How to save up to $70 on a great digital camera

Our digital camera Ratings tell you which cameras produce the best image quality or hesitate the least between shots. And our recommended cameras will tell you which models are the overall best performers—and best values. (Our Ratings and recommendations are available to subscribers.)

Now there's an easy way to find the best prices on all the digital cameras we test—including the highly-rated models—right from the ConsumerReports.org web site: ShopOnline.

Here's how it works: Find the camera that interests you in our Ratings table, then click on "Compare Prices." You'll be taken to a safe, ad-free, unbiased list of retailers and current prices for new models only (no used or refurbished cameras are included in our results).

Here are some prices I found at major online retailers, using ShopOnline, for three of our highly-rated cameras:

• The Sony Cyber-shot DSC-T77 (click on image for a closer look), a very good, 10.1 megapixel subcompact with a 4x optical zoom, was for sale at prices ranging from $257 to $300.
• The Nikon Coolpix P5100, a very good, 12.1 megapixel compact with a 3.5x optical zoom, was available at prices ranging from $277 to $350.
• The Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ28, a very good, 10.1 megapixel superzoom, with an 18x optical zoom, was for sale at prices ranging from $280 to $350.

(The above prices can change frequently and don't include shipping or tax, though merchants often don't charge for one or both of those.)

—Jeff Fox

Money-saving tip: Don't overspend on electronics

In light of what looks to be a difficult holiday shopping season for consumers on a budget, Consumer Reports is here to be your resource for frugal gift-shopping.

Consumer Reports veteran deal-finder Tod Marks recently launched his new blog, Tightwad Tod, as part of the CR Money Blog. Tod highlights ways to cut costs and sounds the alert on scams and dubious "bargains." Be sure to check it out for daily money-saving tips.

The CR Electronics team is also here to help you buy high-tech gear without emptying out your wallet. Our recent report, "Buying electronics," rates the best electronics retailers and offers 10 money-saving tips.

Here's one example:

You don't have to pay top dollar for outstanding performance.

Many readers who look at our product Ratings believe that the top-ranked model is the only one to buy. Not necessarily. Models that rank a few positions lower in our Ratings often offer fine performance at a lower price.

Don't just look at the Ratings order. Check a model's overall score and scores for the attributes that matter most to you. You might find there aren't major differences between a model at the top of the list and another in the middle. Also be open to products that score very good rather than excellent. The differences between a TV rated very good and excellent for picture quality can often be very subtle, most obvious when the TVs are viewed side-by-side. Our model recommendations—which take price into account—can help to narrow down the list.

Check out the other nine tips in "Buying electronics" from the December issue of Consumer Reports. And if you have a tip for saving money while electronics-shopping, share it in the comment section below.

—Nick Kolman-Mandle

Wal-Mart Saturday specials: Why wait for Black Friday?

If you just can't wait for the three-day Black Friday holiday shopping period to kick off, get over to Wal-Mart this Saturday for some special deals.

Among the noteworthy TV specials: a 46-inch Sanyo 1080p LCD HDTV for $798, which is several hundred dollars cheaper than most 1080p LCDs of this size we've seen. Sanyo models haven't been the best performers in our LCD TV Ratings (available to subscribers), but may be a decent choice for those on a budget.

Other Saturday-only deals include a 15.4-inch Compaq notebook computer (CQ50-139WM) for $298, a Sony PlayStation 3 (80GB) game system, along with a $100 gift card, for $399, a 2GB Sony Walkman MP3 player for $49, a Sony PSP portable game system, with a Ratchet and Clank game and $30 gift card, for $199, and a Samsung 7MP digital camera (S760) bundle, which includes a case, rechargeable battery and charger, for $89.

Rear-projection TVs: Bigger-screens for less bucks?

In the December issue of Consumer Reports, you’ll find our latest LCD and plasma TV report with complete HDTV Ratings for over 100 new models. (Ratings are available to subscribers.)

But you won't find any test results for new rear-projection HDTVs. Why? In a nutshell, there are very few new sets of this type. Of the countless TV models introduced to the U.S. market this year, only 14 were RPTVs, and only two companies—Samsung and Mitsubishi—continue to make and sell rear-projection sets.

Consumer demand has also tanked. U.S. sales of rear-projection sets this year are expected to total about half a million units, compared to 30 million LCD TVs and 4 million plasma TVs.

That sales comparison tells the tale: One big reason for the overall decline in rear-projection TVs is that sleek flat-panel LCD and plasma TVs have gotten bigger and cheaper, pushing the bulkier sets out of the picture.

Still, you might want to consider a rear-projection TV if you want the most screen for the money. We've seen 60- to 65-inch RPTVs selling for about $1,500, and 72-inchers in the $2,000 range. A plasma or LCD TV of that size would easily run $5,000 or more. And the best of these sets are capable of excellent picture quality that gives flat panels a run for the money.

Open-box electronics items: Another shopping option to consider

This blog recently reported on refurbished electronics, returned items inspected and if need be repaired, and sold at reduced prices. We found them to be an opportunity for budget-conscious shoppers, with caveats.

Also worth considering are refurbs’ first cousins, “open-box” electronics items. They, too, can be significantly less expensive than the same items bought new—though they, too, merit some caution. 

Typically, open-box items are goods returned by customers, inspected by the retailer, found to be in working order, and re-sold at a discount, rather than returned to the manufacturer. Though most associated with taped-up boxes on tables and special displays at brick and mortar retailers, open-box electronics are now also offered online. Such Webtailers include such reputable vendors as JR.com and TigerDirect.com, both perennially well-rated in Consumer Reports’ annual Ratings of electronics retailers.  They’re also offered at WarehouseDeals.com, the refurbished and open-box goods site for Amazon.com, also a perennial pick among e-tailers in our surveys.

