A quick market survey will reveal that a Netflix subscription has become a minimum standard with Blu-Ray players. Additionally, most of these players allow access to Pandora and Picasa and they also have some pay-per- view plan wherein you can stream movies from sites like Amazon or Vudu. Basically, every effort has been made to incorporate all modern forms of home entertainment into a single device.

What to look for in a Blu-Ray player?

One would imagine that video quality would be the key factor while choosing a Blu-Ray player. Truth be told, every Blu-Ray player out there excels in that department almost uniformly. Therefore, one can’t really make a decision based on just the picture quality. Interestingly, it is the additional features like Wi-Fi connectivity, ability to stream videos etc. which make all the difference. That’s why big players like LG and Sony have come up with innovative features to stay ahead in the competition. Price is also an important consideration when it comes to buying a Blu-Ray player. You can find a decent player for about a $100 while high end Blu-Ray players can cost up to $500. The choice will depend eventually on your budget and personal requirements.

Considering these factors, we have put together a list of the best Blu-Ray players out there. We have tried to choose players from different price ranges since this will help you compare their features along with their costs.

1. Sony BDP-S380- Priced at close to $110, the Sony BDP-S380 offers complete value for money. It has a sleek design with a matt black finish and the video processing is surprisingly fast. The networking options are great, you can access Hulu Plus, Netflix, Amazon, Pandora. Slacker etc. On the flip side, the video processing can get a little sloppy at times, but, it is still ideal for casual use around the house. You can also try out other Blu-Ray players like LG BP620 and Panasonic DMP-BDT 220, which fall in the same price range.

2. LG BD 670- The LG BD 670 has a very simple and minimalistic design, but it’s performance sets it apart from many others. Both the video processing and 3D are exceptional with no jerks or breaks in between. The player comes with in-built Wi-Fi connectivity allowing the users to connect to a variety of online streaming platforms. Price wise, it falls somewhere in the mid-range section (it is priced at close t0 $250), but we can assure you that your money will be well spent.

3. Sony Play Station 3- Yes, we know that the Sony Play Station 3 is a gaming console, but, the good news is that is doubles up as a Blu-Ray player as well. So, it has all the features of a normal Blu-ray player like Wi-Fi connectivity and other networking options. But, it goes a step ahead since you can use it for all your gaming interests as well. To top it all off, it is quite affordable at $250. If you are willing to spend some extra money, you can also try Oppo BDP-93 and LG BD 690, both of which come highly recommended.

While buying an LED, you must consider a few important factors. Make sure to check the kind of technology employed in the LED. As was mentioned in the last post, there are different kinds of backlighting techniques- edge lighting, direct lighting and local dimming. Amongst the three, the latter is the most effective as the color contrast can be managed and thus the picture quality is considerably better than the other two. Besides this, also consider the thickness of the LED and quite obviously, the cost.

Combining all these factors, we have put together a list of the best LED TVs in the market.

1. The Sony Bravia XBR-HX929- This Sony Bravia LED TV is an impeccable blend of technology and design. It employs the local dimming LED backlighting and produces deeper black levels than most other LED’s in the market. The detailing is excessively sharp and the color contrast is excellent. The 3D viewing is not as impressive because the image is not constant at different angles. The price is also a little steep, but if you are willing to spend money, this Sony Bravia won’t disappoint you.

2. Samsung UND8000 Series- Every good LED has to excel in both of these departments- performance and appearance. An LED is not just about amazing picture quality, it is also about flawless design. The Samsung UND8000 series has made to this list primarily because of its state-of-art looks and features. Having said that, there is no denying the fact that it delivers on the quality front as well, but the design sets it apart from all others. The frame around the screen is kept to a basic minimum giving the LED a clean and classy look. Add to this the excellent black levels and great picture quality and you have an LED to die for.

3. LG Infinia LW5600 Series- The LG LW5600 Series has excellent picture quality and color contrast for an LED which relies on edge lighting technique. This LED is relatively cheaper than the others which feature on this list. While it might not be as impressive as the other two in terms of performance, it offers complete value for money and that is its USP.

4. Sharp LC-LE640U series- This LED series also features in the more affordable range of LEDs. It offers many options for picture control and the picture quality is decently impressive. The simplicity of the design becomes its USP and the matte screen is ideal for bright rooms. This has all the makings of a great LED, one that will never disappoint the common man out there.

A visit to an electronic shop can be a particularly harrowing experience. You are surrounded by hundreds of electronic gadgets of all shapes, sizes, brands and prices and in the middle of all this, you are expected to make an informed choice. For example, you go to the nearest electronic store to buy a new television set for your home. Once you get there, you are introduced to the different kinds of TVs- plasma, LCD, LED etc. On top of that, a number of technical terms like HDD, CCFL will be thrown at you randomly until you find yourself completely lost. Well, it is not as bad as it sounds. We will take you through the very basics of the world of television, so that the next time you want to buy a television set, you are equipped with all the necessary details.

