What It Can Do

Play HD Video
Like it's predecessor, the R3610's handling of HD video is impressive for such an inexpensive machine. I watched plenty of downloaded 1080p video and playback was generally smooth. This is where the AspireRevo really shines.

Casual Gaming
This isn't a system for serious gaming, but for casual gamers that don't need the graphics cranked up to the max, the AspireRevo delivers thanks to the inclusion of NVIDIA Ion. With the settings set at a low but acceptable 1024x768 resolution, I was able to play World of Warcraft with no problems at all. Of course, the game is five years old and designed to be easy on the graphics.

Networking
The AspireRevo features 802.11b/g/Draft-N connectivity, so it does a great job of streaming media. If you need more storage than the 160GB on board, you can easily connect the Revo to a network-attached storage device if you decide to go that route.

Ports, Ports and More Ports
So yeah, six USB 2.0 ports on this thing. It also has HDMI, VGA, a media card reader, eSATA and S/PDIF. Basically, everything you need and then some.

What It Can't Do

Multitasking
The R35610 has a beefier processor this time around (Dual Core Atom 330), but let's not kid ourselves into thinking that this nettop is going to satisfy the hardcore crowd. I experienced some sluggish loading times—especially when multiple programs were running.

Play Blu-ray or DVDs
If you want to play Blu-ray movies or DVDs, it ain't gonna happen without a built-in optical drive. You will have to buy that separately.

TV Tuning
There is no TV tuner or CableCARD on board, so you will need a USB adapter for DVR functionality. Fortunately, you will probably have a free port.

What Needs Tweaking

Internet HD Playback
Until Adobe releases Flash 10.1, which includes support for NVIDIA Ion graphics acceleration, you are going to have to deal with some choppy video from sites like Hulu and YouTube. It's a massively annoying problem, but only a temporary one. I'm impatient, so I went ahead and downloaded the 10.1 beta, which seemed to remedy the situation quite well.

Web Surfing
The AspireRevo R3610 isn't the kind of computer I would rely on for power web surfing. I encountered problems with web pages sticking, choking or freezing altogether. On several occasions, the whole computer seemed to lock up. I could still control my mouse, but there was no response to clicks or commands. Sometimes this issue resolved itself, other times I did a hard reboot out of frustration.

However, things improved after I loaded Flash 10.1 and lessened the load on the GPU by disabling the Windows 7 Aero interface. Browsing seems a bit snappier and I haven't experienced the mysterious lock up issue since, but it's still not perfect. Chrome seemed to run the best when compared to IE and Firefox, but I still experience hiccups. For example, Google Wave is almost unusable on all three browsers (Yes, I actually use Google Wave).

Conclusion

If you are looking for a budget desktop computer, the AspireRevo R3610 will do the job as long as you are not pushing its limits. However, it's best to play to the strengths here and use it as an HTPC. The R3610 is small enough to tuck behind your TV, it handles HD video admirably, and the inclusion of Flash 10.1 will get the most out of NVIDIAs graphics acceleration, thereby overcoming the problems you will experience out of the box with streaming internet video.

The Windows 7 experience is decent, and you will be able to enjoy all of the benefits of Windows Media Center, but you may need to sacrifice graphics features like Aero in order to optimize performance. Still, I would say that the AspireRevo R3610 is a definite "buy" for anyone looking to get an HTPC on a budget. [Acer]

The subwoofer integration saves you the trouble of making room for an extra component, although how well it kicks out the bass remains to be seen. Still, as much as we can disagree about how much clutter your entertainment center can stand, it's always great to save space when it's possible.

The YHT-S400 also features UniVolume, which is Yamaha's way of keeping audio levels consistent from channel to channel and from program to commercial. The system has three HDMI inputs, is compatible with Yamaha's iPod and Bluetooth receiver, and is on sale now for $599.95.

YAMAHA'S INNOVATIVE TWO-PIECE HOME THEATER PACKAGE
COMBINES HD AUDIO AND SUBWOOFER-INTEGRATED RECEIVER

YHT-S400 Offers Several Installation Options with Ultra-Slim ‘Sound Bar,' Exclusive AIR SURROUND XTREME, UniVolume and Extended Stereo for Immersive Audio

BUENA PARK, Calif.––Yamaha Electronics Corporation, the innovator in home theater and digital audio and video reproduction, today introduces its innovative YHT-S400 two-piece home theater audio package. The system, which consists of an ultra-slim "sound bar" front speaker and a first-of-its-kind subwoofer-integrated receiver, provides HD Audio compatibility, three 1080p-compatible HDMI inputs (and one output), the company's exclusive AIR SURROUND XTREME, UniVolume and Extended Stereo technologies for immersive audio for movies, sports and music experiences.

