Welcome to the Engadget Holiday Gift Guide! The team here is well aware of the heartbreaking difficulties of the seasonal shopping experience, and we want to help you sort through the trash and come up with the treasures this year. Below is today’s bevy of hand curated picks, and you can head back to the Gift Guide hub to see the rest of the product guides as they’re added throughout the holiday season.

Want a gift the whole family can enjoy? A brand new television is sure to do the trick and with more HDTV content available than ever from antenna, cable, satellite, Blu-ray discs or even the internet, there will always be something to watch. Whether it’s their first flat-panel or an upgrade, these picks come through in several price ranges selected to maximize your, we mean their, viewing pleasure. The only question left we can’t help you with? Who gets the first turn on the remote.

Continue reading Engadget’s Holiday Gift Guide: Televisions

Engadget’s Holiday Gift Guide: Televisions originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 04 Dec 2009 14:09:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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We teamed with HD Guru Gary Merson again, this time to find the best TVs under $1000. This economy has really shocked prices. Forget the off-brands. You can now get a top-name good-looking 50″ TV for $700, and more…

Note: Due to the unprecedented price fluctuations seen on TV pricing this week from online retailers, don’t be startled if the prices we brazenly quoted here are off—by pennies or by hundreds. The model numbers are there for a reason, so you can check prices yourself when you’re ready to cash out.

Panasonic X1 Plasma Series

Plasma HDTVs provide the best picture performance and these 720p Panasonics—shown up top—are the value champs. Plasma screens have a wider viewing angle than any LCD panel, excellent contrast and color fidelity. The X1s include 600Hz refresh for full motion resolution, an SD card reader for digital photos and an anti-reflective screen coating (the shiny one). Available in 42-inch and 50-inch screen sizes. If you’re going to set it up at a distance of 9 feet or more, it’s almost silly to spend extra for more resolution.

The best deal is the TC-P50X1, a 50 incher selling for $689.98 at Electronics Expo (via Amazon).

Panasonic S1 Plasma Series

The S1s are Panasonic’s least expensive 1080p line to feature its energy saving, high contrast, deep black level Neo PDP plasma technology. In addition to the full 1080 line motion resolution and an anti-reflective screen coating (the shiny one), there’s an SD card reader. If you’re looking for a Full HD 1080p TV with the excellent performance and don’t care about features like internet connectivity or THX-certified picture and sound modes (which the step-up G10 line has), these are the HDTVs for you. Available from 42-inch to 65-inch screen sizes.

Under $1,000, your best shot is the TC-P42S1, a 42-inch set now selling for $797.95 at Amazon.

LG LH30 Series

LG’s LH30 is the first step-up from the baseline, maintaining a nice low price but delivering surprisingly good picture quality. This model has a wide-viewing-angle IPS LCD panel, dull-finish anti-glare screen coating (better than the shiny anti-reflective coating at cutting down natural-light reflections, but at a slight cost of contrast), pro color-calibration mode and “Picture Wizard.” They add 1080p resolution and Smart Energy Savings for low power consumption. Offered in a range from 32 inches to 47 inches.

We were impressed to find the 47-inch 47LH30 locally for $900, and on Amazon for $938.15.

LG LH40 Series

The LH40 line adds 120Hz to plenty of models below $1000. If that’s something you value, this is your best bet. Everything else here comes in the LH30 line, too. It’s available in screen sizes ranging from 32 inches to 55 inches.

Locally, we spotted a 47-inch 47LH40 for $980, though it was over $1000 on Amazon. The 42-inch 42LH40 may be the best pick: It’s currently $823 on Amazon.

Samsung B550 Series

This series represents Samsung’s top 60Hz 1080p HDTVs. They provide excellent overall performance without any of the fancy features found on its higher-end models. They incorporate Samsung’s Touch of Color bezel and its 6ms response time LCD panel, and are available in 32-inch to 52-inch sizes. Currently, the 46-inch LN46B550 is priced at $999 on Amazon.

For this story, Gary picked out 10 total deals. He is running the other five on HD Guru, so go have a look. If you came across any other good deals lately, let us know in comments, but be ready to defend the quality, not just the super sick price.

Gary Merson is the HD Guru, the industry’s leading HDTV journalist. He’s been reviewing TVs for well over a decade, and recently wrote a guide to choosing an HDTV.

Black Friday is a week away, and thousands of markdowns are already announced. Our master list of Giz-friendly deals—a hefty read—includes similar items priced differently at different stores. Keep it refreshed, cuz we’ll be updating it all week.

Not All Deals Are Created Equal

Check here for a breakdown of the not so great deals to avoid from Best Buy, Sears, Amazon and Walmart.

Recent Changes

Updated November 25 – [Vizio]
Updated November 24 – [Amazon]
Updated November 23 – [WireFly], [HP], [Newegg]
Updated November 20 – [Best Buy], [Staples], [Office Depot], [Office Max], [Dell]
, [Sears], [Target], [Wal-Mart], [K-M]

Table of Contents

Page 1 – Cell Phones, Computers, Digital Cameras, DVD Players, GPS and more
Page 2 – TVs, Video Games, Printers, Software, MP3 Players and more
Page 3 – Movies and TV Shows (DVD and Blu-ray)

Doorbuster items marked with an *

Cell Phones

AT&T Blackberry Bold 9700 (Bold2) – Free for new activations, $29.99 for current [WireFly]
BlackBerry Bold 9700 Phone – $149.99 [Amazon]

AT&T Sony Ericsson W518a – Free w/2 Year Contract * [Best Buy]

HTC Pure Windows Phone (With New AT&T Service Plan) – $0.01 [Amazon]

LG Xenon GR500 Cell Phone (With New AT&T Service Plan) – $0.01 [Amazon]

BoostMobile Motorola Clutch i465 – $59.99 [Best Buy]

DLO Jam Jacket For iPhone – $9.99 [Best Buy]

Jabra BT-2080 Bluetooth Headset – $19.99 [Best Buy]

MiFi 2200 By Novatel Wireless – Free with 2 year contract [Best Buy]

Mobile Broadband Card 598U By Sierra Wireless – Free with 2 year contract [Best Buy]

Motorola S9 HD Stereo Bluetooth Headset – $49.99 [Best Buy]

Net10 Samsung T401G – $39.99 [Best Buy]

Sprint BlackBerry Curve 8330 Smart Phone – Free with 2 year contract [Best Buy]

BlackBerry Tour 9630 Phone (With New Sprint Service Plan) – $49.99 [Amazon]

Sprint Samsung Instinct S30 -Free with 2 year contract [Best Buy]

