Panasonic has been well regarded as one of the leaders in high quality, affordable Blu-ray players.  Their current lineup of the DMP-BD35K and DMP-BD55K players have been very popular and are regarded by many as the player of choice for those looking to enter the world of Blu-ray.  This past Christmas season these players were in high demand as deals on these players had prices dipping to around $200 and $300 respectively.

Panasonic has announced their 2009 Blu-ray lineup at the Consumer Electronics Show that they will be rolling out the next set of players to take the place of last year’s models.

The replacement to the BD35 will be the BD60 and the replacement to the BD55 will be the BD80 which will offer 7.1 analog out for those without HDMI inputs on their receiver.  Both of these players again promise high quality full 1080p high definition images and exceptional audio, but this year’s models add Panasonic’s VIERA Cast for additional internet capabilities such as access to Amazon’s Video on Deman, YouTube and additional content sites.

Panasonic also announced the BD70V which is an interesting combination of both new and old technology by combining a VHS player in with the Blu-ray player.

These models will be available in early spring.

Are you looking for a way to decorate a new home theater?  Disney posters are a great way to decorate your family home theater. Movie posters are available in a wide variety of styles and are known for their bright colors.  They can be mounted, framed and even backlit for a beautiful and classy addition to your home theater.

If your home theater has a nostalgic look you can consider nostalgic Disney posters from the 1940’s or 50’s such as Pinnochio, Fantasia, Cinderella or Peter Pan.  If you are looking for a more modern feel to celebrate the movies that have been popular with your kids you can consider Disney posters from the Lion King or Pixar movies such as Toy Story, Finding Nemo or Cars.

Take a look at some of the more popular Disney posters.

The Samsung LNxx650 series offers a tremendous value and is a great option for this holiday gift giving season as well as the Super Bowl and at the same time will have you well prepared for the February digital transition.

Amazon.com is usually a fairly good indicator of what is selling well online right now.  The top two selling LCD tvs on Amazon right now are:

1. Samsung LN46A650 46-Inch 1080p 120Hz LCD HDTV with RED Touch of Color
2. Samsung LN52A650 52-Inch 1080p 120Hz LCD HDTV with Red Touch of Color

Both are rated extremely high by Amazon’s customers as the LN46A650 averages 5 stars out of 5 with nearly 500 reviews and the LN52A650 averages 4.5 stars out of 5 in its nearly 500 reviews.While Amazon sales and customer ratings are not the only factors that should be considered when searching for a tv, they do give you an indication of how happy people are with their tv purchases.

If you want to read what customers said about these tvs, feel free to click on the links above to go directly to their page on Amazon.

Are you considering adding a Blu-ray player to your home theater, but are not sure where to begin?  What benefits will you see with a Blu-ray player that you don’t have in your existing DVD player?

Blu-ray is quickly becoming the standard for movie fans.  Blu-ray offers playback of discs at full HD 1080p and up to 5 times the amount of detail.  A Blu-ray will offer an extremely sharp picture and accurate color reproduction.  Another important aspect is the next generation audio support with lossless audio such as Dolby TrueHD and DTS Master Audio that immerses you in the action like never before.

So what are some of the things to look for in your new player?

1.  What profile is your player?  The first generation Blu-ray players were 1.0 and were quickly updated with profile 1.1 or Bonus View which allows for picture in picture and other interactive features.  The current standard is profile 2.0 which allows for internet connectivity for special features that are updated online and other things such as online trailers or things such as merchandise sales.

2.  What audio does your player support.   This area is a bit confusing, but very important.  One of Blu-rays most important benefit is the support of next generation audio such as Dolby TrueHD and DTS Master audio.  There are 2 ways to take advantage of this audio support.

One, your player can stream the audio which means it can pass through the audio codes through HDMI to your receiver and your receiver can then decode it.  Of course you need to make sure you have a recent receiver that is able to decode the next generation audio.

