there's no recording. One of these days I'm going to really confuse the issue by getting the DishTV and then figure out where everything gets plugged in.

Before I do that, though, I'm going to build myself an entertainment center on wheels. Gotta plan it so they're large enough to support the weight, based wide enough so it's stable, and with a couple of extra shelves for the devices in the future that are bound to come along. I want to be able to easily turn it away from the wall and plug in what I need to without becoming a contortionist with a flashlight in my mouth. I haven't seen Norm build one of these on his New Yankee Workshop. Maybe he would design one and save me the trouble? (I've even thought about hiding the wheels--it's gonna have an apron that comes down to within an inch or two of the floor, mostly concealing the moving parts).

SRS