TVs
A word about buying TVs:

Remember the HDTV transition will be February of 2009. Be sure any TV you buy is HD compatible.

Important: Know the connections on your current devices. And know what you'll want on your new TV. Today you'll want at 2 HDMI inputs (one for your HDTV and one for an upconverted or High Definition DVD player).
Need help? Identifying connections and hook up is simple to understand in the Home Electronics Survival Guide.

Are you buying for your family or for another family (friend, parent, other relative?):
Tips on Buying TVs as Gifts
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When buying a TV you'll want to decide by Quality vs. Budget / Style of TV / Size of Room / and Features

Shop for Big Screens
Pick from a variety of TVs at great prices.
Click on picture to take you to the Circuit City website. Need Help? At Circuit City.. Click on the "TV & Video" pulldown menu at the top of the page, Then choose, :"Learn about Home Theater" then "Plan Your Own" Digital Advisor for setting up a home theater OR choose "Need help deciding" to take you to their TV buying "Guidester" tool.
Click on link to the left here. Then, after Sony Flash loads, you'll note the dots on the picture. Click on the flat screen dot on the wall for the Bravia TV.
	Philips has deals on their great plasma TVs at the Philips outlet store. Check out the "Ambilight" displays at terrific discounts.
. Panasonic makes beautiful plasma TVs. Panasonic also is working on simple single cable connections called "HDAVI" between their products where all you need to do is put a DVD in the DVD player and the system turns on all the needed devices and changes to the right inputs .
QUICK BUY-- Get a good deal on these smaller TVs.
RCA -- LCD-TV Now the drama of high-definition (HD) television can be yours for less. Enjoy a 32" high contrast display with a crisp, clear picture and premium sound. The built-in digital (ATSC) tuner delivers access to digital programming without the need for a separate set-top box.
Philips LCD TV - Experience the superior picture quality of this 37" widescreen integrated HDTV with the latest LCD technology from Philips. It features a 1366 x 768 pixel LCD WXGA display, Pixel Plus for better details, depth, and clarity. Includes an HDMI interface.
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Home Theater Audio

This can be surround sound separate components or Home Theater in a Box "HTiB"
A "home theater in a box" includes a surround sound amplifier (also called an "a/v receiver") and 6 speakers (5 speakers and a subwoofer). Some HTiB receivers also have a built-in DVD player. (I recommend a separate DVD player as you may want to upgrade the player without having to replace the whole surround system.)

Don't want to deal with all those speakers or do you have an odd shaped room?
Today's technology allows you to have"Virtual Surround Sound" where the sound fills the room from only one or two front speakers giving you the sense of being surrounded. An example of virtual surround is the Cinemate Bose link below. Bose also has a system for under $300 to hook up to your TV simulating surround sound. Check out all of the great sounding Bose systems while you are there.

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Don't want to wire speakers across the room for surround sound speakers?
Try a wireless rear speaker system on Samsung or Panasonic Home Theater in a Box. Be aware! You will probably need to buy an add-on rear speaker wireless receiver (around $100) and only on "wireless (wi-fi) compatible" models (usually not included.)

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Video Recording- Watch the shows you like, when YOU want...

Video recording devices can be in combination with other components or stand alone.

A DVR (video recording device) can be combined with

• DVR and Cable Box (check with your cable company).
• DVR and Satellite Box (for Dish network go to www.dishnetwork.com for DirecTV go to www.directv.com or click on the Circuit City link below for DirecTV TiVo boxes)
• DVR and DVD recorder.
• DVR and DVD recorder and VHS.

Click on the ad below for DVR, digital video recorders alone or in combo:

DVRs like TiVo and Replay have subscription fees. You may want to give the gift of a subscription or check out the TiVo link below.
Get a Free TiVo Box with subscription. Click TiVo ad below for details.

Click on picture to left.
DVD Recorder/DVR combo: Record up to 200 hours of your favorite TV shows or burn them to DVD for permanent storage. This Philips DVD Recorder features a built-in 160 GB capacity hard drive to hold all your content. In addition to simply recording material, you can also pause live TV, fast forward, rewind, or catch up to live TV with a click of a button. Make the TV work on your schedule, not the to other way around!

