A New View on Home Systems

* TV screens will become more rectangular, replacing squarish ones.

* Single- and three-lens front-projection video systems may supplant rear-projection cathode-ray tubes.

* FlatScreen plasma display panel video monitors can be mounted on a wall or suspended from the ceiling.

* Major film studios will release more digital videodiscs (DVDs) that offer full digital audio and video capabilities on a disc the size of an audio CD.

* Digital TV will offer hundreds of channels.

* High-definition television (HDTV) will offer improved pictures free of “pixilization.”

* Digital Theater Systems (DTS) and Dolby Digital provide six CD-quality audio tracks.

* Systems will be integrated for “total immersion entertainment environments.” Philips DVX 8000 combines a personal computer with an audio and video system and DVD player.

* Equipment will be customized; home video projectors, for example, will be designed based on proximity to the screen.

* Consumers will get more help from manufacturers and retailers with setup, installation and fine-tuning of equipment.

* To determine the optimal picture screen size for a room, divide the distance you’ll be sitting from the screen or monitor by 2. For 10 feet away, get a 60-inch screen; 16 feet back, move up to a 96-inch screen.