The YHT-S400's sound bar stands at 2-inches high and fits in front of most 32 to 50-inch TVs without blocking the screen. In addition, the feet of the sound bar can be adjusted horizontally or vertically, or taken off entirely, for additional installation flexibility. By integrating the system's subwoofer into the receiver, Yamaha is able to offer users an easy connection to a full-featured receiver without adding a separate component and the ability to place the unit in a rack or on the floor in tight spaces.

For optimal sound quality, the YHT-S400 accepts HD Audio signals (linear PCM transmission) from Blu-ray disc players. Three 1080-compatible HDMI inputs enable three different HDMI sources to be connected to the receiver.

Yamaha's UniVolume feature maintains a consistent volume level between different channel, programs, commercials and input sources. For instance, when watching TV, the volume of commercials will not be louder than the program being viewed. The same is true when switching sources to watch a DVD or Blu-ray movie or to listen to music on CD. This is particularly helpful for late night watching and listening when spikes in volume can disturb others in the house or apartment building.

Yamaha's proprietary AIR SURROUND XTREME technology better delivers sound around the listener than other "virtual surround" systems. Dialogue is clearly heard from the center while ambient audio from on-screen action is clearly heard from the right, left and behind the viewer with smooth sound movement from position to position. AIR SURROUND XTREME can also deliver surround sound from 7-channel sources. Yamaha's exclusive Head Related Transfer Function (HRTF) maintains the dynamic virtual surround sound regardless of the viewers' positioning or direction they are facing.

Yamaha's proprietary Extended Stereo technology moves the stereo image further to the sides. With it, audio from the 31 ½-inch sound bar sounds as if it is emanating from speakers that are five feet or more apart, resulting in a wider optimum sound field.

The YHT-S400 also has HDMI CEC functionality that allows the unit to automatically power on with CEC-compatible TVs. In this scenario, the TV remote can also control the YHT-S400's volume. CEC-compatibility also provides advanced functions with other components.

The YHT-S400 also supports Yamaha's YDS-11 universal iPod dock and YBA-10 Bluetooth wireless audio receiver to stream A2DP audio from Bluetooth-enabled mobile phones, PCs and Macs.

The YHT-S400 is currently available for MSRP $599.95.

If XpanD, the company behind the 3D glasses for Avatar is anything to go by, the price of fancy shutter glasses will start at around $70 a pair, and top out at around $150. XpanD claims that two pairs of their glasses will be bundled with 3D sets from Panasonic, LG, Sony and Vizio due out next year. The additional costs kick in when you need to buy extra pairs.

The mock up above is just a glimpse of what XpanD has planned, but rest assured, you will probably look like an idiot until technologies that don't require glasses come into their own. [DVICE]

Basically, PlayonHD Mini is a smaller version of A.C. Ryan's original HD media player, but it doesn't sacrifice much other than an internal drive bay and a card reader. It doesn't seem like a bad deal overall, unless you compare it to a full-featured HTPC. [A.C. Ryan and Engadget]

Features Include:

* 4.3 inch touch-color LCD display with a resolution of 480 x 272
* ARM9 processor
* 1GB flash
* 256MB SDRAM
* Built-in speaker and microphone
* 3-axis motion sensor
* Ambient light sensor
* Capacitive buttons
* Windows Embedded CE 6.0 R2
* Microsoft Media Center support
* Support for 100 devices
* Activity and learning function
* Rechargeable 3760 mAh battery
* Firmware upgrade and rechargeable from mini-USB
* 802.11 b/g Wi-Fi
* Z-Wave
* Photo Sync from live.com

No word on pricing yet, but I'm sure it's not going to be cheap. Kind of absurd really, when you consider that a smarpthone and a standard remote can handle much of this functionality (not to mention an inexpensive HTPC). [SIlver PAC via Krunker]

Odd commercial aside, this tiny gadget looks gorgeous and even has an Intel GMA X4500 graphic chipset underneath its LED-covered design. If size, instead of things like HDMI and wireless-support, is the major decision factor for you, the Ripple Look definitely looks like it could be a nice alternative to a Mac Mini. [Dvice via Technabob]

The TH-BA3 system is a 280 watt 5.1 home theater that doesn't let any wires get in the way. The sound bar has a built in power-amplifier, one analog and two optical digital inputs and decodes Dolby Digital, DTS, and Dolby ProLogic II surround signals. Also new today is the 180 watt TH-BS7, a 4.1 channel system whose centerpiece is mountable sound bar that's a scant 1.4" tall by 1.2" deep, with a wee 6" wireless subwoofer to match.

