Costco has the Panasonic DMP-BD35AK Blu-ray player for $199 ($279.99 – $80 instant rebate = $199.99) at their brick and mortar stores. CNET called the DMP-BD35 the “best player for the money” and noted it was the first standalone Blu-ray player to match the essential features of the gold standard Playstation 3. See their video review below.

This is a solid price for a great player, especially with the inclusion of the HDMI cable. Not a bad deal if you missed out on the Sears’ pricing mistake that had it at $149 a couple weeks ago.

Links:

Panasonic DMP-BD35AK at Costco deal discussion at FatWallet.com

CNET’s review of the Panasonic DMP-BD35

The Godfather trilogy is being released on Blu-ray and DVD on Tuesday, September 23, as a four-disc gift set. The suggested retail price is $124.99, but Amazon currently has it on sale for $61.95.

This version of the trilogy is known as the Coppola Restoration. Godfather parts I and II have been restored under the watchful eye of original cinematographer Gordon Willis to ensure they match the original color schemes. Technical enhancements were made to all three of the films as well.

The new set introduces some extras that weren’t on the previous DVD releases of the films.  One covers the restoration process. Another, titled  “Godfather World,” shows the films’ effect on American culture.

Link:

The Godfather Collection: The Coppola Restoration Blu-ray Disc

From Crackle: The Godfather – Sound Comparison

Costco has the AOC L42H861 42-inch 1080p LCD HDTV for sale at $799 (original price: $1,000) while supplies last. PC World has a review of the AOC L42H761, which is essentially the same television. The Costco version, the L42H861, has a much better looking television stand (very Sumsung-ish). Prices are getting pretty low for large LCDs, it will be interesting to see what kind of deals there will be on Black Friday 2008.

Helpful Links:

PC World’s review of the AOC L42H761.

Engadget HD post about the AOC L42H861.

Official AOC website.

If you’re looking for the best HD picture out there, you might be interested in Pioneer’s latest challenge for king of the HD hill, the Pioneer Elite Kuro Pro-111FD ($3,500). Gary Merson, aka the HD Guru, has given the set a thorough technical review.

Gary compared the 2008 Pioneer Kuro Elite with another “best HDTV evar”, the Panasonic TH-PZ850U. According to Gary, the Pioneer Kuro Elite has the darkest blacks he’s seen yet, too dark to even measure with his instrumentation. Does that sound ridiculous to you? Overall, Gary says the 2008 Kuro pretty much wipes up the floor with the Panasonic. Check out his review over at HDGuru.com.

Link:

The HD Guru reviews the 2008 Pioneer Elite Kuro Pro-11FD 1080p plasma.

TiVo is offering a “web special” that features a factory-renewed HD TiVo for $179. It comes with a one-year warranty and a 30-day money back guarantee. Deal is good while supplies last.

The TiVo HD DVR records 20 hours of HD content or 180 hours of standard def. It can record two shows at once and connect to your home network to access and download online content including movies.

Deal Link:

Web Specials at TiVo.com.

Official TiVo Blog post about the deal.

Helpful Links:

PC World review of the TiVo HD DVR.

CNET review.

Costco has the Sharp Aquos LCC-5262U listed as a “hot buy” on their website at $1,699. To give you an idea on price drops over time, one year ago, this is the price I paid for my 47-inch Vizio 1080p LCD from Costco. The Aquos delivers an overall better picture than the comparable 52-inch Vizio.

Helpful Links:

Discussion of Aquos vs Vizio 52-inchers at AVS Forums.

*UPDATE* DEAL EXPIRED.

 If you want the maximum screen size for your dollar, the Samsung HL-T7288W is the HDTV for you. It is a 1080p, 72-inch rear projection DLP HDTV with a 10,000 to dynamic contrast ratio. This 72-incher is available for $1,999 from Amazon.com. Comes with 3 HDMI inputs as well as a USB port.

Helpful Links:

$1999 at Amazon.

AVS Forums discussion of the Samsung HL-T288W.

