Traditionalists might balk, but the holiday shopping season is already underway. Skeptical? Head to your local department store and you'll be inundated by Christmas trees and ornaments. Bargain hunters, though, know that the real deals are more than a month away.
Black Friday, traditionally, is when retailers truly slash prices. Early birds can save hundreds, if not thousands, of dollars off of their holiday bills. Switched.com checked with a few elves, who gave a sneak peek at what you can expect deal-wise this year.
Blu-ray Players and Movies: Blu-ray is shaping up to be the biggest door buster of this year's Black Friday. de Grandpre expects at least one retailer will offer a Blu-ray player for just $49. Look for bargains on Blu-ray films as well, with last year's hit titles (such as "Iron Man") to fall as low as $5.
Laptops: With the proliferation of Netbooks this year, it's never been easier to find affordable portable computing, but Dan de Grandpre, CEO of DealNews.com says it will get even cheaper on Black Friday. Look for well-equipped Netbooks to sell for $199 – and basic 15" laptops to go for as little as $249.
HDTVs (Pretty big): The holidays are typically the best time to buy a new TV – and Black Friday is the time to do it. If you're looking for a normal sized set, you're in luck. Piper Jaffrey analyst Mitch Kaiser says he expects to see 32-inch LCD sets for as low as $299. GottaDeal.com is estimating 37-inch plasma and LCD sets will fall to $399 or less.
HDTVs (Really big): Need something bigger? How about a 46-47 inch LCD set for $599 – a 25 percent savings? Or a 52-inch LCD for $999? Dealnews says you can expect both. Plasma deals will be a little harder to come by, but a 50-inch set should run roughly $899.
HD Camcorders: You've wanted to shoot your child's school play in HD for a while, but haven't been able to spring for the pricey camcorder. This might be the year. Low-end, flash-based 720p models could drop as low as $60 (though you won't be able to zoom with those). Expect a high quality 1080p HD camcorder for $349.
GPS: While navigation systems have dramatically expanded their reach this year – even making it onto the iPhone – there's still a market for car-based systems. Dealnews predicts you'll be able to find a no-name entry-level system for $49, while a Garmin or Tom-Tom brand will be as low as $69.
Digital Picture Frames: Showcasing your digital pictures consistently gets cheaper. This year, skip the 7-inch screens and focus on the 8- or 9-inch ones, which should be available on Black Friday for as little as $30.
Monitors: Computer monitors might not be the sexiest of gifts, but they're usually welcomed with open arms – and they'll be cheap this year. Name brand 22-inch LCD models may go for as low as $99, while 24-inch models will drop below $150.
Memory: Don't know anyone who needs a monitor? External hard drives are always popular, since they're an easy way to back-up data. Dealnews expects a 1TB drive to fall as low as $49 this year. Gottadeal is looking for 8GB flash drives to hit $15.
Jhannet Sejas, a 19-year-old from Arlington, Virginia, did something she had no idea would get her in big trouble. When the ending for 'Transformers' was spinning up to its highest point, she took out her cell phone and recorded 20 seconds' of the movie which, according to Sejas, was to show to her little brother. 
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Dave said 2:44PM on 4-15-2009
Funny how so many people don't know anything about law and how many of those want to use the law vindictively against a person who had NO CRIMINAL INTENT - which is the legal requirement for a CRIMINAL charge vs. a civil court matter. Intent is the critical element. Some people and companies just love to come down hard on others, but, of course, they are exempt if ever they get in trouble.
Taxpayers pay for prosecutions of criminal charges, the fines seldom cover the expense, whereas in civil cases, the loser has to pay for all costs plus damages, taxpayers pay zero. But Regal Cinema wants to use taxpayer money to sic police on people to scare them rather than collect damages. And in this nation of vengeance seekers, where we put a much greater percentage of people in prison than any other country, its a lot more fun to threaten people who innocently do foolish things with prison, isn't it? It's interesting to read the comments of vindictive hypocrites to see why prisons are so full of warehoused inmates, provided with zero rehabilitation and instead learn crime, who leave prison with hatred on their minds. This was a civil matter, only prosecuted under pressure from a vindictive, malicious, powerful company which deserves to go out of business.
