This $250 Nintendo Wii bundle that includes two popular games is one of the better video game packages available this holiday season. Credit: Nintendo of America Inc.
This week's Digital Savant column, in Tuesday's print edition of the American-Statesman and on MyStatesman.com, is in keeping with my annual tradition of putting together a big holiday tech gift guide. (It's how you can tell that the most wonderful time of the year is approaching if you don't have a calendar.)
This year, I focused on good timing: knowing when the tech gift you’re giving isn’t too ahead-of-the-curve or something that will be obsolete too soon. I took a look at some of the more popular categories of tech this year including HDTVs, smart phones, fitness devices, video-game consoles and more! Here’s an excerpt:
4K/Ultra HD TVs
Speaking of streaming video, 4K TVs, newer sets that operate at higher resolutions than the HDTVs most of us own, have dropped so quickly in price that it's time to consider them if you're TV shopping for the holidays.
There's still a dearth of 4K (also known as "Ultra HD") content; you won't pick up over-the-air broadcasts at that resolution or see few, if any, cable/satellite channels that support it. But 4K TVs can make existing HD content, such as Blu-rays, look even better and some streaming services such as Netflix are starting to offer a few shows such as "House of Cards" and "Breaking Bad" at the higher res.
Some of the Black Friday deals emerging are for 4K TVs from brands such as Samsung's UN55JS7000, a 55-inch Ultra HD set for under $1,000. You'll see lots of knockoff brands deeply discounted, but if you stick to the mainstream brands (Sony, LG, Vizio) you should be fine.
My current dream TV? LG's OLED 4K TVs, out of my price range at $3,000 to $5,000. Maybe next year?
You can read the full column here. Got other ideas on most-wanted holiday tech? post a comment and let me know!
About the Author
