Recently, my family’s DVD remote went missing. This was bad news, as we like our movies. In another way, however, it worked out great, as it forced me to do something I’ve wanted to do for a long time: buy a universal remote. So I headed to several electronics stores, and ended up buying a Philips Universal remote, much like the SRU2103 shown here.

I’ve always liked Philips gadgets; they’re a good compromise between price and quality. This particular universal remote is another example of that balance.

I control three primary devices with it; my Sony widescreen HD television; my Panasonic DVD/VHS player; and my DirecTV satellite dish with TiVo. Setting up the remote was easy. The directions in the manual were simple and clear. I got the codes needed for each device (most popular brands have multiple codes, and you sometimes need to go through a long list to get to the right code for your particular model) within the first few options for each.

Most importantly, the remote works very well. I have no trouble controlling any of the devices with the remote, and it hasn’t given me any problems yet — not bad at all for a remote that sells for under $20. The only gripe I have is that I wish it had more TiVo functionality. Most of the functions I can do with one button press on my DirectTV remote, like recording and deleting, take two (and often, more) steps with the Philips remote. And backlighting would be nice, to be able to use it more easily in the dark.

Ultimately, however, those are minor quibbles. I could get a huge remote costing $100 or more and get all that functionality and more, but for the price, it’s a winner.

It’s always nice to catch up with gadgets a few years after their introduction — especially gadgets that made a big splash initially. How have the devices evolved over time? Are they even still around?

In the case of the Slingbox, the answer is a definite “Yes” — and it’s better than ever. The Slingbox was a huge hit when it first came out several years ago. Imagine firing up your laptop anywhere in the world, and being able to watch what’s on your home TV at that very moment. It was exciting and exhilarating, and gave people a new way to think about how TV and the Web can interact.

Sling Media, which makes Slingbox, has a number of new models out, including the Sling SOLO. The SOLO is a significant update from the original gadget, which looked like a giant, silver Hershey bar. Here’s how it works: you hook the Slingbox up to your DVR, satellite receiver or cable box. Then, through the magic of the Internet, the signal is sent anywhere you have access to the Information Superhighway. Setup of the Slingbox is simple — so simple, even my wife could do it!

The SOLO upgrades include the ability to receive high-definition signals, as well as using your smartphone/cellphone as the receiver. Have you ever wanted to turn your BlackBerry, Windows Mobile or Palm Pilot into a TV? Now you can.

The other cool part is that there are no subscriptions: plunk down your plastic for the Slingbox, and that’s it. If you’re going to be out of town for the Super Bowl, and can’t stand the thought of missing Pittsburgh crush Arizona like a bug, do yourself a favor and get a Slingbox SOLO. Then you won’t miss one moment of the Steelers’ beatdown of the Cardinals.

If you’re like me (but I doubt many of you are), you wonder just how you got along without TiVo. I’ve had DIRECTV for a number of years now, but it didn’t really shine until I got a TiVo and was suddenly able to record programs in a way so simple that it could make a brave man weep (hat tip to the late, great Douglas Adams), as well as stop, pause, rewind and fast-forward through shows.

Now, I’ve had TiVo for several years, and have discovered a new (for me) gadget that makes it even more valuable. It’s a wireless USB network adapter (much like the ones I recommended recently, only it’s just for TiVo) and lets me connect my TiVo to the Internet, through my broadband connection.

Simply plug in the adapter to the back of your TiVo, and follow the on-screen instructions to connect it to your home network. With the link established, you now have access to Internet content on your TiVo and, hence, your TV.

So, once you’re set up, what can you do? How about downloading movies from Netflix, if you have an account? Or link your TiVo account with your Amazon.com account, and rent or buy movies or TV shows from the more than 30,000 available? Or browse and watch YouTube videos? Heck, with the right software, you can download almost anything video-related from the Internet and watch it via TiVo.

I need to stop now. I’m getting giddy!

So, I’m sitting here in the living room, keeping one eye on the TV while working on my laptop. Next to me are a remote for my receiver; one for my DirecTV dish; one for the DVD player; and one for the TV. That’s four remotes, and for my money, that’s three too many. It’s time for an all-in-one remote, and here’s what I’m thinking about getting:The Logitech Harmony 550 Universal Remote.

I know Logitech more from its computer peripherals, mostly mice (mouses?), of which I’ve owned many. I’ve always liked the company’s attention to detail.  As far as price goes, it’s one of the more reasonably-priced universal remotes on the market. It can control up to 12 components — more than enough for  anyone this side of Bill Gates.

Programming the remote can be done using instructions from an included CD or from the Logitech Website. Logitech even has an online wizard to help you with the programming chores. In all, the Harmony looks like a winner — and I know I’d surely rather use one remote than messing around with (and trying to keep track of) four!

Now that Shakey has decided Blu-ray is the way to release his music archive, you may decide it’s time to look into updating your play equipment. Blu-ray, as you probably already know, holds more data than DVDs (five to 10 times the capacity!), offers amazing picture and sound quality and you can update their disc contents via the Internet.

Of course, I’m a hybrid kind of gal. I don’t like to have a bunch of specialized equipment around when hybrids will do the job too — especially if I’m not paying more for the multi-functionality. So let’s look at two “duo” players, electronics that play both Blu-ray and HD.

First up, the Samsung BD-UP5000. Pricing runs from about $380 to about $790. It exploits the interactive features and offers Blu-ray Disk playback at 1080p resolution. Don’t worry; it’s not limited to playing just Blu-ray or HD disks; you can also run your DVD Video and DVD-RW/-R discs too. The software lets you customize your viewing experience.  For example, if you — like I — run subtitles just to understand what those mumbling actors are saying, you can specify subtitles in a different color, you can animate them and you can fade them in and out. Is that cool or what?!

Reviewer pzprods likes the unit, although he or she detects a delay in loading movies.

LG Electronics offers the BH200, which is priced between $422 and $800. The functionality is basically the same as the Samsung, though reviewer bballcards from MO reports that load time for “Superbad Blu-Ray” is speedy compared to alternatives and that bugs reported in the initial release have been repaired in firmware updates put out by the company. Bballcards complains, however, about a short warranty (a year, the same as the Samsung model) and a high price (again, pretty comparable to the Samsung model).

Of course, upgrading from a HD player to a hybrid player almost demands that you run a high-def viewer too. Otherwise, why bother?! So, if you haven’t upgraded your TV to install one of those drive-in-theater hi-def models that take up a wall and form the centerpoint of dinner conversations with your friends for easily a full three months after purchase, not to worry! Your economic stimulus check is in the mail!