Idiot boxes for smart graduates

Starting off small, the affordable 32-inch KDL-32R400A will fit into any new dorm room or tiny friend-filled apartment.

Then again, Smart features might not matter to the grad who already watches everything through a Chromecast. Samsung's base-bones UNF5000 is the perfect complement to external devices.

The practical, brand-unconscious grad will dig Vizio's E series. Yes, it has Smart TV and minimalist styling, but the real draw is solid picture quality. If this 2013 version proves hard to find, look for the 2014 "B" model numbers.

Truly know-it-all grads know that plasma delivers great picture quality for the money, and they also know the technology is getting rarer--and thus, waaaay cooler. Enter the PNF5500 series (with Smart TV) or, if you can't find it, the PNF5300 (without).

We know this is a silly question, but does your grad like video games on a giant TV? If the answer is yes, and you can afford it, Sony's 60- and (gasp) 70-inch KDL-W850B, with its ultra-quick input lag, is the perfect reward for all that studying.

Is your grad kinda weird? You know, weird enough to actually like 3D movies? The M series is one of the best ways to get to that other dimension, and its passive 3D technology means he'll have plenty of glasses for all his weird friends too.

Available in sizes from 32 to 75 inches, all of which boast that trademark sleek Samsung styling, spider-leg stand, and the most content-rich Smart TV suite in the business, the Samsung UNH6350 is sure to please the discerning gadget-happy grad.

Iconoclast? Lover of the unique and unusual? Android fanatic? If any of these things describe your grad, and you really want to please him or her, the strange-duck Philips Screenio projector could be just the thing.