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Now that you've read all the rest, it's time to read the best. Believe me, I know what the other guys are telling you are the best gifts to buy this year. But they seem to think you have Teresa Heinz Kerry's bank account. Seriously, PC Magazine's holiday gift ideas for Mom and Dad included a $3,000 Dell computer and a $300 golf range finder. When's the last time you spent that kind of money on gifts for your parents? I'm sure you would if you could, but for the rest of us there's the Geeky Jock Holiday Buying Guide 2004. It's full of great gifts that your friends and family will want, and they are the best deals in their respective product categories. I've tried to point you to the best places to buy these products, but the prices I list are subject to change. Be sure to check the Hot Deals page to find the most current bargains.

Surround sound systems
If you watch your DVDs with sound coming from just your TV's speakers, you're missing out on so much. Adding surround sound adds so much to the experience. These days, surround sound systems are extremely affordable and easy to setup. A surround system would make a great gift to give to the whole family.

Cerwin Vega AVS-5.1 - well under $200

The Cerwin Vega AVS 5.1 speakers are some of the best affordable surround speakers you can buy from a quality speaker manufacturer. This is a speaker-only set - no receiver or DVD player. You get 4 satellite speakers, a center channel, and a subwoofer. All of the speakers are heavy and well-made. The satellites have a mid and a tweeter for more full sound, and the center channel has 2 mids and a tweeter. The sub produces great lows with no distortion. As an added bonus, all the speakers have brackets for wall mounting that also act as tilts if you have them sitting on a table. I actually bought this set this summer and I couldn't be happier. I read many reviews from people who know speakers, and they all could not believe how good they sound for the price.

Buy the Cerwin Vega AVS 5.1 speakers at Buy.com for $149 plus shipping.

Panasonic SC-HT05 5.1 channel home theater system - $249

The reviews on this set get kind of redundant. They all say that for $250, this is the best home theater system you can buy. They all say it sounds like a system costing hundreds more. It comes with 5 speakers and a subwoofer and a 600 watt Dolby Digital receiver. All you need is a DVD player and you'll be able to watch your DVDs how they were meant to be watched - in full digital sound. Extremely easy setup and a great remote round out the deal.

Buy the Panasonic SC-HT05 system for $249 shipped at Circuit City.

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