TVSnob 2006 Christmas Buying Guide - HDTVs, TiVo, PS3, and Other Vital TV Related Items

Have you started your Christmas shopping yet? Well, we here at TVSnob are here to help. We've compiled a small list of some of our favorite TVs and TV related items. Of course, we couldn't list all of our favorites but hopefully this will get you pointed in the right direction. While this guide is designed to help you easily shop online, feel free to print the guide and take it with you when you hit the mall. Please note that these items are listed from higher to lower price and other than that are in no particular order.

HDTV
Since we spend so much time talking about HDTV at TVSnob it only seems appropriate to start our list with HDTVs. This list could go on all day with the great choices out there but we decided to just put our top choices. You can also see more about HDTV in our HDTV Category.

Samsung HL-S5087W 50" 1080p DLP HDTV $1550.99
Panasonic TH-42PX60U 42" Plasma HDTV $1381.81
Westinghouse LVM-42W2 42" 1080p LCD HDTV $1298.88
Sony KDL-32S2010 32" Bravia S-Series LCD HDTV $1199.99
Toshiba REGZA 26HL66 26" LCD HDTV $749.99

CRT TVs
Not quite ready for the HDTV revolution? Well if you're just looking for a basic TV for your office or bedroom, here a few of our favorite non-HDTV models.

Sony KD32FS170 32" Trinitron WEGA Hi-Scan Digital Television $699.99
Toshiba 32DF46 32" Pure Flat Standard Definition CRT TV $367.19
Panasonic PV-20DF25 20" TV/DVD Combo $260.59
Sylvania 6424FF 24" Flat Screen CRT TV $222.19
Samsung TX-R2035 20" DynaFlat CRT TV $149.99

Projection TVs
With the advent of Flat Panel TVs, projection TVs aren't as popular as they once were but they still offer a great value for a large screen TV. Here are a few of our favorites to get you started.

Toshiba 72HM196 72" 1080p DLP HDTV $3059.88
Sony KDS-55A2000 Grand WEGA 55" SXRD 1080p Rear Projection HDTV $2199.99
Mitsubishi WD-57731 57" 1080p DLP HDTV $2199.99
Samsung HL-S5687W 56" 1080p DLP HDTV $1849.99

Projectors
If you're looking to build that killer home theater system, you'll want to be sure to check out a projector. You can find out more about projectors in our Projector Category.

Sony VPL-VW100 1080p HDTV-ready SXRD Front Projector $7,389.99
Sony VPL-HS60 Home Theater Video Projector $1739.85
Mitsubishi HC100U DLP Home Theater Projector $1049.77
Optoma Home Theater Projector and Monitor $699.99

Home Theater
If you want to get the most out of that fancy new TV, you really want to have a decent home theater system. Besides providing great sound, a home theater system offers a simple way to attach DVD players and other components to you system. More about home theater here.

Polk Audio RM6900 5.1 Channel Home Theater Speaker System, Titanium Finish $599.95
Samsung HT-TQ85 XM-Ready Five-Disc DVD Changer Home Theater System (5.1 Channel) $398.88
Sony HT-DDW900 Complete 5.1-Channel DVD Home Theater System with HDMI Passthrough $249.00
Panasonic SC-HT640W 5 DVD Home Theater System $209.99
Yamaha NS-SP1600 5.1-Channel Surround Speaker System (Black) $119.98

TiVo
Yep we love TiVo and we aren't ashamed about it. Here a few choices and be sure to check out our TiVo Category. Also note that Amazon now carries the TiVo Series 3 which makes us pretty happy.

TiVo TCD648250B Series3 HD Digital Media Recorder $709.99
TiVo TCD649180 Series2 180 Hour Dual Tuner Digital Video Recorder $336.48
TiVo TCD649080 Series2 80 Hour Dual Tuner Digital Video Recorder $249.99

DVD Players/Recorders/DVR
If you need a way to store your favorite shows and movies be sure to consider a DVR or a DVD recorder. Here are few of our favorites to get you started.

Insignia 10.2" 16:9 Widescreen TFT Portable DVD Player with Swivel Screen (See our Review)
Panasonic DMR-EH75VS DVD Recorder / VCR Combo with 80GB Hard Drive, HDMI, SD Card, and DV Input $420.38
RCA DVR10 High-Definition Digital Video Recorder $309.99
Sony RDR-HX900 DVD Recorder with 160 GB Hard Disk Recorder $299.90

Remote Controls
It's amazing how advanced remote controls have gotten. In fact, most of the remotes on this list can be programmed right from your computer or the internet. You can read more about remote controls here.

Philips RC9800i Home Entertainment Remote Control (See our Review) $217.38
Harmony 880 Remote Control $151.49
Logitech Harmony 550 Universal Remote $99.99
Sony RM-AX4000 Home Theater Remote Control $70.00

Wireless Headphones
A couple of years ago I received wireless headphones as a Christmas gift and I have to say it's one of the best gifts I ever gotten. Headphones are a great way to watch a game or a movie while blocking out the outside distractions.

Pioneer SE-DIR800C HDPH Dolby Digital 5.1 Wireless Headphones $299.99
Sennheiser RS 140 Wireless Balanced Headphones $135.99
Acoustic Research AW721 900 MHz Wireless Stereo Headphones $40.49
Sony MDR-RF960RK 900 MHz RF Wireless Headphones with Auto Tuning $72.34

Stocking Stuffers
Got all of your main gifts but still need a few stocking stuffers? Here's a few items to get you started.

Amazon Gift Certificate $5 - $5,0000
Apple 30 GB iPod video Black (5.5 Generation) $237.99
Axion 5" Portable Color TV $112.08
Coby TF-TV505 5" LCD Color Television $89.99

As we stated before, this list doesn't crack the surface of what's available but use it as a starting point for your holiday shopping. Enjoy and have a safe and happy holiday shopping experience.

Read More in: Buying Guides

Share this Article with others:

Related Articles:

• TVSnob's 2008 Holiday Buying Guide: Plasma And LCD HDTV's And Blu-ray Players - Nov 16, 2008
• Coming Up This Weekend... - Nov 15, 2008
• Holiday Gift Guide: Last Chance For Online Shoppers To Get High-Def Gifts By December 24 - Dec 21, 2007

Came straight to this page? Visit TV Snob for all the latest news.

I wonder how many of these recommended items were simply recommended because the item is carried on Amazon.com so that tvsnob can get a referral fee. In the Tivo section, it even says, "Also note that Amazon now carries the TiVo Series 3 which makes us pretty happy."

Len, Thank you for your comments. Yes, we did link to Amazon in most cases because it offered our readers the best deals. You'll find on TVSnob we try to link to the best deal whether it produces revenue for us or not.

Again, thanks for taking the time to post as we value all of our readers opinions.