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Release date 11/26/2008
YONKERS, NY – This year’s holiday shopping season is in full swing and stores are jam packed with the latest and greatest electronic products, ranging from HDTVs to digital cameras and so much more. The latest Consumer Reports holiday poll found that 85 percent of Black Friday shoppers plan to purchase electronics, which is up 15 percentage points from last season. And Consumer Reports has rated the best last minute electronics gifts to help shoppers during this hectic time, available at www.ConsumerReports.org/giftguide.
“Sifting through all the options in store’s electronics department during the holiday season can be ominous and overwhelming,” said Paul Reynolds, electronics editor at Consumer Reports. “Making an informed decision will ensure shoppers save money and that their gifts are sure to please.”
According to Consumer Reports' latest holiday poll, nearly one-quarter (23%) of shoppers plan to buy a flat-panel TV for the holidays or after, with over half (51%) gravitating to purchasing flat screens under 40 inches. Consumer Reports tested smaller sets ranging from 26-inches to 37-inches and found all were solid performers with 720p high-definition resolution and pleasing picture quality. Shoppers should stay alert for year-end sales because prices may drop.
A great addition to the new HDTV is a Blu-ray player. This product has been dropping in price and many play DVDs as well. Consumer Reports found that the Sony BDP-S550, $330, one of the lowest priced models with BD-Live Internet connectivity and BonusView picture-in-picture.
One-third (33%) of Black Friday shoppers are planning to purchase a digital camera. According to the latest Consumer Reports tests there are two new cameras that are sure to please with additional features and capabilities. The Sony Cyber-shot DSC-T77, $300 is a subcompact with a 4x optical zoom and 10 megapixels, while the superzoom Canon PowerShot SX110 IS, $300 is a worthy successor to the discontinued SX100 IS, with more megapixels and a 3-inch LCD, and a scroll wheel for navigating menus, but no viewfinder.
For shoppers who look to showcase their photos during holiday parties the Samsung SPF-85V, $210 is tops for digital picture frames. It has an 8-inch frame, good picture quality and can connect via wi-fi to a PC to transfer photos. Front touch controls and a rechargeable, nonreplaceable battery allow users to view pictures without being tethered to a wall outlet.
Portable Gifts for People on the Go
For music on the go, Consumer Reports found that the best MP3 player on the market right now is the second generation Apple iPod Touch 8GB, $230, which offers the same screen and interface but costs $100 less than the original. New features include a side-mounted volume control and a built-in speaker. Playback time increased from 26 to 46 hours per charge, but the battery is still nonremoveable, and an AC adapter is not included. To incorporate the MP3player into the home, a top MP3 sound system is the Cambridge Soundworks i765 iPod / Video Entertainment System, $300. This versatile model has very good sound quality, an iPod dock and an input for other music players, a CD and DVD player, and an AM/FM clock radio.
Also, Consumer Reports tested portable DVD players and suggest three models that have good picture and sound quality, and two headphone jacks with a battery life of 4-hours.
Another major Black Friday electronics purchase this season will be a computer, with more than a quarter (28%) planning to buy either a laptop or a desktop computer. In the recent Consumer Reports testing three laptop models stood out.
The Sony Vaio VGN-Z540, $1,800 is a strong choice, at 13.1-inches, 3.3 pounds, and a 6-hour battery life. It also has a power-saving feature that lets users switch between higher-performance discrete graphics and battery-saving integrated, along with an HDMI output for connecting to an HDTV. Unfortunately, the technical support was undistinguished at the time of testing.
The Apple MacBook 13-inch, $1,300 and Pro 15-inch, $2,000, weigh in at 4.5 and 5.5 pounds, both touchpads are glass; instead of using buttons, users can click anywhere on the pad and also use multitouch gestures such as rotating a photo with fingertips. Apple also has the best technical support.
The most affordable out of the three, the Lenovo ThinkPad T500, $1,255, is 15.4-inches and weighs 5.9 pounds, with a 4-hour battery life, lighted keyboard, dual pointing devices, Core 2 Duo processor, and 250GB hard drive. For technical support, Lenovo’s was above average for problem-solving among laptop brands.