Sprint Samsung Moment – $79.99 for new activations, $99.99 for current customers [WireFly]
Samsung Moment M900 Phone (With New Sprint Service Plan) – $79.99 [Amazon]

T-Mobile Motorola Renew Phone – $7.99 [Best Buy]

Verizon Wireless DROID – $199.99 with 2 year contract [Best Buy]

Verizon Wireless Motorola Rival – Free for new activations * [Best Buy]

Verizon LG Chocolate Touch – Free with 2 year contract * [Best Buy]

Verizon BlackBerry Storm2 – Free for new activations, $29.99 for current customers [WireFly]
BlackBerry Storm2 9550 Phone (With New Verizon Service Plan) – $149.99 [Amazon]

Virgin Mobile Kyocera X-tc – $49.99 [Best Buy]

Motorola TalkAbout Earbud with Microphone for All Series – $12.05 [Amazon]

Plantronics Discovery 975 Bluetooth Headset – $84.99 [Amazon]

Plantronics Voyager PRO Bluetooth Headset – $70.00 [Amazon]

Computer Accessories


APC 450VA Battery Backup – $19.99 [Staples]

APC 550VA Battery Backup – $24.99 [Office Depot]

All Case Logic Laptop Sleeves – 50% Off [Office Depot]

Altec Lansing VS2621 PC Speakers – $19.99 [Staples]

Any Business Case, Sleeve, or Backpack – 40% Off [Staples]

Antec USB Powered Notebook Cooler – $19.82 [Amazon]

Belkin 6-Outlet Surge Protector w/Left Extension Cord Combo – $5.99 [Staples]

HP Wireless Mouse (Black) – $9.99 [Staples]

Logitech C600 Webcam – $39.99 [Staples]


Logitech QuickCam Pro Webcam – $49.99 [Office Max]

Logitech Webcam Pro 9000 – $75.99 [Amazon]

Logitech Z13 Speaker System – $29.99 [Office Max]


Logitech LX6 Cordless Optical Mouse – $7.99 [Office Depot]


Logitech V220 Optical Wireless Mouse – $9.99 * [Office Max]


Logitech V450 Wireless Laser Notebook Mouse – $14.99 [Staples]

Logitech MX 1100 Cordless Laser Mouse – $49.99 [Amazon]

Logitech G9 Gaming Mouse – $49.99 [HP]

Logitech Illuminated Keyboard – $29.99 [Staples]

Logitech Cordless Desktop Wave Combo – $39.99 [Office Max]
Logitech Cordless Desktop Wave Pro – $59.99 [Amazon]

Logitech Black Cordless Ergonomic Desktop Wave Keyboard/Mouse Combo $46.99 [Newegg]

Microsoft Lifecam VX-5000 Webcam – $9.99 * [Office Max]


Microsoft Mobile 300 Mouse (Pink) – $4.99 * [Office Max]

Microsoft 4000 Wireless Laser Keyboard/Mouse Set – $29.99 * [Staples]

Microsoft Digital Media Keyboard 6000 – $12.99 [Office Depot]

Microsoft Natural Ergonomic 4000 USB Keyboard – $19.99 [Dell]

Microsoft VX-3000 LifeCam Webcam – $9.99 [Staples]

Height-Adjustable Mobile Laptop Cart – $17.99 [Office Depot]

Moble IT Retractable USB Hub – $4.99 [Office Depot]

Targus 208-CD/DVD Album – $9.98 [Staples]

Targus Chill Mat Notebook Fan – $9.99 [Staples]

USB Web Cam – $9.99 [Office Depot]

iHome Wired Optical Mouse – $6.99 [Office Depot]

Computers


Acer Aspire One 10.1″ Netbook w/ 1GB RAM, 160GB HD, Windows XP – $149.99 * [Office Max]

Acer Aspire One Black Intel Atom N270(1.60GHz) Netbook $189.99 [Newegg]


Acer Netbook 10.1″ Netbook w/Intel 1.6GHz Atom Processor N270 – $199.99 [Office Depot]

Acer Aspire 15.6″ Widescreen Notebook Computer w/AMD Athlon X2 Dual-Core Processor L310, 4GB RAM, 320GB Hard Drive – $379.99 [Office Depot]

Acer 17.3″ Blue Laptop w/4GB Memory, 320GB Hard Drive and Windows 7 Premium (Online Only) – $498.00 [Wal-Mart]

ASUS Eee PC 1005HA-PU1X-BK 10.1-Inch Black Netbook – $349.99 [Amazon]

Compaq Presario Dual-Core Desktop w/ 3GB RAM, 500GB HD, Windows 7 – $239.99 * [Office Max]

Compaq CQ4010F Desktop Computer w/AMD Sempron LE-1300 Processor, 2GB RAM, 250GB Hard Drive – $229.99 [Office Depot]

Compaq Netbook w/Intel Atom Processor, 1GB Memory, 160GB Hard Drive – $179.99 [Best Buy]

Compaq Netbook w/Intel Atom Processor, 1GB Memory, 250GB Hard Drive – $229.99 [Best Buy]

Compaq Presario AMD LE-1300 Desktop w/18.5″ Monitor – $329.99 [Office Depot]

Dell 10.1″ Inspiron Mini 10V Netbook w/Atom 1.6Ghz Processor N270 – $249.00 [Dell]

Dell 10.1″ Netbook w/Intel Atom Processor, 1GB Memory, 160GB Hard Drive – $379.99 [Best Buy]

Dell 14″ Inspiron 14 Notebook w/Intel T4300 Processor, 4GB RAM, 320GB Hard Drive – $599.00 [Dell]

Dell 14″ Studio XPS 13 Notebook w/Intel P7450 Processor, 4GB RAM, 500GB Hard Drive – $999.00 [Dell]

Dell 15.6″ Inspiron 15 Notebook w/Intel T4300 Processor, 4GB RAM, 320GB Hard Drive – $549.00 [Dell]

Dell 15.6″ Studio 15 Notebook w/Intel T6600 Processor, 4GB RAM, 250GB Hard Drive – $499.00 [Dell]

Dell 15.6″ Studio Laptop w/Intel Core 2 Duo T6600 Processor, 4GB RAM, 500GB Hard Drive – $599.98 [Staples]

Dell 16″ Studio XPS 16 Notebook w/Intel P7450 Processor, 4GB RAM, 500GB Hard Drive – $999.00 [Dell]

Dell 17″ Studio 17 Notebook w/Intel T4300 Processor, 4GB RAM, 500GB Hard Drive – $749.00 [Dell]

