Consumer Reports Annual Electronics Issue Finds Great Values and Strong Performance on Products for the Holiday Shopping Season

Consumer Reports Annual Electronics Issue Finds Great Values and Strong
Performance on Products for the Holiday Shopping Season

More than 400 Product Ratings for LCD & Plasma TVs, Blu-Ray Players,
Computers, Digital & SLR Cameras, Headphones and More

YONKERS, N.Y., Nov. 2 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- 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 BluRay players that make the viewr
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 LCDs 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 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 markers 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 13.1-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 PC1005HA, $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.

DECEMBER 2009
Consumers Union 2009. The material above is intended for legitimate news
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SOURCE Consumer Reports

Melissa Valentino of Consumer Reports, +1-914-378-2432,
mvalentino@consumer.org, or Lisa Bruno, +1-212-714-7907,
lbruno@catalystpublicrelations.com, for Consumer Reports