What Tech to Get: Mp3 Players

I previously had set up my decision making process.  Now I can do the recommendations, and my own decision.  As a reminder from my “In Search of: mp3” article, I am eliminating “everything other than dedicated mp3 players”.  It seems well timed to have this article posted now, considering all the news regarding Apple’s newest iPods.  We will be talking briefly about them, but keep in mind they are so new that not all the information is in yet.

I’m going to start with the category of player I wasn’t looking for myself; hard drive based players.

The iPod Classic is the gold standard of hard drive based mp3 players.  None of the others even come close.  The latest model comes with a massive 160GB of storage to hold even the largest music collection.  The iPod Classic boasts a battery life that makes most other devices blush, mainly because its battery is sized like those of the mini-computers (iPod touch & other gaming / MIDs) but without their processing needs.  While it plays basic games, video, and photos, this is clearly designed as a music first device.  Add in that Apple prices the Classic so competitively ($225 for 160GB) compared to other hard drive mp3 players, and you get a combination that makes the iPod Classic the no brain selection for a hard drive based player.

In flash based players, I found a lot more contenders.  I read quite a bit about the Creative ZEN Mozaic.  Creative had been a big player in the early market for mp3 players, but has faded as of late.  The Mozaic had slightly above average reviews, and decent pricing, however, a few complaints were consistent.  The Creative Centrale software, which is used to create playlists, convert video, and transfer / sync music is described as clunky, difficult, gross and awful by reviewers.  Also, the Mozaic is not expandable so the size you buy (2, 4, 8, or 16GB) is all you get.  Frankly, I think the checkerboard design on the front is unappealing.

Apple has two product lines in this area; the Shuffle and the Nano.  I couldn’t even consider the Shuffle, which is fine for what it is.  However, I can’t bear to have a player without a display, which keeps me from picking the songs I want to hear right away.  The Nano is a solid and popular player.  The 5th generation iPod Nano deserves more serious consideration.  It sports a built in FM radio, on the fly playlist creation, and full iTunes integration.  It also has other features I’m less excited about, but that still matter, like a pedometer, full color display for album art, and digital camera for stills and video.  Among the newest iPods announced today, the new Nano dumped the camera and the click wheel for a smaller size and a touch screen display. 

Still, the 5th generation Nano has negatives as well.  It’s been cited, especially among some friends I know who have one, that both battery life and long term life can be a problem, as these have been known to break down more often than the iPod Classic.  I could be accepting of this, and consider the Nano a good choice, but not a perfect one for me.  My biggest issue with the Nano is price.  I just don’t like paying extra for name unless I know it’s an absolute must.  A 16GB iPod Nano goes for $160 on Amazon, while the Creative ZEN Mozaic I cited above goes for $70.  An 8GB version of the iPod Nano goes for $130.

This leads me to SanDisk, and the Sansa line of players.  The Sansa Fuze line of players are about the size of a credit card, and display audio, pictures, and video, although I’m usually only interested in the music & podcasts.  However, people complain about the “jog wheel”, the Fuze’s answer to the iPod Click Wheel, being harder to use.  This led me to the Sansa Clip +.  This miniature mp3 player is about the size of a matchbox, but boasts an OLED screen that takes up about 1/3 of its size.  Its interface is simple, but supports creating playlists on the fly, as well as deleting files from the device.  When it comes to syncing, as opposed to the Creative Mozaic or iPod Nano, the Clip + has multiple options, allowing you to use Windows Media Player, Rhapsody (of which I am NOT a fan), and best of all, just using it as a disk to drag and drop your music any way you’d like.  It’s not without its negatives; the small size means a small rechargeable battery, which gives about 16-18 hours of music on a charge.  Also, it’s small enough to clip to your lapel, or drop in your pocket, but that makes it feel a bit too small in your hand while you use it. 

Why, yes, that is "The Mike O'Meara Show" I'm listening to.

