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(Credit: Best Buy)

Every year, the Black Friday online circulars hit the Web, and lots of sites round up every Black Friday tech deal under the sun. If you want to see massively long lists with loads of models names that make no sense to you, go over to our friends at ZDNet or Gizmodo. They've done an excellent job compiling everything.

However, if you're trying to sort the real deals from all the crap that's being advertised to lure you into the stores, I've done my best to surface some of the more attractive options out there. The truth is a lot of the so-called deals are already available online from stores like Amazon and others--but a few items do stand out.

Of course, beauty is in the eye of the beholder, and some deals may appear better to you than us, but here's what we've picked so far. If you feel we missed anything, feel free to point it out in the comments section below, and we'll add it to our showcase. Also, noted doorbuster items will only be offered in limited supplies, so get to stores early--or don't bother.

Click on any image below to start the slideshow.

Top 15 Black Friday tech deals

It's episode 59 of the Digital City, and if our cast looks a little different today, your eyes are not playing tricks on you. Joey, Julie, and Scott all called in sick, so we recruited some of our CNET colleagues to step in and offer their holiday shopping advice.

David Katzmaier, John Falcone, and Matt Fitzgerald weigh in on Black Friday tips for big-screen TVs, home theater equipment, and digital cameras, and we go over some of the best and worst laptop deals around.

Also discussed was the high-concept Tony Hawk: Ride skateboard video game, the surprise popularity of Assassin's Creed 2, and Dan showed off his new Forza-3-branded Pumas.

Added bonus: we've got a handful of beta invites for MAG, the massive 256-person PS3 shooter to give away. Ping me on Twitter , or e-mail us at digitalcity@cnet.com, and we'll hook the first five people up.

Related links:
>>Are these Apple's Black Friday laptop deals?
>>Rating Black Friday laptop doorbuster deals
>>Review: the ColcaSac hemp MacBook sleeve
>>Hands on with 15th-century Italy in Assassin's Creed II

>>Watch the Digital City live every Monday at 3pm EST on CNET Live!
>>Subscribe to Digital City on iTunes
>>Join the Digital City Facebook fan page
>>Need more? Follow Dan on Twitter!

The Samsung LNB360 performs well for a cheap HDTV.

(Credit: Sarah Tew/CNET)

To a bargain HDTV shopper, the array of small-screen LCDs must seem inexhaustible and indistinguishable, but among recent models we've reviewed, the Samsung LNB360 stands out with the best picture quality. It's no home theater superstar, mind you, but it managed to beat out the entry-level LCD competition in the important arena of black-level performance.

It does cost a few more bucks than many of its competitors, and it lacks some noteworthy features (like side-panel inputs), but if you're looking for a small LCD that gives "good enough" picture for less, the LNB360 series certainly qualifies.

Read the full review of the Samsung LNB360 series.

Samsung LNB360 series (photos)

Shoppers anticipating the release of the Vizio VF552XVT will have to wait until after the holidays.

(Credit: CNET)

Remember when we crowed about Vizio's upcoming lineup of "Via"-branded TVs, citing a prodigious feature set that includes local dimming LED backlighting, interactive add-ons galore, Wi-Fi connectivity, and a QWERTY-equipped Bluetooth remote (pictured), all for an appropriately Vizio price?

Since then we've received lots of e-mails asking when the Via models would be available, and we dutifully repeated the same question to Vizio's reps. Now it's been answered: the company is officially pushing the Via models back until January 2010.

(Credit: Vizio)

Assuming Vizio can deliver even a passable interactive experience, we expect our eventual review of the "Via" 55-inch VF552XVT to brim with accolades despite the delay. That anticipation is based primarily on our recent review of the excellent VF551XVT (itself a past victim of a too-aggressive Vizio release date announcement). It's basically the same TV, minus the interactive doo-dads, and miraculously its lifespan prior to being replaced by its Web-ready brother has been effectively doubled by the new anticipated release date.

Of course, much like at the contemporaneous NFL playoffs, anything can happen at CES 2010. Vizio's lead in the features standings will face stiff challenge from other HDTV makers' CES announcements, which are sure to be chock-a-block with keywords (Netflix, YouTube, Facebook, Rhapsody) and may even include a QWERTY Bluetooth remote or two. Let the anticipation begin again.

This sub-$300 32-inch LCD features tons of inputs.

(Credit: Best Buy)

Sorry to hit you with TV deals two days in a row, but Wednesday's 26-inch Mag sold out so quickly, it seemed like the right thing to do.

Likewise, Wal-Mart's recent 32-inch HDTV for $298 barely lasted the day, so hopefully this offer will stick around a bit longer.

Best Buy has a Dynex 32-inch LCD HDTV for $299.99. It's a new unit, not a refurb, and you can save around $44 in shipping charges by opting for in-store pickup. (You'll still have to pay sales tax, though.)

