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
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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.
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