CPR makes, what I believe to be, the most efficient, silent and aesthetically pleasing overflows out there. They are made as a durable piece of equipment and are hard to beat in quality and craftsmanship. They are expensive.
A home made overflow is a very doable option but it will require a lot of homework on the part of the builder to get the overflow to return flow ratio right.
Eshopps makes a very nice external overflow as well and they are a little more reasonable in price.