Sagem is bringing something different to the high definition TV (HDTV) space this summer with an entry-level TV that boasts an in-built personal video recorder and two digital TV tuners that will let you watch and record separate digital TV channels. Users will be able to receive the free-to-air digital TV channels from Freeview and there’s support for the 7-day electronic programme guide (EPG).

The 26in Axium HD-L26 TP is an LCD-based TV that sports a respectable 80GB hard disk drive for the highly competitive price of £999. The drive will store up to 40 hours of material recorded in MPEG 2.

The TV is HD Ready with a resolution of 1366 x 768 and has a USB port for attaching storage and PC peripherals holding photos or video files. It also features two HDMI (High Definition Multimedia Interface) inputs to allow for HD content and surround sound to carried on a single cable from set-top boxes and DVD players. Sound is catered for by 2 15Watt speakers.

HDTV TV LCD home entertainment

Posted by Martin Lynch on April 28, 2006 in Television | Permalink | Comments (0)

High-end audio shop, Rotel, has launched a quality surround sound receiver with two HDMI inputs. HDMI will allow users to hook up any high-definition equipment with a single HDMI cable that can transfer both hi-def video and up to 8.1 surround sound. Equipment includes set-top box, DVD player, A/V receivers, HDTV or displays.

The nicely crafted RSX-1057 comes with an overbuilt power supply which Rotel claims delivers the power needed to bring action-soundtracks to life. The high-current amplifier can throw out 75Watts RMS per channel but a little disappointingly this £800 receiver is just 5.1 surround capable, not 7.1. Rotel says you can purchase a 2.1 amp to extend the system to a 7.1 receiver, but for that money we expect that functionality in-built. It can handle Dolby Digital, Dolby Digital EX, DTS, DTS ES Discrete and Matrix, DTS 96/24, DTS Neo:6 and Dolby Pro Logic II sound formats. In connectivity terms, there are also three component inputs and internal video transcoding promises to boost picture quality.

movies home cinema audio

Posted by Martin Lynch on April 27, 2006 in Active Home | Permalink | Comments (0)

Evesham has taken the wraps off yet another addition to its growing Media Center PC range of living room-friendly systems. The e-box³ , as you can see from the photo, looks like any other consumer electronics device and has been designed to run quietly, unlike most PCs. It combines PC, TV, DVD and hi-fi capabilities and runs Windows XP Media Center Edition 2005 on a range of AMD Athlon 64 processors, up to 4800+X2. There are many configurations for this, with prices starting at £699 for a system featuring Athlon 64 processor 3000+ , 160GB SATA 7200rpm hard drive, ATI Radeon Xpress 200 series graphics, DVD writer, Microsoft keyboard and optical wheel mouse, TV tuner, Microsoft Works 8 and Roxio Easy Media Creator 7 software. Comes with a three-year warranty and the good thing is that the first two years are ‘in-home’.

Still, it might be best to opt for a bigger hard disk drive if you plan to record lots of TV, get a second DVD writer and finally, a wireless keyboard since you don’t really want another cable trailing across the living room floor do you?.

PC evesham media center PC

Posted by Martin Lynch on April 26, 2006 in Active Home | Permalink | Comments (0)

No sooner had the world's first raft of HD DVD players arrived last week than they disappeared. Toshiba’s first run of HD-DVD players - up to 15,000 of them – in the US have been snapped up in just two days. Reports from retailers indicate that the cheaper £300 HD-A1 was the biggest seller, followed by the pricier £450 HD-XA1. The news is somewhat encouraging for the HD DVD format considering there were only two movies available on launch day last Tuesday: The Last Samurai and Phantom of the Opera.

Other movies due out this week and next week include Warner’s Million Dollar Baby, Universal’s Serenity, Doom and Apollo 13. By the end of the month additional HD DVD titles will include Assault on Precinct 13, Jarhead, U-571 and the dismal, Van Helsing.

Still no word from Toshiba about when it will re-supply stores but considering the pressure from Blu-Ray, this is not the time to suffer production delays.

dvd HD DVD Blu-ray HD-DVD Toshiba

Posted by Martin Lynch on April 25, 2006 in Active Home | Permalink | Comments (0)

Sales of pocket projectors will hit 1.5m over the next four years according to the latest research from market watcher, Pacific Media Associates (PMA). Pocket projectors make up a tiny proportion of the market at the moment but PMA claims that sales will ramp up fast from this year as more products arrive. According to its predictions there will be sales of 87,000 units by next year, 356,000 by 2008, 1m by 2009 and over 1.5m by 2010. Revenues of just $15m this year will jump to over $500m by 2010.