The Yamaha YSP series is still our pick for best-in-class because of its sonar-like sound steering, but these two JVC systems do tickle our fancy. Both systems will be available this month, which I hope anyone with my Christmas list in hand picks up on. The TH-BA3 runs $550 while the TH-BS7 will set you back $600.

JVC LAUNCHES DUAL WIRELESS AND SUPER-SLIM SOUNDBAR SYSTEMS

New TH-BA3 includes wireless rear speakers; TH-BS7 features a slender soundbar and slim, wall-mountable amplifier.

WAYNE, NJ, December 14, 2009 - JVC today introduced a pair of soundbar home theater systems, offering consumers a home theater sound solution to meet a range of budgets and needs. Among the two new systems is the world's first dual wireless soundbar system that features a wireless subwoofer and wireless surround speakers. The other is highlighted by a super-slim soundbar and a thin, wall-mountable amplifier.

JVC's new dual wireless soundbar system is the TH-BA3, a 280-watt, 5.1-channel surround sound system that includes a sound bar, wireless subwoofer and wireless rear speaker kit comprised of wireless left and right surround speakers and a wireless receiver. The sound bar contains four speakers - one each for the left and right main channels and two for the center channel. Also built into the sound bar is the power amplifier, surround decoding, system controls and the transmitter for the wireless surround speakers. It offers one analog and two optical digital inputs and decodes Dolby Digital, DTS and Dolby ProLogic II surround signals.

The new JVC TH-BS7 system is designed to match the slimmest of flat panel HDTVs. It includes a sliver of a soundbar that measures just 1.4 inches (36mm) tall, an even slimmer wall-mountable amplifier/control unit and a wireless subwoofer.

The 180-watt, 4.1-channel TH-BS7 owes its slim design to JVC's own Direct Drive speaker technology that uses a unique voice coil design and strong neodymium magnets to deliver outstanding sound quality and a broad soundfield from a super-slim speaker. The design allows the TH-BS7's soundbar to boast a frequency range of 200 - 20,000 Hz that falls to just 200 - 10,000 Hz at 360 degrees off-axis. The soundbar features four JVC Direct Drive speakers - left and right main channels and left and right surround channels - each driven by 20 watts. The two surround channels are processed using JVC's Front Surround technology to provide a surround sound effect without the need for rear speakers.

Complementing the slim design of the soundbar is the system's amplifier/control unit. It measures just 1.2 inches deep and can be wall mounted. It decodes Dolby Digital, DTS and Dolby Pro Logic II, and offers one analog and three optical digital inputs. The system's wireless subwoofer features a six-inch woofer powered by a 100-watt amplifier.

[JVC]

Energy RC-Micro 5.1

Energy is big on small speakers. Their RC-Micro 5.1 system ($600) includes four satellite speakers that stand a mere 4.7 inches tall, and the center speaker isn't a whole lot bigger. The wee 240-watt, 8-inch subwoofer is a seriously gutsy performer. The big catch with most little systems is they crush wham-bam dynamics, and their bass either booms or runs out of gas. No problem here, the RC-Micro 5.1 belts out bombast like a larger system. It's simply one of the most refined sounding micro systems I've heard to date.

Mirage Nanosat 5.1 Home Theater

The Mirage Nanosat 5.1 Home Theater ($600) sounds unlike any box-type satellite system on the planet. Conventional speakers project sound forward, the Nanosat speakers produce a ratio of 30 percent direct and 70 percent reflected sound. The direct sound heads straight to the listeners, while the other 70 percent bounces off the room's walls and ceiling before finally reaching the listeners. With the room lights turned off, the Mirage satellite speakers can literally disappear as sources of sound. The system comes with five identical satellite speakers and a rather potent mini-subwoofer.