Let’s begin with the biggies- Plasma, LCD and LED. What exactly is the difference between them? When Hi-Definition TV or HDTV as it is commonly known was introduced, plasmas had just arrived on the market. These were backed by flat panel technology which produced top notch picture quality. It created quite a rage in the electronic market, after which it gave way to the world of LCDs. As of now, LCDs and LEDs are the two major players in this field.

True to its name, LCD or Liquid Crystal Display works through a liquid which is enclosed between two plates. This liquid becomes dynamic when it receives current in some form, and hence the picture is formed. While black and white LCDs have been around for quite some time, color LCDs is a relatively recent phenomenon. Now, the liquid used in this technology does not illuminate by itself and thus, an external source of light is needed. This is where LEDs come into the picture, quite literally.

If one was to go by strictly technical standards, the term LED would come across as a misnomer. LEDs are actually just specialized versions of LCDs. The basic technology has remained the same, only the source of lighting has changed from the traditional CCFLs (Cold Cathode Fluorescent Lighting) to LEDs or Light Emitting Diodes.

LEDs offer many advantages due to the different types of back lighting available- edge lighting, direct lighting and local dimming. In the former case, LEDs are positioned along the edge of the panel and this facilitates the production of extremely thin screens as the LEDs are not placed behind the screen, which is precisely the case in direct lighting. Direct Lighting has its own advantages, the biggest of them being that the color contrast can be enhanced by turning some LEDs off. Local dimming, which is a very recent phenomenon, attempts to combine these two types. Under this technology, there are banks of LEDs which are positioned behind the panel, and thus, the contrasts can be regulated. At the same time, due to the presence of specialised banks of LEDs, it is possible to have a thin screen depth.

Due to such developments in technology, LEDs have added a new dimension to the world of television. The quality of color accuracy, contrast levels and viewing angles have improved by leaps and bounds, thus re-defining the whole experience of watching television.

Panasonic TXP GT30 Series HDTVs

As one of our top rated HDTVs, it comes as no surprise that the TXP GT30 is also one of our top viewed products. Optimized for 3D playback, this plasma TV features a 600Hz refresh rate. This extremely high refresh rate also lends itself well to watching high action sports and console gaming. Its deep blacks and high color accuracy also make it an excellent choice for 2D Blu-Ray as well.

Sony KDL EX720 Series HDTVs

Another HDTV (you can see what might be a popular gift category this year), the EX720 offers a wide array of features. As expected with Sony TVs, the EX720’s image processing capabilities are unmatched, creating a brilliant viewing experience right out of the box. You can also enjoy its integrated internet apps, such as Netflix and Pandora. It even includes on-the-fly 2D to 3D conversion, so you can watch anything in 3D. On top of it all, the screen is nearly razor thin, and thanks to its LED design, is extremely power efficient.

Digital Cameras

Among our top 10 most viewed products, there were 4 digital cameras. The most viewed was the Sony Cyber-Shot DSC-HX9V, which is really one of the best compact cameras on the market, though less seasoned photographers may prefer the WX10. Canon’s EOS Rebel T3i also made the list, followed by Nikon’s D3100, both of which are excellent entry-level digital SLRs. Following those, was the Nikon D7000, a digital SLR suitable for professional work; however, if a DSLR is on your shopping list, you may want to hold off for Sony’s upcoming NEX and α-series cameras, as they will be extremely competitive this year.

Smartphones

Smartphones made up nearly a third of our top 10 list, and they are sure to be a popular item this holiday season. The Sony Ericsson Xperia Active pulled in the most views, and while it’s not the most amazing phone on the market, it does have the rare combination of being both rugged and powerful (great for a reckless teenager). Just behind the Active was the Xperia Arc, a sleek and capable smartphone hailed for its surprising photo quality. Following that was the Samsung Galaxy S, the popular predecessor to our currently top-ranked phone, the Galaxy S II.

Of course it’s still a bit early to be doing your holiday shopping, but hopefully we’ve given you some great gift ideas (either for yourself or for friends and family). With Black Friday fast approaching, it’s not surprising to be seeing these larger (pricier) items on the most watched list. Many of these products, while still praise worthy, are soon to be replaced by next year’s updated versions, meaning massive price reductions as the holidays near.

Be sure to keep an eye on our blog. Through the whole month of November, we’ll be naming hot new products, posting buyer’s guides, and helping you prepare for the holiday shopping season. Let us know in the comments if you have any requests.

What Is a Nettop?

Before we get into what they’re good for, let’s spend a moment getting to know what a Nettop is. In short, a Nettop is little more than a Netbook minus the display, keyboard, and battery. Both Netbooks and Nettops share the same lightweight, power-efficient components, like Intel’s Atom and AMD’s Vision processors.

So what good is a Nettop if a Netbook already has all of the same components and can actually work without being plugged into the wall? Well, it primarily comes down to peripherals. Nettops almost always have more features, such as additional USB ports for use with external hard drives, printers, and other peripherals. Some even have new USB 3.0 ports for extremely high speed data transfer. Most current Nettops also feature HDMI, eSata, VGA, and Serial ports, and while Netbooks sometimes offer some of these features, none offer more than one or two of them.

Basically, a Nettop is a Netbook that functions as a desktop.