The Clip + sound quality, and simple directional pad (no “jog wheel”) with buttons helped it earn the CNET Editors Choice award.  Two main factors finally won me over, and sold me on this device.  It’s expandable, supporting microSD and microSDHC cards.  With a simple purchase of a small memory card, like this 16GB microSDHC one from Amazon for $30-40, and you can increase the storage capacity beyond that of any other flash mp3 player I’ve seen.  Those cards are interchangeable, meaning I could have one card with oldies for riding in the card with my dad, and another with deep album cuts to help with long travel plans.  Secondly, the price really can’t be beat.  The 4GB Sansa Clip + is $40 on Amazon, and the 8GB (which is my choice) runs $56, but has recently been on sale as low as $50.

For about $80, I’m going to end up with 24 GB on a high quality, super small, lightweight mp3 player that’s durable and does everything I want it to.  Hopefully, it can last the same 4+ years of my last Sansa.

Till next time.

What Tech NOT To Get - Smart Phones

This will be another new reoccurring type of post for the relaunch of the website. What Tech NOT to Get is a warning of sorts. Sometimes, companies attempt to dump their crap technology on you. I don't want to see you get saddled with bad, outdated, or otherwise poor tech. If it saves just one person, I did my job.

Smart Phones

This post is inspired by today's announcement of the release of the Dell Aero for AT&T, which is generating a lot of news, but not the type Dell should ever have hoped for. PC World called it an "embarrassment", while The Washington Post called it "Dell's Death Wish". It struck me; I read all these geeky tech news stories, but what about people who don't? If they're in the store, might they look at the Aero, and it's low price, and actually buy one? Here, with one for each of the major carriers, are the four currently available (and some downright new) smart phones NOT to get.

AT&T - Dell Aero:
It made me write this article. Dell makes (mostly) quality computers, and is trying to spread into other consumer technology. So what makes the Aero so bad, when made by a good manufacturer? It's all in the software. Dell is releasing the Aero running Android verison 1.5. Android itself is not the problem. Google's OS has become a consumer hit. But version 1.5 was released in early 2009. Since then, Android 1.6, 2.0, 2.1, and 2.2 have all been released, and added features that you will want. You wouldn't buy a brand new computer with Windows 2000 on it, so do not get this phone. Alternative: Seriously, just get an iPhone 4. If you have to have Android on AT&T, get the Samsung Captivate (which runs 2.1 and will be upgraded to 2.2 very soon after)

Verizon - Motorola Devour:
This one has a very similar problem to the Aero. It looks like the Droid & Droid 2, and runs Android. However, because Motorola put their awful "MotoBlur" software on it, it's stuck running version 1.6. Motorola just announced that this phone will never be getting an upgrade. Alternative: The Droid, which came out 4 months before the Devour, just got upgraded to the latest version 2.2. If you can find that guy in a Verizon affiliated store (it's out of stock in the official stores, replaced by the Droid2), snap it up for cheap. If not, grab the cheaper still LG Ally, running version 2.1, and getting great reviews.

T-Mobile - HTC HD2
I'm sensing a theme to this post. Great hardware maker? Check. Outdated software? Check. The HTC HD2 runs Microsoft's Windows Mobile 6.5, which Microsoft is essentially leaving behind, with no upgrade plan, when they launch Windows Phone 7 this fall. In three months, this phone OS will be basically obsolete, on brand new hardware you just spent $150 on. Unless you plan to format it, load Android onto it (yes, nerds are doing this) your money is better spent elsewhere. Consider saving $50 and buying the Blackberry Bold 9700. It's sleek, popular, and Blackberry has announced it is upgrading it to the latest Blackberry OS 6.0, which looks like a big step forward.