Definitive Technology ProCinema 600

Definitive Technology is a high-end speaker company, but it is one that has learned how to sell its products for a lot less than high-end prices. Take the ProCinema 600 six-piece satellite-subwoofer system ($800). Clever engineering solutions make for an exceptional package. For example, the system's injection-molded mineral-filled polymer speaker cabinets have more of a high-end feel than more typical plastic or fiberboard cabinets. The 250-watt, 8-inch subwoofer has a second 8-inch "infrasonic radiator," in order to produce extraordinary deep-bass slam. The ProCinema 600's resolution of fine detail, razor-sharp imaging, and dynamic kick are the stuff that make high-end worth it. Listen and you'll see.

For more details and full reviews of these three amazing systems, head over to The Audiophiliac.

Steve Guttenberg's CNet blog, The Audiophiliac covers high and low-end audio and everything in between. He's been reviewing audio components for 14 years. He has never ever heard anyone make a Police Academy or Short Circuit joke about his name. Ever.

Well, for starters there's the a fiber-optic starscape ceiling that shows comets appearing every minute or so. Then there's the two Sony megachangers that accommodate 800 DVDs, THX speakers, a ten foot diagonal circuit screen, and oh, before I forget, a motion sensor that opens the custom air pocket doors. All that, and an interior that looks like it was imported directly from the set.

Congratulations, Jacob Yarmuth. I'm just glad you're not this into Fear Factor.

[Electronichouse via Newlaunches]

I say that because HTPCs have never been smaller, cheaper or more powerful. A little over two years ago, we were talking about how purchasing an HD-capable PC would leave you with an empty bank account. Take this Sony Vaio TP1 for example. The wheel of cheese design was considered compact and "living room friendly" at the time, but it is still probably twice as big as current nettop models. The specs are lacking even by 2007 standards and it started at $1600. Today I can easily go out and find a more powerful, feature rich nettop for less than $400. And it would be small enough to tuck behind your HDTV due, in part, to cheap, compact, graphics-friendly chipsets like Nvidia Ion.

Today's Most Affordable HTPCs

Seriously...HTPCs for less than $400. Sure, you could spend a lot of cash on something more elaborate, and will have to if you want to access your own digital cable stream, or if you want to go with Blu-ray as your high-def source of choice, but if you simply want a compact 1080p device that competently opens up the entire internet to your HDTV, here is a good place to start:

• Dell Zino HD: The cheapest of the bunch at a base price of $230, the Dell Zino HD offers a range of AMD Athlon processor options, up to a 1TB HDD, up to 8GB of RAM and a choice between integrated graphics and an ATI Radeon HD 4330 512MB card. Plus you get HDMI, four USB ports, and two eSATA for easy expansion. Even with a few bells and whistles like a dual-core processor, a bump in RAM to 4GB or a boost in the HDD capacity, you can keep the Zino under $400. Adding a Blu-ray drive bumps the price up an additional $100. [Dell]

• Acer AspireRevo R6310: Features include a dual-core 1.6GHz Atom 330 processor, Nvidia Ion graphics, 2GB RAM, 160GB HDD, HDMI, eSATA, VGA, 6 USB ports, card reader and wireless-N in a $330 package. They even throw in a wireless keyboard and mouse for good measure. I have spent some time with the AspireRevo, and I can say that it is a very capable HTPC for the money. Power web surfing can be sluggish at times, as is Flash playback—but Adobe has promised support for NVIDIA graphics acceleration in Flash 10.1 that should remedy that situation. All-in-all though, it handles video quite well. It does not include optical drive option, meaning you will have to purchase a Blu-ray player seperately. [Acer]

• Asus EeeBox EB1012: A release date and price have not officially been confirmed, but the EeeBox EB1012 offers basically the exact same feature set as the AspireRevo—minus a USB port or two. Hopefully, when it is released, the price point will be even more aggressive than Acer's. It does not include optical drive option, meaning you will have to purchase a Blu-ray player separately. [Asus]

As a side note, if you are interested in using a CableCard tuner to turn your PC into a cable DVR, that has become a lot easier for the average Joe. However, programs like Comcast's upcoming Xfinity (formerly known as TV Everywhere) might easily bridge this gap by putting your current cable subscription online. Check out my article on living without cable or satellite to learn more about what programming and software is available to you online.