The second option is to get a player that can decode the next generation audio internally and then send it out to your receiver.  This is the option for those who do not have a receiver that can decode the audio.

3.  Can the player effectively upscale dvds?  This will allow you to play a dvd movie in the drive and have it upscaled into HD resolutions.  Keep in mind that a player can only work with the data on the drive so you can’t expect true HD quality however some Blu-ray upscaling capabilities are much better then others due to internal processing capabilities.

4.  Load times.  How fast does the player load the disc?  Blu-ray is currently slower then traditional dvd so you can expect to wait a bit longer after loading your disc before it starts.

5.   Of course the 1080p picture quality is also an extremely important thing to consider as well.  Is the picture sharp?  Are colors lifelike and vivid?

So what are some popular Blu-ray players to consider?  Check out:

1. Sony BDP-S350 1080p Blu-ray Disc Player
2. Sony BDP-S550 1080p Blu-Ray Player
3. Panasonic DMP-BD35K 1080p Blu-Ray Player
4. Panasonic DMP-BD55K 1080p Blu-Ray Player
5. Samsung BD-P1500 1080p Blu-ray Player
6. Pioneer BonusView BDP-51FD Blu-Ray Disc Player
7. PlayStation 3 (The Playstation 3 is not only a popular video game system, but a very good Blu-ray player as well.)

With the holiday season approaching, along with Super Bowl season and the digital transition in February, it is becoming a popular time to be looking for a new flat panel LCD for your family home theater, living room or bedroom.  Despite the tough economic times there will still be a lot of flat panel LCDs sold in the upcoming months.

Samsung flat LCD displays dominate the top 10 flat panel LCD list on Amazon.com with no less then 8 of the top 10 best selling LCDs.  The only other manufacturer to crack the top 10 list is Sony with2 best sellingBravia models.  Samsung flat LCD displays have become a major player in flat panel LCD sales through their stylish “Touch of Color” design, sharp picture with vivid color and attractive price point.

Below is the current list of top 10 best sellers:

1. Samsung LN46A650 46-Inch 1080p 120Hz LCD HDTV with RED Touch of Color

2. Samsung LN52A650 52-Inch 1080p 120Hz LCD HDTV with Red Touch of Color

3. Samsung LN40A550 40-Inch 1080p LCD HDTV

4. Sony Bravia W-Series KDL-52W4100 52-Inch 1080p 120Hz LCD HDTV

5. Samsung LN32A450 32-Inch 720p LCD HDTV

6. Samsung LN40A650 40-Inch 1080p 120Hz LCD HDTV with RED Touch of Color

7. Samsung LN46A550 46-Inch 1080p LCD HDTV

8. Sony Bravia V-Series KDL-52V4100 52-Inch 1080p LCD HDTV

9. Samsung LN19A450 19-Inch 720p LCD HDTV, Black

10. Samsung LN37A550 37-Inch 1080p LCD HDTV

A few brief observations:

-  The larger sizes seem to be the most popular as 5 of the top 10 models are either 46″ or 52″ models.

-  Only one of the models is under 32″

-  Three of the displays are Samsung’s A650 models

-  Three of the displays are Samsung’s A550 models

There are always great deals on electronics at this time of year.  This year retailers very well may combat the tough economic times by slashing prices and offering deals even above what is traditionally done so now is as good of a time as ever to get on board the HD flat panel viewing experience.

Home theaters are becoming increasingly popular.  A home theater can be a dedicated room designed solely for viewing movies in the home or it can be a multimedia room or home entertainment room.  Whatever your preference, if you are ready to be immersed in your viewing in your home theater, you will want to consider a home HD projector for your home theater.

We have added a completely new section on high definition projectors.  You may have thought a home HD projector was not a practical addition to your home theater.  Check out “Is a home HD projector right for me?” to see if it makes sense to consider a high definition projector.

If you decide that you want to add a home theater projector and are not sure where to begin, check out “What to look for in a high definition projector“.

