As far as deciding between a line conditioner and a simple surge protector, there is also some added features. For example:ecost.com has the Belkin PF 60. I paid $260.00 CDN delivered to the door. A and B sound has it for $600+tax, Diamond has it for 900+taxes. (We are taxed fairly heavily here in BC 14 % on almost everything, additional duties if shipped from US.) The Belkin also has the ability to switch components on such as additional amps, drop down screens. You also get 13 plugs that are labelled. There is also 12 v. triggers for those recievers without. Lastly, it is very cool looking. I imagine that it is substantially cheaper for the fellows in the US to purchase something from Ecost. For me, it was cheap, so cheap that when I told the guys at work, they ordered them too. Lastly, it was this forum that lead me to Ecost.