Click on picture to left. This is the ultimate recorder!
DVD-recorder/DVR and VCR combo by Panasonic.The TV Guide On Screen Electronic Program Guide lets you easily find programs and set up this DVD recorder to record them, totally unattended. Explore program listings up to eight days in advance, searching by genre or keyword to help narrow down your choices. Once you've found what you want, simply select the program.

Click on picture to left.
DVD-Recorder/VCR combo from Panasonic (with Upconversion to look great on your HDTV!) When connected to an HDMI-compatible TV via an HDMI cable, the Panasonic DMR-ES45VS Progressive Scan DVD Recorder/VCR Combo can up-convert the DVD content that you're watching to 720p or 1080i resolution</strong> (depending on your TV's display capability). Now you can enjoy beautiful, high-quality imagery in high definition.

DVD Players Today, DVD players have become as inexpensive as VCRs. "Progressive Scan" DVD players that show a better picture on an HDTV can be under $40 (especially on Black Friday and on special). If you have an HDTV, you'll want an "upconverted" DVD player that additionally alters the picture to look great on an HDTV. Important note: You must use an HDMI cable to hook up an "upconverted" DVD player to your HDTV. If you're ready to take the plunge into true High Definition DVD players, below you will find an HD-DVD player and a "Blu ray" DVD player (both available for a good price through Walmart).
	Upconverted DVD player from Samsung: Improve your entertainment options DVD upconversion unit will make the most out of your HD display by upgrading the standard DVD resolution to high-definition resolution
	HD-DVD by Toshiba: Get a true high definition picture from this new high definition DVD format.
	Blu-Ray by Philips. High Definition DVD player. When you want the ultimate in high definition (HD), you need an HD display PLUS an advanced DVD player that can handle the Blu-Ray HD format. Philips Blu-Ray Player with Faroudja up-scaling to 1080p will deliver movies with stunning clarity and realism. (goes with today's 1080p resolution TVs.)

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Portable Players--MP3's, iPods, Video Players and more...

Click here for tips on buying portable players.

A popular gift as more of us are taking our music and video with us.

Click this CompUSA ad for gift suggestions for athletes, music lovers, TV addicts and more..

Click on the ad below for MP3 players at Circuit City.

Once at Circuit City, scroll down the page to the "digital advisor" to learn what kinds of accessories are available.

Music and Video Player accessories are terrific gifts! Headphones, cases, car kits, portable speakers, etc.

Accessories make great gifts. These Bose headphones give amazing sound while keeping the outside world noises out. And look! You buy the headphones and they give you an MP3 player. Check it out.

Have a walker or runner to buy for? Click on the picture of the Nano here to Check out iPod nanos at CompUSA To carry the Nano while working out, check out arm bands and other holders. Or Nike offers shirts that fit the nano in the hem or sleeve. Great clothes that wick away the sweat, and/or keep you warm. You can see them by clicking the "Nike Plus" picture below. Add a "Nike plus" kit and Nike + Compatible shoes from Runners World. First, you load the "Nike Plus" software onto your computer and tell your iPod songs you want to run to, or you can download audio of coach's voices or workouts. Then the "Nike Plus" device fits into compatible Nike running shoes and communicates with the iPod Nano. Like a pedometer, it tells the Nano how far you have run. You can get inspirational songs to run hills, and encouragement to keep running or tips to remind you how to run. It takes running (or walking) to music to a whole new level. At $29.95 the Nike Plus kit is quite affordable, but remember it only works with "Nike Plus" compatible shoes. Runners World offers the "Nike Plus" kit and the shoes and guarantees the fit of the running shoes even after a few workouts! (see the site for details) Plus you get 10% off when you click on the picture of the Nike Plus here.

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Cell Phones

Click here for tips on buying Cell phones.

You may want to buy a new phone to take advantage of fun features like web access or movies. Or you may want to add a blackberry or windows mobile so that you can have access to email or productivity away from the office. Here are a couple of links to get you started.

Click here for a plan comparison.

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Gadgets

From GPS navigational systems to robots that wash your floor, today's technology offers a variety of gadgets that make our lives easier or just give us some giggles... Below is a sampling of a few.

This Philips DVD/clock radio/LCD TV is a perfect addition to any modern kitchen. It features a 7 drop-down LCD display for watching your favorite movies while cooking, plus a digital AM/FM tuner so you can catch news, weather or music with morning coffee

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