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CNN Live Sunday

Finding The Perfect Gift

Aired November 30, 2003 - 16:44   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.


KELLY WALLACE, CNN ANCHOR: If you're still looking for that special gift for the hard to please person on your gift list, grab a pen you are about to get a few suggestions. Kim Kleman is the managing editor at "Consumer Reports" and "Consumer Reports" has just taken a look at this year's must have gifts. Kim Kleman joins us from New York with details. Kim thanks for joining us. First off what are some of the best gifts out there right now?
KIM KLEMAN, MANAGING EDITOR CONSUMER REPORTS: Well, let me tell you, the news this year is that high-tech gadgets like the ones I'm about to show you, have come way down in price. But you can still waste your money if you're paying for features you don't really need. So I'm about to show you are some of the differences in digital camcorders and cameras and a PDA.

WALLACE: We'll first take a look at camcorders. What do you recommend consumers look for when they're out shopping for gifts such as camcorders?

KLEMAN: OK, here is a Cannon Alura camcorder, you can tell it is very small in my hand it is very lightweight, it is $750. It has very good picture quality, it has a feature that lets you press a button and it does everything automatically: it balances the color, it has auto focus. It's very easy and lightweight to use. This is a very good digital camcorder.

WALLACE: And what about digital cameras, what do you recommend there?

KLEMAN: Digital cameras, I'm going to show you two. This Fuji film camera here is a "Consumer Reports" best buy, it's $220. It is a three-mega pixel camera. It takes very good 8 by 10 photos, that's how big and how good the technology has gotten. It's a very good camera for a basic digital camera.

In comparison, let me show you a Nikon. This is an $890 camera. It is a five-mega pixel camera. These kinds of cameras are good if you like to do your own photo editing. It has manual and automatic settings. If you want to do some of your own, it has manual settings. It was the top rated five-mega pixel camera that we tested this year; very good camera. But as you can tell the difference, $220 for three mega pixel, if you're a basic camera shooter, versus $890, there's a very big price difference here.

WALLACE: Well, Kim let's talk about people who are trying to stick to a tight budget, a very tight budget, for people looking to spend under $100, what would you recommend? I understand you have advice for those looking for gifts for gardeners?

KLEMAN: Right, for $100, you can get a gardener a top rated garden cart. We recommend garden carts more than wheelbarrows, because they're not as tippy. You could also get editing software, photo editing software for about $50. You can get a good blender for about $50, blenders do everything. They're kind of the perfect, perfect appliances for the kitchen. You don't need separate smoothie makers and that kind of thing.

WALLACE: And what about for those cooks, people who like to cook in this kitchen, what do you recommend?

KLEMAN: We have different price points, depending how much you're willing to spend. We have a nice Calphalon pots and pans set for about $300. If you want to pay a lot more, we have some cutlery sets for $300 to $500.

WALLACE: And what about if we sort of look at a higher price range? If we go a little bit higher in the 100 to $250 price range, what are some of the best gifts in that range that you recommend for people?

KLEMAN: One hundred and two hundred and fifty dollars, you can get some good speakers for about $150. We have -- of the 2,800 products we tested this year, we have maybe about 150 or 250 that are that general price range that we recommend. So it just depends on the interest of the gift giver.

WALLACE: And what about those handy men and women, a cordless drill, what's the best purchase out there for that?

KLEMAN: We found a good 18-volt Craftsman cordless drill for about $120. That's a very good deal.

WALLACE: And What if you have lots of money, OK, more than $250, and you want to get that very expensive gift for someone, what do you recommend, specially when it comes to music lovers?

KLEMAN: Music lovers, if you want to get a table radio let's say, you can get a good Bose table radio out there for $350. We were very impressed with the sound quality.

If you want to get very high priced gifts, and your loved one is a little bit out of shape, you're trying to promote fitness, we have tread mills at a thousand dollars or more that did very well on our tests. Depending on your interest, you can buy something very high quality, very good product.

WALLACE: Finally, cutlery, what do you recommend there?

KLEMAN: Again, if you're at this higher price range, we have a Westhol cutlery set, I think it was about $350 to $500 that did very well on our tests.

WALLACE: Fifteen seconds Kim Kleman, what do you recommend, what is your best advice for people trying to purchase gifts for their loved ones?

KLEMAN: I would say, go early, I would say go with a shopping list so you don't overspend by buying impulse gifts. Don't feel you have to spend a lot of money to get good high quality gifts. They can be had for a bargain.

WALLACE: OK, great advice. Kim Kleman, managing editor of "Consumer Reports." Thanks so much for joining us this holiday weekend.

KLEMAN: Thank you.

