YONKERS, NY — The Annual Consumer Reports Electronics Issue hits newsstands this month with a record number of product reviews – 448 models total – just in time for the holiday shopping season.  No matter what electronic gadget consumers are looking for they will be sure to find quality products at unusually low prices as retailers and manufacturers try to entice purchasing in this tough economy.

“This season it’s all about value in electronics,” said senior electronics editor at Consumer Reports, Paul Reynolds. “Our tests have shown that electronics are pulling their weight and then some.  There are iPods with cameras, TVs connected to the Internet and Blu-Ray players that make the viewer feel like they are in the theater.  This new issue gives readers a guide to some of the hottest products and top-performers in our tests, just in time for the holiday shopping season.”

Consumer Reports December issue includes Ratings of 448 electronics products including LCD and plasma TVs, Blu-ray players, home-theater systems, laptops and desktops, printers, headphones, point-and-shoot cameras, SLR cameras and lenses, and new portable music players. Highlights from the issue are listed below. For more information log onto www.ConsumerReports.org. 

LCD & Plasma TVs: Stellar Sets at Bargain Prices

This shopping season consumers will be enticed by high-definition TVs as prices continue to head downward. Out of the 86 models tested, 42 sets offer excellent HD picture quality.  Consumer Reports marked 17 models as CR Best Buys for not only being a bargain, but also a quality investment.  There are great options for LCDs and plasmas such as the 46-inch LCD JVC LT-46J300, $1,000 a CR Best Buy, with excellent high definition or the recommended plasma, Panasonic Viera TC-P42X1, $700, with strong definition and ease of use. 

The amount of features continue to grow with most sets including 1080p resolution on LCD and plasma TVs, more access to selected online entertainment, wireless connections and iPod docks, USB ports, and memory card slots.  Performance is improving as LCD manufacturers address previous display issues by increasing the frame rate to 120Hz or 240Hz. A few Samsung and Sony TV sets Consumer Reports tested with 240Hz showed virtually no motion blur.  TVs are slimmer and more energy-wise. The thinnest LCD and plasma models sometimes house the TV tuner in a  separate  module.

Energy reduction is most striking with plasmas, which now consume no more energy than most comparably sized LCDs with conventional backlights.

Blu-ray Players: Enjoyment for Less

Any of the Blu-ray players tested by Consumer Reports offer excellent picture quality, and all but three upconvert standard DVDs did well.  New to Blu-ray players is BD-Live-ready, which enables a player to connect to the Internet to access content.  The LG BD390, $330 is recommended as the only tested model with built-in Wi-Fi and BD-Live providing a connection to LG’s NetCast Service to access content.  The CR Best Buy Magnavox NB530MGX, $130, is an excellent lower-priced player, it is a no frills player without BD-Live, but provides excellent picture quality and DVD upconverting.

Computers: Values in all Categories

Computer manufacturers are dropping prices on quite a few desktops and laptops, but shoppers should beware of imposters posing as bargains.  Some computer makers are replacing dual-core processors with single-core Pentium and Celeron processors to reduce cost, others are offering low-priced desktops and laptops that look full powered, but use a far less powerful Atom processor.  But there are still good deals if shoppers refer back to the Consumer Reports ratings. The Dell Studio One 19, $870 desktop, ranked a CR Best Buy, is an all-in-one equipped with a Pentium Dual-Core processor and 256 megabytes of video RAM that performed just as well overall as other all-in-ones costing considerably more.  The recommended 13.3-inch Dell Inspiron 13, $625, one of the least expensive laptops, was rated very good in performance, while the 13.3-inch MSI X-Slim X320-037US, $580, which uses an Atom processor, rated poor in performance and ranked last.

Netbooks are growing in popularity and many are coming equipped with the new Windows 7, the latest version of Microsoft’s operating system. Of the 24 netbooks rated many are suitable as a secondary system for routine tasks, but users will sacrifice some combination of portability, ergonomics, and performance.  Two recommended 10.1-inch models, Toshiba Mini NB205-N210, $350 and Asus Eee PC 1005HA, $320, are best for those on a budget; they offer very good portability and a long battery life.

Additionally, Consumer Reports will be testing more Windows 7 systems as they become available, look for results in the January issue.

Point-and Shoot Cameras: Many Budget-friendly Options

Good values and variety abound in point-and-shoots, whether shoppers are looking for a pocket-sized, simple to use, or versatile model.  Recent testing of 92 cameras found more expensive models with additional features such as more zoom, an output for HDTV, or touch-screen, may not perform as well.  Two Kodak models, rated CR Best Buys, EasyShare C160, $90 and EasyShare M320, $100, show that strong subcompacts do exist for less than $150.  Overall more cameras are getting smarter with face detection found in some Canon, Casio, and Fujifilm models, zoom ranges are increasing, HD video continues to be included more and more, but has yet to impress, and more waterproof models are emerging.

New Music Players: Zune HD versus iPod Nano

The latest Microsoft Zune HD 16GB, $220 or 32GB, $290, is a largely successful redesign but continues to remain Windows-only. It is thinner, more elegant, and more colorful than previous models.  Features include Wi-Fi to access the Internet, ability to download purchases directly to the player, and wirelessly sync the player to a PC. The multitouch screen display was quite responsive, users can zoom in on photos with a simple finger movement and reorients Web pages and photos when tilted.  The Zune HD is the first portable player with a built-in HD Radio, and like the new iPod Nano, it allows users to tag songs they would like to purchase later.

The fifth generation iPod Nano multimedia player, 8GB, $150; 16GB, $180, has useful new features, but is still unable to capture still photos. Video recording capabilities make their debut in this version and after synching with the computer, it is easy to e-mail videos to friends, post on Facebook and YouTube or edit in iMovie.  The video quality is comparable with that of a standard-definition pocket camcorder and fine for casual viewing, but does not compare to a full-sized standard-definition camcorder.  The FM tuner offers Live Pause which allows listeners to hit the pause button during programming and pick-up where they left off or rewind up to 15 minutes or fast-forward to catch up to the live broadcast.

Headphones: Better Sound, Less Noise

Headphones come in various types, shapes, and sizes and provide better sound with less outside noise. Headphones with active noise-canceling are best for limiting interruptions while listening.  They use battery-powered electronic circuitry to reduce unwanted noise picked up by their tiny microphones. The Panasonic RP-HC55, $70, a CR Best Buy, is a good noise canceling set at a low price.  The design of some regular headphones can also block out noise to some extent.  Portable headphones include two CR Best Buys, Sennheiser CX 300, $20, an in-ear model and the Sony MDR-ED21LP, $20, earbuds that provide good sound and are small and lightweight.

The annual electronics issue also features tips on shopping and retailers. For more information on these topics and additional product reviews log onto www.ConsumerReports.org.