Flat-panel TVs to Black Friday: We're back!

If you've held off buying an LCD or plasma TV in hopes of lower prices this holiday season, it looks like your gambit is going to pay off. According to several analysts, LCD and plasma TV prices once again will be significantly lower this year compared to last. That's especially true for Black Friday, which kicks off the weekend after Thanksgiving, when you might encounter some never-before-seen deals. Among the reasons for the price drops are an oversupply of LCDs and competition between LCD and plasma in more screen sizes.

According to Austin, Texas-based market research firm DisplaySearch, LCD TV prices will drop 15 to 20 percent on average below last year’s prices, while plasma sets could sell for 20 to 25 percent less than at this time last year.

You’ll find even bigger bargains in certain size categories. For example, DisplaySearch predicts the average selling price of 40-inch and larger LCD sets could drop by 25 to 30 percent. As a result, the average price of a 52-inch 1080p set will drop from about $2,800 in the fourth quarter of 2007 to just under $2,000 by the end of 2008, while a 46- or 47-inch 1080p sets will fall from about $1,800 to just over $1,350. The average price for a 40- or 42-inch 1080p set will drop from nearly $1,400 at the end of last year to $991 this year. Those looking for a smaller set could also be in for some bargains, as DisplaySearch sees prices falling about 23 percent for 32-inch TVs, and 21 percent for 26-inch models.

$40 DTV converter box from Dish is finally available

[Aug. 26, 2008 UPDATE: We've added 24 new models to our Ratings of DTV converter boxes. See our latest update to our guide to DTV converter boxes for more information. Both are free on ConsumerReports.org. —Ed.]

The much-awaited $40 DTV converter from Dish Networks—which is essentially free, except for shipping charges and taxes, after a government-issued $40 coupon is applied—is now available directly from the company, although supplies are limited, according to Dish's website.

The TR-40 has been an item of significant interest ever since Dish announced earlier this year that it would offer a feature-laden box—including analog pass-through and VCR control—that would essentially be free to consumers after a government-issued DTV coupon was applied. The box is now available at the Dish website, via phone at 1-888-638-9912 or through participating DISH Network retailers. There's a $9 charge for shipping and handling, and taxes will vary by location.

[Note: We're in the process of updating our free Ratings of DTV converter boxes. But the TR-40 came too late to be included in our most recent testing. We'll be doing our best to get our hands on one and see how it performs compared to the other DTV converter boxes we've tested. In the meantime, check our free "Guide to DTV converter boxes" for help in finding converter boxes. — Ed.]

The TR-40 is the first converter we've seen priced at $40, the amount of the coupon. The box has many of the same features as the company's DTVPal we've tested, including analog pass-through, an auto-tune timer for programming VCR recording, a seven-day electronic program guide, and a set-up wizard. (The TR-40 even appears outwardly similar to the DTVPal, seen above.) There's also a pop-up signal-strength screen that can be used to troubleshoot reception. The DTVPal is priced $20 higher.

There's no word how many of these boxes will be available.

—James K. Willcox

Refurbished electronics: A bargain shopper's guide

TVs, digital cameras, laptops, and other electronics gear that have been returned to a retailer or manufacturer, supposedly restored to good-as-new condition, and then re-sold at bargain prices are starting to look respectable—especially to budget-conscious shoppers. Refurbished goods (also called "reconditioned" or "remanufactured") are even being touted as "green," since they might otherwise be on their way to the landfill.

It's not just fly-by-nights selling gently used gear. Last fall, big-box retailer Target's web site began offering "pre-owned electronics," starting with seldom-discounted Apple iPods. Crutchfield.com, a reputable vendor that has been top-rated in Consumer Reports' annual Ratings of best electronics retailers, sells returned electronics from GPS to TVs at its online Outlet Store. Amazon.com, another consistently well-rated retailer, has been selling refurbished gear on its warehousedeals.com site since 2004.

Among major manufacturers offering their own refurbished electronics are:

• Apple, via its Special Deals section of its web site
• Dell, via its online Outlet store and dfsdirectsales.com, Dell's financing division
• Epson, via its online Clearance Center
• HP, via its online Business outlet
• Sony, via its online Outlet store

There's no shortage of products for these and other vendors to refurbish. Up to one in five consumer electronics items sold are returned, according to technology consulting firm Accenture, and a mere 5 percent or so of those returns are defective. More than two-thirds of electronics returned to retailers work fine.

T-Mobile announces pro-rating of termination fees

T-Mobile has just weighed in with particulars on how it will pro-rate its early termination fee, the penalty of up to $200 it charges when subscribers cancel their service before the end of a new 12- or 24-month service contract starting June 28.

T-Mobile brings to three the number of major cell carriers who are reducing such fees, which range from $150 to $200, depending on how far subscribers are into their contract. Two other big companies, Alltel (which may soon be swallowed up by Verizon) and Sprint, are not yet making such adjustments, though they've pledged to do so.

So while T-Mobile's announcement is welcome, its pro-rating is in some ways less generous than the schemes for Verizon and AT&T, the other majors who pro-rate their termination fees. T-Mobile's $200 fee, the highest among the three companies, doesn't actually drop at all for the first year-and-a-half of two-year contracts.

Cell plan extra charges: Why and what you can do

Your cell-phone plan supposedly costs $39.99 a month, say, yet your cell-phone bill usually runs to $52 or so. Here's a quick rundown of the reasons and some remedies.

Many of the major extras are beyond your control, at least as a subscriber. The biggest bite is from state and local sales taxes. Your telecom bills are typically taxed by those jurisdictions at the same rate as other goods and services, and those rates, to say the least, show no signs of going down. (There used to be a 3-percent federal excise tax—in place since 1898 to pay for the Spanish-American war—but it was repealed in 2005.) There's also a state fee for e-911, the location-based technology that helps emergency responders find you when you dial 911 from your cell phone; you may also have to pay a separate 911 fee to your municipality for having access to those emergency responders.