Remotes

None of the HTPCs mentioned above come with a remote control out of the box, but this can be easily and cheaply remedied. Most infrared remotes require only that you have a free USB port for the included adapter, so just about any PC with Windows Media Center can be converted to work with a remote.

If you are just looking for something basic, a remote like the MCE PC will do the job just fine—and it costs under $20. If you have an iPhone, you can also download apps like AirMouse (iTunes link) and MediaMote (iTunes link) to handle these tasks. Gmote is also available for those of you with Android phones.

Networking

Keep in mind that if your modem is far from your computer, and you'll be relying on Wi-Fi to connect to the internet and move files between computers, you are probably going to want something capable of handling wireless-N (802.11n). Fortunately, all of the PCs mentioned above can do that right out of the box—although the Dell Zino requires a $45 upgrade for that option.

If you want to upgrade an older PC to handle wireless-N, all you need is a compatible router and a USB adapter. Decent wireless-N routers will run you about $60 on the lower end, and compatible USB adapters can be had for an additional $30 or $40 bucks. If you just plan on connecting to the internet and you live in a smaller home or apartment, you should be fine with 802.11g.

Networked Storage

Although not an essential component to owning an HTPC, at some point you are probably going to want a networked storage solution so you can dump all of your files in one place. Traditionally, setting up a home server to centrally store files from multiple computers (and multiple platforms, potentially) required another major investment, but things have definitely improved in this area. For example, HP's LX195 Windows Home Server with a 640GB drive can be had for $250, and it performs quite well for the price. The same can be said for the Iomega Ix2-200 NAS. It runs on Iomega's proprietary software as opposed to Windows Home Server, but for the money, it has a killer feature set that makes it a pretty awesome deal. Capacity runs up to 4TB, but the base delivers 1TB at $270 and it is user-expandable.

Even if you want to bake your own NAS server there is open-source software like FreeNAS that can help to keep the costs down. Maximum PC has provided a great guide to building a NAS server using these free open source tools. If you have the hardware lying around, it's not going to cost a penny. Either way, building from scratch can be fairly inexpensive depending on how much storage space you need.

Avoid Expensive Set-Top Boxes

Amusingly enough, as I was writing this article, my father called to ask me about the Roku player his IT guy was raving about. Yes, Roku's three models are priced between $80 and $130, a figure even the cheapest HTPCs can't match, but the fact that they are still limited to Netflix and Amazon On Demand makes them less valuable. Would you say that Netflix and Amazon VOD are worth $130 of the AspireRevo's $330 price tag? I should hope not.

There are certainly good reasons to pick up a $100 HD media streamer, like the Asus O!Play, if you're aware of the limitations, but what's the excuse for Apple TV and others like it? Apple's set-top box costs $229. I have iTunes on my HTPC...so where is the value? Throw an HDMI port on a Mac Mini and then we'll talk. The $300 Popcorn Hour player may play a ton of file formats and have an integrated BitTorrent client, but you have to pay extra to add a hard drive, and by the time you do, you're squarely in HTPC territory.

To me, spending a little more actually saves money, because I don't need to buy so many competing boxes. It's like going to the grocery store and choosing between the regular-sized bag of coffee and the jumbo bag of coffee. The smaller bag costs lest money, but buying in bulk is cheaper pound for pound—and you know I will be drinking all of that coffee.

HTPCs Are Resilient

Forget about netbooks and elaborate set-top media boxes this holiday season. If your budget is anywhere over $300, go with an HTPC. Set-top boxes will always hold you to whatever content deals their makers can set in place (or whatever you can go through the trouble of hacking or modding in, yourself). And I'm not interested in netbooks until they handle HD well enough to be used as a portable HTPC.

It's only a matter of time before everyone watches TV through the internet, so you had better get on the bandwagon while cable companies are still scrambling to figure out how best to screw you. No matter how weird it gets, at least with a PC you know you'll be able to roll with it.

