TV & Internet...

Toshiba announced today that it will probably write off nearly $1 billion in losses following its decision to dry-dock its HD DVD format. Beyond that, thousands of customers are now going to have to write off their purchases of HD DVD players and movies. And where are all of those players and movies going to end up? That's right -- landfills around the globe.

Blu-Ray may have won the battle, but the HD format war isn't over. New technologies are already being developed which will once again vie for market dominance. And meanwhile, your old players and movies are still sitting there, hoping you won't replace them and toss them like day-old bread.

So, if you haven't already invested in a Blu-ray player, you might want to consider a new video format that will never end up in the trash: a download. Numerous services (including Vongo, Netflix, and Amazon's Unbox) now offer you the chance to download movies directly onto your PC, either as temporary "rentals" or as files you get to keep forever.

Sure, you might not immediately think of your PC as your home entertainment center, but studies show that people are now spending more time in front of their computers than their TVs, so why not complete that transition?