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To begin outfitting your modern media room, consider going with a home theater projector. A growing segment of the home-electronics industry, new technologies are improving quality and lowering cost of home projectors so much that it's almost like having cinema in your home – without the overpriced Goobers.

The main reason customers prefer a projector is size. Most who opt to go with a projector start at 120-inch screens. And in a properly sized room, the picture quality is as good as any television. But the biggest television you're likely to find with comparable picture quality will be about 60 inches.

Besides size advantage, a projector can be even less obtrusive than a flat-screen TV because it mounts to the ceiling, almost out of sight. And you can roll the screen away or just cover with drapes like a movie theater.

Here are a couple of leading projectors that represent the major dilemma when shopping: form or function.

The Sony VPL-VW50 (MSRP: $4999.99) projector is currently the cream of the home theater projector crop. It has one of the sharpest, brightest and deepest pictures in the industry. Hang one from your ceiling, and the neighbors' jaws drop at sparkling picture quality. The downside is its bulky casing. The VPL is about as big as an end-table – hanging from your ceiling. Also, it doesn't adapt well to oddly shaped rooms. This projector nearly demands a room be built around it, but hey, that's the price you pay for having the best theater in the neighborhood.

In contrast, the Optoma HD81 (MSRP: $4499.99) sacrifices function for form. The HD81 won't stun you with the picture quality the way the Sony projector will, but where it gives up a small amount of overall picture quality, it offers a much more attractive design. Its two-piece design attaches seamlessly to your ceiling and won't dominate the room. If you want a quality picture without hanging something that looks like a Volkswagen hood on your ceiling, the HD81 is the best choice.