There are some decent offerings in there, including a 40-inch Samsung 1080p LCD for $609 and a Panasonic 50-inch 1080p plasma for $1095 (Buy.com). Check out HDGuru for all of the details—and you had better hurry. There was another 50-inch 1080p plasma from Panasonic going for a ridiculous $711 on the list, but that deal seems to already have expired. [HDGuru]

When the police arrived, the man, identified as Jerome Charles Eberle, ran through the store while swinging the hammer at the officers. Eventually, they brought him down with a Taser. Eberle claims that he only remembers parts of the incident inside Target, and he is currently undergoing a mental health evaluation. And you thought retail Frankenstein attacks would only happen on Black Friday. [MyFox9 via Fark Image via Flickr]

According to the list, if you are looking for a 1080p HDTV over 40-inches, you definitely have some options: like a 42-inch Panasonic VIERA plasma for $712 (with coupon code and price protection adjustment, see list for details) and a 50-inch Panasonic plasma for $1096 (Buy.com, after the jump). Not only the list save you time, it will help you avoid wasting money on a bad deal. In fact, HD Guru confided in us that "most of the other so called sales are BS." That's not really surprising when you consider that the same could be said for Black Friday deals. [HD Guru]

Actually, I'm not sure if this flowchart makes anything easier. In the end it might just make fun of you and bring you back to square one. Still, there is some useful information in there if you are willing to go on the journey.

Make sure to click on the image to see the full size chart. [Gliffy]

In case you forgot, Sezmi plans to roll up live broadcast and cable TV along with web videos, on demand-movies and DVR functionality in a single, easy to navigate set-top box. Needless to say, this is a tall order, and most of us probably relegated Sezmi to the vaporware bin. However, trials of the product have begun in LA and a $25 million cash infusion from investors has given the project new life. In fact, it seems that Sezmi spent the last year working out deals with the likes of Sony Pictures, MGM Studios, Paramount Studios, Warner Brothers, Lion's Gate Entertainment and Universal Studios for on demand streaming, and ABC, CBS, CW, FOX, NBC, Turner, MTV Networks Discovery Channel, Telemundo and Univision for TV content.

Sezmi plans to offer a tiered pricing plan that starts with Sezmi Select, the entry tier, which will offer all local channels (in SD and HD) as well as access to on-demand content for $4.99 per month. Sezmi Supreme will include cable and local channels for $24.99 per month.

If you are interested in participating in the trial, you can apply for the LA pilot here. If you are lucky enough to get in, the equipment and the service will be free of charge for three months, after which you will be offered a discounted price on the DVR and tuners which normally runs $300. [Sezmi via Variety and Zats]

Cell Phones
Verizon Samsung SCH-u350 Prepaid Cell Phone - $9.99 *

Computers
Buy a HP Mini 1020 or 1030 Netbook, Get 1 Neoprene Sleeve and Microsoft Wireless 3000 Mouse Free - $0.00 *
HP Mini 1020 Netbook - 10.1", Windows XP, 160GB HDD - $299.99 *

Digital Cameras
Kodak EasyShare Digital Camera Bundle (M340) - $99.99 *
Vivitar V8025 Digital Camera - 8.1MP, 8x Zoom - $49.99 *

Digital Media Cards
Dane-Elec 4GB Micro SD Memory Card with 3-in-1 Reader - $8.99 *

DVD Players
GFM Progressive Scan DVD Player - $19.99 *
GPX 10.2" Portable DVD Player - $99.99 *
Sylvania Blu-ray Disc Player - $89.00 *

Electronics
Deluxe V-Rocker SE Wireless Video Rocker - $49.99 *
iLive Home Dock for iPod - $19.99 *
Meijer PowerCell Pack Batteries (AA/AAA 12-pk, C/D 6-pk, 9V 3-pk) - $3.99 *
Sony Fashion Earbuds - $4.99 *
Sungale 7" Digital Frame - $29.99 *

GPS Navigation Systems
Magellian RoadMate 1440 GPS - $119.99 *

Hard Drives
Seagate 1TB Desktop Hard Drive - $79.00 *

Timex Watches - 35% Off *

Kitchen & Housewares
Magic Bullet Express Blender - $34.99 *
T-Fail Performance Stainless Steel Copper Bottom Cookware Set 10-pc. (After Rebate) - $79.99 *

Miscellaneous
One General Merchandise Item 15% OFF with Coupon, Excludes Doorbusters, Good only on 11/27 5AM to Noon, Exclusions Apply - $0.00 *

Movies
Blu-ray Movies - Over 24 Title to Choose From - (Live Free or Die Hard, Die Another Day, Speed and more) - $9.00 *
DVD Movies - 13 Titles to Choose From (Marly and Me, Mall Cop, Coraline, Fast & Furious and more) - $8.00 *
DVD Movies - Over 50 Titles to Choose From (Meet the Fockers, Friday Night Lights, Underworld, Leatherheads and more) - $3.00 *