Carriers also tack an assortment of administrative and regulatory surcharges onto bills to defray the costs they incur when they interface with other networks in the course of providing service, as well as other incidentals. One such fee that's attracted attention lately is one, amounting to a dollar or two a month, that reflects the carriers passing along to consumers their contributions to what's known as the Universal Service Fund, which subsidizes phone carriers operating in remote or sparsely populated areas. With more than $7 billion now in the Fund, the Federal Communications Commission has just capped a portion of it. (If you have Adobe Acrobat Reader software installed, you can see the FCC's press release on the cap on Universal Service here.) But the cap's impact on consumer fees is unclear, since the Fund still requires replenishment to remain at its current level.

But some extras that are swelling your bills are well within your control. Here's a rundown of some, and how to quell them:

Sprint’s unlimited talk—and data—is cheaper

Talkative cell phone users got a buzz last month when major carriers, Verizon, AT&T, and T-Mobile began offering $99.99 unlimited calling plans. Now Sprint has also announced its own unlimited plans.

Like its competition, Sprint's "Simply Everything" plan offers unlimited voice calling, free nationwide long distance, and no domestic roaming charges. But for the same $99.99 per month, subscribers also get unlimited text/picture/video messaging, mobile Internet, and walkie-talkie style push-to-talk service.

That's a better deal than, for example, Verizon's Unlimited plans, which charge $99.99 for voice, $119.99 for voice and messaging, and $139.99 for voice, messaging, and mobile Internet.

However, as we previously advised, before getting a pricey unlimited plan you should first consider less costly somewhat unlimited plans.

In the case of Sprint, its new "Everything 900" anytime voice minute plan also comes with unlimited messaging and Internet (as well as unlimited voice nights and weekends and mobile-to-mobile) for only $89.99 per month. If you can live with 900 daytime voice minutes per month—still a hefty 40 minutes or so per weekday, after all—you'll save $120 annually over the $99.99 "Simply Everything" plan or up to $600 per year over competing carrier unlimited plans.

Mostly talk: New unlimited cell plans won't pay for most

Verizon, AT&T, and T-Mobile are now offering unlimited talk plans for $99.99 per month. While the plans offer convenience and 'peace of mind,' few subscribers, except heavy talkers, are likely to save with these all-you-can-talk offerings.

That's because with a little consumer planning effort and discipline consumers can maximize Verizon's and AT&T's national, no-roaming-fee, no-long-distance-charge plans that cost $60 a month. Those plans ostensibly sell you 900 anytime minutes per month, but both also give you unlimited nights and weekends. With Verizon's "national IN calling" feature, there's also no charge for calls anytime of the day to some 64 million other Verizon Wireless customers. AT&T's version of this is "mobile-to-mobile" minutes, and offers free calls anytime to AT&T's more than 70 million customers.

It's pretty much the same deal as AT&T's and Verizon's with Alltel's National Freedom 900 plan, except that that carrier's "My Circle" feature also lets you make unlimited free anytime calls to 10 wireless or landline numbers on any network. T-Mobile's myFaves 1000 plan provides 1,000 whenever minutes, free roaming and long-distance and unlimited nights and weekends; but instead of unlimited minutes to other phones on the T-Mobile network, it gives unlimited "myFaves" minutes to only 5 designated numbers on any network.

Super Bowl: Getting a big screen for the big game

There's still time to get a new high-definition TV delivered and set up before Super Bowl Sunday, but the countdown clock is ticking.

Best Buy and Circuit City, two of the biggest players in the TV business, promise they'll have your new set up and running by kickoff as long as you seal the deal by Jan. 26 or Jan. 30, respectively. Online giant Amazon.com has a cut-off date of Jan. 26. P.C. Richard & Sons, a regional chain in the Northeast, takes the prize for last-minute specials, giving procrastinators up to noon on game day to buy a set in a New York or New Jersey store. That's the big picture—with all these deals, there are restrictions and caveats, as spelled out below.

Sears doesn't specifically guarantee delivery by Feb. 3, but a random check of various models on the company's web site showed that we could have some TVs delivered before game day, depending on zip code. That doesn't include setup; you'd have to call Sears to see when you could get an appointment in your area.

Of course, if you're willing and able to haul your big-screen set home from the store and set it up yourself, you have more time and more options. You can order a set online and pick it up at a local store with Best Buy, Circuit City, Sears, and Wal-mart, or you can head over to a nearby Target or a Costco warehouse for a cash-and-carry transaction.

Don't forget that you'll need high-def TV service in place to enjoy the game in all its big-screen splendor. For cable, satellite, or phone-company fiber-optic service, that means a high-def receiver and service package. If you don't already have such a setup, call your provider ASAP to get the ball rolling. Depending on the company, you can pick up the equipment at a local outlet or have it shipped or delivered. For free off-air broadcasts, all you need is a UHF/VHF antenna hooked up to your new TV (all new sets have the required digital tuner). That's assuming you're in a location where you can pull in signals, without tall buildings, trees, or mountains obstructing transmission.

Then there's the actual setup—putting all the plugs in all the right places. If you've paid for installation, which might run you $100 to $150 for a basic setup, the retailer's crew will hook everything up and make sure you have a high-def picture coming in. Doing it yourself isn't that hard, though. You plug the incoming cable into the HD receiver, then use an HDMI cable, or component-video and audio cables, to connect the receiver to the TV. Tune in an HD channel, and you should be good to go. You should also check the TV's settings to make sure you're getting a full-screen picture with optimal image quality.

