Top 5 Gifts $500-$1,000

If you have some big money to spend on a gift this year, why not invest in something the entire family will enjoy? Here’s Plugged In’s top five gifts between $500-$1,000.

1. Flat-panel 26”- 32” LCD TVs
Not all HDTVs are ultra-expensive. Topping Plugged In’s list are 26- 32-inch flat-panel LCD TVs. You’ll find brand names like Sharp, Philips, Hewlett Packard and Westinghouse are all offering deals this holiday season. These TVs range between $800-$1,000.

2. Home Theater System
What better way to ring in the New Year than with a new home theater system? The Bose 3,2,1 series II has a compact design that makes it suitable for a smaller home theater. This system would be a perfect addition to a 32″ flat screen.

3. A Blu-ray player
The new Blu ray technology will give you on-screen clarity like you have never seen before. With enhanced audio and video, you won’t just watch movies anymore. You’re going to experience them.

4. Desktop Computer
If it’s staying in one place a desktop is a great buy! It’s perfect for the family household computer. These days almost every desktop you’ll find will be under $1,000.

5. Laptops
Notebook prices are pretty reasonable these days, coming fully loaded as a multimedia device. If you’re thinking about a notebook, consider going wide. Wide Screen notebooks are key for watching those DVDs.

There are less than two weeks left to get your holiday shopping done, so what are you waiting for? Check out my Plugged In video to learn more about the products above.

Top 5 Digital Cameras

Looking to invest in your first new digital camera…. Or maybe you want an upgrade? These days a good digital camera doesn’t have to break your wallet.
I’ve got five affordable digital cameras perfect for some this holiday season.

1. This small pocket size camera is Sony’s T10. It’s a 7.2 mega pixel device that couldn’t be easier to use. It slides open and closed to protect the lens which stays within the camera. For $350, you’ll get a 2.5-inch LCD screen and optical image stabilization. What’s cool about this camera is the color options. The only real problem with this camera is the lens is a little slow and not very wide.

2. The Sony CyberShot DSC-S500 is a 6 megapixel camera that will capture your favorite moments wherever you are. The scene modes make it simple to choose the right settings for each picture. It comes with a 2.4″ LCD monitor and is a deal for $150.

3. A solid all-around camera that’s good for low light is the Fujifilm FinePix F30. For $330 this camera is perfect for snapshots of friends during a night out. The picture quality is actually at its best when the light is low.

4. The almost pocketable Canon Powershot A540 is overall a great camera with a great price, $200. This 6 megapixel comes with manual and automated exposure controls making it a nice low-cost option for snapshooters and photo enthusiasts.

5. The Nikon Coolpix S9 is an ultracompact camera with a BIG screen for showing off your pics. This $250 camera is easy to use and it’ll slide right in your pocket or clutch for a night on the town. It’s 6 megapixels, but everything is automatic, so you won’t find any manual controls.