DVD, BD retailers warn punters off non-DVD, BD Xmas gifts

Do not buy your loved one a digital photo frame or a digital radio if you want Christmas Day to go off smoothly. Such is the advice offered today by, of all people, the British Video Association (BVA), after polling some 2000-odd customer. Fifty-eight per cent of those asked hoped Santa will bring them electronic goods this …

[Anonymous Coward]

Then surely

PS3 160GB Slim for £199 @ Sainsburys FTW!!! You can get a Move kit for another £35.

[Anonymous Coward]

can't see it

I'm still trying to convince my mother that replacing her 36 inch CRT (15+ year old) with a 50 inch HD flatscreen will be a revelation. I can really see her enjoying a blu-ray player for christmas!

[Paul_Murphy]

Better yet...

Why not postpone Christmas until the end of January (after all celebrating New Years is enough), get all the presents in the January sales (you know, the ones that start on boxing day) at knock-down prices and spend the time reading books or going for walks with your family.

Why must we always be buying stuff?

I'm also for everyone spending the money (that you might normally spend on presents for other people) on themselves instead - then on Christmas day you thank all your family for your present that you really wanted, and they can thank you for theirs.

Far less waste, and you get to decide how much you want to spend.

ttfn

[Anonymous Coward]

The downside of postponing Christmas 2010

... is the 20% VAT rate coming in Jan. 2011.

[Circadian]

Screw (Scrooge?) Xmas

I have given up on Xmas entirely - it is now a completely Business-driven operation, designed to extract as much lucre from your purse/wallet that "they" can possibly get away with.

Join the revolution! STOP GIVING XMAS PRESENTS ENTIRELY! If you really want to show your appreciation of a person, give them something special on their birthday - or on any day that you feel like, just because!

Similarly, stop being consumer poodles on Easter, Thanksgiving, mothers' day, fathers' day, grandfathers' day, grandmothers' day, uncles' day, second cousin twice removed that youi only ever met once day....

[Anonymous Coward]

Slightly off topic but

Years ago, when I was a student and then recently graduated and really poor the missus and I used to arrange Christmas family visits so that we were with her family for Christmas and mine for New Year.

After the first year of doing this I realised that I could buy exactly the same presents for my family in the sales for much less money. Saved us quite a bit I can tell you with the only down side being that sales shopping is not an enjoyable experience.

[Anonymous Coward]

I bet

they cant even spell BIAS.

[Anonymous Coward]

BD? Meh

Just received a coffee maker (Gaggia) as a birthday present and am entirely happy. So count me as one data point in the other direction.

Blueray on the other hand leaves me cold. Oh! look I can watch crap in HD now!

[Anonymous Coward]

Couldn't agree more.

There's nothing like clicking the coffee maker on while I do my morning ablutions and having piping hot coffee waiting for me when I'm done, especially in this weather.

As for Blueray, why would I want to pay twice as much for disks I already have on DVD and rarely watch.

[Dazed and Confused]

All I want for Christmas

Hey, a Blu-Ray player I can live without but you'll need to pry my bread machine out of my cold dead fingers.

[GrahamT]

Hear,hear, for the breadmaker...

Best kitchen gadget we ever got It's used several times a week, which is more than a blue-ray player ever would be.

[Shades]

What the hell is Chrimble?

I know what Crimble (and Crimbo) is, but I've never seen it as Chrimble!

[James Hughes 1]

Oh dear....

"Gadgets to avoid - apparently - include foot spas, blenders, coffee makers, shavers, toothbrushes, Sudoku games and bread makers"

Shit, that's me out of ideas then.

[whats the point of kenny lynch?]

i can recommend..

the technika blu ray player from tesco at £79, working great so far....or just get a bottle of bombay sapphire, some walnut whips and loads of assorted crisps - xmas sorted...

[The Fuzzy Wotnot]

No tech!

Best pressie I ever received, believe it or not, was a scarf and gloves from my mother-in-law!

They're nothing special as such, but for the last 5 years when Autumn has arrived I can always rely on them to stop the sniffles! Cheap, cheerful and very much appreciated!

[jai]

fraud?

This is just advertising thinly disguised as research isn't it?

Isn't there an advertising watchdog or something that should be looking out for this kind of skullduggery and putting a stop to it?

[Tony Smith, Editor, Reg Hardware]

Re: fraud?

>>This is just advertising thinly disguised as research isn't it?

Well, gee...

[Dave Bell]

Motives...

I only bought a DVD player to watch The Lord of the Rings

Is there anything worth Blu-Ray yet?

[Peter Kay]

Breadmakers rule

Bluray players are all well and good, but they won't give you bread in 2-5 hours, ready for later that night/in the morning after having a few beers and remembering you have no bread for lunch..

Plus they let you customise your own bread

[Bilgepipe]

3D?

Ahh, but can you make *3D* bread? Eh? Didn't think so...

[Dazed and Confused]

3D bread

If its not 3D you've probably forgotten to add the yeast.

[Daniel B.]

Games consoles

That play Blu-Ray and games ... good one, they're recommending the PS3 without even mentioning Sony or the PS3! Too bad the 360 backed the wrong horse...

As another commenter said, I no longer buy Christmas presents, and when I do, I buy 'em in January, when the prices are down.

[Dick Emery]

Photo frames

I got my parents one a couple of years back. Bad idea. It sits unplugged under the table. Normal photos tend to use no energy whatsoever and are not distracting in a dimly lit room.

[Yoss]

Not always useless

I agree that digital photo frames don't suit everyone. I'd probably forget to plug it in myself. My parents, however, got one (a cheapo one) about 3 years ago and had it on constantly til it finally gave up the ghost. They've now replaced it with a new one.

Ok, they're both disabled and spend more time at home than average but, as I say, they suit some people.

If you can be bothered scanning your old photos they are a good way to revisit them without digging albums out of the cupboard. Not so good when that photo of you aged 4 brushing your teeth in your Y-fronts pops up tho...