One final tip: Hang onto your receipts and check prices for a month or two after your purchase. Many retailers offer a 30-day or 60-day price guarantee, and you can collect the difference if your set is sold at a lower price either at the store itself or at a competitor during that period.

Check out Consumer Reports' Guide to Super Bowl Sunday for more HDTV shopping advice, including access to our Ratings of HDTVs and for tips on throwing a great Super Bowl party.

Now, it's on to the players.

GPS: Deals and advice for last-minute holiday shoppers

If you're still shopping for a portable GPS navigation unit to give as a special holiday gift, there's some good news. Our colleagues who cover Cars for ConsumerReports have unearthed some great last-minute deals. But with Christmas less than 10 days away, you'll have to hurry—especially if you want to take advantage cheap (or even "free") shipping from online retailers such as Amazon.

For more details, check out, "Road map to the best last-minute GPS deals."

Some other resources to help you:

• A closer look at the Navigon 5100 GPS
• ConsumerReports' latest Ratings of GPS units
• GPS info on ConsumerReports' Cars blog
• GPS info on ConsumerReports' Electronics blog

For buying advice, check out "How to buy the right GPS navigation device for the holidays." Or if you have Macromedia Flash software installed, you can watch our free online video in the player below. Just click on the "play" (arrow) button to start. (If you don't see the player embedded in this post, click here to watch our video.)

—Paul Eng

Low-priced Sony Bravia LCD TVs at Wal-mart and Target

Is it a good buy?

Sony Bravia LCD TVs have earned a reputation for fine performance, and our tests of many of those models have borne that out. But the brand's high profile generally comes with a high price tag. Some of the Bravia sets—typically the most feature-rich—are among the priciest in their size. (ConsumerReports.org subscribers can verify that by just looking through our latest Ratings of LCD TVs.)

Given that reputation, you might not expect to find the Sony Bravia name showing up at Wal-Mart and Target. But there it is. Both chains are selling the Sony KDL-32ML130 at relatively low-prices for a 32-inch Bravia LCD TV. At Target (and via Amazon), the set is selling at Sony's list price of $797. But at Wal-mart's Web site, it's $767.

We decided to take a look at one of these sets to see if it lives up to its family heritage. We're still testing the LCD TV and hope to have more details available soon on ConsumerReports.org soon. But here's what we know so far:

It doesn’t have all the features you'd find on higher-priced Bravia sets, but it does offer fine picture quality, according to our preliminary tests. It did very well for black level, color, and fine detail. The viewing angle was decent—typical for most LCDs, meaning the picture changes slightly when you're off center, in this case losing some contrast.

We were less impressed with the sound, which seemed a bit muffled, but it should be fine for typical TV programming.

The menu is more basic than on many sets, but that actually makes it easier to get around. Among the features it lacks are RGB controls for fine-tuning color, but given the fine color accuracy, that's not a serious omission.

All in all, it's a good buy. If you want better audio quality, additional features, and a wider viewing angle as well as high-quality video performance, check out Panasonic's TC-32LX700 ($950).

More information about the Panasonic set, as well as full access to our latest LCD TV Ratings, is available to ConsumerReports.org subscribers only. But we'll have more information about the 32-inch Sony Bravia KDL-32ML130 LCD TV set up on our site soon.

GPS: The deals on Cyber Monday, and beyond

If you missed the Black Friday deals on portable GPS navigation systems, there's still some hope—online. If you're still shopping for one of the hottest gadgets for this holiday season, our automotive colleagues at Consumer Reports have uncovered the latest Black Friday-like bargains that can still be found on the Web. Check out their latest post, Cyber Monday deals on GPS navigation systems, on the Consumer Reports Cars blog.

And for more advice on GPS and portable navigations systems:

• How to choose portable GPS navigation systems
• Video: How to buy a portable GPS device
• Product close-up: Magellan Maestro 4050
• Latest GPS units unveiled
• Consumer Reports Ratings of GPS units (available to ConsumerReports.org subscribers)
• Beware of GPS thieves breaking into your car

—Paul Eng

HDTVs: Best Black Friday Specials

To help you get the best TV at the best price the day after Thanksgiving, we've scoured countless Black Friday circulars, websites, and online forums to find the best deals available.

You may want to begin your shopping before Friday if you have time. As we've noted, a number of retailers have already jump-started Black Friday with pre-holiday specials—like a $99 price for Toshiba’s HD-A2 HD DV, an offer that was immediately matched by Best Buy, and Sears' $770 price on a 42-inch Hitachi "1080" (1280x1080) plasma (model P42H401). Other such deals may crop up before the doors open on Friday; check retailers' websites.

Without further ado, here are our best Black Friday deals on HDTVs. We list only brands that have had one or more recommended models in our Ratings over the past year, though untested models, of course, may differ. In some cases, as noted, we've tested the model, and comment on its performance. (Note: Our test results and comments on those models are accessible only to ConsumerReports.org subscribers. Click here to subscribe and get instant access to that detailed information, as well as to our latest LCD TV Ratings, plasma TVs Ratings, rear-projection TV Ratings and Ratings for front projectors.)