Dell 20″ Studio XPS 8000 Desktop w/Intel i5-750 CPU, 6GB RAM, 750GB Hard Drive – $899.00 [Dell]

Dell Desktop PC w/AMD Athlon X2 215 Processor, 4GB RAM, 640GB Hard Drive, 20-inch LCD Monitor – $499.98 [Staples]

Dell Inspiron 537s Desktop w/Intel Pentium Dual-Core E5300 Processor, 4GB RAM, 320GB Hard Drive – $349.00 [Dell]

Dell Inspiron 537s w/Intel E5300 Processor, 4GB RAM, 500GB Hard Drive, w/20″ LCD Monitor – $499.00 [Dell]

Dell Inspiron w/Intel Core 2 Duo T6600 Processor, 3GB RAM, 320GB Hard Drive – $499.00 [Dell]

Dell Studio Desktop w/Intel E7500 Processor, 6GB RAM, 500GB Hard Drive, w/18.5″ LCD Monitor – $699.00 [Dell]

Dell Studio Desktop w/Intel Q8300 Processor, 6GB RAM, 640GB Hard Drive, w/20″ LCD Monitor – $749.00 [Dell]

Dell Studio Slim Desktop w/Intel E5400, 4GB RAM, 500GB Hard Drive, w/18.5″ LCD Monitor – $599.00 [Dell]

Free Software w/Purchase of Computer – Free [Office Depot]

HP Notebook Computer G60-508US w/Intel Celeron Processor 900 – $299.99 [Office Depot]

HP Notebook Computer G71-343US With Intel Core 2 Duo Processor T6600 – $449.99 [Office Depot]

10.1″ HP Mini 110-1037NR Pink Netbook – $339.95 [Amazon]

10.1″ HP Mini 110-1109NR White Netbook (Windows XP) – $199.99 [Amazon]

13.3″ HP Pavilion DM3-1030US Silver Laptop – $499.99 [Amazon]
13.3″ HP Pavilion dm3z AMD Neo Laptop w/4GB RAM, 320GB HD – $529.99 [HP]

15.6″ HP G60-507DX Laptop with Intel Celeron 900 MHz, Windows 7, 2GB RAM, 160GB HDD – $197.00 [Best Buy]

HP 15.6″ Laptop w/Intel Celeron Processor 900, 3GB RAM, 160GB Hard Drive, Windows 7 – $299.98 * [Staples]

HP 15.6″ Notebook w/Intel Processor, 3GB Memory, 250GB Hard Drive (Model # G60-519WM) – $298.00 * [Wal-Mart]

HP 15.6″ Laptop w/Intel Pentium Processor T4300, 4GB RAM, 250GB Hard Drive, Windows 7 – $399.98 * [Staples]

HP 15.6″ Notebook w/AMD Turion II Dual Core Processor M500, 6GB Memory, 320GB Hard Drive, Windows 7 – $599.99 [Best Buy]

HP 15.6″ Notebook w/AMD Turion II Dual Core Processor M500, 8GB Memory, 500GB Hard Drive, Windows 7 – $699.99 [Best Buy]

15.6″ HP Pavilion dv6t Quad Edition Laptop w/i7 Processor & HD LED Display – $999.99 [HP]

HP 17″ Notebook w/4GB Memory, 320GB Hard Drive (Model # G71-329WM) – $398.00 [Wal-Mart]

HP 17.3″ Laptop w/Intel Core 2 Duo T6600 Processor, 4GB RAM, 320GB Hard Drive – $599.98 [Staples]

HP Desktop AMD X4 Quad Core, 8GB Memory, 1TB Hard Drive w/20″ Monitor, HP Deskjet DJ350 Color Printer & Windows 7 Home Premium – $499.97 [Best Buy]

HP Pavilion Desktop P6229PG w/20″ Widescreen LCD Monitor – $499.99 [Office Depot]

HP Pavilion Elite e9250t w/Intel i5 Processor, 6GB RAM & 500GB HD – $799.99 [HP]

HP Pavilion p6280t Desktop w/Quad Core Processor, 6GB RAM & 640GB HD – $569.99 [HP]

HP Pavilion All-In-One 19″ Desktop w/4GB Memory, 500GB Hard Drive, MS213 AMD – $598.00 [Wal-Mart]

HP Pavilion Desktop w/AMD Processor, 3GB Memory, 320GB Hard Drive, w/20″ Monitor (Model # P6243w-b) – $398.00 * [Wal-Mart]

HP Pavilion Slimline s5210t Desktop w/Dual Core Processor 640GB HD & 3GB RAM – $349.99 [HP]

HP Pavillion Slimline s5220f Desktop Computer w/Intel Pentium Processor E5300, 4GB RAM, 640GB Hard Drive – $369.99 [Office Depot]

HP Pavillion Slimline Intel E5300 Desktop w/20″ Monitor – $519.99 [Office Depot]

Macbook 13.3″ Notebook w/2.26GHz Intel Core 2 Duo, 2GB DDR3 Memory, 250GB Hard Drive, w/$150 Gift Card – $999.99 [Best Buy]

10.1″ Samsung N110-12PBK Netbook – $326.95 [Amazon]

Sony 15″ Laptop w/Intel Dual Core Processor, 4GB Memory, 320GB Hard Drive, Windows 7 – $399.99 [Best Buy]

Sony 15″ Laptop w/Intel Dual Core Processor, 4GB RAM, 320GB HD, Windows 7, Sony Headphones, Built-In Blu-ray, Blu-ray Movie – $479.97 [Best Buy]

Sony 15.5″ Laptop w/Intel Core 2 Duo T6600 Processor, 4GB RAM, 320GB Hard Drive – $649.98 [Staples]

13.3″ Toshiba Satellite T135-S1307 TruBrite 13.3-Inch Ultrathin Black Laptop – $699.99 [Amazon]

Toshiba 15.6″ Widescreen Notebook w/AMD Turion II Dual-Core Processor M500, 3GB RAM, 320GB Hard Drive – $469.99 [Office Depot]

Toshiba 16″ Laptop w/Intel Core 2 Duo Processor, 3GB DDR3 Memory, 250GB Hard Drive (Model # L505-S5984) – $399.99 [Best Buy]

Toshiba 16″ Laptop w/Intel Core 2 Duo Processor, 4GB DDR3 Memory, 320GB Hard Drive (Model # L505-S5984) w/Printer and Case – $499.97 [Best Buy]

Toshiba 17″ Notebook w/AMD Turion II M500, 3GB RAM, 250GB Hard Drive – $499.99 [Office Depot]

