DIGITAL CAMERAS
CHEAP $219 OLYMPUS BRIO D-100 This 1.3-megapixel camera is all you need if you're not going to be making prints any bigger than snapshots. The camera produces sharp images and slips easily into your pocket, and its system for transferring images to your computer is a breeze to operate. www.olympusamerica.com
MODERATE $600 SONY CYBERSHOT DSC-P5 A 3.3-megapixel camera that delivers great picture resolution in an attractive, compact package with easy-to-navigate menus. If you want to trim your costs, the Sony DSC-P3 model offers all the same features, except the 3X optical zoom, for $100 less. www.sonystyle.com
EXPENSIVE $900 NIKON COOLPIX 995 In 2000, ON magazine named the Coolpix 990 our Machine of the Year, and this 2001 model takes evolutionary steps forward (such as higher optical zoom and a Quick Review button). And Nikon recently started offering a $100 rebate, bringing down costs too. www.nikonusa.com
CAMCORDERS
CHEAP $599 SAMSUNG SC-D67 Now that all the cool kids are shooting home movies on MiniDV--the new standard for digital video--Samsung's SC-D67 is a good bet. It's one of the cheapest MiniDV camcorders on the market, and with 390,000-pixel resolution and a digital image stabilization system, you won't suffer for having saved a few (hundred) bucks. www.samsungusa.com
MODERATE $1,700 JVC GR-DVP3U Compact enough to fit on your Bat belt, this tiny camcorder is nicknamed the MicroPocket DV. Its 680,000-pixel resolution (nearly twice that of most TVs) gives you crystal-clear video, and it's also equipped with NightAlive low-light sensitivity and a high-resolution still-camera mode for taking Web-ready snapshots. www.jvc.com
EXPENSIVE $2,999 SONY DCR-VX2000 CD-quality audio recording, over 1-million-pixel resolution, a 16:9 wide-screen option--it's no wonder this is the MiniDV camera professionals use. And just in case you're the next Kubrick, a dubbing option lets you add music and narration over the original audio. Add the optional battery and you can film a nine-hour epic on one charge. www.sonystyle.com
DVD PLAYERS
CHEAP $98 APEX DIGITAL AD-500 A few years ago, there were no DVD players under $300, but like everything except gasoline, they just keep getting cheaper. Newcomer Apex Digital beat all the big names into the sub-$100-player market and did it with a worthy machine. Not only does the AD-500 play CDs and DVDs, but it can read your MP3 music files from disc too. www.apexdigitalinc.com
MODERATE $250 PANASONIC DVD-RV31 If you want a home theater but haven't yet entered the rarefied realm of six-speaker surround sound, take a look at the RV31. A DVD player with one of the best surround-sound simulators, it'll turn your little stereo into a system worthy of the cineplex. Not only that, the player's Cinema Mode improves detail and color for a richer picture. www.panasonic.com
EXPENSIVE $400 TOSHIBA SD5700 If you're enough of a video junkie to own a progressive-scan TV (one that uses PC-monitor technology to eliminate annoying horizontal lines), then you're going to need a DVD player that supports it. Toshiba's SD5700 has what it takes--progressive component-video output--plus the ability to play DVD-Audio and MP3s. www.toshiba.com
TELEVISIONS