Audio-visual Gadget Christmas Gift Ideas

As technology moves relentlessly forward, new ground-breaking products come into popular use until

, all of a sudden, everyone seems to have one. They nearly always bring great performance advantages and improved usability with them, but the annoying thing is that they usually make some other older technology redundant.

Most households now have a digital TV (or an analogue TV using a freeview box) as we plunge towards the digital switchover dates, but video machines require an analogue signal, and once it has been turned off, you will no longer be able to use it to record your favourite programmes whilst you are out. A digital recording device will be required.

Most terrestrial TV channels allow you to watch past programmes on the Internet through what is known as On Demand TV BBC iPlayer, 4OD, ITV Player etc. Whilst viewing On Demand TV on a computer is perfectly possible, wouldnt it be nice if you could view it on the new digital flat screen TV youve just installed?

Smartphones dont just make phone calls or take pictures; you can now surf the web and download and watch TV and movies. However, they are all designed to be flat and thin, so unless you want to hold it all the time how do you keep it at the proper viewing angle?

In response, a whole industry of converters/adapters/senders gadgets in other words - has grown up to connect all these disparate technologies, and make well received Christmas presents for those technically minded friends or relatives. Here are just a few:

If your friend/relative subscribes to Sky or has a freeview box or a totally digital TV, a wireless AV sender will allow them to send that signal to any other TV in the house even an old analogue one - without running wires all over the house.

Convert your boxed set of Last of the Summer Wine videos to DVDs using a combi video and DVD recorder (expensive), or a USB converter to convert your old video player output into a digital signal for a laptop or PC, that can then burn onto DVD (really cheap).

Most people have an extensive range of music on LPs and tape. These can be converted to CD (and cleaned of all the crackles and pops from scratched vinyl or the hiss of audio tape), either by using a USB turntable or by connecting your old music centre to a laptop/PC, which can then burn the CD.

My old grandfather nearly drove my auntie mad with the volume at which he had to watch the TV. Peace was resumed when he was bought a little box that hung on the TV speaker and then connected via a long wire to an earpiece he wore. Nowadays the same calming effect can be had without the wires. Wireless headphones are a great gift idea for the hard of hearing relative.

A wireless AV sender can send whatever is on your laptop/PC screen direct to your lovely flat screen TV, allowing you to watch On Demand TV in the comfort of your living room, whilst the laptop/PC in the study does all the work.

Oh, and that iPhone/smartphone/iPad viewing issue? No problem, you can buy little foam supports that prop the screen at the right angle, with no fear of damaging it. A great idea and an inexpensive gift.

by: Phil Ward

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