WALLACE: We appreciate it.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com







Aired November 30, 2003 - 16:44   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
KELLY WALLACE, CNN ANCHOR: If you're still looking for that special gift for the hard to please person on your gift list, grab a pen you are about to get a few suggestions. Kim Kleman is the managing editor at "Consumer Reports" and "Consumer Reports" has just taken a look at this year's must have gifts. Kim Kleman joins us from New York with details. Kim thanks for joining us. First off what are some of the best gifts out there right now?
KIM KLEMAN, MANAGING EDITOR CONSUMER REPORTS: Well, let me tell you, the news this year is that high-tech gadgets like the ones I'm about to show you, have come way down in price. But you can still waste your money if you're paying for features you don't really need. So I'm about to show you are some of the differences in digital camcorders and cameras and a PDA.

WALLACE: We'll first take a look at camcorders. What do you recommend consumers look for when they're out shopping for gifts such as camcorders?

KLEMAN: OK, here is a Cannon Alura camcorder, you can tell it is very small in my hand it is very lightweight, it is $750. It has very good picture quality, it has a feature that lets you press a button and it does everything automatically: it balances the color, it has auto focus. It's very easy and lightweight to use. This is a very good digital camcorder.

WALLACE: And what about digital cameras, what do you recommend there?

KLEMAN: Digital cameras, I'm going to show you two. This Fuji film camera here is a "Consumer Reports" best buy, it's $220. It is a three-mega pixel camera. It takes very good 8 by 10 photos, that's how big and how good the technology has gotten. It's a very good camera for a basic digital camera.

In comparison, let me show you a Nikon. This is an $890 camera. It is a five-mega pixel camera. These kinds of cameras are good if you like to do your own photo editing. It has manual and automatic settings. If you want to do some of your own, it has manual settings. It was the top rated five-mega pixel camera that we tested this year; very good camera. But as you can tell the difference, $220 for three mega pixel, if you're a basic camera shooter, versus $890, there's a very big price difference here.

WALLACE: Well, Kim let's talk about people who are trying to stick to a tight budget, a very tight budget, for people looking to spend under $100, what would you recommend? I understand you have advice for those looking for gifts for gardeners?

KLEMAN: Right, for $100, you can get a gardener a top rated garden cart. We recommend garden carts more than wheelbarrows, because they're not as tippy. You could also get editing software, photo editing software for about $50. You can get a good blender for about $50, blenders do everything. They're kind of the perfect, perfect appliances for the kitchen. You don't need separate smoothie makers and that kind of thing.

WALLACE: And what about for those cooks, people who like to cook in this kitchen, what do you recommend?

KLEMAN: We have different price points, depending how much you're willing to spend. We have a nice Calphalon pots and pans set for about $300. If you want to pay a lot more, we have some cutlery sets for $300 to $500.

WALLACE: And what about if we sort of look at a higher price range? If we go a little bit higher in the 100 to $250 price range, what are some of the best gifts in that range that you recommend for people?

KLEMAN: One hundred and two hundred and fifty dollars, you can get some good speakers for about $150. We have -- of the 2,800 products we tested this year, we have maybe about 150 or 250 that are that general price range that we recommend. So it just depends on the interest of the gift giver.

WALLACE: And what about those handy men and women, a cordless drill, what's the best purchase out there for that?

KLEMAN: We found a good 18-volt Craftsman cordless drill for about $120. That's a very good deal.

WALLACE: And What if you have lots of money, OK, more than $250, and you want to get that very expensive gift for someone, what do you recommend, specially when it comes to music lovers?

KLEMAN: Music lovers, if you want to get a table radio let's say, you can get a good Bose table radio out there for $350. We were very impressed with the sound quality.

If you want to get very high priced gifts, and your loved one is a little bit out of shape, you're trying to promote fitness, we have tread mills at a thousand dollars or more that did very well on our tests. Depending on your interest, you can buy something very high quality, very good product.

WALLACE: Finally, cutlery, what do you recommend there?

KLEMAN: Again, if you're at this higher price range, we have a Westhol cutlery set, I think it was about $350 to $500 that did very well on our tests.

WALLACE: Fifteen seconds Kim Kleman, what do you recommend, what is your best advice for people trying to purchase gifts for their loved ones?

KLEMAN: I would say, go early, I would say go with a shopping list so you don't overspend by buying impulse gifts. Don't feel you have to spend a lot of money to get good high quality gifts. They can be had for a bargain.

WALLACE: OK, great advice. Kim Kleman, managing editor of "Consumer Reports." Thanks so much for joining us this holiday weekend.

KLEMAN: Thank you.

WALLACE: We appreciate it.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com