LCD HDTVs

• Olevia 32-inch LCD (no model listed) for $420 at Kmart
• Vizio 32-inch LCD (VXLHDTV32) for $599 at Sears
• Olevia 37-inch LCD (537H) for $600 (a tested model, image above, that we recommend) at CompUSA
• Olevia 37-inch LCD (237T) for $549 at Target
• Vizio 37-inch LCD (unspecified model) for $600 at BJ's
• Sharp 42-inch 720p LCD (LC-42D43U, a larger sibling to a 37-inch Sharp that performed decently in our tests) for $800 at Circuit City
• Olevia 42-inch LCD (242T) for $700 at MicroCenter and BJ's (unspecified model)
• Sharp 46-inch 1080p LCD (LC-46D64U) for $1,300 at Circuit City
• Sony 46-inch Bravia LCD TV for $1,500 at Sears. LCD sets from Sony have consistently been among the best performers in our tests.
• Olevia 47-inch 1080p LCD for $1,000 at BJ's
• Westinghouse 47-inch 1080p LCD TV (TX-47F430S, a tested model with very good picture quality) for $1,300 at Best Buy
• LG 47-inch 1080p LCD TV (47LC7DF) for $1,500 at CompUSA
• Vizio 52-inch LCD TV (unnamed model) at Sam’s Club for $1,889
• Sharp 52-inch 1080p LCD (LC-52D64U) for $2,200 at Circuit City

Plasma HDTVs

We saw a lot of deals on Panasonic models. Though we have not tested all of the sets on special, models from this brand have consistently been among the best in our tests.

• Panasonic TH-42PE7U 42-inch 720p plasma for $900 at Best Buy
• Panasonic 42-inch TH-42PX75U 720p plasma (its 50-inch sibling was a CR Best Buy) for $1,000 at CircuitCity
• Panasonic 50-inch 720p plasma (unspecified model) for $1,200 at MicroCenter.
• Panasonic 720p 58-inch plasma (unspecified model) $500 off at Costco

Other good deals in plasmas:

• LG 42-inch 720p plasma (42PC5D, a CR recommended model) for $900 at Sears
• Philips 50-inch 720p plasma (unspecified model) for at Wal-Mart for $1,398
• Samsung 50-inch 720p plasma (HP-T5044) for $1,300 at CompUSA ($100 cheaper than Best Buy, Circuit City, or Sears)
• Vizio 50-inch 720p plasma (unnamed model) for $1,000 at Costco

Rear-projection HDTVs

• Mitsubishi 65-inch 1080p DLP rear-projection HDTV (WD-65733, a follow-up to a discontinued model) for $1,500 at Best Buy

It's likely that many retailers will follow Black Friday promotions with still more sales. If you don't get the deal you're looking for, keep checking our Electronics Blog, ConsumerReports.org site and others for new deals, additional promotional events, and online specials as we get closer to Christmas. And next year, it will likely pay to start checking for Black Friday bargains two weeks before the actual holiday.

—James K. Willcox

GPS: The best deals on Black Friday

Black Friday may hold many surprises for eager bargain-hunters this year. We've previously covered some of these anticipated "door busters"—the outrageous deals in consumer electronics that retailers hope will woo you to come and shop at ungodly hours on the day after Thanksgiving.

Still, if you're looking for a GPS unit one of the hottest items this holiday season), our colleagues who cover Cars for Consumer Reports have brought together all their latest information on GPS units and scoured circulars for the best sales prices on standout devices. Check out their post on Best GPS deals for Black Friday.

Of course, if you're looking for more Black Friday and other gift-buying-related info, check out:

• Hot HDTV deals
• The latest deals in Electronics
• Consumer Reports: 201 Best Gifts for the Holidays
• Consumer Reports' Shopping Blog

And our Electronics Blog will have the latest news, deals, and tips throughout the 2007 holiday season. So, check back often. Better yet, subscribe using our blog's free RSS feed and you never miss a thing! (For more information about RSS, see this link to Mozilla and Firefox or this Google search on "What is RSS?")

—Paul Eng

Wal-Mart Black Friday Ads Lack Last Year’s Fireworks

After weeks of speculation, Wal-Mart unveiled its Black Friday ad early this morning, and while it isn’t short on great buys—including, for example, a sub-$800 42-inch 1080p LCD and a sub-$1,400 50-inch 720p plasma—it seemed to lack the punch of last year’s promotion, which triggered severe price drops on a highly rated Panasonic 42-inch plasma HDTV.

This year, TV promotions are centered largely on models from Polaroid, a secondary brand whose models haven’t done particularly well in CR’s HDTV Ratings. For example, as part of a Friday-only, 5:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. doorbuster sale, Wal-Mart is offering a 42-inch 1080p Polaroid LCD TV for $798, while a 32-inch 720p Polaroid LCD TV is priced at $448. Other TV deals good only during that time include a $448 26-inch Polaroid LCD TV/DVD combo, and a $198 Emerson LCD TV.

For those looking a set from a major brand, Wal-Mart has a 50-inch Philips 720p plasma for $1,397, a $1,196 46-inch 720p LCD model from RCA, a 37-inch Sanyo LCD TV for $847, and a 32-inch Samsung LCD set for $796. While we don’t know the specific models, Samsung has consistently been one of the top-rated LCD brands, and Philips’ plasma models have typically been very good. LCD models from RCA and Sanyo haven’t done quite as well, although both have been solid performers that are often good values.

Other electronics sale items include:

• a $198 Panasonic DVD camcorder
• a $145 Magnavox DVD recorder
• a $30 Magnavox upconverting DVD player
• a $50 8-inch portable DVD player from an unspecified brand
• a $129 Garmin StreetPilot c330 portable GPS
• a $199 8.1-megapixel Nikon Coolpix S51 digital camera
• a $149 Polaroid 8-megapixel camera and 6-inch digital photo frame bundle
• a $50 8-inch digital photo frame from Venturer
• a $119 HP digital camera (5megapixel) and printer bundle
• a $398 Compaq Presario desktop PC with 1GB of memory and a 17-inch monitor
• and a choice of either a 15.4-inch AMD Turion-powered notebook PC or an Athlon-powered desktop PC with a 19-inch widescreen monitor—both from Dell—for $598.

In addition to these advertised specials, Wal-Mart says it will have “secret” in-store specials for both Friday and Saturday, which will be revealed on the walmart.com website on Thanksgiving day. The chain’s Black Friday specials are good only while supplies last, and a disclaimer mentions that brands could vary by store.