Samsung HL-T7288W HDTV tech specifications.

The BBC series Planet Earth is one the most-recommended Blu-ray discs out there. For fans of wildlife programming, this series is a must see.

Regular price is $67. You get 20% off with coupon code DDAF, which expires June 22, 2008.

This is the superior British version narrated by David Attenborough. There is an “Americanized” version narrated by Sigourney Weaver that reviewers say isn’t as good.

Deal Link:

DeepDiscount.com

Helpful Links:

Review of Planet Earth.

The Westinghouse TX-47F450S is a 2008 refresh model, featuring a few small but significant technology updates from the 2007 model it’s replacing, the TX-47F430S. Due for a spring release, it’s a 47-inch 1080p HDTV LCD that will most likely end up as Westinghouse’s bestseller for 2008.

The biggest update to the television is its 120-hz display, the first Westinghouse TV to have the technology. A 120-hz display prevents motion blur in scenes with fast motion. The television also gets an upgrade to a 6.5 ms response time, an upgrade from 8.0 ms of last year’s model, the TX-47F430S. A faster response time is good for gamers and action movie buffs, as a faster render improves the image quality of fast moving scenes. The response time combined with the 120-hz display will allow this television to handle almost any kind of action or sports content you throw at it.

The appearance of the HDTV did not receive a noticeable update from last year’s model. The TX-47F430S is not available for review yet; however, to get an idea how well this television will perform, check out CNET’s HDTV guru David Katzmaier’s review of 2007′s Westinghouse TX-47F430S. The 2008 version’s basic display technology remains the same. Most notably, the dynamic contrast ratio stays at 5,000:1. Expect average black levels but good color production.

The Westinghouse and Vizio line of bargain LCDs are generally thought of as solid bargain buys. I own last year’s Vizio 47-inch 1080p LCD and am very happy with the quality. The manufacturer’s suggested retail price of the TX-47F450S is $1,599. Because this year’s set is so similar to the 2007 model, it may be worth looking at the 2007 if you can get a substantial enough discount.

Other specifications of the 2008 Westinghouse TX-47F450S:

4 HDMI inputs. Built-in HDTV tuner. 5,000:1 dynamic contrast ratio.

CNET’s HD guru David Katzmaier has published a thorough review of the Vizio VO47L, giving it a score of 6.2 out of 10. Positives for the television include a bargain price, good color reproduction, 4 HDMI inputs, good screen uniformity, good-looking all-black bezel and speakers, and a comfortable remote control. The cons are poor black levels, the need to adjust the color settings out of the box, and only two aspect ratios for viewing HD content.

“[The VO47L's] image quality stands solidly in the middle of the road, with those lighter black levels and subpar off-angle viewing characteristics seen on many other budget LCDs, but balanced by good color accuracy, at least after adjustment. You can still find numerous larger, 50-inch plasmas available for around the same price, but if you must have LCD and want a big screen for smaller money, the VO47LF deserves strong consideration.”

The score Katzmaier assigns the VO47L, 6.2, seems surprisingly low, as the Vizio GV47LF, 47-inch Vizio LCD the VO47L replaced (and is essentially the same as), is rated at 6.6. Perhaps the low score is an indication of the scales tipping in favor of plasma televisions, which, on average, offer a must better viewing experience than LCDs. Just browsing through CNET’s scores shows lower scores on average for most LCDs compared with plasmas. The main justification for the VO47L’s low score seems to be poor black levels, which have tended to be a strength for plasma technology.

Katzmaier’s mention of the VO47L’s better than average screen uniformity comes as a surprise, as Vizios (and most LCDs, in fact) are notorius for a clouding effect on dark screens. The VO47L’s good screen uniformity should come as a big plus for those thinking about buying the television, as it’s a rare attribute for bargain televisions. However, Katzmaier does mention noticing one corner of the screen is brighter than the rest. I’ve had a similar experience with my Vizio GV47LF, but it’s interesting to note that my screen uniformity has improved over time.

Link to review.

Also checkout our collection of VO47L customer reviews.