Sprint - Palm Pixi (plus)
Palm has been purchased by HP, which has announced tons of plans for the Palm OS, including tablets and printers. None of these plans, so far, have included upgrading or advancing the current Palm phones. HP is quietly hoping people will buy up the remaining Palm devices. They're quality, with a good OS, but they're orphaned devices. People who have them love them, but they most likely bought them last year, when Palm was independent, and moving forward. I can't in good conscience recommend it now. Alternative: The same price will get you the Blackberry 8530, but never mind that. If you live in a Sprint 4G city, spend the extra money and buy the new Samsung Epic 4G when it comes out, or the slick Evo4G. You'll thank me later.

Till next time....

In Search of: mp3 players

Here is another of the new types of posts I plan on using for the site. In Search of: will cover some of the background research process, and thinking, that goes into my prep for the bigger articles that take much more time to write. This will give some insight into my thoughts on a particular tech arena, and could help you get an idea of what direction to go if you decide to go in search of your own tech.

MP3 players

There are a few forks in the road you need to pass before you can really make a decision on mp3 players. I’m going to cross one of those forks before I even start this, since I made this decision right away, and it means everything right now. In today’s market, almost anything can play mp3s. In a moment, I think of dedicated mp3 players, Portable Media Players, handheld computers, smart phones, cell phones, car stereos, DVD players, eBook readers, photo frames, home stereos, alarm clocks, and the whole host of computers can play mp3s to a variety of quality and convenience level. There are many who say that a dedicated mp3 player is a thing of the past, and only want multipurpose devices. I just wonder how those people feel when they drop their high end smart phone onto a treadmill going 7.2 mph.

So, are you shopping for something that plays mp3, or are you shopping for an mp3 player? I find listening to mp3s on my laptop to be a fabulous, full and rich experience, but that’s not what I’m shopping for. So everything other than dedicated mp3 players can get out of the pool. Ok, I allow for displaying pictures & small videos since finding one without that ability is almost impossible. However, iPod Touch, Zune HD, & Archos min-tablets are out.

The next big choice is hard drive vs flash storage. Hard drives have larger storage, and a lower cost per GB. However, hard drives have moving parts that can break, are slightly larger and heavier, and have lower battery life. Flash players are light, small, typically have better battery life, and you can shake em like a Polaroid picture (at the gym or otherwise). However, they are usually slightly less feature rich, and may force you to pick and choose what to have on the player, and what to leave off. The big questions here are: How do I plan on using this (in the car / on commute primarily, or in the gym / all around the office, home, or neighborhood)? How much am I willing to spend? How big is my music collection? Feel free to take a gander at mine.

The last big choice is called ecosystem. To engender brand loyalty, most popular mp3 players try to build up an ecosystem around them, so that once you step in, it’s harder to justify changing brands. Do you have every bit of your music already in iTunes? Have you been buying from the iTunes store for years? If you don’t buy another iPod, you may lose some things you don’t want to sacrifice in any change. Are you a Zune Pass subscriber, using every ounce of all-you-can-eat music to sample new artists? Just know, obviously, that Zune Pass doesn’t work with Creative players. However, if the great majority of your collection is a standard format (mp3, wma, etc) and doesn’t use DRM, most likely you can make a change to whatever brand you want.

The biggest ecosystem choice is often presented as Apple vs non-Apple. iTunes is simply put the best music management software, and it’s associated store has the widest selection of pay-per-track or album music anywhere. The iPod mp3 players are well designed, easy to use, and have an “it-factor” that dominates the market. The latest numbers I can find have Apple with 71% of the mp3 player market. If any negatives are cited, the main one is usually price. A 16GB flash memory iPod Nano is $161 on Amazon, while and 16 GB flash memory Zen Mozaic is $69 on Amazon. The only other complaint I’ve heard from friends who are iPod owners is about durability. They say they’re quite reliable for a while, but then after heavy use, can break down pretty quickly. Still, you don’t get the reputation Apple has in this market by having dissatisfied customers. Apple’s iPods are high quality, and a factor in almost any mp3 player consideration.

For heavier reading, if you choose, I enjoy both the Consumer Reports mp3 player buying guide, and the one by CNet.