And if you are ready to buy, but are not sure which models are the best check out the 1080p projectors and 720p projectors pages.

Finally there is a section for a Screen for projector to guide you through some of the basics of home HD projector screens.

Comic book and cartoon heroes are certainly a popular choice among movie viewers these days as they make up 3 of the top 5 most popular Blu-ray movies. Throw in a summer blockbuster pre-release of the latest installment of one of the most popular franchises of all time and a tv adaptation sequel to another of the most popular movie franchises of all time and you have a strong list of action movies that the whole family will love.

1. Iron Man (Ultimate 2-Disc Edition) [Blu-ray] – Available for pre-sale with a September 30 release date.

This summer’s popular adaptation of Marvel Comics’ series Iron Man is about billionaire Tony Stark, played by Robert Downey Jr. and his indestructible suit. This movie has pleased both those familiar with the comic book series as well as those new to the series.

2. Transformers (Two-Disc Special Edition) [Blu-ray] – Available for pre-sale with a September 2 release date.

One of the icons of the 80’s was Transformers with an extremely popular Saturday morning cartoon show as well as a broad line of action figures. Two decades later Transformers has been released as a major motion picture and a 2007 summer blockbuster hit.

3 . Terminator – The Sarah Connor Chronicles – The Complete First Season [Blu-ray]

As a huge fan of the Terminator movies (at least the first 2 movies of the series) I anxiously awaited the new TV series adaptation of the movie. I must admit that I kept expectations to a minimum as movie to TV adaptations often times leave much to be desired, but I was pleasantly surprised and hooked to the first season which was only a total of 9 episodes. While there is no Arnold, there is still an interesting storyline involving Sarah and John Conner. If you have not watched the series give it a shot as season 2 is right around the corner.

4. Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull [Blu-ray] – Available for pre-sale with an October 14 release date.

There may be no movie character who is more loved then Indiana Jones. After years of rumors, the 4th movie in the series was released and it naturally was one of this summers blockbuster hits at the theater. Indy again incorporates action, charm and humor in an enjoyable movie, even though in many opinions it was not able to live up to lofty expectations.

5. Batman Begins [Blu-ray]

Surprise, surprise. With the overwhelming success of the Dark Knight there has been a natural interest in the prequel to the Dark Knight. Batman Begins is a great movie about Bruce Wayne and the origins of Batman. This movie had me anxiously awaiting the Dark Knight for the past couple of years.

The more things change, the more they stay the same. Transformers, The Terminator, Indiana Jones, Batman and to a lesser degree Iron Man were all popular culture icons and in the 80’s and remain so 2 decades later.

This week’s most popular Blu-ray movies at Amazon include a mix of pre-releases of summer blockbuster movies of this year as well as special edition release of a

In Part 6 we talked about shipping, specifically shipping costs, delivery times and shipping options. This leads us to the 7th and final consideration in the series on buying an LCD flat screen online.

What about cables, accessories and extended warranties?

Over the years we have gotten used to the sales pitch from the salesman at the local store about the importance of an extended warranty. The extended warranty was often times the salesperson’s opportunity to earn an extra commission. Thankfully when ordering online you don’t have to feel pressured into buying that extra extended warranty. Many times you still have the option to purchase it, but is it worth it?

LCD flat screen’s are much more reliable today than they were in years past. If you feel more comfortable and would like extra piece of mind then go ahead and purchase the extended warranty, however most would agree that it is generally not worth the additional cost.

What about cables? This is another area where brick and mortar stores have strategically placed cable displays in order to get you to buy one along with your new flat screen. While you will definitely need a cable, such as an HDMI cable to connect your LCD to your electronics equipment, you do not need to waste your hard earned dollars on an expensive cable, particularly if you have a short cable run of under 10 feet. You will notice little or no improvement from the expensive cables as compared to the cheap cables that you can find online.

