TV Articles

HDTV holiday gift picks

If you want to make someone really happy this holiday season, buy him or her a TV.

It doesn't have to be gigantic, and it doesn't have to be 3D compatible or stream video from the Internet. Of course, if it's any of those things the smile on the face of your gift-receiver might get even wider.

Our complete Holiday Gift Guide 2011 collects our favorite TVs of the year in four slideshow-based lists, but the one we think works best for gift-giving is right here:

All of these series of televisions come in multiple sizes, some as small as 32 inches and as cheap as $450, and as the holidays progress, we expect their prices to fall even more. If you decide to pull the trigger, be sure to check out some our holiday-specific buying advice before you commit.

Sony EX523 series review: Budget LED workhorse

Sony has typically been a peg or two more expensive than its rivals but is now producing some value-conscious, high-enough-quality screens.

The Sony EX523 series is an example of a television with a decent feature set and image quality that stands up well against the competition. The main difference between the EX523 and the EX520 it replaces is onboard Wi-Fi. The EX523 is an edge-lit LED TV that performs about as well as the LG LV5500, although each has its strengths and weaknesses. If you're a stickler looking for accurate colors or are bothered by uniformity issues, it's … Read more

Blu-ray player holiday buying guide

If you're thinking of picking up a Blu-ray player this holiday season, the buying process can be overwhelming.

The differences between different models are often minor; every manufacturer supports a difference suite of streaming-media services and they all pretty much look the same. And a lot of the information you need to make an informed choice isn't readily apparent by browsing the placards at a local retailer.

Luckily, you can narrow your choices quite a bit by asking the right questions. We've isolated the most important features, and once you've made your picks, you should be … Read more

Sony Personal 3D Viewer (heads-on test)

Hit play on the video above to witness our hands-on testing of Sony's thoroughly weird Personal 3D Viewer headset, which straps two tiny screens in front of your eyes to deliver a totally isolated movie experience.

The Viewer itself attaches to your head, and is secured in place by a series of straps. Two 0.7-inch OLED screens, each with a 1,280x720-pixel resolution, then fire images into your eyes, creating a 3D effect.

But does it look any good? Watch the video and you'll find out what we thought. Sadly you won't be able to see because you're watching in 2D. Bummer.

Read more of "Sony Personal 3D Viewer hands-on video" at Crave UK. … Read more

Best portable Bluetooth speakers

The days of blasting music out of a portable boom box are behind us, and while some companies still offer retro stereo wannabes for iPods, the best way to free your music but still keep it in a tight package is with a portable Bluetooth speaker.

Here we've rounded up several wireless Bluetooth speakers for your consideration. They work with all smartphones and tablets meeting the Advanced Audio Distribution Profile (A2DP) spec. These days, that includes nearly all tablets and smartphones, including the iPhone, iPad, and most Android devices.

To be clear, Bluetooth isn't known for its top-notch … Read more

How not to get ripped off buying an HDTV online

If you read my "Buying an HDTV: Online or in-store" article, you'd have found the clear(ish) winner was buying online. The selection and prices pretty much can't be beat.

But as I mentioned in that article, not all online stores are created equal. There are many important factors to look out for when buying online that go far beyond price.

Buyer beware, as they say, as you'll see.… Read more

Buying an HDTV: Online or in-store?

Every year there are fewer "brick-and-mortar" retailers. Not coincidentally, there are ever more online retailers.

The question is: where's the best place to buy an HDTV? … Read more

Five cheap non-LED LCD TVs compared

Here's a little secret: an LED TV is just an LCD TV with a fancy backlight.

While it usually provides a thinner design and improved energy efficiency, an LED backlight doesn't necessarily provide better picture quality. In fact, sometimes LED TVs perform worse than their non-LED cousins. But they never cost less.

With those facts in mind, here's a quintet of budget-friendly, LED-free TVs ranked in descending order of overall CNET rating. In other words, we like the ones at the top best.… Read more

Samsung LND550 series: Basic LCD TV with high-end aspirations

To judge from the LND630 we checked out earlier and the LND550 reviewed here, Samsung's low-end LCDs are pretty dang good.

These non-LED-based models managed deeper black levels than like-priced competitors, and largely avoid the uniformity problems associated with those razor-thin LED-based sets--while costing hundreds less. The LND550 falls short of the color accuracy of its step-up brother, and we still prefer the entry-level Sony BX420's picture by a nose, but the LND550's superior styling, media file support, and input bay make it a compelling alternative in the budget TV space.

Read the full review of the Samsung LND550 series.