Engadget's holiday gift guide 2011: HDTV and home theater
By Richard Lawler 
posted Nov 29th 2011 12:00PM
posted Nov 29th 2011 12:00PM
Welcome to the Engadget Holiday Gift Guide! We're well aware of the heartbreaking difficulties surrounding the seasonal shopping experience, so we're here to help you sort out this year's tech treasures. Below is today's bevy of 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.
For a crowd-pleasing holiday gift, it's hard to do better than a TV (or something that plays on or plugs into a TV), so naturally we're here to help you out once again. Of course, this is an ever-changing industry segment, but we've got you covered -- regardless of whether you need a flat panel or a projector. If you're out shopping for someone that has (or wants to) cut the cable, or someone that has every channel, there's something for you. Of course, we'd also recommend keeping a close eye on the tablet and gaming categories too, but companies like Roku, Samsung and Ceton are making sure you have all kinds of options dedicated purely to video. Give them a look after the break.
On the cheap
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Star Wars Blu-ray These are the Blu-ray discs you've been waiting for -- as long as you don't mind a bit more post-release editing, courtesy of George Lucas. Greedo shoots first, but these are still largely the sci-fi classics you remember, and both the video and audio have been carefully restored in HD. Price: $86.99 on Amazon |
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Roku 2 XD Positioned just between the $50 LT and $100 XS, we think you'll find the $80 XD is just right. It has the 1080p capability its cheaper streaming sibling lacks, while all you're missing from the highest-end model are wired Ethernet and USB hookups, plus a motion game controller. Price: $79 on Amazon |
Mid-range
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Ceton InfiniTV 4 The DIY-inclined TV lover on your list knows what's up -- why put up with frustrating cable company DVRs when you can build your own? Ceton's InfiniTV 4 CableCARD tuner can turn a basic PC into a DVR easily, while also allowing for endless tweaking and extra capabilities not easily found on other platforms. Price: $299 on Amazon |
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TiVo Premiere Elite If you'd prefer a ready-made model, the TiVo Premiere Elite lives up to its name by raising the bar with four tuners, a 2TB hard drive, the freshest software build available and 1GB of RAM. Of course, membership has its costs and this box will require a $499 payment upfront, plus $20 a month for service. Price: $499 on Amazon |
Money's no object
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Optoma HD33 Optoma has a long history of bringing home nicely spec'd projectors at surprisingly low prices, and its latest effort is the HD33. It sports 1,800 lumens of brightness, new image processing and is the least expensive model you'll find that can blast out 1080p 3D. Get ready for some of the most epic sports, gaming, and movie experiences available this side of the cinema. Price: $1,458 on Amazon |
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Panasonic TC-P65VT30 Panasonic's premiere plasma HDTV line just keeps getting better, with improved picture quality in 2D and 3D modes, plus an adjustment for the rising blacks that plagued earlier editions. The VT30 also includes Panasonic's new Viera Cast suite of internet apps for those so inclined, but buyers are probably more impressed by a picture that continues to close in on the mighty Kuro, and at a much friendlier price. Price: $2,999 on Amazon |
