Top Home Theater Gifts for Holiday Shoppers

The TH-46PZ85U features a new 46-inch screen size for Plasma sets. This screen size provides a 20-percent increase over a traditional 42-inch set, but doesn't take up too much more space. Size isn't the only great feature of this set. The TH-46PZ85U offers 1920x1080p (1080p) native pixel resolution, and a native contrast ratio of 30,000:1, resulting in very good black level and color performance. Practical conveniences include ATSC and QAM tuners (for accessing over-the-air or basic HD cable programs), 3 HDMI inputs, SD Card Slot (for viewing digital still images), and PC monitor input. If you are looking for a Plasma television this winter shopping season, consider watching all those great holiday movies on the Panasonic Viera TH-46PZ85U.

The Samsung BD-P1500 would make a great holiday gift, and a great excuse to get the most out of your HDTV's capabilities. This unit plays Blu-ray Discs at full 1080p/60 or 1080p/24 resolution, provides bitstream output for both Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD via its HDMI 1.3a output, and is fully playback compatible with standard DVDs, most recordable DVD formats, standard music CDs, and CD-Rs/RWs. Another bonus is that standard DVDs are upscaled up to 1080p via the HDMI output. The BD-P1500 adheres to Profile 1.1 (Bonus View) specifications, and is firmware upgradable (including a forthcoming Profile 2.0 upgrade) via internet download. For more details, check out both my Short and Full Reviews, as well as my Photo Profile.

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 OPPO DV-980H is a feature-packed DVD player that delivers what it promises. HDMI connectivity and video upscaling enables the DV980H to deliver an excellent picture on an HDTV. In addition, the DV980H can play just about anything you can throw at it, including DVD-Audio Discs, SACDs, and Divx discs. This player can also play audio, video, an still images from flash drives inserted into its front mounted USB port. In other words, this player has great audio and video flexibility. The OPPO DV980H is an excellent DVD player, and is priced less than $170. For a more detailed look at the DV-980H, check out my Short and Full Reviews.

For more DVD player suggestions, check out both Standard/Upscaling and Universal DVD Player Top Picks.

The Sony KDL-40S4100 is a 40-inch LCD TV that delivers a great picture via its native pixel resolution of 1920x1080 (1080p) and a real world contrast ratio of 2,500:1. This set also includes 3 HDMI inputs, one of which is side mounted for easy connection of game consoles or other temporary items. NTSC, ATSC (HDTV), and QAM tuners are also included. The ATSC tuner allows reception of the over-the-air HDTV signals and the QAM tuner allows Digital/HD-cable (non-premium channels) reception. The SRS S-Force audio system provides the effect of surround sound with only two speakers. The detail, color consistency, and contrast, on this LCD television is great. Check out the KDL-40S4100, especially if you have a Blu-ray or upscaling DVD Player.

In addition to a home theater receiver, you need loudspeakers. One option that would be a great complement for an LCD or Plasma TV, without taking up a lot of space, is the stylish, and compact, Infinity TSS Speaker System.

This system consists of the TSS 3-in-1 speaker that houses all three front channels (Left/Center/Right) in a 40-inch long tubular cabinet, two compact TSS-SAT750 satellite surround speakers, and a compact TSS-SUB750 subwoofer. This system performs very well, especially in a small to medium-size room. The system, including optional stands for surround speakers, is about $1,500. For details, check out my Short and Full product reviews.

Other choices: EMP 5.1 Speaker System, Klipsch Cinema 6, Definitive ProCinema1000.

Here is a great idea for your Christmas or Winter Holiday Gift List. 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. Check it out for yourself.

The Yamaha HTR-6130, despite its suggested price of $229, can be found at retailers for $199 or less; making it a great gift idea. This receiver offers practical audio features including, a powerful 5.1 channel amplifier, Dolby Digital/DTS surround decoding, front panel mini-jack for connection of digital audio players, and both iPod and Bluetooth connectivity via optional adapters. The SCENE function allows for preset or customized listening and viewing modes. Also included is HDMI switching and 1080p pass through via two HDMI inputs and one output. If you are planning to purchase a basic home theater receiver, with useful features, power, and performance that you normally find on mid-priced units, the HTR-6130 may fill the bill.

If you are looking for a home theater system to give this holiday season, the Onkyo HT-S5100 offers performance, as well as providing practical features. This system has 7.1 channels with 130x7WPC with a low .9% THD distortion rating. NOTE: The wattage output is measured at 1KHz; Actual output across all frequencies will be lower. For a big punch, the HTS-5100 has a 10-inch 290-watt subwoofer. The HT-S5100 also has HDMI pass-through switching, Sirius Radio capability (with optional tuner/antenna), and iPod connectivity using the provided Docking Station. Also, this system includes the Audyssey 2EQ automatic speaker setup system. This is a home theater system that offers a lot of flexibility, and sounds pretty good for a reasonable price.

Here is a great gift idea that can provide great entertainment. The ZVOX Audio 425 is a one-box surround sound solution for consumers that want more than just listening to cheap built-in Television speakers, but don't want the hassle of setting up and using a multi-speaker home theater system. The ZVOX 425 fulfills this role as an easy-to-use system that delivers great sound. Also, its physical design blends well with flat panel televisions as it can be either table or wall mounted. In addition, if you already have a multi-channel surround sound system in your main room, the ZVOX 425 is a great home theater solution for a second room. For look at the ZVOX Audio 425 Single Cabinet Surround Sound System, check out my Review and Photo Gallery.

Here is a great holiday gift idea. The Westinghouse SK-26H590D is a 26-inch flat panel LCD television combined with a DVD/CD Player. This unit is also equipped with additional AV inputs, including HDMI (useful for connecting a Blu-ray Disc player, or HD-Cable Box), as well as both digital optical and analog audio outputs for connection to a home theater system. Also, the SK-26H590D also comes equipped with a built-in ATSC/QAM tuner, which allows direct reception of the digital over-the-air and unscrambled digital cable channels; analog over-the-air broadcasts will end on June 12, 2009. With its modest size and basic features, this unit may be a good option for a small apartment or dorm. For a closer look, check out the User Manual.

Are you looking for a unique and practical gift for the holidays? The check out the Audio Technica AT-LP2D-USB LP-to-Digital Recording System. This system is a package that includes an audio turntable (with cartridge) with a USB output that can connect to a PC or Laptop. Also included is all the software you need to transfer old LP Vinyl records to CD or MP3 for continued listening pleasure on a home audio system or portable digital music player. An added bonus is that the turntable has a built-in preamp that allows it to be connected to standard CD or AUX audio inputs on home theater receivers that may not have a dedicated turntable input. For more details, check out the Audio Technica AT-LP2D-USB Product Page.