So what direction will I go in? Stay tuned, as I break down my options, and make my decision. Till next time.

Tech R.I.P. - My mp3 player

It’s been a long time. Thank you for coming; or coming back. I wouldn’t have blamed you if you hadn’t. In order to keep this going, and a little regular, I plan on started a host of new types of post for WTTG. “Tech R.I.P.” is one of them. In it, I’ll talk about technology that has died, or that needs to. It will be both about actually products that I use, and product lines or technologies I think need to go. I will introduce the other new post types as I go along.

It seems fitting for the rebirth of my tech blog to be about the death of one of my favorite, and most loyal, pieces of technology. I come here to praise my flash based mp3 player, not to bury it.

In fact, I just can’t bring myself to throw it away. I’ve had my trusty SanDisk Sansa m260 4 GB mp3 player since May of 2006. I had a larger mp3 player with almost all of my music on it, but it was tough to use in the gym. My girlfriend at the time (now "Mrs. WTTG") didn’t own an mp3 player at all, and her birthday was coming up. I saw my chance, and brought a matching pair of Sansa mp3 players. My wife got a grey 2GB model, and I got the blue 4GB model.

There were a lot of things that made the Sansa m260 great. It was a small but sturdy player, and at the time 4 GB seemed like a lot of space for a flash player. Instead of a rechargeable, it ran off of a regular AAA battery, which meant no waiting to recharge, and lasted a good long while off of one alkaline. It was simple to put music and podcasts onto it, especially for a computer control freak like myself. It had a super easy-to-use menu system. Almost daily I would load up the latest Mike O’Meara Show or Tony Kornheiser show podcasts. The little guy put out great sound, even when used through the AUX jack in my car stereo. Plus it was small and light enough to spend all day in my pocket, even on the treadmill. Best of all, it’d take a licking and keep on ticking.

At least, it did keep on ticking for a long while. I’d occasionally drop it out of my pocket, but it never seemed any worse for the wear, other than some of the blue rubbing off to the white plastic. It came with a plastic wrapper, but it eventually discolored and tore. This spring, I started to notice some strange behavior. The player would reboot unexpected. It would freeze after I put new music on it. I knew it didn’t have long to live. When I was in line at Subway and it paused in the middle of re-listening to “Raw”, it was over.

I went through the typical stages of the grief cycle, and of a music addict. I was mad I had to listen to the radio. Good God, no wonder I loved mp3s. I was sad that my buddy wasn’t putting out music. I even tore it apart and attempted to fix it. I even got it to turn on again, and listened for a solid hour before it froze for the final time. I even, out of desperation, used the TERRIBLE mp3 player built into my cell phone. It's given me my 'fix' but isn't adequate as a replacement.

So now, it’s one of my most bittersweet times; sorry to say goodbye to my old technology, but excited, cause I’m getting something shiny and new. Till next time.

What "Cell Phones worth switching Carriers" to Get

People ask me about cell phones all the time. Cell phones have so many functions; simple phones, messaging phones, smart phones, flip phones, sliders, etc. Since I get so many requests, I’m going to do a set of articles on the blog. Coming soon will be the best of the phone lines on AT&T, T-Mobile, Sprint, Verizon Wireless and “discount carriers”, but today, I’m writing about the best of the best. These phones are the ones on the four major carriers that are worth switching service to get. Plus, I touch on one bonus phone you can soon get on any of the big four carriers.

Let’s say your contract is up with your current provider, or you haven’t had a phone contract. You have considered making a move, but haven’t had enough of a reason to pick a new carrier. You are looking for phones that do it all; the web, universal mailbox, texting, applications, high end features, and of course calling. These are the four phones that make it worth making the switch. They are all exclusive to the service they are on; i.e. you can only get these phones one place. I am not reviewing the carrier services right now, just the phones.