—James K. Willcox

Black Friday HDTV Deals from CompUSA, Staples

Black Friday ads leaked for computer chains CompUSA and Staples show that both stores will have a select number of TV deals available during special limited-hour in-store sales events.

CompUSA is running a two-day pre-Thanksgiving sale this Friday and Saturday (Nov. 16 and 17), during which you can get a 50-inch Zenith plasma HDTV (Z50PX2D) for $1,000 and a 19-inch Envision LCD monitor for $140.

The store will open on Thanksgiving for just three hours, from 9:00 p.m. until midnight, then reopen at 5 a.m. on Friday morning. Specials include the 37-inch Olevia 537H LCD TV for $600; this model did very well in our tests. Other electronics deals include a $500 Athlon-based HP notebook PC with 2GB of RAM, a 22-inch Envision widescreen LCD PC monitor for $150, a $45 7-inch digital photo frame, a $60 7-inch portable DVD player, and a $148 Magellan Maestro 3100 GPS.

On Black Friday, TV deals from CompUSA include a 47-inch 1080p LCD TV from LG Electronics for $1,500 after a $500 instant savings. While we haven’t tested this model, the LG 47LC7DF, another 47-inch LG 1080p TV did very well. A 26-inch LG LCD TV will cost $600 after $150 instant savings, and Sharp’s 46-inch 1080p LC-46D64U LCD set will cost $1,700 after $800 instant savings. Samsung TV deals include the 50-inch HP-T5044 plasma for $1,300—$100 less than at Best Buy's or Circuit City's Black Friday sales. We haven’t tested this particular model, but Samsung plasma TVs have consistently done very well in our tests. Samsung’s 46-inch LN-T4661F, CR’s top-rated 1080p LCD TV, will be $2,000.

You’ll have to be an early bird to get a deal at Staples’ sale, which runs from 6:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m. on Friday. If supplies last, you could walk away with an unspecified 42-inch LCD TV for $800, while a 32-inch model is $450. Both sets appear to be Envision models.

Other Staples deals include a $350 Intel-powered Compaq notebook computer with 1GB of RAM and a 17-inch Acer LCD monitor for $90.

—James K. Willcox

Plasma TVs on Black Friday: How Low Can You Go?

A sneak preview of the Black Friday circulars from the largest electronics retailers shows that plasma TVs will once again be at the center of promotional activity this Thanksgiving weekend. And you won’t have to settle for a little-known off-brand to get a great deal: Leading the Black Friday charge are sub-$1,000 42-inch plasmas from Panasonic, consistently one of our top-rated brands.

Best Buy, for example, is offering Panasonic’s TH-42PE7U model at a doorbuster special price of only $900. We couldn’t find that model number within Panasonic’s model listings (apparently it’s a Black Friday special made especially for Best Buy), but Panasonic plasma TVs in our Ratings have been top-notch. If you venture to Circuit City for its six-hour special, you’ll see the TH-42PX75U—the smaller sibling of a CR Best Buy model—for $1,000.

If you want to buy either of these plasma sets, plan to be among the first in line when the stores open at 5:00 a.m. on Friday. Best Buy says it will have at least 15 sets per store, while Circuit only states that quantities are limited. Neither chain will offer rainchecks or substitutions on promotional items like these.

You won’t be disappointed if you’re looking for a bigger screen. At both Circuit City and Best Buy, the 50-inch Samsung HPT5044 plasma set will be $1,400, while a 50-inch Zenith (Z50P3) will be only $1,000. We haven’t tested this particular Samsung, but its plasma TVs have consistently done very well in our tests. We haven’t tested any Zenith plasmas.

LCD sets will be well-represented in the stores as well. Among the sale items you’ll find at Circuit City are the Sharp 46-inch LC-46D64U, a 720p set, for $1,300 and the 52-inch LC-52D64U with 1080p resolution for $2,200. (All TVs mentioned in this blog are 720p unless specified as 1080p.) Several LCD sets from Sharp, one of the biggest names in LCDs, have done very well in our recent Ratings, though others—especially older sets—have been middling.

[11.15.07 Update: As pointed out in the comments below, the Sharp LC-46D64U is a 1080p set.-Ed.]

Here are some additional HDTV deals at Circuit City for Black Friday:
• a 42-inch Sharp LCD (LC-42D43U, Sharp’s budget line) for $800
• a 32-inch Sharp LCD HDTV (LC-32SH12U) for $600
• a 40-inch Polaroid LCD (PLD 4011-TLXB) $700 (Polaroid has been a lower-rated brand in our tests)
• a 32-inch Element LCD TV, $400
• a 50-inch Samsung SlimDLP rear-projection HDTV (HL-T5075S), $800 (Samsung has been one of the better-rated rear-projection TV brands)
• a 65-inch Toshiba rear-projection DLP set for $1,500 (Toshiba has been a top-rated rear-projection brand in our tests)

In other deals, Circuit City will be offering a Samsung Blu-ray player (BDP-1400) for $378, a $180 JVC MiniDV camcorder, a $100 Mio portable GPS, and $300 Compaq Pentium notebook PC with 1GB of RAM and a free printer and router, and $230 Acer Pentium D desktop PC with a 17-inch LCD.

Here are some additional Black Friday HDTV deals being offered at Best Buy:

• a 47-inch Westinghouse 1080p LCD (TX-47F430S) for $1,300 (a CR-tested model, this one has very good overall picture quality)
• a 42-inch HP 1080p LCD (LC4276N) for $997 (a low-rated CR model)
• a 37-inch Dynex LCD for $630
• a 32-inch Philips LCD (32PFL5332D) for $600
• a 26-inch Magnavox LCD TV/DVD combo $480
• a 65-inch Mitsubishi 1080p DLP rear-projection HDTV (WD-65733) for $1,500 (we recently tested a step-up model, the WD-65734, which did very well).

