HD radio can be had for $129

Q I wake up to "The Morning Program" on Minnesota Public Radio. It will be coming to an end Thursday, but a variant will be broadcast on the Internet and HD radio. I'm looking for an HD radio for $100 to $150. What do you recommend?

JOHN BAUER, Minneapolis

A Check out the Cambridge SoundWorks Radio 820HD (www.cambridgesoundworks .com) for $129. Like the other Cambridge SoundWorks products I have recommended, it is easy to use and sounds great. If you have a component sound system and would like to add HD radio or dramatically improve your FM reception, check out Sony's XDR-F1HD tuner. According to the Audio Critic (www.theaudiocritic.com), this small tuner is the finest, with tuning capability that exceeds the $2,000 audiophile models of not long ago. Given the $99 price, it rates as an impulse purchase for radio buffs as well as a great gift. It is available from Internet electronics retailers and Amazon.com.

Blu-ray: No need to wait Q There still seems to be controversy about movie disc players. Should one buy a Blu-ray, or wait until somebody decides which format will be the future?

BILL HAGSTROM, ROSEVILLE

A The format war is over, and there is no longer any controversy. Blu-ray is the future, and the product has experienced a sea change from last year. Players are affordable and reliable, and promised features have been implemented. Movie prices have come down, and there are great offerings available from the major studios, who have united behind the format. In the past, I have criticized the format for cost and reliability reasons. As a high-def movie fan, no one is more pleased about how far it has come along than I am.

Upscaled DVDs simply do not cut it compared with true high definition from Blu-ray. Most Blu-ray discs are loaded with extra features, content and interactive games, not to mention dramatically improved picture and sound quality and menus you can access as the movie plays.

Which brings us to another point: A Blu-ray player also plays DVDs, so you can continue to enjoy old discs as you buy or rent the Blu-ray versions of your favorites or new hits.

With excellent players such as the Insignia and its Sylvania and Magnavox clones (all top recommendations from Consumer Reports) selling for as little as $169, a Blu-ray player should be on top of your gift list if you have an HDTV.

Just make sure you avoid the obsolete, slow and glitchy profile 1.0 models at all costs. Only buy profile 1.1 or profile 2.0 players. If you are unsure of a player's profile, ask a salesperson or check online.