A few notes you may need to know. I am focusing on exclusives, and they are harder and harder to come by. Blackberry smart phones are almost never exclusive; they may have some slight version number difference, but usually they are basically the same. Some phones have different names on different networks, but they are still the same phone. Of the four major carriers, they usually share between AT&T and T-Mobile, who both use GSM for 3G data, and between Verizon & Sprint, who both use CDMA for 3G data.

What “Cell Phones worth switching Carriers” to Get?

AT&T - Do you really need me to tell you what phone is worth switching to AT&T for?

iPhone 3Gs
This is the most up to date version of Apple’s immensely successful line of smart phones. It’s faster, more powerful, and ‘smarter’ than previous versions. Reviews focus on how bright this phone shines on web and multimedia functions, which are helped by having a full ‘iPod’ built in. Still, it is the phone’s array of applications and thriving ‘eco-system’ of users, applications, music, tv, etc that truly extends this devices usefulness. While it’s true the call quality, and network, are key complaints of many user reviews, it likely shouldn’t stop you if you’re considering the iPhone 3Gs. One NOTE; rumors have persisted for years about an iPhone on other networks. Unless or until you see it announced, do not sit and wait. These types of industry rumors are commonly used to keep users from switching networks, or upgrading their current phones. $199.99 with contract.

T-Mobile

myTouch 3G 3.5mm (new)
Like the new limited edition Fender myTouch 3G, the newest version of the myTouch T-Mobile exclusive line has a host of upgraded features for the networks flagship smart phone. This version features a standard 3.5 mm headset jack (previous versions needed adapters or proprietary headphones), 8GB Memory Card, Swype technology on the virtual keyboard, and doubleTwist desktop sync software standard. The myTouch 3G sports a well reviewed responsive touch screen, intuitive interface, and attractive physical design. The main thing it misses is a physical keyboard option. It runs v 1.6 of the Android mobile OS currently, but has been tested for a potential upgrade to v 2.x. Google’s Android OS has been quickly expanding in the smart phone market, making fans with its customization, seamless interaction with web applications, and high performance. While Android has an application marketplace filled with a lot of the same high quality programs on other platforms, it is the native Google applications, including free Google Maps with turn by turn navigation, that make Android phones, including the myTouch3G a winner. Likely $149 with 2 year contract.

Sprint

Samsung Instinct HD
This was going to be the Palm Pre, but then the Palm Pre plus showed up on Verizon, making it non-exclusive. Then it was going to be the Samsung Moment, but the list was already slanted without a Blackberry and would have been much worse full of Android phones. Enter the highly ranked, well reviewed Samsung Instinct HD, the flagship of the Instinct line and best of breed video phone. Every review (PCMag, CNet, ZDNet, PhoneScoop) raves about the quality of the HD camera, and HDMI output allows you to view that HD video straight from the phone in full HD glory in your home theater. While this phone doesn’t feature a big name phone OS (it’s proprietary instead of Blackberry, iPhone, Android, or Windows Mobile), it does have the Opera Mobile browser, which is a big plus for a full featured, but not officially ‘smart’ phone. If you’re a videophile, this is your killer phone. Current Sprint users, take note, this is not Sprint’s best; it’s just their exclusives are limited. Look for a best of Sprint article later for better, cheaper options. The Samsung Instinct HD’s main knock is its price; yes, that's more than every other phone listed. $249 with 2 year contract.

Verizon Wireless

Motorola Droid
The Motorola Droid is the carefully crafted first big step by Verizon Wireless into the consumer smart phone market. Previously, the company had focused on corporate style Blackberry devices, with consumer models being an afterthought. Sporting a high speed processor, and a ton of extra features (5 megapixel camera with flash, oversized 3.7” high resolution touch screen, and a full keyboard) the Droid runs Google’s Android OS to its fullest capabilities; it runs 2.0 out of the box, but now upgrades over the network to the latest version 2.1. Those features come at a cost; the phone is slightly thicker than others on the list. Voice to text capabilities in all core applications, voice commands, universal search, and multi-touch with pinch to zoom in browser are a part of the basic Android 2.x. Yet the growing Android marketplace has brought favorites like Facebook, Twitter, UrbanSpoon, Pandora, and others to the Droid. Native support for synchronization with Exchange e-mail, calendar, and contacts, plus the keyboard, make this a great business alternative to a Blackberry. The big screen, full DHTML and Java support, and announced Flash support (not seen on any other smart phones right now) put this with the iPhone 3Gs in the ultimate class of “web in your pocket”. $199 with 2 year contract.

