If it's true that boys love their toys, Ken Lyons considers himself the biggest kid on his block.

Lyons, a 33-year-old software salesman from Danville, Calif., has a soft spot for the latest and greatest gadgets and gear — so much so that he custom-built a 13-by-13-foot room just to fit his wall-mounted, 50-inch Sony Wega plasma television and surround-sound speakers.

"My wife and I have four girls, and we all enjoy spending time at home, so we made a considerable investment in our entertainment center," he says.

His most beloved gadget is a high-definition TiVo digital video recorder. "It's a life-changer, seriously. We can stockpile all of our kids' favorite TV shows in one place. My kids don't even have a concept about when TV shows are on. With this technology, everything is just, well, there."

"OK, so I also love sports," Lyons adds with a grin.

And what better time to show off this new gear than while hosting a Super Bowl party?

It's the time of the year when diehard football fans can become the envy of their friends. All it takes is a big-screen HDTV, surround-sound speakers and a fancy universal remote with color LCD screen.

And while they're over for the big game, why not send them home drooling over your new wireless PC and sleek Apple iPod accessories? If you're one of these gear-loving fans, or are married to one, consider the following a look at the hottest in home tech. All prices are the manufacturer's suggested retail price, but the products can likely be found for less.

Typically the spot with the most digital devices, the family room or living room may include a home theater system. It's usually composed of a big-screen TV, multiple speakers to provide surround sound and such components as a DVD player, a digital video recorder, which lets you record TV shows onto a hard drive and a receiver-amplifier to split the audio into channels.

Sharp's LC-45GD7U Aquos ($5,499) is a stunning 45-inch LCD TV with support for the 1,080p format. Non-flat-panel technology alternatives include rear-projection digital light processing sets. Consider such DLP TVs as Samsung's 56-inch HL-R5688W ($4,999) and the 62-inch Mitsubishi WD-62627 ($4,499).

With their lifelike picture quality and thin design, plasma TVs are also popular. One of the best in its class: the 50-inch Panasonic TH-50PX50 ($4,499).

Hewlett-Packard is also migrating from the home office to your home theater. Check out the impressive 42-inch HP PL4200N ($3,299).

Want to record and store all your favorite shows? Some couch potatoes opt for a DVD recorder; others choose a digital video recorder that stores the content on a hard drive. Guess what? You can have both in one unit. Pioneer Electronics' DVR-633H-S ($499) incorporates a 160-gigabyte hard drive, which can store about 340 hours of standard-definition TV and a DVD burner that supports multiple disc types. This unit also has an i-Link (DV) camcorder connection to transfer home movies to the hard drive.

If you don't want to leave the sofa, you may want to invest in the Sony DVP-CX995V ($399.95), a 400-disc DVD, SACD (Super Audio CD) and CD changer.

Remember, you'll also need a receiver and surround-sound speakers to get the most from your home theater audio.

A new trend is wireless speaker systems. Armed with such gear, you'll no longer need to hide speaker wires under the rug or behind the sofa. A good choice: the Sony DAV-FX80 ($700). It includes a receiver and progressive scan DVD player, a combination called "home theater in a box." Similarly, the Panasonic SC-HT930 ($449) offers an optional wireless transmitter and receiver module ($199) for a cable-free family room.

A popular high-end universal remote is the Logitech Harmony 880 Advanced Universal Remote ($250).