Other electronics deals include:
• a $200 Toshiba HD-A3 HD DVD player (with 7 free movies)
• a $400 Samsung BD-P1400 Blu-ray player (with 7 free movies)
• a $150 Panasonic MiniDV camcorder (PV-GS80)
• a $400 Sony notebook computer with a 15.3-inch screen, 1GB of RAM and a 120GB hard drive
• a $200 eMachines Celeron desktop PC with a 17-inch monitor, 1GB of RAM and a free a Canon all-in-one color printer
• a $400 Compaq Pentium desktop computer with a 17-inch widescreen monitor and Canon all-in-one color printer
• a $120 TomTom One LE GPS
• a $75 Samsung 1080p upconverting DVD player
• a $99 500-watt 5.1-channel Sony receiver
• a $200 300-watt Harmon Kardon 5.1-channel 1080p receiver

As always, we’ll continue looking out for the best deals on our best-rated HDTVs.

—James K. Willcox

Digital photo frames, portable GPS join TVs as Black Friday doorbusters

TV deals on Black Friday generally garner the most attention, but the latest Black Friday ads on sites such as www.gottadeal.com and www.theblackfriday.com show that digital photo frames and handheld GPS devices are also being singled out for star treatment.

The best deals we’ve seen—so-called “doorbuster specials”—generally occur in the early-morning hours (typically starting at 5:00 or 6:00 a.m.) and last for several hours. The sale items are generally offered in limited quantities, which could be as few as 10 per store. Make sure you read the fine print in the ads to see if there’s a chance you can actually get one of these deals, especially if you’re not one of the apparently large number of people willing to camp out overnight to ensure a good place in line.

That said, here are some of the latest Black Friday leaks we’ve seen. It’s quite possible that these and other stores will add more late-breaking deals and web-only specials as we get closer to the Black Friday period.

Target
Target is closed on Thanksgiving, but it’s holding a two-day sale starting bright and early Friday morning and continuing on Saturday. Among the deals being offered: a 37-inch Olevia LCD TV (237T) for $549, a 22-inch Westinghouse flat-panel LCD computer monitor (LCM22W3) for $167, and a 19-inch TruTech widescreen LCD TV (PLV31199S1) with a built-in DVD player and PC inputs for $199.

Other deals include an Audiovox kitchen LCD TV with integrated DVD player for $199, an Audiovox portable DVD player with a 10-inch flip-down screen for $84, Magellan’s Maestro 3100 auto GPS system for $149, and a Magnavox 5-disc DVD home theater system with USB for $79. Also on sale is a TruTech 7-inch digital photo frame for $49, a Polaroid video camcorder for $69, and Kodak’s 8-megapixel MD853 digital camera for $89.

The store opens at 6:00 a.m. on Friday, and 8:00 a.m. on Saturday.

Kmart
Kmart’s Black Friday deals actually kick off on Thanksgiving Day. The store will be offering a 32-inch Olevia LCD TV (no model number specified) for $420, a 20-inch Sylvania LCD TV for $135, and a 20-inch Sylvania combination LCD TV/DVD/VCR for $250. Kmart is also advertising a 27-inch RCA TV model for $230, which appears to be a standard-def CRT model. Another blast from the past is a JVC VHS-C camcorder for $120.

Other items of note: Magellan’s Maestro 3100 GPS for $130 ($19 less than at Target), a $40 Nextar digital photo frame, an 8-megapixel Polaroid digital camera (A801) for $80, and Microsoft’s Zune MP3 players for $150 (4GB model and $200 (8GB model). The Zune players come with a $20 Kmart gift card.

The store’s hours on Thanksgiving are 7:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. Some specials are available only on Thursday.

H.H. Gregg
Befitting its status as a consumer electronics dealer, H.H. Gregg’s Black Friday circular is chock-full of CE specials. We counted 14 TV deals, including some on major brands such as Hitachi, JVC, Mitsubishi, Samsung, Sony and Toshiba. Most ads don’t specify model numbers. Among the Friday-only specials: a Hitachi 50-inch plasma for $1,000 and a $600 37-inch 720p LCD set from an unspecified brand. There will be a total of 500 company-wide of each sale item, and prices are good only while supplies last (no rain checks).

The chain is closed on Thanksgiving but kicks off Friday morning with a 5:00 a.m. opening. Advertised doorbuster specials include a 19-inch LCD TV for $189, a $45 7-inch digital photo frame, a Jensen portable GPS for $100, a $10 progressive-scan DVD player from GPX, and a $150 DVD camcorder from Samsung. There will be limited quantities of each per store.

Less dramatic savings will be offered on major-brand TVs. For example, a 37-inch Sony Bravia will be priced at $800, while different 46-inch Sony Bravia 1080p LCDs will carry price tags of $1,040 and $1,600. Toshiba is well represented in the circular, with a 52-inch 1080p Regza LCD priced at $2,200, a 42-inch 1080p Regza for $1,250, and a pair of 32-inch Regza models, with different features, for $700 and $800. A 50-inch 720p Toshiba DLP rear-projection HDTV will sell for $900.

Other notable TV deals include:
• 42-inch JVC 720p LCD for $900
• 47-inch 1080p JVC for $1,500
• 52-inch 1080p Mitsubishi LCD TV for $2,400
• 65-inch 1080p Mitsubishi rear-projection DLP for $1,700
• 73-inch 1080p Mitsubishi rear-projection DLP for $2,500
• 50-inch 720p Panasonic plasma for $1,400
• 50-inch 1080p Samsung plasma for $2,400
• 58-inch 1080p Samsung plasma for $3,360
• and a 52-inch Sharp Aquos with 120Hz technology for $2,800.