Bonus Phone – Carrier Independent

HTC Nexus One
In a move to attempt a new direction in smart phones, Google, in partnership with HTC, has announced and is releasing a phone, the Nexus One, that will have a version to run on every network. They have already released the initial T-Mobile version, and have confirmed releases for a Verizon Wireless and AT&T version. There have been rumors of a Sprint version, but that is so far unconfirmed. The Nexus One is a computer geek’s dream phone; small, sleek, ultra powerful (the best specs of a phone currently available), beautiful, and fully customizable under the hood. The biggest current downfall is that it may take a computer geek to buy and maintain it. The phone is only available for sale on the web, can’t really be test driven (unless you know someone who owns one), and comes with no in person support, and very little phone support split between Google, HTC, and T-Mobile. If the last two sentences don’t scare you, then this should be your next phone, no matter what network you are on, or want. Most people, however, are better suited to the current structure of buying a phone through a provider for now. $179 with 2 year contract on T-Mobile

What 'Non-Big-Screen' HDTV to Get

The site got a lot of feedback from the HDTV big screen article. Two related things came up.

1. I focused on the value consumer, so I was looking for high quality performance for the cost, but mostly entry level devices. There is still great value in high end tech, and later I may do a “What Tech To Get” High-end HDTV edition. Those customers tend to just buy the most expensive one in the store anyway.

2. In today’s short post, I address the question “What if I don’t need one quite that big?” There are a few things that change from the previous post, but most of the guidance stays the same. Measure your viewing distance, and stand back that far in the store. Stick with brands known for quality devices, even in the entry level arena. Don’t pay for features you won’t use.

Some things do change, however. In the big screen area, I mainly listed 1080p HDTVs, even though I mentioned that deals can be had with the occasional 720p. That’s because at those big sizes, the difference between 720p and 1080p on Blu Ray players can really be noticed, and the difference between 240Hz refresh and 60Hz refresh is obvious on fast moving sports. On HDTVs 37 inches and below, and especially 32 and below, almost all regular customers will not be able to know the difference, or take advantage of, 1080p vs 720p. Unless you are overly flush with cash, get the 720p in these sizes.

If you are buying for a kitchen or an office, when it comes to the smaller sizes, just make sure it will comfortably fit where you plan to put it when you bring it home. If you are going smaller in a bigger space, like a living or family room, before you buy, get the dimensions of the TV, height and width. Make a paper or cardboard version of the HDTV, and tape it to the wall where you plan on putting it. Now move around the room, or sit down in your seating. The same way you don’t want something too big for a space, per HGTV designers, you also don’t want too small for the space. No matter how small your space, don’t buy under 25” unless you enjoy paying for disappointment.

So, What Mid-size HDTV to Get? Here’s the rundown; remember, most of these come in 32 and 37 inch versions from the manufacturer, so just change the number, but the recommendation is the same. I’ve read all the reviews, so you don’t have to.

• Amazon, from seller Electronics Expo, has the Sony Bravia 32” 720p LCD on sale for $404.00

This is a great deal on a full featured HDTV, with lots of connections, including a PC input to view video from a laptop or netbook. Hulu in the living room, anyone?

• Dell Home Electronics online store has the Vizio 32” 720p LCD V0320E on sale for $349.00

If your budget is stretched to the limit, this could be your best fit. PCworld (they review TVs?) gave it a 7.8 out of 10, and said you can find higher quality, but only by paying more!