So Why Not Get a Desktop?

When Netbooks compete with other laptops, they have the advantage of being much cheaper. At one point, the Asus Eee 900 was available for just $169 while you’d struggle to find a full sized laptop for under $400. Nettops don’t have this benefit.

Most entry-level Nettops start around $300. This may seem fairly affordable, but a $300 desktop computer will likely outperform any similarly priced Nettop. So why bother getting a Nettop at all?

First of all, Nettops are small, and even though they aren’t meant to be portable, size still matters. The smallest Nettops aren’t any larger than your average Wi-Fi router, and even the larger Nettops don’t get any bigger than a Blu-Ray or DVD player. This makes them easy to tuck away out of site. Just try balancing a desktop on a bookshelf or mounting it to the wall – it doesn’t work all that well.

Another huge benefit of a Nettop is power efficiency. Because they share many of the same components as a Netbook, they need very little power to operate. Most Netbooks will use only 1 or 2 Watts when idling, and rarely more than 50 Watts at maximum. In comparison, it isn’t unusual for a desktop to use over 50 Watts at idle alone. For a situation in which the device will be on 24/7, a Nettop could save you hundreds of dollars per year.

Best Uses for a Nettop

Even though Nettops aren’t always the most affordable choice in terms of cost to performance, their size and power profile make them ideal for certain uses.

The super compact size works well for anyone who is looking for the basic computing needs of a desktop but doesn’t want the added clutter of a full-sized computer. Some Nettops, like the Asus EeeBox EB1012, actually come with a mounting plate that allows you to mount it to the back of a standard LCD monitor, taking up no more space than the monitor on your desk.

Because of their power efficiency, Nettops also make excellent media boxes. Using the HDMI port to connect a Nettop to your HDTV gives you a very flexible media experience, essentially making it an HTPC (Home Theatre PC). YouTube, Netflix, and Hulu can all be watched directly on your TV, and with Windows Media Center, you can even stream HD video from any other computer on your home network. Nettops like the Lenovo IdeaCentre Q150 even include a wireless remote. Be careful, though. Not all Nettops are capable of HD playback. Stick with Nettops that feature Nvidia ION or AMD Vision technology.

HDTVs have become a hot ticket item in the past few years, and to keep up with the competitive edge, manufacturers have come up with all sorts of features in attempts to outclass each other. The problem is that even after reading countless TV reviews, it’s still difficult to know just what exactly each feature does. Here’s our quick reference guide for the most popular and most useful features in HDTVs today.

Input Types

These days, HDTVs come with a long list of different input types, such as HDMI, Component, Composite, and S-Video. It’s important to know which ones are most important, and how many of each type you might need.

HDMI

HDMI is the most popular HD cable type, and most modern HDTVs will come with at least two HDMI ports. HDMI is also very convenient in that it carries both audio and video in a single cable, capable of extremely high throughput (for 7.1ch surround sound and 1080p). Given the option, you’ll want to build your home theater with HDMI as your keystone, so it’s wise to get an HDTV with at least 4 HDMI ports.

Component

Component cables are the other, less popular HD cable type. They consist of three cables to carry video, Red, Green, and Blue and often paired two audio cables for stereo sound. As component video is an aging standard, it is slowly being replaced with HDMI; however, many devices, such as video game systems and DVD players, still rely on it, so most HDTV will have at least one or two component inputs, which is generally sufficient.

Composite

Composite cables (often referred to as RCA) carry video through one, generally yellow, cable, and they are often paired with two audio cables. Because it is a fairly old cable type, its only suitable for SD content, but many older devices, like DVD and VHS players, video game systems, and video camcorders require composite inputs. Most people have several of these devices, so you will want to make sure any HDTV you get has enough composite inputs to connect all of your devices.

S-Video

S-Video is very similar to composite in that it carries the video signal through a single cable. It provides slightly better video quality than composite, but is still only suitable for SD content. Most HDTVs tie the S-Video ports in with the composite inputs, meaning you can only use one or the other at a time, but given the choice, S-Video is preferred over composite.

Resolution

Generally speaking, HDTVs come in two HD resolutions: 720p and 1080p. Unless you absolutely cannot afford it, any new HDTV you get should be 1080p. Also, just because a TV says it’s capable of displaying a 1080p signal does not mean it’s truly a 1080p resolution. You’ll want to ensure that the “Native Resolution” is 1920×1080 to ensure you’re viewing a true 1080p picture.

Hertz and Refresh Rate

The refresh rate in HDTVs is somewhat like the arms race during the Cold War. The Hz rate stands for how many times the screen can draw a new image per second. For the most part, those 120 and 240Hz figures are mostly just marketing ploys. The 120Hz HDTVs show some improved quality in high motion environments, but it is generally accepted that 240Hz shows no real appreciable difference over the cheaper 120Hz sets.

DLNA

DLNA stands for Digital Living Network Alliance, and in short, it allows you to share media to your TV through your home network. Most DLNA TVs will have either an Ethernet port or integrated Wifi to connect to your network, allowing you to stream media from any other DLNA devices on your network, such as Window 7 PCs and even some Smartphones.