I hope this series has given you some insights on buying online and will help take the fear out of purchasing online. With a little research you can confidently go online, knowing pretty much exactly what you are looking for and be able to find a deal that will safely arrive at your house while saving you hundreds of dollars and avoiding the high pressure sales pitches from salespersons with questionable knowledge. I hope you enjoy the process. I am sure you will enjoy that new LCD flat screen for your home theater.

For a review of some of the best LCD flat panel tvs as well as additional information about home theater check out the Family Home Theater Guide.

In part 5 we talked about the importance of the companies return policy. The next area that we will look at is shipping.

Shipping – There are several things to consider when looking at a companies shipping practices including shipping fees, delivery times, shipping reputation and special delivery services.

As was mentioned in part 3 on price, buying online can save you a considerable amount of money, however be aware of shipping costs. Some companies will turn around and charge you a high cost to ship the LCD while others like Amazon.com offer free shipping so make sure to compare the total cost of the LCD and not just the base cost.

Another consideration is shipping times. Are you ordering the tv for the big game later on that weekend? If so you will want to make sure to order the tv from a retailer that can offer next day or two day shipping options. You will pay more for this service, but sometimes it pays to get the LCD delivered in time. On the other hand if you can be a bit more patient you can go with the standard shipping option and save money. Either way make sure you check the shipping policies to know exactly when the LCD is expected to be delivered.

Thirdly, check out customer reviews of your retailer, especially if you are unfamiliar with the online company. Customers are more then willing to share their experiences about whether the LCD was delivered quickly and just as importantly whether there was any damages during the shipping process.

Many people feel that it is not worth the risk to have an expensive piece of electronics shipped to your door for fear of damage. They feel it is safer to take one home from the local retailer. Keep in mind that there is probably just as much shipping and handling involved when you consider the tv will be shipped from the manufacturer, unloaded at a regional warehouse, shipped to the local store and unloaded and then packed up by the store and taken home by the purchaser. When ordering online the item will oftentimes be shipped right from a regional warehouse. That being said, it is very important to become familiar with the shipping policies and if there is damage during shipping, who is responsible for the return shipping costs?

Lastly, do you need special delivery services? Some companies will offer special white glove delivery service by special shipping companies who will deliver the tv directly into your home and even set it up for you. If that is important to you, make sure the online retailer offers this service, keeping in mind that you will need to pay a premium for the service.

This leads us into the last consideration when buying a LCD flat screen online, which is What about cables, accessories and extended warranties.

For a review of some of the best LCD flat panel tvs as well as additional information about home theater check out the Family Home Theater Guide.

In part 4 we talked about the importance of company reputation when buying a flat screen LCD online. Next we will consider the importance of the Return Policy of the company that you purchase from.

Return Policy – Lets face it, one of the biggest fears of ordering online is what happens if the LCD flat panel is broke when it comes to my door. Or what about if I hook it up and realize that the one review I read online seems to have been way off base because the picture is lousy and not at all what I expected?

They are good questions to ask. It is very important to understand what kind of policies individual retailers have when it comes to returns and exchanges.

Almost any company will allow you to return a product within a limited amount of time if it is damaged, but you need to know how long you have to return the LCD. You also need to know who will pay the return shipping and if there will be any restocking fees assessed to you.

The brick and mortar store has the advantage of allowing you to see try out the new tv in the store in order to make sure you like it, but what happens when you get the LCD home and realize you would prefer another flat screen over the one you chose. A good exchange policy will also help grant you peace of mind when ordering.

The online retailers that excel and inspire trust among their customers have learned the importance of a strong return and exchange policy. The good online retailers have return policies that are as good or better then many of the brick and mortar stores.

One of the biggest reasons for a return is damage during delivery which is especially important in the area of shipping which will be the point of discussion in part 6.

Part 6 – Shipping

For a review of some of the best LCD flat panel tvs as well as additional information about home theater check out the Family Home Theater Guide.