Black Friday specials: Bundles of joy, or retail sales trick?

One way retailers can bump up their average sales ticket while still offering savings for their customers is through bundling, or offering savings when you buy several items—say, a TV bundled with a Blu-ray player or sound system—as an assembled package.

Based on what we’ve seen so far, this is a tactic Walmart and some other retailers, such as Best Buy, will be using as part of their Black Friday strategies. This week, for example, Walmart’s pre-Black Friday sales include several TV-based bundles. One $698 package combines a 40-inch 1080p LCD TV, a BD-Live Blu-ray player, and a 2.1-channel sound bar, all from a brand called Viore, which is sold primarily through Walmart (although we’ve also seen it at the company’s Sam’s Club warehouse outlets).

If you’re more comfortable with a better-known TV brand and can live with a standard upconverting DVD player, there are two Vizio bundles, each of which provides a choice of TVs in two screen sizes. One package combines either a 37- or 42-inch 1080p Eco-series (VO370M, VO420M) LCD TV, at a price of $677 or $767, with an RCA-brand DVD home theater system and an HDMI cable. These TVs are selling separately on the Walmart website for for $547 and $648, respectively.

A different bundle packages the RCA DVD home theater system with either a 42-inch 1080p LCD (model SV420M, $888) or 47-inch 1080p (model SV470M, $1,074) and an HDMI cable. Both of these TVs have 120Hz technology to help reduce motion blur, plus the HDMI cable. Vizio sells these TVs separately for $797 and $997, respectively.

Extra Extra: Consumer Reports Electronics Buying Guide is on sale

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It may be a tad early to start your holiday shopping, but there’s a good chance you’ve at least been thinking about it. Maybe you’ve had a big-ticket gift—like a new TV or home theater—in mind for a while now, but are putting off the purchase till November or December. If it’s sales you’re waiting for, you probably know what you want and how much you’re willing to pay. On the other hand, you might just a teeny bit leery of throwing so much cash at something you know very little about. Which is better: a plasma or LCD TV? Should you upgrade to a Blu-ray player or stick with standard-def DVDs?

If you find yourself in need of expert advice, consider the newest edition of the Consumer Reports Electronics Buying Guide. Inside you’ll find a wealth of information on everything from televisions and computers to smart phones, GPS units, and much more. For each product, the Consumer Reports editors walk you through the basics, explaining what’s available, which features matter, brand profiles, and offering tried-and-true shopping tips.

In addition to product information, the guide offers advice on how to shop smarter, including:

• Netting the best deals online, and protecting yourself when you shop on the Web


• When to repair and when to replace a broken item


• How to haggle effectively


• Finding the best electronics retailer based on our comprehensive annual survey


• How to save—and what to be wary of—with refurbished or open-box products on store shelves


• Where to get free office software, free computer security programs, and more useful freeware

Samsung adds Blockbuster, Amazon on-demand video services

Samsung Series 7 7000 LED-backlit LCD TV. (Click to enlarge.)
[ PHOTO: Courtesy of Samsung ]

Tired of playing wallflower while other TV brands did the streaming-movie tango, Samsung today hit the dance floor with deals with both Blockbuster and Amazon to bring their respective on-demand movie services to select Samsung TVs, and in the case of Blockbuster, Blu-ray players and home-theater-in-a-box systems (HTIBs).

We've been waiting several months for Blockbuster On Demand, the video giant's streaming movie service, to appear on Samsung TVs, but weren't aware the service would be rolled out to other Internet-enabled devices. The deal with Amazon was also a surprise, as the company offers Netflix's instant-movie service on some Blu-ray players.

The Blockbuster On Demand service, which requires a firmware update, will be available on all Internet-enabled Series 650 and above LCD and plasma TVs, plus Series 7000 and above LCD models with LED backlights. In addition to the TVs, the service can be added to three Samsung Blu-ray players—models BD-P1600, BD-P3600 and BD-P4600—and Samsung’s HT-BD1250, HT-BD3252, HT-BD7200 and HT-BD8200 HTIB systems.

New Blu-ray player Ratings: Lower prices, more features

LG BD390 Blu-ray player. (Click to enlarge.)
[PHOTO: Consumer Reports]

In our largest test of Blu-ray players so far, we found that satisfying picture quality has become almost a given, while features and price vary considerably. You can pay as little as $160 for a recommended model or as much as $500, depending on the capabilities, bells and whistles you’re willing to pay for. Portability commands top dollar. The first portable Blu-ray player we’ve tested, the Panasonic DMP-B15, is priced at $700.