Toshiba L505-S5998 T4300 4GB RAM, 320GB HD Notebook – $399.99 [Office Max]

Wacom Intuos3 6×8″ Pen Tablet – $199.99 [Amazon]

eMachines 15.6″ Notebook w/AMD Processor, 2GB Memory, 160GB Hard Drive (Model # EME627) – $198.00 * [Wal-Mart]

eMachines Desktop w/AMD Athlon Processor, 3GB RAM, 320GB HD, Windows 7, w/18.5″ LCD Monitor and HP Deskjet Printer – $299.97 [Best Buy]

iBUYPOWER Gamer Extreme 938i Intel Core i7 860(2.80GHz) Desktop PC – $799.99 with Free Shipping [Newegg]

CyberpowerPC Gamer Ultra 2019 Athlon II X2 245(2.9GHz) – $399.99 with Free Shipping [Newegg

Digital Cameras


Ativa Digital 1080p HD Video Camcorder 4x Optical Zoom – $89.99 [Office Depot]

Canon 10.1MP Digital SLR Camera, EOS Rebel XS – $569.99 [Sears]

Canon PowerShot SD1200 IS 10.0 MP Digital Camera – $149.99 [Best Buy]

Canon PowerShot SD1200 IS 10.0 MP Digital ELPH Camera – $149.99 [Office Depot]

Canon PowerShot A1100 12.1 MP Digital Camera w/4x Optical Zoom, 2.5″ LCD (Silver) – $129.99 * [Staples]

Canon PowerShot SD780 IS 12.1 MP Digital Camera – $179.99 [Office Depot]

Canon Powershot SD780 IS 12.1 MP Digital Camera – $179.99 [Sears]

Canon 980IS 12.1 MP Digital Camera – $279.99 [Sears]

Canon Rebelx XS Digital SLR Camera & Canon EF 75-300MM Telephoto Zoom Lens – $669.98 [Sears]

Canon EOS Rebel T1i D-SLR Camera w/18-55mm IS Lens – $699.99 [Best Buy]

Canon Rebel Tli Camera w/55-250mm IS Telephoto Lens and Lowepro D-SLR Bag – $849.97 [Best Buy]

Disney Pix Micro Digital Cameras Designed For Just For Kids – $9.99 * [Sears]

Flip Ultra Camcorder w/2″ LCD – $129.99 [Staples]

Free Canon Photo Printer With Purchase Of Any Digital Camera (After Rebate) – $0.00 * [Staples]

Fuji J29 10MP 3X Zoom 2.7″ LCD Digital Camera Bundle – $89.99 * [Sears]

Fujifilm FinePix A170 10.2 Megapixel 3x Optical Zoom Digital Camera (Silver) – $59.99 [Dell]

Fujifilm Finepix Z37 Polka Dot 10.0 Megapixel Digital Camera – $119.99 [Best Buy]

Fujifilm Finepix Z37 10.0 Megapixel Digital Camera w/Extra Battery and Case – $149.97 [Best Buy]

GE A1250 12MP Digital Camera – $69.99 * [Sears]

Hi Pro Camera Kits – 50% Off * [Sears]

Insignia 720p HD Camcorder – $69.99 [Best Buy]

Insignia NS-DSC10A 10.0 Megapixel Digital Camera (Pink) – $49.99 * [Best Buy]

Insignia NS-DSC10B 10.0 Megapixel Digital Camera (Blue) – $49.99 * [Best Buy]

Jazz T20 4X Digtal Zoom 1.5″ LCD Camcorder – $19.99 * [Sears]

Jazz T55 Camcorder – $49.99 * [Sears]

Kodak EasyShare CD80 Digital Camera Bundle – $79.99 [Office Depot]

Kodak EasyShare C140 Digital Camera With 7″ Kodak Digital Photo Frame – $109.99 [Best Buy]

Kodak EasyShare M381 Digital Camera w/Case & Tripod – $169.99 [Office Depot]

Kodak EasyShare Z915 Digital Camera w/Case & Charger – $199.99 [Office Depot]

Kodak M1063 10.3MP Digital Camera – $89.99 [Sears]

Kodak 10.0 MP Digital Camera w/Memory Card And Bag – $79.99 * [Staples]

Kodak CD80 10.2 MP, 3x Zoom Digital Camera 2.4″ LCD 2GB Card And Case – $79.99 * [Sears]

Kodak EasyShare C180 10.2 Megapixel 3x Optical Zoom Digital Camera w/Kodak P820 8″ Digital Picture Frame – $99.99 [Dell]

Kodak EasyShare C182 12.0 Megapixel Digital Camera – $69.00 [Wal-Mart]

Kodak Z950 12 Megapixel Digital Camera – $149.99 [Office Max]


Nikon L20 10 Megapixel Digital Camera – $79.99 [Office Max]


Olympus X905 10MP Digital Camera – $49.99 * [Office Max]

Nikon COOLPIX L20 Digital Camera – $99.99 * [Sears]

Nikon CoolPix S230 10MP Digital Camera – $139.00 [Wal-Mart]

Nikon Coolpix 12MP S570 Digital Camera – $149.99 [Sears]

Nikon Coolpix S60 10.0 Megapixel Digital Camera (Red) – $179.99 [Best Buy]

Nikon Coolpix S60 10.0 Megapixel Digital Camera w/Extra Battery and Case – $209.97 [Best Buy]

Nikon Coolpix L100 10.0 MegaPixel Digital Camera w/15x Optical Zoom, 3″ LCD (Black) – $199.99 * [Staples]

Nikon Coolpix P90 12.1 Megapixel Digital Camera – $299.99 [Best Buy]

Nikon Coolpix P90 12.1 Megapixel Digital Camera w/Extra Battery and Case – $329.97 [Best Buy]

Nikon Coolpix S570 12.0 MegaPixel Digital Camera – $149.99 * [Staples]

Nikon Coolpix S570 12.0 Megapixel Digital Camera – $149.99 [Office Depot]

Nikon D3000 10.0 MegaPixel Digital Camera – $499.99 * [Staples]

Nikon D3000DX 10.2 Megapixel D-SLR Digital Camera w/10-55mm VR Lens – $499.99 [Best Buy]

Nikon D3000DX 10.2 Megapixel D-SLR Digital Camera w/10-55mm and 55-200mm Lens and Bag – $599.97 [Best Buy]

Olympus Stylus FE 4000 12.1 MP Digital Camera – $99.99 [Sears]
Olympus Stylus FE 4000 12.1 MP Digital Camera – $99.99 * [Staples]

