I always had a huge stereo in college, and a big(ish) television. It was pieced together from various deals I got working at Circuit City (the stereo, not the TV), plus various hand-me-downs and swap-meet finds.

It was terrible.

These days, for very little money, college-bound audio and videophiles can get a bevy of awesome products that would have blown my old system away.

Deals 101, after the jump.

TVs

A decent TV is a must, of course.

Toshiba 32C120U 32-Inch 720p 60Hz LCD HDTV Retail $380 Now $239.99 via Amazon direct. Can’t beat small and cheap.

Samsung PN51E490 51-Inch 720p 3D Plasma HDTV $639.83.  While “only” 720p, this 51-inch is 3D-capable.

Panasonic VIERA TC-P50U50 50-Inch 1080p Full HD Plasma TV $699.99 via Amazon direct. Full 1080p at a really good price.

 

Sources

The easiest way to get content on your TV (other than cable) is plugging it in to your computer for more on making your TV smart go here. If your computer doesn’t have an HDMI output (or your TV doesn’t have an RGB input), there are some other options:

Apple TV $94.86 via Amazon direct. It’s got access to iTunes, obviously, but also Netflix, Hulu Plus and more. It even streams music from your computer via iTunes.

The Roku LT Streaming Player (Retail $59.99 Now $50.99 via Amazon direct) has Amazon Instant Video, and is a bit cheaper, but lacks the Apple TV’s simple audio streaming.

PlayStation 3 Retail $249.99 Now $229.99 via Amazon direct. Why not? Blu-ray movies, streaming, games, it does it all.

Panasonic DMP-BDT220 Integrated Wi-Fi 3D Blu-ray DVD Player Retail $149.99 Now $114 via Amazon direct. No games, but it does BD and streaming.

 

Save On The Best Selling HDTVs

Blu-ray Deals

Deals On New 2012 HDTV Models

Audio

Don’t forget about audio. TV speakers suck. All of them.

VIZIO VHT215 Home Theater Sound Bar with Wireless Subwoofer Retail $269.99 Now $259.99 via Amazon direct. It’s small and cheap, but for a soundbar it sounds really good.

Or:

Onkyo TX-SR313 A/V Receiver and Polk Audio RM705 5.1 Home Theater System. An inexpensive receiver and separate speakers are pretty much always going to sound better than a soundbar or most HTIBs.

 

“Study” aids

iPad. Duh.

The Kindle Fire Kindle Fire is far more portable, and has access to just as much downloadable content.

The regular Kindle, for reading only.

And definitely Get some decent headphones. The ones that came with your iDevice blow. These are one of my favorites:
Bowers & Wilkins C5 In-Ear Headphone $189.99

For traveling by plane, train or automobile, Gary’s favorite is still the Sony MDR-NC500D Digital Noise Canceling Headphone $298.00

 

 

 

Geoff Morrison @TechWriterGeoff
Geoff’s book is now in paperback

 

Have a question for the HD Guru?
HD GURU|Email

Copyright ©2012 HD Guru Inc. All rights reserved. HDGURU is a registered trademark.