Our latest Blu-ray player Ratings (available to subscribers) include 27 models that have a few features in common. All have BonusView, a picture-in-picture feature that lets you view additional content in a smaller window while a movie is playing, and all can upconvert standard DVDs to quasi-HD resolutions.

Only a handful of the players, mostly priced at $300 and up, have BD-Live, a feature that allows the player to access directors’ commentaries, deleted scenes, games, and more from the movie studio’s servers. Other models are BD-Live-ready. These players, all priced at $200 and up, have the required Ethernet connection, but need additional memory (typically a 1GB USB flash drive, which costs $10 to $15) for the BD-Live feature to work.

Another feature showing up on some of the higher-priced models is the ability to stream movies from online services such as Netflix and Amazon Video On Demand, or receive music streams from Internet radio stations such as Pandora. And more players now have USB ports or SD card slots, so you can play digital photos, music and even videos on your TV. One model, a Panasonic, has a built-in VHS player, a space-saving option for those who still watch tapes. Again, you’re not likely to find these features on the lowest-priced players.

We expect prices to drop over the next several months, especially during November’s Black Friday shopping period. Rumors suggest we’ll see the first $100 model. So keep checking back here for updates. —James K. Willcox

New Ratings: Home-theater-in-a-box (HTIB) systems

This 2.1-channel Samsung Blu-ray HTIB package targets those without room for a full multichannel system. (Click to enlarge.)
[PHOTO: Courtesy of Samsung]

We’ve just posted Home Theater Ratings (available to ConsumerReports.org subscribers) for 15 new home-theater-in-a box systems, which include models without a built-in player, those with an integrated Blu-ray player, and models that have a DVD player. Most are 5.1- or 7.1-channel systems equipped with either five or seven acoustically matched speakers, plus a powered subwoofer. One model, a Samsung, is a 2.1-channel system designed for those who don’t have the room or desire for a full multichannel set-up.

Prices for these systems vary widely—the least expensive system we tested, a 5.1-channel system from RCA, costs $160, and Blu-ray models from both LG and Samsung are priced at $700. And price isn’t the best indicator of performance, we found.

You’ll have to choose carefully when buying a system to get the best combination of sound and video quality. For Blu-ray models, high-definition 1080p picture quality was uniformly excellent when playing Blu-ray discs, and most also did a good job upconverting standard DVDs; upconverted 1080p picture quality, however varied among systems with DVD players. But the biggest differentiator among systems was sound quality, which ranged from very good to disappointing.

More models have features such as an option for adding wireless rear speakers, iPod docks that let you play songs or videos through your entertainment system, and auto-calibration feature that can automatically set appropriate speaker volume levels. Some Blu-ray models are able to stream movies instantly from online services, such as Amazon Video On Demand and Netflix.

You’ll find more detailed information on the systems we rated than in previous tests. We’re already getting some new models in for testing, so check back here soon for information about when those results will be posted. —James K. Willcox

Optoma HD20: A 1080p front projector for $999

Optoma’s new HD20 joins the $999 1080p front-projector club. (Click to enlarge.)
[PHOTO: Optoma]

With its new $999 HD20 front projector, Optoma is the latest manufacturer to offer a 1080p front projector for less than $1,000, the new entry-level price for a "Full HD" projector. Like Vivetek’s new H1080FD model, the HD20 is a DLP model, and based on its specs, is likely using the same DarkChip2 DLP chipset used by that company.

The HD20 will be available at a mix of online and storefront retailers, including Amazon.com, Best Buy, B&H Photo Video, CDW, Fry's Electronics, J&R, Micro Center, Nebraska Furniture Mart, PC Richard, ProjectorPeople.com, and Staples.com, among others.

The HD20 is a small, lightweight projector—at 6.4 pounds, a few ounces heavier than Vivitek's H1080FD model—that has two HDMI inputs, component and composite inputs, plus a VGA port for connecting a computer. The HD20 comes with a backlit remote control and a one-year parts and labor warranty; the lamp is covered for 90 days. —James K. Willcox

Sony, Best Buy team up for new Altus wireless audio line

Sony Altus ALT-SA32PC wireless multiroom speaker system (Click to enlarge)
[ Photo: Sony ]

Hoping to take the complexity out of buying wireless audio products, Sony has teamed up with Best Buy to launch a new Altus line of music systems, speakers and home theater gear based on Sony’s proprietary S-AIR wireless technology.

