Electronics

HDTVs have notoriously bad speakers. That's understandable, if only because there's just not a lot of room for cones and whatnot inside those skinny LCD and plasma panels. It's also disappointing: here you spend all this money for a beautiful screen, and your ears pay the price.

The best way to improve the audio situation is to invest in a surround-sound system or a good set of stereo speakers plus receiver -- but that gets expensive.

A more affordable option: a sound bar, which is a speaker/receiver combo that sits above or below the screen and … Read more

I love a good Bluetooth speaker -- especially when it comes with a kick-ass bonus.

For a limited time, Amazon has the Logitech Wireless Boombox for $109.99 shipped. And with that you get a $50 Amazon MP3 credit.

Update: Amazon is currently sold out of the Wireless Boombox, though it's still available via CircuitCity for the same price -- just without the $50 credit. Bummer!

The Wireless Boombox sports eight speakers for some reasonably powerful portable audio. And by portable I mean it has a rechargeable battery that Logitech says is good for up to six hours.

Although … Read more

DVDs or on-demand movies? Some pundits would have you believe it's one or the other, but you can walk the line and enjoy both. All you need is a Blu-ray player that has apps.

Like this one: While supplies last, Quick Ship Electronics has the refurbished Sony BDP-BX58 Blu-ray player for $64.99 shipped. It's without question the most loaded set-top box I've seen at this price.

How loaded? Well, it's a Blu-ray player for starters. It supports regular and 3D discs, the latter kind of fun if you know where to score 3D movies to watch at home.… Read more

This is an update of a deal I posted last year.

Google TV: doomed product or stealth Apple TV/Roku competitor? Probably the former, given that the set-top box never really caught on, even after Logitech slashed the price from $299 to $99.

And now it's even less. Newegg has the refurbished Logitech Revue With Google TV for $73.99 shipped. That's the lowest price I've seen on this Internet-meets-TV appliance. Doomed? Maybe. Deal? Definitely!

In case you're not familiar with the Revue, it goes above and beyond Apple TV- and Roku-style media streaming by offering … Read more

If you agreed with me a couple days ago when I professed my love for Bluetooth speakers (in favor of their AirPlay counterparts), you might just be thinking about buying one.

Logitech offers some attractive models, and Amazon just made choosing one that much sweeter: when you buy a qualifying Logitech speaker, you'll get a rather substantial Amazon MP3 credit.

For example, the $76.67 Logitech Mini Boombox comes with a $30 Amazon MP3 credit. (You'll see a link to the details under Special Offers and Product Promotions.) So does the $76.24 Logitech Z515 Wireless Speaker.

And … Read more

As a self-employed guy who rarely leaves his basement, let alone his house, I've never had much need for a Slingbox. But, ho, boy, do some people love them. I've heard them discussed with the same kind of gushing admiration usually reserved for TiVos and Kindles.

Curiously, although they've been around for years, prices haven't dropped much. Indeed, Slingbox deals are pretty rare, which is why today's is something of a sellout risk.

Today only, and while supplies last, Best Buy has the Sling Media Slingbox Solo for $99.99 shipped, plus sales tax in … Read more

For anyone interested in accessing awesome services like Netflix and Pandora on their TV, the choice usually boils down to a Roku box or an Apple TV.

If you're voting solely with your wallet, the choice might seem pretty easy: the Roku LT sells for $50, the Apple TV for $100. Ah, but if you really want to compare (sorry) apples to Apples, you need to look at the $80 Roku 2 XD, which matches the Apple TV's 1080p output capabilities.

And guess what: Apple just started selling the refurbished current-generation Apple TV for $85 shipped (plus sales … Read more

Buying an Apple TV or Roku box? A Blu-ray player? A $99 Xbox 360? These and other TV-centric devices have one thing in common: they don't come with the HDMI cables necessary for the optimal connection to your TV.

Shoppers often make the mistake of assuming that whatever the local electronics store charges for an HDMI cable is just the price you have to pay. But although retail prices have come down in recent years, they're still way higher than what you can find online.

For example, Best Buy charges $24.99 for a Dynex 6-foot HDMI cable. … Read more

Once upon a time, I thought Bluetooth was a useless technology that would never catch on.

Turns out it's awesome for one thing: sending audio from your smartphone to a speaker. For instance, my car has a Bluetooth-capable stereo, and I revel in being able to beam podcasts, playlists, and Pandora from my iPhone -- no wires required.

I'm also a huge fan of Bluetooth speakers, which let you bring music just about anywhere -- the den, the bathroom, the garage, the patio -- without a bunch of extra gear.

All you need is your smartphone, tablet, laptop, … Read more