Dynex is definitely not a household brand, but based on the 4-stars-out-of-5 review average on Best Buy's site, the DX-L32-10A is a pretty decent TV.

As you might expect, it offers 1,366x768-pixel resolution (720p, which is fine for a set of this size). Less expected: an impressive three HDMI inputs, plus two component, two composite, and one PC. You can plug everything you've got into this baby!

I'm glad to see 32-inch TVs starting to settle into the $300 range. Hopefully the larger models (42- and 46-inchers, for example) will follow suit, as their prices have barely budged in the past year.

Think you'll grab one of these for the den, bedroom, game room, or somewhere else? Or are you holding out for an even better Black Friday deal?

In a troubled economy, companies and consumers are looking for any advantage they can get. So it is that Best Buy is jumping the gun by as much as nine days on Black Friday, announcing that, starting immediately, shoppers can get Black Friday bargain pricing on select products.

The electronics retailer says that the come-hither pricing will be offered on "certain models of flat panel televisions." It will also feature reduced pricing on some home-theater products. The deals are available in-store and online.

"Best Buy is committed to continuing to offer a superior shopping experience this holiday season," Best Buy's vice president of home theater said in a statement. "Customers can be confident that they are getting some of the best prices in the industry, as well as the convenience of being able to shop when and where they want either in store or online."

Unfortunately, the selection of products that Best Buy will be offering at a discounted price isn't all that deep. A handful of Dynex-branded HDTVs will have a lower price starting on Thursday. The company will have Black Friday pricing on some Samsung HDTV models starting on Sunday. Best Buy didn't provide much more information on the models or the products that will be reduced in price ahead of the Friday after Thanksgiving, historically a huge day for shopping--and bargains.

Regardless, it's an interesting strategy on Best Buy's part. As a company that doesn't have a major direct tech competitor in the big-box space, it's in an enviable position. But the reduced pricing might be a response to expected deals from online sites, such as Amazon.com, that consistently beat Best Buy on pricing. Either way, Best Buy didn't say why it has decided to reduce prices on the early side.

But we can still guess. So what do you think? Why has Best Buy decided to reduce pricing so soon? Are the deals likely to make you start shopping sooner? Let us know in the comments below.

See also: Be prepared for Black Friday tech deals

The KDL-L5000 series is surprisingly affordable, for a Sony.

(Credit: Sarah Tew/CNET)

When you compare the various entry-level LCDs in the price range of the Sony KDL-L5000 series, you'll notice a few that cost a bit less. But for a Sony, this set is remarkably affordable, and its design, anchored by a sleek exterior and Sony's typical remote and menu prowess, stands at least a cut or two above that of most HDTVs in its class. Its picture quality also hits most of the right notes, despite a uniformity hiccup and imperfect color accuracy.

Finally, the feature set has a few extras not often found in this price range, including a smattering of power saving modes and that third HDMI input. If you don't mind spending a couple bucks more than you absolutely need, the Sony KDL-L5000 series deserves consideration.

Read the full review of the Sony KDL-L5000 series.

Sony KDL-L5000 series (photos)

Fox's "Family Guy" is one of only a handful of network shows that has yet to make the jump to high-def

(Credit: John P. Falcone/CNET)

When HDTVs first appeared for sale in the late 1990s, they were a doubly bad deal. In addition to being prohibitively expensive, there was also very little high-def programming one could actually watch. Even if you were fortunate enough to have an HD channel or two broadcasting in your area, most of the shows weren't in HD anyway. And--years before Blu-ray--there weren't even any HD home video options, either. Most folks were lucky to see a few hours of high-def per week.

What a difference a decade makes. As we approach 2010, high-def is nearly ubiquitous, at least as far as national networks are concerned--whether you get your TV from an over-the-air antenna, cable/fiber, or satellite. Instead of having to consult enthusiast Web sites like AVS Forum to see which handful of shows are in high-def, it's now easier to list the few shows that are not yet in HD.

To that end, we did a quick survey of the current TV schedule (with a focus on the major broadcast networks). Listed below are the programs that, for whatever reason, have yet to make the jump to high-def:

The Vizio VO320E is one of the least-expensive 32-inch TVs on the market.

(Credit: Sarah Tew/CNET)

Vizio chose to adorn its VO320E 32-inch LCD with claims of environmental consciousness, saying the little set exceeds Energy Star guidelines by 15 percent. But that's not a very high standard, and according to our tests the Vizio, while definitely no power hog, sips just a couple bucks less juice per year than other LCDs in its class. Its true appeal is low price combined with perfectly acceptable picture quality. A couple of flaws might give black level sticklers or dual-use PC/TV aficionados pause, but other bargain hunters should consider this entry-level Vizio among the better LCDs in its class.

Read the full review of the Vizio VO320E.

Vizio VO320E -- photos