Category: Holiday Gift Guide
November 1st, 2009
Holiday Gift Guide 2009: Top Five HDTVs
Whatever the size of your wallet, every living room should have a respectable television set. Good news: HDTVs are cheaper, bigger and better than ever. Here are my top five picks for this year.
Splurge: Samsung UNB8500 Series
If you don’t need to wait for a full economic recovery to hit before you can afford a new top-of-the-line HDTV, then consider the Samsung UNB8500 sets (either the 46-inch or 55-inch model), which feature LED backlighting and 240Hz refresh rates. Our CNET colleagues found that the series has the best black levels of any TVs outside the fabled (and sadly discontinued) Pioneer Kuro plasmas, and corresponding excellent color reproduction. If you can set it up to minimize off-angle viewing, and you can swallow the high price, this will make quite a present—maybe for yourself most of all.
November 1st, 2009
Holiday Gift Guide 2009: Blu-ray Players/Home Theater Systems
With prices for both players and discs plunging, this may be the holiday season for Blu-ray. Already online movie streaming is making inroads—even on Blu-ray players themselves. Some of these picks are integrating on-demand video services into their feature sets, hoping to keep themselves relevant in the disc-less future.
You don’t drop $500 on an Oppo Blu-ray player like the BDP-83 because you want to watch Netflix’s streaming service through it. You get one because of its superlative video quality and speed, along with its ability to play PAL-encoded discs and even niche products like DVD-Audio and SACD discs. If you don’t care about networking features, but value high-quality image quality most of all, the BDP-83 is worth the price.
December 16th, 2008
Holiday Gift Guide 2008: Soundbar speaker systems
Some enthusiasts want the accuracy of a full surround-sound speaker setup handling their home theater audio output, but judging from the number of soundbar solutions that have been hitting the marketplace, many people are willing to trade fidelity for a single speaker (and often a subwoofer) that doesn’t require you strewing cables all around your living room. They provide a sleek look and adequate audio for those you don’t mind their virtual surround sound technology. If that sounds like a good gift to give yourself or someone with a new HDTV, here are five different soundbars that can provide the perfect fit for a home theater setup.
December 9th, 2008
Holiday Gift Guide 2008: Three Ultimate HDTVs
Though putting together a high-end home theater for a few thousand dollars might seem like an awful lot of money in this economy, there are a lucky few who can afford to spend the same amount just on their TV. (Of course, many also choose to go the projector route when creating an ultimate home theater costing many, many thousands of dollars.) If you have the cash to burn, and a burning desire to get the highest of high-end HDTV, here are three sets—one plasma, one LCD, and one rear-projection—that will bring the “wow” factor to your home theater setup.
December 3rd, 2008
Holiday Gift Guide 2008: High-end home theater setups
Economy be damned, you want to upgrade your home theater—and do it right—for the holidays (and/or in anticipation of the Super Bowl). If you have the means to spend more than two grand on a set and the hundreds and hundreds more to round out your setup with primo components, you won’t lack for superb options.
High-End HDTVs
Panasonic Viera TH-50PZ800U
Believe it or not, you can get Panasonic’s fantastic 50-inch 1080p plasma for around $2,000, showing how even top-of-the-line sets are free falling in price. As with the best plasmas, the TH-50PZ800U produces deep black levels that most LCDs can’t hold a candle to. But what really sets this HDTV apart is its inclusion of THX Display Certification; the THX mode automatically calibrates the picture according to the content being displayed, so you don’t need to endlessly tweak picture controls manually for the best image quality.
November 23rd, 2008
2008 Holiday Buying Guide: Midrange home theater setups
Last week, I gave some recommendations for budget home theater setups. This time, I’m looking at home theater products for a slightly larger budget: TVs that cost between $1,000 and $2,000, plus slightly more expensive components. Even with the additional outlay, it doesn’t add up to a ridiculous sum, and you’ll be getting an incredible experience in your living room, especially if this is your first upgrade to HD.
Midrange HDTVs
Sony KDL-46W4100
If you want a solid Sony at a respectable price, this 46-inch 1080p model fits the bill. Its main strengths are its 120Hz refresh rate and dejudder video processing and excellent black-level performance for an LCD.
November 19th, 2008
Holiday Gift Guide 2008: Budget home theater setups
This is the first of a series of buying guides for those looking forward to this holiday season as a time to assemble a home theater system.
First up: budget setups.
Whether you need to create a home theater on the cheap, or you live in a small space that can’t handle a big system, you can assemble a solid set of components for less than ever. Even if you hold off on Blu-ray and don’t spring for a dedicated A/V receiver, you can create a perfectly adequate HD setup while sparing you wallet too much pain.
Budget HDTVs
Vizio VO32L
For those on a very tight budget, or who don’t need a big set, the 32-inch 720p VO32L delivers fine performance for an entry-level price. In particular, the VO32L handles black levels well, which is almost always the Achilles’ heel of cheaper LCD sets. You also get a couple of HDMI ports so you can hook up set-top boxes and DVD players with a pure digital connection.
List Price: $649.99
Sean Portnoy spent several years as an editor at Computer Shopper magazine, most recently serving as online executive editor. See his full profile and disclosure of his industry affiliations.
Subscribe to Home Theater via Email alerts or RSS.