Samsung SL40 12.2 MP Digital Camera – $79.99 [Sears]

Samsung C10 SD 1200 Digital Zoom 10X Optical Zoom 2.7″ LCD Camcorder – $149.99 * [Sears]

Samsung Compact Full HD Camcorder – $399.99 [Sears]

Sony 4GB Camcorder – $249.99 [Sears]

Sony Cyber-Shot DSC S930 10.0 Megapixel Digital Camera – $79.00 [Wal-Mart]

Sony Cyber-Shot W180 10.1 MP Digital Camera – $99.99 [Sears]
Sony Cyber-Shot W180 10.1 MP Digital Camera (Black) – $99.99 [Best Buy]
Sony Cyber-Shot W180 10.1 MP Digital Camera w/Flexpod and Camera Case – $119.97 [Best Buy]

Sony Cyber-Shot W220 12.1 MegaPixel Digital Camera w/4x Optical Zoom – $129.99 * [Staples]
Sony Cyber-Shot W220 Digital Camera – $129.99 [Office Depot]

Sony Cyber-Shot W290 Digital Camera w/Case & Charger – $229.99 [Office Depot]

Sony Cyber-Shot H20 10.1 MP Digital Camera – $249.99 [Sears]

Sony DCR-SR47 60GB Hard Disk Drive Camcorder – $299.99 [Sears]

Vivitar Digital Camera Bundle – $49.99 [Office Depot]

Digital Media Cards


Olympus 2GB xD Memory Card – $4.99 [Office Max]


PNY 4GB Flash Drive – $9.99 [Best Buy]

PNY 4GB MicroSD HD Memory Card – $9.99 [Best Buy]

PNY 4GB SDHC Memory Card – $9.99 [Best Buy]

SanDisk 2GB SD Card – $5.99 [Sears]

SanDisk 4GB Memory Cards Or Flash Drive – $8.99 * [Sears]


SanDisk 4GB SDHC Card – $4.99 [Office Max]
SanDisk 4GB SDHC Card – $8.00 [Wal-Mart]

SanDisk 4GB Ultra II SDHC Memory Card – $12.99 [Office Depot]

SanDisk 4GB microSD Memory Card – $7.99 [Office Max]

SanDisk 4GB Memory Stick PRO Duo – $14.99 [Best Buy]

SanDisk 8GB SDHC Memory Card – $14.99 [Office Depot]
SanDisk 8GB SDHC Card – $14.99 [Sears]
SanDisk 8GB SDHC Card – $19.99 [Best Buy]
SanDisk 8GB SHDC – $19.99 [Office Max]

SanDisk 8GB Memory Stick PRO Duo Memory Card – $24.99 [Office Depot]

SanDisk 8GB Ultra II CompactFlash Memory Card – $19.99 [Office Depot]

Sony 2GB Memory Stick PRO Duo – $12.99 [Sears]

Sony 4GB Memory Stick – $20.00 [Wal-Mart]

DVD Players

Coby 7″ Portable DVD Player – $49.99 [Staples]

Curtis DVD Player AR – $17.99 * [Sears]

GPX 8″ Portabe DVD Player PD808BU – $79.99 [Sears]

GPX BD707B DVD/CD Boom Box w/7″ LCD Display – $99.99 * [Sears]

Insignia Blu-ray Disc Player (Model # NS-BRDVD3) w/Superman Returns or Beetlejuice Bluray – $99.99 [Best Buy]

Memorex 1080P HDMI Upconvert DVD Player – $29.99 [K-M]

Magnavox DVD Player with VCR – $49.99 * [Sears]
Magnavox DVD Player with VCR – $49.99 [K-M]

Magnavox NB500 Blu-ray Disc Player – $78.00 * [Wal-Mart]

Memorex Compact DVD Player With Progressive Scan – $19.99 [Target]

RCA 7″ Portable DVD Player – $47.00 [Target]

RCA 7″ Dual Screen Portable DVD Player With Car Adapter – $88.00 [Target]

Samsung BD-P1590 Blu Ray Player (Saturday) – $148.00 [Wal-Mart]

Samsung BD-P1600 Blu-Ray Disc Player – $149.99 [Best Buy]
Samsung BD-P1600 Blu-Ray Disc Player- $149.99 [Sears]

Samsung BD-P4600 Blu-Ray Disc Player – $279.99 [Best Buy]

Sony DVD Player DVP-SR200P – $34.99 [Sears]

Sony BDP-S360 Blu-Ray Disc Player – $149.99 [Best Buy]
Sony BDP-S360 Blu-Ray Player with $20 Gift Card – $149.99 [Target]
Sony BDP-S360 Blu-Ray Player – $149.99 [Sears]

Sony BDP-S369 Blu-Ray Player – $148.00 [Wal-Mart]

Sylvania 7″ Portable DVD Player – $49.99 * [Sears]
Sylvania 7″ Portable DVD Player – $49.99 * [K-M]

Electronics


1.5″ Digital Photo Frames – $7.99 [Office Depot]

2GB Pulse Smartpen w/$30 Gift Card – $169.99 [Best Buy]

4-Device Universal Remote – Free After Rebate [Staples]

AT&T DECT 6.0 Cordless Phone System with 4 Handsets – $59.99 [Sears]

AT&T DECT 6.0 Cordless Phone With Digital Answering System – $49.99 * [Staples]

All Philips HDMI Cables With Any TV Purchase – 15% Off [Sears]

Ativa 8″ Digital Photo Frame – $49.99 [Office Depot]

Belkin HDTV Starter Kit – $34.99 [K-M]

Bose In-Ear Headphones – $89.99 [Best Buy]

Brother P-Touch PT-1290 Electronic Labeler – $9.99 [Office Depot]

Canon Vixia HD HF20 Camcorder – $499.99 [Best Buy]

Canon Vixia HD HF20 Camcorder w/Extra Li-Ion Battery & 8″ HDMI Cable – $599.97 [Best Buy]

Casio Keyboard With Stand And Song Book – $49.99 [Target]

Cobra Radar Detector – $29.99 * [K-M]

Cobra Two Way Radio Pair – $19.99 * [K-M]

Coby 7″ Digital Photo Frame – $29.99 * [K-M]
Coby 7″ Digital Photo Frame – $29.99 * [Sears]

Coby 8″ Digital Photo Frame – $49.99 [Sears]

Coby 7″ Portable Digital TV – $99.99 [Staples]

Digital Decor Color LCD Key Chain Holds 48 Pictures – $10.00 * [Target]

