This year, I asked some of our writers to come up with their picks for top tech gifts. We ended up with some great lists from cost no object dream gifts, to tech gifts for kids to the eight Blu-rays of Hannukah to gifts specifically chosen to satisfy the die-hard tech nerd. But I noticed a few items missing from the lists, which I thought offered exceptional value and would make an excellent choice for those with modest gift budgets. There are plenty of tech devices available today for under a C note, but not all are worth the scratch. Here are my choices for Top 5 Tech Gifts under $100. For convenience we'll include list price followed by current online price (in parentheses).
Go High Def or Go Home
Recent research shows that two thirds of US households now own one or more HDTV sets, and yet a fairly small percentage of owners are actually watching high definition content regularly on their HD TVs. Whether it's the high cost of HD services on cable or satellite or the perception that high definition disc players and internet streaming set top boxes are complicated or expensive, there are plenty of HDTV owners still watching standard def cable and DVDs on their fancy new flat panel HDTVs.
In terms of the best picture and sound quality, Blu-ray is where it's at: it's the highest resolution format, offering up to six times the picture detail of DVD, and this can make a big difference when watching movies on a large flat panel TV or projector. Also, all Blu-ray players can play back DVDs as well, upconverting that standard definition content to HD resolution so older titles will look as good as they can.
For those who prefer to stream their audio and video content on demand, there are now a number of different set top (or "over the top") boxes that can allow you to add streaming content (Netflix, VUDU, Amazon VOD, Hulu Plus etc.) to any TV simply and inexpensively. These streaming features are also available in many Blu-ray Disc players, so you can get one single box that plays movies on disc and streams them from the internet. With that in mind, three of our top 5 make great add-ons to your or your gift recipient's existing HDTV.
Panasonic DMP-BD755 Streaming Blu-ray Disc player: $99.99 ($64.99)
Panasonic is a leader in Blu-ray technology so even their "entry level" player, the DMP-BD75 offers a number of performance options and features that you won't find in comparably priced competitive models. It offers super-fast boot-up and disc-loading times, full HD 1080p resolution and support for the newest high definition audio formats (DTS-HD Master Audio and Dolby TrueHD).
The BD75 upconverts standard def DVDs to high def resolution remarkably well so it will make the most of your current movie collection. It also offers a targeted selection of streaming features including Netflix, VUDU, CinemaNow and Napster. One caveat is that there is no built-in WiFi wireless networking on this player. To take advantage of the streaming features, you will need to plug in a network cable, or add a wireless bridge or wireless gaming adapter, or a powerline networking adapter. But the price is hard to beat: instead of its list price of $99.99, you can get one now for just $64.99 directly from Panasonic through an exclusive coupon code (BPS755) from Big Picture Big Sound. The model offered is actually the DMP-BD755 which is identical to the DMP-BD75 but it comes with a free HDMI cable in the box (bonus!).
As I was writing this up, I noticed that Amazon has just lowered the price of the DMP-BD75 to $59.98. So if you don't need the HDMI cable, you can pick up the same player for $5 less:
Roku 2 Internet Streaming Set-top Box: $59.99 to $99.99 ($49 to $88)
If you're not as interested in keeping a collection of movies on silver disc, and want the largest selection of streaming media features, it's hard to go wrong with the Roku 2. This cute little box, slightly larger than a hockey puck, includes all of the popular streaming services (Netflix, Amazon VOD, Hulu Plus, Pandora) as well as dozens of other more specialized streaming channels. Any Roku can be plugged into any HDTV with an HDMI jack, bringing a huge selection of internet streaming content into your living room without the need to connect a computer to your TV.
All of the Roku 2 boxes offer integrated wireless networking (WiFi 802.11b/g/n), but they differ in features and video performance. The two most inexpensive Roku boxes, the LT ($49.99) and HD ($69.99) are capped at 720p resolution. The XD ($79.99) steps the video up to full HD 1080p, and the top of the line XS adds in a unique gaming remote with the option to play games on your big screen without a separate console. A full version of "Angry Birds" comes with the Roku 2 XS at no additional cost. And we noticed that all four models are now on sale on Amazon at $10 or $11 below list. Our recommendation is the Roku 2 XS (currently only $88 on Amazon): once you've played "Angry Birds" on a big flat panel or huge projection screen, it's hard to go back to the same game on a phone or tablet. And the video quality on HD streaming sources is excellent.
Mohu Paper Thin Leaf Antenna: $49.99 ($38.99)
As the economy continues to struggle, many people are looking for ways to tighten their belts. And if you or your intended gift recipient is only a casual TV viewer, or if most of your favorite shows are on the major networks, you may not need to continue paying for cable or satellite TV service. The fact is that any HDTV that calls itself an HDTV must have a built-in ATSC tuner which receives local DTV and HDTV broadcasts. But to tune in these signals you need an antenna, and one small stylish antenna that has been garnering some buzz, not only for its sleek stylish looks but also its ability to capture local digital broadcasts in sometimes challenging conditions is the Mohu Paper Thin Leaf Antenna.
Optimized for the former "UHF" bands, this antenna can be discretely mounted behind a TV or even behind a framed print or painting (it's that thin) but can pick up most local HDTV broadcasts, assuming you're reasonably close to the broadcast towers. Before buying one, check out www.tvfool.org to make sure you are close enough to local broadcast towers to receive the local signals. This is the type of gift that can keep on giving as your gift recipient is able to cancel their pay TV service and still tune into to their favorite network TV shows.
Sennheiser RS120 Wireless Heaphones: $109.99 ($54.99)
Sennheiser is a leader in high performance headphones and their sound quality and comfort carry over to the RS120 wireless RF headphones. Since they use RF technology, the RS120 headphones will keep on belting out sound even when you go into the next room or the next floor. The quoted range is up to 100 meters (328 feet) though this may be reduced due to walls, doors or competing wireless signals. With an integrated charger in the stand and rechargeable batteries included, you won't have to worry about them running out of juice right at the climactic finale of your favorite film.
Amazon Gift Cards: $10 to $2000
OK this may seem like a copout but there are some tech aficionados (yours truly included) who would sometimes rather pick their own gift. As much as they'll nod and smile when presented with a completely obsolete piece of electronics gear that was "on sale for a great price!" they're really thinking, "hmmm, I wonder how much I can get for this on eBay." So put the choice into the recipient's hands instead with a gift card from Amazon.
They can deliver it in card form (with free one-day shipping during the holidays) or in a nice gift box at no additional charge. And if you've really procrastinated, they can e-mail it to your recipient virtually instantly (or scheduled to arrive on Christmas morning) so you'll never have to worry about fighting the Walmart hordes on Christmas eve ever again.