MP3 Players
Apple iPod touch 8GB w/ $50 Meijer Coupon - $199.00 *

Networking & Wireless
D-Link Wireless N Router - $19.99 *

Portable USB Storage
SanDisk USB Flash Drive - 4GB - $9.00 *
SanDisk USB Flash Drive - 8GB - $14.00 *

Sports & Fitness
Koolaroo 8 Pc. Kids' 5x3 Tent Combo - $19.99 *
Lake & Train 2.5lb. Ontario Sleeping Bag - $9.99 *
Top Flite XL5000 Super Long Super Straight and Super Soft 15 Pack Golf Balls - $8.50

Television
Sylvania 19" Class LCD HDTV - $129.99 *
Sylvania 42" 1080p LCD HDTV - $499.99 *

Tools & Hardware
Stanley 8 Gallon Stainless Steel Shop Vac with Accessories - $39.99 *
Stanley Squidbrite Flexible Work Light - $19.99 *

Toys
Action Figures - Ben 10, Bakugan, G.I. Joe, Star Wars or Transformers Action Figures - $5.50 *
Arsenal X 6mm 2 Pistol Kit or Full Auto Electric Kit - $14.99 *
Barbie and Disney Princess Dolls (Various) - $5.50 *
Board Games (Various Titles) - $6.00 *
Disney Storybooks - 8 Titles to Choose From - $6.00 *
ESPN 6-in-1 Game Center - $29.99 *
Fisher-Price Laugh & Learn Puppy, Purse, Tools, Cookie Jar, Piggy Bank, Tea Pot, CD Player or Counting Phone - $9.99 *
Leap Frog Learning Toys - $14.99 *
Lego - B2G1 *
Littlest Pet Shop Pairs or Postcard Pets - $3.00 *
Mongoose 20" Boys' Streak Bike or 20" Girls' Ethereal Bike - $49.99 *
Single Pack Hot Wheels or Matchbox Basic Cars, Monster Jam Vehicles or Disney Cars - B1G1 *

Video Games
All Video Games Priced $19.99 or Less - 50% Off *
Buy Any Xbox 360 Game System or Bundle, Get Grand Theft Auto IV and Halo 3 FREE - $0.00 *
Buy a PS3 120GB Slim Console, Get 2 Buy-ray Movies and 2 Video Games (Exclusions Apply) - $0.00 *
Nintendo DSi Video Game System w/ FREE $30 Meijer Coupon Good For Your Next Purchase - $169.99 *
Nintendo Wii Console w/ $50 OFF Your Next Meijer Purchase Coupon - $199.99 * [Black Friday]

They have also significantly upped the price to $18,700—and that's just for the TV, stand and center speaker. Of course, just because you can afford a TV like this doesn't mean you should. Consider the following blurb from the press release:

BeoVision 7-55 integrates the sophisticated Bang & Olufsen BeoSystem 3 video engine, which delivers superior signal processing due to the VisionClear package of picture improvement technologies. In addition, Bang & Olufsen has included double frame rate technology, also known as 120 Hz, with motion compensation and progressive scanning backlight. These technologies significantly reduce the inherent blur typical of LCD screens. With BeoVision 7-55 the picture is clear and sharp even during fast-moving scene

Just the other day we were considering the issue of motion blur in LCDs and how the problem has been all but eliminated in most mid to high end sets. Who knows how much they tacked on to the price tag by exaggerating the importance of technology that probably doesn't do any better than an LCD you bought for a fraction of the price. I mean it's a good looking piece of equipment, but it's not worth all that money just because it looks cool and it was made in Denmark. [Bang & Olufsen via PR Newswire]

In other words, bumping up the refresh rates beyond 60 Hz may have eliminated the problem of motion blur, but some complain that the activation of the ME/MC circuit that kicks in when LCD sets achieve these high refresh rates desegregates the picture. As the video put together by HDGuru illustrates, this is a very real problem.

That having been said, LCD buyers have a few options. Most sets offer an option to turn off ME/MC, although that will result in lower motion resolution. You could also opt for a plasma set that doesn't suffer from this issue. It also reinforces a point I made with yesterday's article—you don't need to spend extra money on a LCD just because it advertises 240Hz. You probably won't see any additional benefit with that set than you would with one that tops out at 120 Hz. Check out HDGuru for the full details and results of the test. [HDGuru]