• Beach Camera has the JVC 32” 1080p LCD LT32J300 on sale for $399.00

For those who won’t compromise on 1080p at this size, this deal features a tv with a good review from televisioninfo.com, though other reviews weren’t as high.

• Among the land of the super small, Amazon has the Samsung 26” 720p LCD LN26B460 for $329!

Your kitchen or office will love this well reviewed beauty, and your bank account should love this deal.

• Finally, if you MUST have a 37”, not a 32” or a 40”, Best Buy has the LG 37” 720p LCD 37LH20 for $499.
  

User reviews mention their love for the Menu Navigation and built in features. WTTG cannot help but discourage you from this one by reminding you that $499 was the same price at Target for a Philips 42” 1080p LCD. Who can pass up the extra size and higher resolution for the same $$$? I wouldn’t.

What HDTV to get

The ‘big game’ is Sunday, and at the start of this blog venture, a good place to begin would be “What Tech To Get” on HDTVs. While it’s best to help with information specific to you, and your needs, I can provide some value with a general entry, and maybe spur some questions. If you are in the market for one, twitter, or email, or comment & I’ll try to help you personally.

My main message to you would be to not feel the need to pay more and buy the upgraded models, unless you specifically know why you want to. Higher refresh rates, 3DTV capability, dejudder processing, and advanced color processing are all valuable for the high-end theater shopper, but for the value consumer, if you don’t know you need it, you could save buying that beautiful lower end model and not regret it.

Whether living room, media room, bedroom, or even kitchen, the viewing distance is one of the most important factors in which HDTV to get, and how big to go. Your best bet to be happy is to measure the distance from where you will be sitting to where the TV will be, and then take a tape measure to the store. At the store, measure the same distance back, and see how it feels to your eyes.

At this point, you will likely be buying an HDTV advertised as 1080p (resolution). 1080p means it supports all current resolutions (720p, 1080i, and 1080p), even though no current broadcast, or pay HDTV network broadcasts in 1080p. 1080p in the home is currently seen most commonly in Blu Ray players, some game consoles, and online delivered content, and these things will still work well on a 720p Tv. Great deals can be had buying 720p HDTVs now, and most people, for most content, will find the picture still very good. Don’t be afraid of buying a cheaper 720p HDTV if you want to save some $.

Most common HDTVs you will see in stores today are LCD, Plasma, or LED-LCD. All three have positives and negatives, but I mostly recommend LCD for now. It’s stable tech, durable, lower cost, and yet has a great picture in most all lighting setups.

In full disclosure, my favorite TV brands are Samsung and Panasonic. I own one HDTV of each. However, I also love the quality, and great reviews, of Sony (best of breed) and Vizio (value & quality in harmony)

‘What HDTV to get’ for the Superbowl this week? Deals are plentiful.

• Target has the Philips Magnavox 42” 1080p LCD for $499.

For those on a slim budget, this is the best choice of the group. For this price range, this TV is a winner.

• Best Buy has a sale on a Sony BRAVIA 40” LCD 1080p KDL-40S5100 for $668.

This is a great price from one of my favorite brands. This model is very well reviewed with lots of features.

• Best Buy has a LG 47” 1080p LCD 47LH30 for $799

For a bigger size “value” level LCD, this TV brings high quality. Great color control, lots of inputs, and 47” for under $800 on sale is a great combo.

• To get some 720p savings, check out Target’s well reviewed Samsung 50” 720p Plasma PN50B430 for $799.

A bigger screen for the same price as the 47” above, this shows the value in sometimes saving by choosing 720p.

• For those of you wanting to go big, B&H Photo Video online store has a Sony BRAVIA 52” 1080p KDL-52S5100 for $989 with free shipping.

A much bigger version of the same high quality model Best Buy has above. The extra 12” of screen can be worth it.

Hope it helps.