Top Home Theater Gifts for Holiday Shoppers

The OPPO BDP-83 is both a feature-packed and excellent performing Blu-ray Disc Player that the tech savvy person in your life would love as a gift. Besides Blu-ray disc playback, the BDP-83 also provides excellent 1080p upscaling of DVDs using Anchor Bay VRS technology. Also, other features, such as SACD (Super Audio CD) and DVD-Audio playback, front and rear mounted USB ports for importing images, video, and music from flash drives, add great audio and video flexibility. Although having a higher price than many players, the OPPO BDP-83 takes Blu-ray Disc Player performance and flexibility to the highest level. To find out more, check out my Short and Full Reviews, as well as a supplementary Photo Profile and Video Performance Tests.

Here is an affordable Blu-ray Disc player for your holiday budget. The Panasonic DMP-BD60K supports full high definition resolution Blu-ray Disc playback via HDMI output, and is also compatible with standard DVDs, most recordable DVD formats, and CDs. DVD upscaling is available via the HDMI output. This player also provides both onboard decoding or undecoded bitstream output of Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD via HDMI. The DMP-BD60 also features BD-Live, which provides access to interactive features available on many newer Blu-ray Disc releases as well as additional direct internet access via ethernet to You Tube, Bloomberg TV, and more. Check out my Short and Full Reviews, as well as a supplementary Photo Profile and Video Performance Tests.

Home theater has certainly given us more and better options for enjoying home entertainment. However, it has also given us the clutter of remote controls. Many of us have a half-dozen, or more, remotes on the coffee table. The quest for a remote control that can do it all is the true "Holy Grail" of home theater. There are many "universal remotes" that can than replace some of the functions of your remote control collection, but the Logitech Harmony One Advanced Universal Remote Control can just about do it all and is not any larger than most single component remotes. The Harmony One is a great gift idea for the holidays. For more details, check out my Product Review and supplementary Photo Profile.

The 50-inch Panasonic VIERA TC-P50G10 plasma TV delivers great image quality at a reasonable price. Bolstered by THX Certification, this set features 1920x1080 (1080p) pixel resolution, excellent contrast ratio, and pixel orbiting to eliminate screen burn-in. Inputs are not a problem as the TC-P50G10 includes, HDMI, HD-Component, and VGA. This set also has ATSC/QAM tuners for receiving HDTV broadcast and unscrambled cable programs, and also an SD card slot for digital photo playback. Inclusion of Viera Cast also allows access to YouTube, Amazon video, and other web content without a PC connection. For more details and perspective, check out my Panasonic TC-P50G10 Product Profile. Also, check out the 42-inch version: TC-P42G10 Compare Prices

The Yamaha RX-V465 offers a lot for its $379 price tag, such as a powerful 5.1 channel amplifier, Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD Master Audio decoding for Blu-ray Discs, front panel mini-jack for digital audio players, and both iPod and Bluetooth connectivity via optional adapters. The SCENE function allows preset or customized listening and viewing modes. One of my own favorite features is the Silent Cinema headphone surround output which provides a surround sound effect with any set of headphones. This is great for late night listening. Also included is HDMI pass through switching via four HDMI inputs. The RX-V465 even offers and easy-to-use automatic speaker setup system. The RX-V465 may be just the right holiday gift for that home theater fan.

Balancing style, price, and sound quality can be tough when choosing loudspeakers. If you are looking a compact loudspeaker system to complement your HDTV, DVD and/or Blu-ray Disc player, check out the stylish, compact, great sounding, and affordable, Boston Acoustics SoundWare XS 5.1 Surround Speaker System. The system consists of five compact satellite speakers which can be set on a shelf or wall mounted (even in a corner wall space), and a compact 8-inch powered subwoofer. To find out if the Boston Acoustics SoundWare XS 5.1 Surround Speaker System is right for you, check out both my Short and Full Reviews, and also my supplementary Photo Gallery.

The Epson MovieMate 72 is one of new class of video projectors that includes a built-in DVD player. The projector section utilizes 3LCD technology with 1280x720 (720p) native resultion. All DVDs played in the projector's built-in DVD are upscaled to 720p. In addition, this unit also has extra inputs (including HDMI) that can accommodate another device, such as a Blu-ray or HD-DVD player, game system, or other source. The MovieMate 72 also has both built-in speakers and a digital audio output for connection to a home theater audio system. The MovieMate is easy to use and very portable, making it great for novice users. For more details, check out my Short and Full Reviews, as well as a Photo Gallery

Here is a great home theater system gift idea. The Yamaha YHT-791 is made up of separate components that include a HTR-6250 7.1 channel (90wpc) receiver, YST-SW216 100-watt Subwoofer, and a very styish center/satellite 7 channel speaker system. This system provides a clean, even, sound for both movies and music. In addition to sound quality, some of the innovative features include: 4 HDMI inputs, on board Dolby TrueHD/DTS-HD Master Audio decoding, 1080p video upscaling, and iPod/Bluetooth connectivity via optional docking stations. If you looking for a home theater system that sounds great and offers a lot of connection flexibility, check out the Yamaha YHT-791. Just add your own DVD or Blu-ray Disc Player to complement your HDTV.

Vizio is not the first brand you think of when considering a home theater system, but with the VSB210WS, it offers an attractive compact, self-contained, easy-to-use system that can complement a flat panel television and create an intimate, but satisfying home theater listening experience. The system combines a main unit that houses a 2 channel speaker/amplifier, with a wireless subwoofer, making it a 2.1 channel system. The subwoofer receives audio signals from the main unit without the need for an unsightly audio cable. For more details on whether the VSB210WS is right for you, check out both my Review as well as my up-close Photo Gallery.

The Verismo VuNow HD1000 Network Media Extender is a great way to integrate your audio and video entertainment direct from the internet or your PC (although a PC is not required). The VuNow HD1000 is a very compact set-top box that connects directly to your TV, or through a video-enabled home theater receiver, via HDMI or AV connections. With the Verismo VuNow HD1000, you can access a large amount of audio/video content from the internet, via either wired ethernet or wireless network connection, connected USB flash drives, or your own PC. For more details, check out my Review and Photo Gallery.

Energy efficiency is becoming more of a concern these days, so having a television that provides good performance and lowers your electric bill is a good thing. The Sony KDL40VE5 40-inch LCD television meets this challenge. This 40-inch set features a modest 90 watt average (140 watt peak) power draw (which beats current Energy Star specifications), full-off mode that removes typical standby power consumption, an automatic room light sensor, and a motion sensor that turns the TV off if you leave the room. However, despite its energy-saving functions, the KDL40VE5 still delivers an excellent picture with its full (1920x1080) 1080p native pixel resolution as well as 120Hz refresh rate. This set is definitely worth consideration.

Who says you have to buy a large screen television to get the latest features? The latest tech being promoted on many new large-screen LCD televisions is the use of LED backlighting. However, while most manufacturers are using this new technology exclusively in large screen sets, Sharp is "spreading the wealth" in all screen sizes. The Sharp LC-32LE700UN is a 32-inch LCD television that not only includes LED backlighting, but also offers full high definition 1920x1080 (1080p) native pixel resolution for excellent detail, and a 120Hz refresh rate for rapid motion response. If you are looking for a great choice in a small screen LCD television, check out the Sharp LC-32LE700UN.