SponsoredWhite Papers, Webcasts, and Downloads
- Three Steps You Need to Know to Stop Data Loss Varonis Sensitive data exposed to misuse or loss... it is the stuff of nightmares ... Download Now
- Five Steps to Determine When to Virtualize YourServers VMware Server virtualization isn't just for big companies. Entry-level ... Download Now
- Finally, an easier way for Small and Mid-Sized Companies to Run Their Business Applications: IBM Smart Business IBM From the PC to the Internet to every piece of hardware and software in ... Download Now
Essential Topics 
Recent Entries
- Amazon’s Black Friday HDTV deals include Panasonic plasmas
- Poll: Where will you shop for an HDTV on Black Friday?
- California adopts tough new requirements on HDTV energy use: Visionary or draconian?
- Vizio announces Black Friday deals on its LCD HDTVs, Blu-ray player
- Full Wal-Mart Black Friday ad hits Internet, complete with Samsung, Sony HDTV deals
Blogs From Our Sponsors
Most Popular Posts
- Best Buy Black Friday ad leaks online. Here are the HDTV and Blu-ray deals.
- Target Black Friday HDTV deal: Westinghouse 32-inch LCD for $246
- Full Wal-Mart Black Friday ad hits Internet, complete with Samsung, Sony HDTV deals
- Wal-mart preempts Black Friday with HDTV specials this Saturday
- Wal-mart Black Friday deals on HDTVs, Blu-ray players begin to leak online
- Newegg offers some early Black Friday deals on LCD HDTVs
Top Rated
- Is HDTV turning Americans into hockey fans?+11 votes
- Wal-mart preempts Black Friday with HDTV specials this Saturday+7 votes
- Vizio announces Black Friday deals on its LCD HDTVs, Blu-ray player+6 votes
- Men watch more high-def than women--and other things about HDTV you probably already know+5 votes
- Best Buy Black Friday ad leaks online. Here are the HDTV and Blu-ray deals.+4 votes
- Sony to charge $24.95 for Bravia owners to rent "Chance of Meatballs" before DVD release+3 votes
- Poll: Where will you shop for an HDTV on Black Friday?+3 votes
- Holiday Gift Guide 2009: Top Five HDTVs+3 votes
Premier Vendor Content Whitepapers, webcasts & resources from our Power Center Sponsors
- The best support in the Linux business
-
If Linux is going to power your mission-critical applications, you'd better have the best support known to business. Novell was rated the top provider of Linux technical support.
- Learn more >>
- Save time with automated shipping solutions
-
The Business Essentials Guide provides you useful tools and templates to help grow your business and save you time with automated shipping solutions.
- Visit the UPS Business Essentials Guide
- The more you simplify, the more you save
-
When you transition from your existing Red Hat environment to SUSE Linux Enterprise from Novell, you can recognize dramatic cost savings, perhaps as much 50%
- Learn more >>
- The best support in the Linux business
-
If Linux is going to power your mission-critical applications, you'd better have the best support known to business. Novell was rated the top provider of Linux technical support.
- Learn more >>
- Microsoft Dynamics CRM Online - Free Six-Month Trial for Eligible Organizations
-
Microsoft Dynamics CRM Online provides fast online access, simple contact management and better sales performance for a low monthly cost - the best value on the market today.
- Learn more about the free, six-month trial offer>>
Archives
ZDNet Blogs
- All About Microsoft
- The Apple Core
- Between the Lines
- BriefingsDirect
- Collaboration 2.0
- Dev Connection
- Digital Cameras & Camcorders
- Ed Bott's Microsoft Report
- Emerging Tech
- Enterprise Web 2.0
- Forrester Research
- Googling Google
- GreenTech Pastures
- Hardware 2.0
- Home Theater
- iGeneration
- Irregular Enterprise
- IT Project Failures
- Laptops & Desktops
- Lawgarithms
- Linux and Open Source
- Managing L'unix
- The Mobile Gadgeteer
- On Sustainability
- Rational Rants
- The Semantic Web
- Service Oriented
- Smartphones and Cell Phones
- Social Business
- Social CRM: The Conversation
- Software & Services Safari
- Software as Services
- Storage Bits
- Team Think
- Tech Broiler
- Technology and the Global Supply Chain
- Tom Foremski: IMHO
- The ToyBox
- Virtually Speaking
- The Web Life
- ZDNet Education
- ZDNet Government
- ZDNet Healthcare
- Zero Day
White Papers, Webcasts, and Downloads
- The True Costs of Virtual Server Solutions VMware In an economic environment that is repeatedly heralding the message "do ... Download Now
- Virtualization: Architectural Considerations And Other Evaluation Criteria VMware Of the many approaches to x86 systems virtualization available in the ... Download Now
- VMware Infrastructure: A Guide to Bottom-Line Benefits VMware Frustrated by the costs of maintain ever larger data centers?or building ... Download Now
Meet Doc
-
-
Here to help you with your Document Management Needs
- Doc is an enigma. Born to a Russian ballerina and a German electrical engineer, he grew up in various locations in the United States. He’s seen the insides of more brands, versions, and generations of printer and printer-related hardware than almost anyone.
- To learn more about this mysterious figure check out his blog on ZDNet and his Workspace on TechRepublic. You’ll be glad you did.
-
Produced by
ZDNet and -