Consumer Reports found two budget conscious, desktop models that preformed well in tests and have very good ergonomics, features, and a DVD burner. The Dell Studio Slim, $640, was the best of the new budget models tested. It has a Core 2 Duo processor, 3GB of memory, and six free USB ports. Another option is the HP Pavilion A6600f, $500, with a Pentium Dual Core processor, 3GB of memory, a 320GB hard drive, and 128 MB of video memory. Both brands reliability was undistinguished. HP has had disappointing tech support, while Dell support has been above average for problem solving. Consumer Reports still recommends both as good values.
The tiniest laptops of the bunch are Netbooks, which typically weigh less than 3 pounds and are suitable for e-mail, the Web, and light office work but not photo editing or serious gaming. On the market now are two models that Consumer Reports found to offer competent performance at a low price. The Lenovo IdeaPad S10, $400, has a 10.1-inch screen, 512MB of memory, and an 80GB hard drive. The down side is that the trackpad is small and battery life is 2.7 hours. Also the Asus Eee PC 904HA, $400, has an 8.9-inch screen but is wider than other models tested, and it has the best keyboard. It’s heavier and bulkier than most but has a 160GB hard drive and 1GB of memory with a battery life of 5.5 hours.
The full report on the top electronics gifts is available online at www.ConsumerReports.org/giftguide.
Consumer Reports is a nonprofit membership organization that works side by side with consumers to create a fairer, safer, and healthier world. For 80 years, CR has provided evidence-based product testing and ratings, rigorous research, hard-hitting investigative journalism, public education, and steadfast policy action on behalf of consumers’ interests. Unconstrained by advertising or other commercial influences, CR has exposed landmark public health and safety issues and strives to be a catalyst for pro-consumer changes in the marketplace. From championing responsible auto safety standards, to winning food and water protections, to enhancing healthcare quality, to fighting back against predatory lenders in the financial markets, Consumer Reports has always been on the front lines, raising the voices of consumers.
© 2008 Consumer Reports. The material above is intended for legitimate news entities only; it may not be used for advertising or promotional purposes. Consumer Reports® is an expert, independent, nonprofit organization whose mission is to work side by side with consumers to create a fairer, safer, and healthier world. We accept no advertising and pay for all the products we test. We are not beholden to any commercial interest. Our income is derived from the sale of Consumer Reports® magazine, ConsumerReports.org® and our other publications and information products, services, fees, and noncommercial contributions and grants. Our Ratings and reports are intended solely for the use of our readers. Neither the Ratings nor the reports may be used in advertising or for any other commercial purpose without our prior written permission. Consumer Reports will take all steps open to it to prevent unauthorized commercial use of its content and trademarks.
Consumer Reports is a nonprofit membership organization that works side by side with consumers to create a fairer, safer, and healthier world. For 80 years, CR has provided evidence-based product testing and ratings, rigorous research, hard-hitting investigative journalism, public education, and steadfast policy action on behalf of consumers’ interests. Unconstrained by advertising or other commercial influences, CR has exposed landmark public health and safety issues and strives to be a catalyst for pro-consumer changes in the marketplace. From championing responsible auto safety standards, to winning food and water protections, to enhancing healthcare quality, to fighting back against predatory lenders in the financial markets, Consumer Reports has always been on the front lines, raising the voices of consumers.
© 2008 Consumer Reports. The material above is intended for legitimate news entities only; it may not be used for advertising or promotional purposes. Consumer Reports® is an expert, independent, nonprofit organization whose mission is to work side by side with consumers to create a fairer, safer, and healthier world. We accept no advertising and pay for all the products we test. We are not beholden to any commercial interest. Our income is derived from the sale of Consumer Reports® magazine, ConsumerReports.org® and our other publications and information products, services, fees, and noncommercial contributions and grants. Our Ratings and reports are intended solely for the use of our readers. Neither the Ratings nor the reports may be used in advertising or for any other commercial purpose without our prior written permission. Consumer Reports will take all steps open to it to prevent unauthorized commercial use of its content and trademarks.