“We see the development of pocket projectors as going through three stages,” said PMA vice president Michael Abramson. “Currently, they are seen as standalone products, to be connected to other devices such as PDAs, cell phones, iPods, and handheld video games. By 2008, these projectors will be modules designed to attach directly to such mobile business and consumer devices. By 2010, the projector will become an integrated part of the devices to provide large imaging capabilities for handheld, battery-powered units.”

The few models on the market today tend to use low-brightness LEDs instead of bulbs which restricts where the projectors can be used but PMA said LED brightness is improving fast and could hit 100 Lumens brightness before 2009. Via AV Interactive.

projector Projectors home cinema home entertainment

Posted by Martin Lynch on April 24, 2006 in Active Home | Permalink | Comments (0)

Acer has brought out a high definition 32in LCD TV ahead of the summer’s World Cup and Sky’s launch of its HD services.

Costing £899, the AT3205-DTV (Digital TV) has an image resolution of 1366 x 768 pixels, so shows broadcasts in 720p.

It has HDMI and DVI ports, with support for High Definition Content Protection (HDCP), which prevents content such as broadcasts from being pirated. Having a DVI port means it can be hooked up to a PC, such as a Media Center.

Two TV tuners – one analogue, the other Freeview digital – means owners can watch one programme and record another. But it only has analogue out, so can only record traditional terrestrial TV not the digital broadcasts. We’re struggling to see the point of this, other than it letting you watch channels BBC1 to Channel Five if you cannot pick up Freeview. 

Otherwise, it’s already possible for most people to watch one channel and record another anyway, even for those that don’t own a set top box such as Sky+.

The TV also supports Dolby Digital sound, has 10w speakers and sports an 'Empowering Key' on the remote control to change the TV’s picture set up.

Originally it was going to launch with Acer’s integrated media gateway, to stream pictures around the house, but the company is still developing the technology. Once ready, this will be initially available in Acer’s next 37in digital TV.

Posted by Rob Jones on April 21, 2006 in Television | Permalink | Comments (0)

The world’s biggest plasma screen has been unveiled by Panasonic – the latest offering in the leap-frog game of ‘mine is bigger than yours’. The 103in high-definition TV (HDTV) measures in at 7.5ft long by over 4ft high, beats the previous holders of the crown – Samsung and LG - by a single inch and weighs in at a staggering 180Kg. It’s a 16:9 widescreen plasma panel with a resolution 1920x1080 that’s capable of displaying the highest HD video resolution, 1080p. It has a contrast ratio of 3000:1and will ship to consumers this Christmas for a price sure to make us laugh out loud. Expect this screen to toppled by some other novelty giant plasma long before it arrives.

TV HDTV Plasma Panasonic

Posted by Martin Lynch on April 21, 2006 in Television | Permalink | Comments (2)

Bang & Olufsen (B&O) have a reputation for luxury audio and visual equipment so don’t be surprised if its new wireless audio system will set you back more than a few quid. There’s no launch date or price on this yet but we like the way the company explains the basics:

“For BeoLink Wireless 1, Bang & Olufsen has chosen a mature wireless technology that can match three critical parameters: it is very robust, has a very low level of delay with no echo, and it can distribute audio to up to 21 rooms in your home at the same time.”

We especially like the “21 rooms” bit since most of us have that kind of space. Each BeoLink Wireless 1 unit functions as both a transmitter and receiver. A single transmitter can deal with up to seven rooms (seven pairs of loudspeakers), and the system can manage up to three transmitters with 21 pairs of loudspeakers around the house. The receiver and transmitter can be up to 30 meters apart while the outside range is approximately 100 meters. The system operates on the 2.4GHz band, also used by other devices such as WLAN networks, Bluetooth telephones and microwaves, among others. However, B&O promises no interference. 

audio music Entertainment wireless Streaming

Posted by Martin Lynch on April 20, 2006 in Active Home | Permalink | Comments (11)

Philips has patented technology that prevents TV viewers changing channels or fast forwarding through adverts (if watching on a PVR).

According to Techdirt, Philips has developed a system that embeds a flag into a broadcast ad, locking the viewer into them. You then can't change channels until the ad break has finished.