At a press conference yesterday, executives from both companies also showed a new interactive tabletop kiosk-style in-store display designed to make shopping for wireless audio products easier. Among the Altus products:

• Two iPod docking systems. The multi-room ALT-SA31 ($700) iPod package includes an iPod/iPhone docking station with an AM/FM tuner, two wireless speakers, plus an S-AIR remote control with an LCD that displays music metadata, such as artist and track info. TAIR-SW10i ($400) is a compact iPod docking station with an FM tuner, plus two built-in speakers and a wireless subwoofer.


• Two multi-room PC audio packages. The ALT-SA32PC ($500) system includes a USB PC transmitter, plus two wireless speakers, while the ALT-A33PC ($500) has the same USB transmitter, plus a universal receiver with RCA outputs, so you can wirelessly stream music from your computer to most existing music systems. Both items come with music management software that can access iTunes or Windows Media playlists.

New Ratings: Blu-ray players now on CRO

We’ve just posted our latest high-def Blu-ray Ratings (available to subscribers), and we’re happy to report that almost all the models tested can provide excellent HD and DVD picture quality. In fact, all the models in our Ratings offered excellent high-definition performance, though we did see some differences in how well players handled upconverted film-based programs from standard DVDs.

In addition to models from familiar brands, such as LG, Panasonic, Samsung, and Sony (whose products we’ve previously reviewed), our latest Ratings include the first Blu-ray players from JVC, Sherwood, and Oppo (pictured), a smaller company whose upconverting DVD players earned strong word-of-mouth among the A/V enthusiast community. Check our Ratings to see how well these newcomers did compared to second- and third-generation models from other brands.

With satisfying HD picture quality now almost a given, it’s primarily features that differentiate one player from another. For example, while almost all the new models in our Ratings are BD-Live (or BD-Live-ready) players—meaning they can connect to the Internet to access extra content, such as outtakes, additional directors', or actors' commentaries, or even video games, from a movie studio’s servers—some older models lack this feature. All the players in our test have BonusView, a picture-in-picture feature that lets you view additional content in a smaller window while the movie is playing.

In the CR test labs: New HTIB systems

Panasonic’s SC-BT300 7.1-channel HTIB has an integrated Blu-ray drive, an iPod dock, and access to its Viera Cast online service. (Click to enlarge.) [Photo courtesy of Panasonic]

With their relatively simple set-up and all-inclusive designs, home-theater-in-a-box (HTIB) systems have a lot to recommend them. Many now include integrated Blu-ray drives, although systems with standard DVD players remain popular. Most HTIBs are now either 5.1- or 7.1-channel systems that come with either five or seven sonically matched speakers, plus a powered subwoofer. As an added convenience, some models include—or have an option for adding—wireless rear speakers, and many have iPod docks that let you play songs or videos through your entertainment system.

Prices for these systems can vary wildly, from very basic DVD units that start under $100, to powerful 7.1-channel Blu-ray models with lots of bells and whistles and prices that can hit $800 or more. Another option: systems that don’t include a disc drive, but which have all the connections needed for you to use a current DVD player now, then add a Blu-ray player at a later date. All DVD models in our tests play DVDs and CDs, and all models with Blu-ray players can play Blu-ray discs, DVDs, and CDs.

We’re now in the midst of testing more than a dozen new models, including some with Blu-ray drives, some with DVD drives, and several that don’t have any disc player at all. Here’s a list of the HTIB systems currently being tested in our labs:

Blu-ray models

LG LHB953: A 5.1-channel BD-Live Blu-ray system with LG’s NetCast Internet service for access to streaming Netflix instant movies and Pandora’s Internet radio service. It can decode Dolby TrueHD lossless audio, and has an iPod dock.

Sony unveils Blu-ray 400-disc changers

One of Sony's new megachangers holds a combination of up to 400 Blu-ray, DVD, or audio discs. [Image courtesy of Sony]

There’s lots of online buzz about Sony’s announcement yesterday of two Blu-ray megachangers that can hold 400 discs, including Blu-ray and DVD discs and audio CDs. The supercharged BDP-CX7000ES, which lists at a lofty $1,900, is already in stock at SonyStyle.com, while the more modestly featured BDP-CX960, $800, is set to arrive this fall. A high-end single-disc player, which includes features such as built-in Wi-Fi, is on the way for delivery in August at $700.

We’re putting the finishing touches on new Ratings of single-disc Blu-ray players, including the Sony BDP-S360, which lists at $250 in Sony’s Web store. Most of the models sell for $200 to $400, pricing that might make Blu-ray players more appealing to more buyers. Check back next week for full Ratings (available to subscribers) of this and a dozen or so other Blu-ray players. We'll be buying and testing the BDP-CX960 when it hits the market. -- Eileen McCooey