Digital heaven

Gifts for gadget hounds and other geeks

by Christopher Muther

FOR DECADES, MUSIC lovers have faced the challenge of making a prediction that eludes even the most talented employees of the Psychic Friends Network. That challenge is to forecast the next big format.

Just when it seemed clear that the minidisc would be the technology to make cassettes obsolete, along came the recordable CD player. Recordable CD players are nothing new, but affordable ones are: now, they can easily be had for between $500 and $600, and the price is sure to continue dropping. Given the popularity of CDs and the fact that the players are still at the novelty stage, it's clear they're going to be around for a while.

If you're a baffled Santa who's tired of trying to guess which format will be the next to take off, stop guessing and start reading. The differences between recordable compact discs and minidiscs are minimal, but depending on what you're looking to do, those discrepancies can be important.

We tested Phillips's recordable CD player ($599, available at Tweeter Etc., 1300 Bald Hill Road, Warwick, 401-821-7600, and 30 Commerce Way, Seekonk, Massachusetts, 508-336-3280), JVC's minidisc combination deck ($550), and Sony's minidisc deck ($199), and the results for all were impressive.

Recordable CDs are a dream come true. Even vinyl recorded onto disc sounds fantastic. The results of recording a CD (or tracks from several CDs) from another disc are flawless. But recordable CDs have some disadvantages.

The most glaring disadvantage is the price for blank discs. Recordable audio CDs are between $7 and $8 apiece (blank CD-ROM discs, which are much cheaper, don't work in recordable CD decks). For that $7 to $8, you get a disc that can only record once. Make a mistake? Too bad. It's there for good.

Re-recordable CDs are available, but the price, which hovers between $30 and $40, is enough to convince you that mistakes aren't so bad.

Despite their economic handicaps, CDs have the advantage of being the current format of choice. That means if you make a CD of all your favorite songs, you can listen to it at home, in the car, and at the gym without having to invest in new equipment.

Minidiscs, on the other hand, can be far more convenient to record. The discs cost roughly as much as one-time recordable CDs, but you can re-record as often as you please. Once your minidisc is completed, you can shift the order of the songs or delete a single song that has grown tiresome. Minidiscs also allow you to digitally label your discs, and newer models allow for individual-track labeling.

The minidisc route is cheap, too: a basic minidisc player/recorder can be had for $199. But there are a few factors working against this technology. Although the discs have become popular for home recording, prerecorded minidiscs pose no threat to CDs, which makes their long-term prospects dicey.

Minidisc players can get pricier when you want to listen to discs both at home and on the run. Sony has introduced a "bundle package" for minidisc enthusiasts that includes both a home minidisc deck and a portable minidisc player ($400). Sharp has cut down on the hardware and introduced a portable minidisc player/recorder, the MD-MS702 ($400), that makes great-sounding discs. The minidisc player also has a feature that allows you to record in mono to get nearly two hours of dialogue or music onto a single disc.

Both minidiscs and CDs use digital technology to record music, and the difference in sound quality between the two is negligible. But to those with well-trained ears, recordable CDs have the edge. Local disc jockey and musician Chris Ewen likens recordable CDs to vinyl and minidiscs to cassettes, saying that the sound quality of recordable CDs is fuller and richer than that of minidiscs.

The results? If you're looking to get a lot of vinyl onto disc for cheap, stick to minidisc. If you're willing to wait a while longer or spend a little more, go for a recordable CD player.

DVD
Video hasn't been changing as rapidly as audio. Still, finding the right video components has gotten more complicated over the past two years with the advent of DVD, which falls between relatively low-fi videotapes and overtly geeky and awkward laser discs. Currently, the biggest drawback to DVD is that recording is not an option. But if you're simply watching movies, the clarity of picture and sound is a drastic improvement over VHS tapes. Most DVDs allow you to choose which language you'd like to hear your film in and include bonus footage or music videos after the film. For true movie and technology buffs, it's a must-have.

Sony has created the ultimate couch potato's delight with its five-disc DVD carousel. It plays five audio CDs or DVDs in any order, with Dolby sound. Combine the five-disc carousel with a Cardi's sofa, and you're set for an all-night movie party -- no moving necessary. The five-disc DVD changer is pricier than single models, though -- around $600 versus $300 -- and is really a necessity only for the exercise-impaired.

Talk isn't cheap
For a person on the go, digital phones are a great gift, but make sure your gift recipient stays within city limits. Unlike cellular phones, digital phones carry a clear signal and no static. The drawback is that calls are frequently severed. When a cellular phone starts losing its signal, the result is static; on a digital phone, the result is the end of your phone call.

If you stick around Route 95 (or stay near other major metropolitan areas), digital phones are far superior to their cellular cousins. And the digital network is rapidly expanding. Sprint's new TouchPoint phone ($180) boasts call logs, a message center, and a built-in phone book, with a mouse that allows for easy navigation between them.

The mouse also makes it easy to program in names and phone numbers. The phone can store up to 300 phone numbers, and software is available to make the phone synchronize appointments with your PC. Even without the software, the phone can be used as an alarm or reminder for appointments. The phone also has caller ID and can be used to send and receive text from pagers. The best part is that it's small enough to fit discreetly into a pocket and can be set to vibrate instead of ring. Service plans for the phone start at $70 a month.

Transparent motives
Sony's new see-in-the-dark video camera made a big splash when it was first introduced, because many believed it had the power to film through bathing suits (don't even think of it, you perverts -- it had a flaw that has since been corrected). The feature, called NightShot, is available on Sony's CCD-TRV99 Handycam ($1400) and allows you to tape your sleeping baby, important nighttime ceremonies and, um, other clandestine after-dark activities.

Nonessential necessities
The string of new gizmos available this holiday season should have gadget hounds foaming at the mouth. Phillips recently introduced the Pronto remote control. If the $400 retail price tag seems outrageous, consider what you're getting: Pronto can be programmed to work with VCRs, DVDs, CD or minidisc players, televisions, and even lights and curtains. The remote has an LCD screen that is easy to customize and relatively simple to use once the remote has been programmed. Combine it with the five-disc DVD carousel and plan to get seriously lazy.

The best way to get wrapped up in video games isn't by gluing yourself to the TV for hours on end, but by boosting your PlayStation with interactive goodies that make you part of the game. The Intensor Sensory Game Chair ($300, call 1-800-274-5227 for retailers) has speakers embedded in the back and seat that jolt and vibrate along with the on-screen action. If that isn't enough, Logitech's WingMan Force joystick ($100) can add another level of realism to the game by offering force feedback. Your video car explodes and the joystick vibrates accordingly.

Except as noted, all items are available at Circuit City (150 Hillside Road, Cranston, 401-946-5300, 179 Highland Avenue, Seekonk, Massachusetts, 508-336-5900, and 1190 South Washington Street, North Attleboro, Massachusetts, 508-695-0300).