DAve
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David said 1:55PM on 8-03-2007
Of course, if Miss Sejas were an ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT or a DRUG USER, she could sue for her "rights."
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Mark said 2:21PM on 8-03-2007
That is pure and simple theft. Too much of it goes on in America and it is wrong. Illegally recording of movies. Illegally downloading of music. Theft of ideas (those patented or copyrighted). Plagarism. All is this theft pure and simple and should be prosecuted and punished, regardless.
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Trevor said 2:41PM on 8-03-2007
I agree with the fact that plagiarism should not be tolerated. Especially with bootleg copies of movies and CDs, when people attempt to turn a profit from something that they did not have a hand in creating. However, I firmly believe that the case of Jhannet Sejas is a little too intense. She innocently recorded twenty seconds of a film to show to her little brother and she faces a potential fine and a year in prison? Even if she was lying about recording it to show to her brother, it still is only twenty seconds of the film and I think that if she were attempting to plagiarize, she would have tried to record more than twenty seconds of the climactic final scene. I think that Jhannet is the unfortunate recipient of the ire of the theater for not being able to catch other people who plagiarize worse.
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jim said 2:44PM on 8-03-2007
Serves her right. Theft is theft. Make an
example out her by prosecution and maybe the
next person may think twice before doing it.
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jeff said 3:10PM on 8-03-2007
Do you hear yourselves. "serves her right"? Wow!A simple 20 second recording for her brother does not warrant jailing a young girl. Trying to make her an example is disgusting. Why not just stone her and get it over with.This is an embarrasment to our country.
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Dan said 3:29PM on 8-03-2007
what the f-ck has happen to our country? this is bull shit sure plagerism should be dealt with but for worse than a 20 sec clip of a video bull shi- if ya ask me. if they're going after her for this why not go after outube users for posting longer clips? damn commies.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l2Dfac9YoJI&mode=related&search=
http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendid=214571187
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Jen said 12:48AM on 8-04-2007
I agree 20 seconds so what she paid $9.00 to see that movie what the hell is 20 seconds. We worry about 20 seconds of a stupid movie when there's real crime out there. You know corrupt cops a president thats a murderer terrorists etc... Make the girl erase the damn clip and get a fuc!#$g life.
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Rogg said 2:42PM on 10-05-2007
Plagiarize
transitive verb : to steal and pass off (the ideas or words of another) as one's own : use (another's production) without crediting the source
intransitive verb : to commit literary theft : present as new and original an idea or product derived from an existing source
If you're going to use the big words, know what they mean
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M. said 7:23PM on 10-06-2007
Ok, here's what we'll do, we'll have someone hold her down and have someone else beat the crub out of her until she's bloody and begging for mercy. Then we'll break the cell phone over her head and use the broken pieces to carve THIEF on her face for life! That'll be a stern lesson to everyone who copies music or shares it with anyone else and all those thieves out there who record their favorite songs on the Radio. Better yet, let's shut DOWN the radio stations or force them to never play music again! That way NO ONE can steal it. And to all those thieves and monsters out there who might accidently record part of a movie promo while taping the game. No more movie promos, ok? That allows thieves to have the music. Oh God, thieves everywhere doing this! Let's start a killing spree and take them ALL out!
You've just read a rant of sheer sarcasm! The RIAA and the Movie industry are going too far and paying off lawmakers millions to force the lawmakers to do what they want them to do. Isn't it obvious?
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beepoff said 9:42AM on 10-17-2007
OMG! she recorded a whole 20 seconds of the movie. does anyone realize that a movie trailer has more than 20 seconds in it? why isn't that illegal? are they going to censor my tv now? or wait, they already do... besides, i can get 30 seconds of nearly any song from Amazon.com ... now who's the thief?
i better bolt my door and wait for the RIAA...
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