Dynex 7″ Digital Photo Frame – $29.99 [Best Buy]

Emerson 3-Handset DECT Phone Bundle – $39.99 [K-M]

Emerson Portable Karaoke CP398 System – $29.99 [Sears]

First Act Electronic Drum Set – $35.00 [Target]

GE 6 Foot HDMI Cable – $9.99 * [Target]

GPX 2.1 Channel DVD Home Theater System – $39.99 [K-M]

GPX Portable Karaoke Machine – $39.99 [Best Buy]

HP 8″ Digital Picture Frame 512MB Memory – $109.99 [Staples]

HP 10″ Digital Picture Frame 512MB Memory – $139.99 [Staples]

Insignia 7″ Digital Photo Frame – $44.99 [Best Buy]

Jazz VGA 4X Digital Zoom 1.5 in. LCD Screen Pocket Digital Camcorder – $19.99 [K-M]

Kodak EasyShare P720 7″ Digital Frame – $49.99 [Sears]

Logitech Harmony 510 Advanced Universal Remote – $39.99 [Best Buy]

Maxell Noise-Canceling Headphones – $20.00 [Staples]

Memorex 7″ Widescreen Portable DVD Player – $29.99 * [Office Max]


Memorex Micro Speaker System for iPod – $11.99 [Office Max]


Memorex Home Audio System For iPod – $49.99 [Target]

Memorex iPod Clock Radio – $25.00 [Staples]

Midland LXT360VP3 2-Way Radios – $24.99 [Staples]

Motorola H390 Bluetooth Headset – $9.99 * [Staples]

Omnitech 12″ Digital Picture Frame – $69.99 * [Staples]

Omnitech Bluetooth Speakerphone – $20.00 [Staples]

Omnitech Digital Photo Ornament – $10.00 [Staples]

Omnitech Mini-Speaker – $9.99 [Staples]

Panasonic DECT 6.0 Digital Cordless KX-TG9332T Phone Answering System (After Rebate) – $29.99 [Office Depot]
Panasonic DECT 6.0 Expandable Cordless Phone w/Digital Answering Machine – $49.99 [Staples]
Panasonic DECT 6.0 Expandable Cordless Phone System w/3 Handsets – $59.99 [Best Buy]

Pandigital 9″ Digital Photo Frame – $59.99 [Best Buy]

Pandigital 10″ Digital Photo Frame – $69.99 * [Sears]

Phillips 4-Device Remote Control – $9.99 [K-M]

Plantronics Explorer Bluetooth Mobile Headset 220 – $14.99 [Office Depot]

Sharp Handheld Calculator – Free After Rebate [Staples]

Skull Candy Ink’d Earbuds – $9.99 [Staples]

SmartPants 8.5″ Digital Photo Frame – $49.99 [K-M]

Sony DCR-SR47 Handycam Camcorder – $249.99 [Best Buy]
Sony DCR-SR47 Handycam Camcorder w/Extra Li-Ion Battery & Bag – $299.97 [Best Buy]

Sony DCR-SX40 Handycam Camcorder – $199.99 [Best Buy]
Sony DCR-SX40 Handycam Camcorder w/Extra Li-Ion Battery & 8GB Memory Stick – $259.97 [Best Buy]

Sony E10 Ear Buds Headphones – $4.99 [Sears]
Sony Earbuds – $4.99 [K-M]
Sony Earbuds – $7.99 [Office Depot]

Sony Reader Pocket Edition And Cover With Light Combo – $214.98 [Staples]

Sony Reader Pocket Edition Cover With Light – $54.99 [Staples]

Sony Reader Pocket Edition With 5″ Display – $199.99 [Staples]
Sony Reader Pocket Edition w/$30 Gift Card – $199.99 [Best Buy]

Sony Reader Touch Edition With 6″ Screen – $299.99 [Staples]

Sony Reader Touch Edition And Cover With Light Combo – $319.98 [Staples]

Sony Studio Monitor Headphones – $9.99 [Best Buy]

Sony Wireless Headphones – $29.99 [Sears]

Sungale 7″ Widescreen Digital Photo Frame – $29.99 * [Office Max]

Sungale 7″ Digital Picture Frame – $29.99 * [Staples]

Uniden DECT 6.0 Cordless Phone w/5 Handsets & Digital Answering Machine – $59.99 [Staples]

VTech DECT 6.0 Expandable Cordless Phone System LS6215-2 w/2 Handsets – $44.99 [Best Buy]

Verizon 100 Cordless Phone w/ 2 Handsets – $19.99 [Office Max]

iHome Dock – $9.99 [K-M]

iHome PC Accessories – $9.99 [K-M]

iHome Portable Alarm Clock Speaker iPod Dock – $39.99 [Best Buy]

iHome Portable iPod/MP3 Speaker System – $9.99 [Sears]

GPS

Garmin GPS Friction Mount – $14.99 [Best Buy]

Garmin Nuvi 205 GPS – $89.99 * [Sears]
Garmin Nuvi 205 GPS Navigation System – $99.99 * [Best Buy]

Garmin Nuvi 255WT GPS Navigation System – $129.99 [Best Buy]

Garmin Nuvi 1200 GPS Navigation System – $119.99 [Office Depot]

Garmin Nuvi 1300 GPS Navigation System – $149.99 [Office Depot]

Garmin Nuvi 1350T GPS System – $179.00 [Target]

Lowepro Black Neoprene Sleeve – $7.99 [Best Buy]

Magellan RoadMate 1220 GPS – $84.99 * [K-M]
Magellan RoadMate 1220 GPS – $89.99 [Sears]

Magellan SE4 GPS – $89.99 [Best Buy]

Magellan RoadMate 1440 GPS – $119.99 * [Sears]

TomTom ONE 125-SE GPS – $59.00 [Wal-Mart]

TomTom ONE 130 GPS – $79.99 [Sears]
TomTom ONE 130 GPS – $77.99 [Office Depot]
TomTom ONE 130 GPS – $79.99 [K-M]

TomTom XL325 GPS – $89.00 [Wal-Mart]
TomTom XL325S GPS – $99.99 [Sears]
TomTom XL325S GPS – $99.99 [K-M]

TomTom XL 330 GPS Navigation System – $97.99 [Office Depot]
TomTom XL 340S GPS With Case – $97.00 [Target]

TomTom 540S Portable GPS Navigation System – $149.99 [Best Buy]

TomTom GO 630 GPS Navigation System – $169.99 [Office Depot]

TomTom GO 730 Portable GPS Navigation System – $174.99 [Best Buy]