Several other retailers have announced Black Friday specials. Costco, for example, will have a 26-inch Magnavox LCD/DVD HDTV combo for $500 and a 42-inch Magnavox 1080p LCD HDTV for $1,000. The store is also lopping $300 off the price of Sharp’s 46-inch 1080p Aquos LCD HDTV. OfficeMax will have a dual-core Acer Aspire PC—with 2GB of RAM, a 320GB hard drive, and a 20-inch widescreen LCD monitor—for $600. Also on tap are an $80 8.5-inch digital photo frame from Mustek, an $80 6.2-megapixel Kodak digital camera (C613), a $100 7.2-megapixel Sony Cyber-Shot digital camera with a free printer, and a $100 Mio DigiWalker C220 GPS. The chain will have a 24-inch Soyo widescreen LCD monitor for $250. Even auto supply chain Pep Boys is getting into the act, with a $40 7-inch digital photo frame, Mio’s DigiWalker portable GPS for $80, and the TomTom One GPS for $140.

We’ll keep you updated on more Black Friday deals as they’re announced.

—James K. Willcox

Best Buy matches Wal-Mart HD DVD player price

Though we're still a few weeks shy of the official Black Friday shopping period, things are already getting brutal—at least in terms of pricing for Toshiba's entry-level HD DVD player.

As we reported yesterday, Wal-Mart has special pricing today on several consumer electronics items, including Toshiba's HD-A2 HD DVD player, which it's selling for $99. Refusing to be outdone,  Best Buy today countered by offering the same model for $99. The chain quickly sold out of the model via online sales at BestBuy.com, but there's a chance it could still be available in select stores.

At that price, even those who are in the market for a standard-def player might want to consider one, since it can play—and upconvert—standard DVDs. Even better is that Toshiba continues to offer five free HD DVDs, via mail-in redemption, to those who buy a player.

Makes us wonder what's going to happen when Black Friday really kicks off.—James K. Willcox

Wal-Mart: Why wait for Black Friday?

While other retailers are gearing up for the three-day shopping extravaganza affectionately known as Black Friday, tomorrow (Friday) Wal-Mart kicks off its own holiday shopping season three weeks early with special deals on what it says are five of the most sought-after items.

Among the deals: a $99 Toshiba HD DVD player, a $998 50-inch Sanyo plasma HDTV, and a $348 Acer notebook computer (with 1GB of RAM). The official Wal-Mart “secret” deal website can be accessed by clicking this link.

Toshiba’s HD DVD players could be big sellers this holiday, as many retailers are already offering significant cuts on its entry-level HD-A2 model. Both Amazon.com and Circuit City last week cut the price of the player, which had been $299, to under $200. Wal-Mart’s $99 price—it's also selling select HD DVD tiles for $15 each—is the lowest we’ve seen. Wal-Mart’s in-store sale kicks off at 8:00 a.m. and lasts as long as supplies last. Prices in three states—Oklahoma, Wisconsin and Utah—could vary due to each state’s regulations. We'll keep tracking Black Friday specials as they're revealed.

—James K. Willcox

Halloween “Black Friday” Ad Leaks Portend Some Scary Holiday Electronics Deals

Although it’s not quite November, it already appears that this year’s Black Friday shopping holiday will once again hold some great deals for those willing to brave early-morning hours and the sharpened elbows of fellow bargain shoppers. Those that do should be rewarded with special holiday prices on HDTVs, high-def DVD players, and portable electronics including MP3 players and digital cameras.

A number of Black Friday websites, such as gottadeal.com, dealtaker.com and bfads.net, have already started posting Black Friday retail ads. But one circular that will be hard to find early this year will be Wal-Mart’s. That’s because the company--which last year set the Black Friday pace with a deep price cut on a popular 42-inch Panasonic plasma--has preemptively threatened legal action against any site that post its ads before November 19th. We’ll be keeping track of how well that threat works.

So far, in fact, Black Friday ad postings have been spotty. One exception is Sears, whose Black Friday specials are now widely available on Black Friday websites. Many of the deals are “opening specials” that are available only from 5:00 a.m. until noon, and which can require both instant and mail-in savings. Among the Sears highlights we found:

• a 42-inch LG plasma (42PC5D) for $900
• a Samsung 50-inch plasma (HPT5044) for $1,400, and a 46-inch 1080p LCD (LN-T4665F) for $2,000
• a 46-inch Sharp Aquos LCD (LC-46D43U)for $1,000
• a Sony W-series 40-inch 1080p LCD (KDL-40W3000) for $2,000, and a 46-inch Bravia LCD for $1,500(unspecified model number)
• a 42-inch Sylvania 1080p LCD (LC420SSR) for $900
• a 42-inch Toshiba 1080p LCD (42HL167) for $1,250
• and a V32-inch Vizo LCD (VXLHDTV32) for $599

Also noteworthy is Toshiba’s HD-A3 HD DVD player fort $170. Other Black Friday specials at Sears include a Philips upconverting DVD player for $30, a $10 DVD player from Coby, a Zenith DVD/VHS combi player for $40, $200 DVD camcorders from Panasonic and Samsung, and numerous deals on digital cameras.

ACE hardware also has a few CE doorbusters, including an unnamed 7-inch digital photo frame for $50, and a 7-inch portable DVD player for $60. Macy’s ad shows a $60 Haier-brand 7-inch portable DVD player, and a $20 Haier progressive-scan DVD player, plus three Pandigital-brand digital photo frames, with 6-, 8- and 9.2-inch displays, for $70, $150 and $180, respectively.

Stay tuned to our blogs for regular updates on Black Friday deals and specials--and feel free to chime in with some of your own!

—James K. Willcox