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Netflix subscribers now must choose among payment plans that offer DVDs only, streaming content only, or both.

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GAEMS is a “mobile gaming environment,” ideal for toting around a video game setup during travel.

Console gaming on the go just got easier thanks to a mobile gaming kit that comes with a built-in high-definition display screen to connect to your Xbox 360 or Sony PlayStation system.

The GAEMS G155, short for Gaming and Entertainment Mobile Systems, is essentially a heavy-duty briefcase with the display neatly fixed to the inner lid. Your game console is positioned inside and held in place tightly by two wide fabric fastener straps.

A short HDMI cable comes with the unit and connects your game console to a port near the bottom of the display. Two pouches are available for power cords and a controller or two.

That's pretty much the simple science behind this $299 unit. Once you've put your console in, you can play "Call of Duty: Black Ops" to your heart's content anywhere there's a power outlet.

The system supports recent models of Microsoft Corp.'s Xbox 360 and Sony Corp.'s PlayStation 3. You'd have to buy those separately. (Nintendo Co.'s Wii isn't supported because it doesn't have an HDMI jack.) The console sits on a padded base that prevents it from slipping around.

The 15.5-inch LED HD display delivered crisp colors and sharp detail during my tests playing a FIFA soccer game and a few shooters titles. High-definition videos I had saved on the PS3 hard drive also looked fine. The volume, brightness and menu buttons at the bottom of the display glow red and offer easy access and usability.

There are twin audio jacks on the bottom of the display, a nice touch if you're gaming against someone next to you. An optional wireless remote sells separately for $20.

Why would you want the GAEMS G155?

If you're traveling and are passionate about your games, you could use it to continue your campaigns from the comfort of a hotel room. You could also bring it home for the holidays and pull it out after you've eaten enough turkey and endured enough family banter for the evening. For avid gamers, GAEMS G155 is a pretty sweet addition for the road.

- RON HARRIS Associated Press

Online: Gaming and Entertainment Mobile Systems: http://www.projectgaems.com

DVDs? Streaming? The Netflix dilemma

The toughest choice most Netflix customers usually face is figuring out which movie to put at the top of their queues.

But millions of Netflix subscribers are wrestling with a new dilemma: how to respond to price changes that hit existing customers last week.

The new system imposes substantially higher rates on customers who want to keep renting DVDs through the mail but also want to stream video over high-speed Internet connections.

A small number of Netflix Inc.'s nearly 25 million U.S. subscribers are unaffected because they had already limited their usage to Internet video streaming. Others will have to pay as much as 60 percent more unless they are prepared to wean themselves from one of Netflix's entertainment options.

A few factors for Netflix subscribers to consider:

- Find out which day of the month Netflix bills you.

Click the "Your Account & Help" link, then look for the next billing date in the center. That is when the new rates take effect. If Netflix doesn't charge you until the 22nd of each month, you still have nearly two weeks before being charged more to have both DVD rentals and Internet video. If you usually get billed on the 10th day of each month, you will need to make a change asap to avoid being charged more.

- Know the new prices.

Netflix is now offering DVD-only plans. For $8 per month, customers can rent an unlimited number of DVDs, with a maximum of one disc out per time. DVD-only plans allowing two discs out at time cost $12 per month and three DVDs at a time are $16 per month.

The cheapest package that combines Internet video and DVD rentals (one disc at a time) is $16 per month - up from $10 under the old system. The price for an Internet-streaming-only plan remains $8 per month.

- If you want to keep just one Netflix option, assess what you like and how you watch it.

Internet streaming is more convenient because there's no waiting for DVDs to be delivered by mail. It also enables viewing on personal computers, tablet computers and phones, besides television sets. The negatives: It requires high-speed Internet access, and Netflix's streaming library is about one-fifth the size of the 100,000 selections in the DVD section.

DVDs remain the best way to see the latest movies after their theatrical runs. In some cases, Netflix must wait four weeks after DVDs go on sale before they can mail them to customers, but that's far better than Internet streaming where the wait can be several years.

Internet streaming is better for watching documentaries (sometimes available at the same time as the DVDs), catching up on past seasons of TV shows and enjoying older movies. If you like HBO series like "The Wire" and "Curb Your Enthusiasm," stick with DVDs because those titles have never shown up in Netflix's streaming library.

- Before abandoning Internet streaming, remember that Netflix intends to spend big bucks on its streaming library. The company already has exclusive rights to "House of Cards," starring Academy Award-winning actor Kevin Spacey. The series initially will be available late next year only to Netflix's streaming customers.

- Keep some perspective. Sure, a 60 percent increase sounds outrageous, but it's only $6 more per month to have your DVDs and Internet video, too. Most people could cover that cost by cutting out one or two visits to Starbucks or some other store each month.

- MICHAEL LIEDTKE AP Technology Writer