Lots of electronic ahead of holidays

As Christmas and the New Year approach, lots of people are buying new audio-video sets to stay abreast of the latest developments or simply to replace their old gear.

Your budget is of course an important factor to consider before purchasing an audio or video set. The following is a result of a survey of the latest price trends for audio and video equipment.

If your budget is very limited but you wish to purchase a 21- inch CRT flat-screen TV with quite complete features, the most ideal and affordable choice is the Akira 21SWP1, which comes with a DVD input terminal, an S-Video input, a front AV input and AV stereo. The price is quite modest at Rp 1,000,000.

If you wish to purchase a branded set, you might want to opt for the Hitachi C21-F800SNT (Rp 1,400,000), which is a full- stereo set provided with a DVD input terminal, or the LG Flatron RT-21FB70R, which is quite similar to the Hitachi in specifications but sells at the slightly higher price of Rp 1,485,000. Another choice is the Panasonic Tau TC21FJ20M (Rp 1,520,000/AV stereo) or Panasonic TC-21FJ52J (Rp 1,740,000/full stereo). Offered at slightly higher prices, these Panasonic TVs offer better audio quality and design.

If you are a soccer fan, you will be better able to enjoy a soccer match on a wide-screen TV. If a TV screen measuring 21" diagonally is not big enough, buy one measuring 29 inches. If you want a CRT flat-screen TV with a screen measuring 29 inches diagonally, you may want a JVC AV-29MS30, which sells for Rp 3,580,000 and has the following features: full stereo, cinema surround and a DVD input terminal. Its competitors with similar features are the LG RT-29FD61R (Rp 3,250,000), Panasonic TC- 29FG50M (Rp 3,550,000), Philips 29PT3323 (Rp 2,950,000) and Samsung Plano CS-29K10 (Rp 2,900,000).

If you have less than Rp 3 million to spend, check out the LG Flatron RT-29FA35V (Rp 2,775,000), Philips 29 PT3323 (Rp 2,600,000) and Sanyo CG 29AF2G/EF2D (Rp 2,480,000). These three have AV stereo and DVD input terminal features.

As the prices of Plasma TVs and LCD TVs continue to correct, it is interesting to keep abreast of developments in their prices. Given the present prices, now may be the right time for you to purchase a television set of this type. A Plasma TV with a screen measuring 42 inches diagonally is priced on average at Rp 22.5 million. As for LCD TVs, price are even lower. Take, for example, the Akira LCT-32CHSTP (32 inches), which sells for Rp 12,700,000. If you want a lower price, try a Projection TV. One with a screen measuring 43 inches, for example the Philips 43PP8545 or the Samsung Plano SP-43T8HF, costs Rp 9 million.

If you want an instant home theater, try a mini-compo DVD or a mini-home theater such as a Home Theater in Box (HTiB) with six satellite speakers. LG offers its products at attractive prices. They include the LG-T252SC (Rp 2,395,000/220 watt RMS), LH-T6240 (Rp 1,125,000/185 watt RMS), LH-T6340 (Rp 1,225,000/185 watt RMS) and NE-9321P (Rp 1,000,000/3 satellite speakers).

There is also good news for car theater lovers: the price of a portable tablet DVD has become increasingly more affordable. The Coby TF-DVD7050 and Coby TF-DVD7100 are offered at Rp 1,875,000 and Rp 1,550,000, respectively. The Blue Sky DVP-11404BL costs Rp 1,800,000. Unfortunately, these tablet DVD players are yet to be provided with an FM transmitter to activate the sound system in your automobile wirelessly.

If you only need a portable DVD with a TFT LCD screen measuring 5 inches diagonally and with a built-in stereo speaker, your main choice may be the Shinco SDV-5860 (Rp 1,370,000). If you plan to put your DVD recordable side by side with your Panasonic NV-gS35 handy cam in a mini-DV format (Rp 3,950,000/30 x optical zoom), your choice should be the BenO DVD JH 300 DVD player (Rp 1,850,000).

It has also been found out that in the DVD player market, LG has considerably slashed prices. LG DZ-9300P and LG DV-9721P DVD players sell for Rp 435,000 and Rp 495,000, respectively. Another attractive offer that you can't miss is the Vitron DVD-666A DVD player, which has a lot of features such as a Dolby AC-3 decoder, full karaoke, HDCD, USB and card reader. This DVD player is offered at just Rp 450,000. Interested? -- Doharto J. Simatupang