Hard Drives


LG External Slim Portable USB 2.0 DVD Drive – $49.99 [Best Buy]

Seagate FreeAgent Docking Station – $19.99 [Office Max]

Seagate 320GB Expansion External Portable Hard Drive – $59.99 [Office Depot]

Seagate 500GB Portable USB 2.0 Hard Drive – $59.99 [Office Max]

Seagate 640GB FreeAgent Go External Portable Hard Drive – $119.99 [Office Depot]

Seagate 750GB Free Agent Go External Portable Hard Drive – $149.99 [Office Depot]


Seagate 1TB External Hard Drive – $69.99 * eBay [Staples]

Seagate 1TB External Hard Drive – $79.99 [Office Max]

Seagate Barracuda 1.5TB 3.5″ Internal Hard Drive $97.99 [Newegg]

Seagate 1.5TB External Hard Drive – $99.99 [Office Depot]
Seagate 1.5TB External Hard Drive – $139.99 [Staples]

Seagate 2TB FreeAgent External Hard Drive – $179.99 [Office Depot]

Verbatim 1TB External Hard Drive – $79.99 [Office Depot]

Western Digital My Passport Essential 320GB Hard Drive – $49.00 [Wal-Mart]

Western Digital My Passport Essential 500 GB Portable Hard Drive – $69.99 * [Staples]

Western Digital Elements 500GB Portable Hard Drive – $59.98 [Target]

Western Digital 500GB My Passport Elite Portable Hard Drive Titanium – $79.99 [Best Buy]

Western Digital 1TB 3.5″ External Hard Drive – $78.00 [Wal-Mart]

Western Digital Elements 1TB Desktop Hard Drive – $59.98 [Target]

Western Digital 1.5TB My Book Home Edition External Hard Drive – $119.99 [Best Buy]

Western Digital WDTV Media Player – $74.99 [Best Buy]

Home Theater

4′ Monster Cable 700 Series HDMI Cable – $49.99 [Best Buy]

Ativa Home Theater System 5.1 – $39.99 [Office Depot]

Init Cherry Wood Stand With Mount For TVs Up To 46″ – $99.99 [Best Buy]

Init Cherry Wood w/Black Glass Shelves TV Stand – $149.99 [Best Buy]

Klipsch Icon 2-Way Triple 5.25″ Floorstanding Speaker – $186.99 [Best Buy]

Klipsch Icon 2-Way Triple 6.5″ Floorstanding Speaker – $236.99 [Best Buy]

Samsung 5.1 Channel 1000W Home Theater System With Blu-ray Disc Player – $399.99 [Best Buy]

Sony Bravia DAV-HDX589W 5.1 Channel 1000W Home Theater System – $279.99 [Best Buy]

Sony STR-DH800 7.1 Channel 770-Watt A/V Receiver – $279.99 [Best Buy]

Tilting Wall Mount For 30″-56″ Flat-Panel TVs – $99.99 [Best Buy]

YAMAHA 5.1-Channel Digital Home Theater Receiver plus Energy 5CH Home Theater Speaker System $299.99 [Newegg]

Monitors

Acer 20″ HD LCD Monitor – $79.99 [Best Buy]

Dell 20″ S2009W HD LCD Monitor – $99.99 [Best Buy]

Dell 21.5″ S2209W Full HD Widescreen Monitor – $144.00 [Dell]

Compaq Q2159 21.5″ Full HD Widescreen LCD Monitor – $169.99 [HP]

Dell 23″SP2309W Full HD Widescreen Monitor w/Webcam – $219.00 [Dell]

More Deals

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You can buy an HDTV, a nice big one, for six hundred bucks. Or you can pay six thousand. It’s presumably somehow better. You’re probably wondering, “What the hell makes it better?” Here’s the breakdown:

To be clear, we’re only looking sets that are at least 46 inches—go big or go home. And though there are some nice 720p plasmas out there for amazing prices, the majority of TVs we’re concerned with are 1080p—it’s the standard now, even in cheap HDTVs, and probably the only resolution you’ll see next year.

We focus on LCDs quite a bit here, not because we prefer them, but because there are key enhancements that can be put in LCD technology to make them look better. With plasma, the problems—energy consumption, weight, thickness—are more of an evolutionary, year-to-year thing. A cheaper plasma often is one that’s just using older technology.

Also, we’re using Amazon as our pricing base line, since it’s on average a good standard for low but legitimate street prices, and we use Samsung examples a lot because they have a ton of different models on the market, so it was easier to isolate individual features, and to gauge subtle differences in pricing.

Size Matters

The first, and most obvious thing that’ll cost you is more screen real estate. There’s not an absolute inches to dollars ratio, but generally speaking, the first step up is the cheapest, and somewhere in the middle, there’s a sweet spot, after which you basically lose money by upgrading. The funny thing is, each maker seems to have a different idea of where the sweet spot is, which you could play to your advantage:

Take for instance, Panasonic’s plasma G10 series. It’s $200 to go from the 42-inch model to 50, and then $400 to go up to 54. So the sweet spot is at 50 inches. Similar thing happening with Vizio’s XVT line: Going from 42 to 47 inches is just $250, though going up to 55 from 47 costs about a a grand. Hence 47 inches makes the most dollar-per-inch sense if you like that TV.

With Sony and Samsung, though, it pays to keep going up. In Sony’s top-of-the-line Bravia XBR9 series, the hop from 40 to 46 is $360, but going from 46 to 52 is just $250. Samsung’s LED-backlit TV costs $350 to go from 40 to 46, and just $500 to go from there to 55 inches. (There’s a limit, of course, Samsung’s 65-inch LN65B650 doesn’t have many of the frills discussed below, but still lists for $6000.)

The real lesson here: Don’t think of size as a foregone conclusion. When you’ve narrowed down your options using all the criteria, go back and check the sizes and relative prices. There may be a surprise, hopefully good but possibly bad.

Vroom, Vroom

Everything after size you can roughly sweep everything you’d pay more for into the category of performance. The grand trick of buying TVs though, according to our friend Gary Merson of HD Guru, is that “the TV industry is setup like the car industry.” Just like buying a Corvette to battle your mid-life crisis because it vrooms real good, when you pay extra money for extra horsepower, you’re also going to get leather bucket seats and the in-dash GPS. It’s hard to buy a stripped-down car that just delivers better performance, and the same goes when you’re trying to scrimp on a TV without compromising picture. In the case of TVs, a higher performer might come with a million HDMI jacks or integrated Wi-Fi and video on demand, and you never know exactly what you’re paying for.

