Get Your Home Ready for Winter - Entertainment Options Galore!

Is everyone getting ready to ‘nest’ for the winter? I’m starting to get in that mode and soon I’ll be ready to watch lots of movies, play with my favorite gadgets, do online shopping and maybe I’ll finally organize the massive number of digital photos that are in my laptop. Whatever you do when the weather starts to turn cooler – check out the products below that will help liven up the days when the sun starts to set a bit earlier – which is right around the corner!

The Netflix Player by Roku ($99) makes it easy to instantly watch over 12,000 Netflix titles over the Internet from any room in the house where you have a TV and an Internet connection. The Player comes with built-in wireless and Ethernet connections. With its standard RCA jacks, S-video, component video, HDMI, and optical audio, the Player works with virtually any TV, AV receiver, or home theater system. Addany of the 12,000+ movies and TV episodes to your Netflix InstantQueue and use Roku's remote control to browse through the items on your TV screen - then click play. It's immediate gratification for DVD junkies. You can easily upgrade your current Netflix membership to include these instant downloads –  to note in our Roku Netflix queue are classic TV shows like Rockford Files and Kojak and good old Pink Panther cartoons for the kids on Saturday mornings.

Your movie nights will never be the same after you purchase a home theater projector and if you don’t have enough space to purchase a huge new TV this can give you a bright and clear, movie-theater like option. Fixed or variable resolution models are available and prices vary widely. For a detailed explanation and product overviews check out ProjectorPeople.com. They also offer a variety of projector screens. One popular system to check out is Panasonic’s PT-AX200U Widescreen High Definition model which also includes a game mode and will function well in all types of rooms.

In ranking all of my excuses for not exercising – cold weather is right at the top. Once the temperature starts dropping below 45 degrees in the mornings there is no forcing me out of bed. So, this winter I plan to check out some of these popular games – not a substitute for the real thing – but must be better than hitting the snooze button three times in a row! The whole family may enjoy the Wii Active Life Outdoor Challenge which collects fitness data so you can track your progress over time from a variety of activities. And, addicts of the very popular Wii Fit claim they get a great workout as it incorporates over 40 kinds of training including soccer and yoga. PlayStation 2 owners may want to check out Dance Dance Revolution Supernova2 or try Eye Toy Kinetic which will act as your own personal trainer over a 12-week period.

In the market for a new TV? You may want to keep an eye out for new products from General Displays and Technology (a joint venture between GE and Tatung Company). The newly formed company recently announced they will be launching a new line of GE HDTVs next spring which will combine high definition video, audio and Internet.  These new TVs will have internet capabilities without the need of a computer and through a partnership with NBC Universal, content that can be delivered directly through the television. Ultimately this product will allow consumers to view digital HD content directly from popular websites on their television.