Tech Professionals Rank Top Tech Toys For The HolidaysTech Professionals Rank Top Tech Toys For The Holidays

Tech professionals want HDTV this holiday season, according to a poll by an industry group.

The Computing Technology Industry Association (CompTIA) announced Wednesday that more respondents in an informal poll chose the HDTV as their "most-wanted" high-tech toy this year. More than 15% of 1,012 respondents said they want HDTV.

Sony's PlayStation 3, which ranked first last year, came in second among the most desired gifts this year, with 13.7% of respondents choosing the item. More than a third of respondents put game consoles on their list. Nearly 11% chose Nintendo's Wii, putting it third on the overall list, while 10.2% said they would like Microsoft's Xbox 360, which ranked fourth.

PCs ranked fifth in the poll, with 9.8% of respondents saying they would like one. Digital camcorders and cameras (5.6% and 4.9%, respectively) made the top 10 list, followed by mobile phones, with 4.5% of respondents saying that they would like one.

CompTIA said that consumers may be holding off on choosing high-definition DVD players until either Blu-Ray or HD-DVD becomes a dominant format. Just 3.5% of respondents chose Blu-Ray players as their top holiday tech-toy wish, while 2.9% picked an HD-DVD player. Still, the two items ranked 9th and 10th in popularity, overall.

Tech professionals' wishes are in line with those reflected in polls of the general population. A recent national survey of 1,200 consumers found that 35% want a flat-screen HDTV, but not necessarily along with a high-definition set-top box.

CompTIA president and CEO John Venator recommends that consumers consider hiring professionals to connect disparate components of their entertainment systems.

"Digital entertainment systems for the home have never been in greater demand, and the options available to consumers have never been in greater supply," he said in a statement. "Though many of these products are easy to install and use individually, bringing together disparate components and systems into a single home network can be a challenge."