Fortunately, we can break performance into a two major categories so it’s slightly easier to interpret those price differentials: Backlight (for LCDs) and panel quality.

Fancy Backlighting

The single most expensive upgrade for LCD TVs right now is LED backlighting. As we explain here, there are a bunch of advantages to LED over conventional CCFL backlighting for LCD TVs. Which particular advantages you pick up depends on the kind of LED backlighting in the set. While both offer instant on and power savings, edge-lit models mainly deliver serious thinness, while backlit sets can offer local dimming, which delivers noticeably better black levels and contrast.

How much will it cost you? Well, comparing two Samsung sets with fairly equivalent panels, the price difference is about $500. The CCFL-backlit LN46B650 is $1360, while the UN46B6000 is $1850. Because it’s got LED edge lighting, the B6000 is only 1.2 inches thick, compared to the B650’s 3.1 inches. When you step up and compare Samsung’s edge-lit to back-lit, the difference isn’t as great: A 46-inch 8000 series edge-lit model goes for $2300, while the 8500 series with local-dimming is $2600. (If you’re already paying for LED technology, you definitely want to step up.)

So yes, backlit LED sets with local dimming tend to cost more. Sony’s year-old Bravia XBR8 uses tri-color LEDs to improve color accuracy over the most LED sets, which use white ones. Though its production is discontinued, it’s still nearly $2200 at 46 inches. However, Toshiba consistently delivers cheaper sets than most of its fellow “name” brands, and their 46-inch LED backlit set with local dimming is just $1700.

Panels and Oh, It Hertz

The panel is the other major thing that determines how good an HDTV actually is, and it applies to both LCDs and plasmas. Typically, as you move up in price, you get a better panel. Cheaper sets generally use older panels with previous-generation tech that Merson says have a poorer viewing angle, so there’s a smaller area you can actually stare at on your TV to get a good picture. The problem is that no TV manufacturer actually declares its panel attributes on the box, so you’re often on your own to figure it out. The best way is to go to the store and check out the viewing angles.

Hertz, for the uninitiated, is simply the number of times per second that LCD TVs refresh their picture. (Plasma isn’t part of this discussion because phosphor pixels work differently than liquid crystal ones, and plasma’s “refresh rate” would be way higher—to the point of irrelevance.) A 60Hz LCD refreshes the picture 60 times a second, 120Hz is 120 times a second, and so on, up to 240Hz in the top-priced LCD sets. A higher refresh rate is supposed to increase the ability to see fast-moving video at its highest intended resolution, and works well in theory, though there are issues with 240Hz execution. At this point, a minimum of 120Hz is a given on all premium LCDs, says Merson. There isn’t one LED-backlit set that doesn’t have it.

Here’s how the refresh-rate step-ups look: The 46-inch Samsung B550 is a standard 1080p CCFL-backlit set for $1020. Moving up to the same size B650 for $1360—$300 more—gets you 120Hz (plus a higher contrast ratio). Going up again, to the B750 for $1630, another $300, you get 240Hz, and again even better contrast ratio. That’s about the top of Samsung’s CCFL-backlit line.

You can see the same thing with their LED sets: The 46-inch B6000 is a 120Hz LED edge-lit set for $1850. The 46-inch LED edgel-lit B8000 goes to 240Hz, and it costs $2300, about $450 more.

What About Plasma?

As we mentioned, plasmas are a little less complicated, since there’s nothing like refresh rates to deal with. On the other hand, the situation may be more obtuse, since you don’t always know what the real differences are. Merson says there are a few basic levels of plasma performance. On Black Friday, Walmart is selling a 50-inch plasma for $598 if you don’t mind the fact that it’s 720p (and branded Sanyo, which is probably Panasonic-based but who knows?). Stepping up to the 50″ 1080p plasmas will generally cost $300 to $400 more.

There are more issues, however. Panasonic has a new panel called NeoPDP that’s more energy efficient, but it’s sometimes hard to tell which models have it and which don’t. (Hint: Look for the Energy Star sticker.) Finally, you have THX-certified panels that offer nearly perfect calibration right out of the box. Beyond that, contrast ratios do tend to get better over time, but it’s relative: At the low end of the HDTV price spectrum, plasma sets have generally delivered better picture than LCD anyway.

Frills and Other Stuff

The funny thing about TVs nowadays is that there’s more to them than the screen. Like inputs. Until recently, one thing you got more of by paying more money were more holes to stick things into. That’s not really the case once you get up into 46-inch sets—you’re gonna get 4 HDMI slots in a set that big no matter what. But, there are other things nowadays. Like video services that come in through other holes, or maybe without wires at all.

An example, to use our old friends at Samsung: The B6000 looks a lot like the B7000, but with the B7000, for $180 more, you get online video services via Yahoo’s widget engine, like YouTube.

Or, let’s look at the upcoming crop of LED TVs that aren’t even out yet, or are in limited distribution for now. LG’s 55LHX and Sony’s Bravia XBR10 both have wireless HDMI and 240Hz, but with Bravia Internet Widgets and Slacker radio, the Bravia is $5000, $200 more than 55LHX. Wireless HDMI itself is a pretty pricey feature. Same Sony, compared to Samsung’s 8500. The 8500 has built-in video services, but no wireless HDMI, and it’s $500 cheaper, at $4500. Oh, and did I mention that the Sony is even 3 inches smaller than the Samsung and LG?

Wireless is still in the gimmick phase, but next year, we assume we’ll be able to track its price premium as well as we can track size, refresh rate, backlighting and other factors today, $300 to $400 at a time. How do you get from $600 to a $6000? You just add, add some more, and then keep adding.

Still something you wanna know? Send questions about addition, subtraction, hertz, aches, pains and LEDs here, with “Giz Explains” in the subject line.

CEATEC is a breeding ground for new innovations, and Hitachi made sure to get its name on the A-list with a simple face-recognizing television that seeks to save power whenever you glance away. Essentially, the prototype plasma on display packs an inbuilt camera that notices when your face is peering at it, and whenever you glance away, a power-saving mode goes into action. Unfortunately, that means that the panel goes black, and while we understand the point here, we can envision such a feature causing all sorts of rage around the house, particularly if you’ve got a handful of viewers trying to keep watch from a few feet further away than yourself. Hit the read link to have a look at how things work in practice — here’s hoping you can opt for the sound to stay on throughout the blackout, at least.

Continue reading Hitachi’s face-recognizing display turns off, saves power when you look away (video)

Filed under: Displays

Hitachi’s face-recognizing display turns off, saves power when you look away (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 10 Oct 2009 00:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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