The flags are also recognised by personal video recorders to stop owners of systems such as Sky+ from fast forwarding through the ad break.

If you really want to change channels, Philips has said that it can build in an extra feature that allows you to pay for the privilege of dumping the ads.

Obviously we're less than impressed with Philip's latest patent (click the link to read it). It doesn't fall into the spirit of the growing world of the digital home, where we can consume TV programmes at our leisure, and does beg the question who would buy such a TV?

Surely any half-way savvy consumer will avoid such TVs, and even advertisers must see how much resentment this would fuel.

We'd be really surprised if this patent ever gets used in a TV, but can unfortunately see a version of it being embedded into programmes that are broadcast over the Internet, to ensure viewers have to suffer the ads before they can continue watching a programme or turn it off.

Posted by Rob Jones on April 19, 2006 in | Permalink | Comments (17)

Portable is all the rage and Sony is weighing in with a very sleek portable DVD player called the D-VE7000S, the first DVD player badged as a Walkman. About the size of a DVD case, this DVD player has been previewed recently and will launch in the US this month for around £130. At this early stage there is no UK launch date, but it's very likely this will be winging its way over here this summer although you can expect it to cost more like £150. Designed to playback DVDs and CDs, the unit also supports the new dual layer DVD+RW discs. It weighs 775g, has a 7in screen, dual headphone support and a three-hour battery life. There’s a slightly bigger brother, the DVP-FX810, with an 8in screen that swivels 180 degrees and is designed for keeping the nippers in the back of the car quiet. Battery life is a far better six hours and it is also priced at around £130.

DVD portable gadgets Sony

Posted by Martin Lynch on April 19, 2006 in Active Home | Permalink | Comments (0)

In a few years, all projectors will be high definition (HD) but for now, the numbers are few and the price tags heart-stopping. None more so than the new Marantz VP-1C1s1, which admittedly is taking the high ground with a very high spec and an asking price of around £9,000. It's no looker - just like the existing high-def VP-12S4 - but based on the latest DLP technology from Texas Instruments, this projector offers a resolution of 1920x1080 pixels making it capable of handling all levels of high-definition video, including 1080p. Even better it comes with two HDMI inputs and two sets of component inputs which will make it very easy to hook up to your other home cinema equipment – including HDMI-equipped TVs, set-top boxes and forthcoming HD DVD and Blu-Ray players. Contrast is a high 6500:1 (the current model manages 4000:1), there's is 10-bit colour processing anda more powerful 350W lamp. It is due to ship in June in Japan, but could take a few months more to make it over here.

projector Projectors DLP home cinema home entertainment

Posted by Martin Lynch on April 18, 2006 in Active Home | Permalink | Comments (12)

Portable projectors have always been in demand in the business environment but a new wave of tiny projectors are starting to appear that will appeal to both professionals and those that want a little bit of fun. The new Toshiba FF1 is a good example of how small things are getting, thanks to its use of LED technology and will appeal to those that fancy being able to throw it in your pocket and head off to a party. Weighing in at just over 1lb, it measures a tiny 13.5cm x 5.5 x 10 cm. Despite the diminutive proportions, the FFI is capable of throwing an image of up 1.75m wide with a resolution of 800 x 600 – good enough for DVD quality. With a lamp life of 10,000 hours, it easily outlasts bigger DLP projectors. This is not going to compete head-on with dedicated home cinema projectors in terms of image size or quality but it is very cool and will keep the kids amused no matter where you go. It will cost you around £630 here. Full specs here. projector Projectors DLP toshiba home entertainment

Posted by Martin Lynch on April 13, 2006 in Active Home | Permalink | Comments (41)

Streaming music may be all the rage but it is not always that easy to put into practice. Sonos arrived on the scene last year with its ZonePlayer (ZP) music streaming kit , helping to simplify the whole process – albeit at a price. Now, the company has announced its first bundle, the ZonePlayer 80 Bundle, for £779. The Sonos solution lets you play your digital music all over your house, on your current audio equipment by connecting a ZP80 to any amplified audio device which then becomes part of the wireless music system. You can wirelessly control your music using the palm-sized, wireless controller with a colour LCD, the Sonos Controller. The new bundle comprises two ZonePlayer 80 speakers/receivers and a Sonos Controller. See a demonstration of Sonos in action here.

music audio Streaming home entertainment

Posted by Martin Lynch on April 12, 2006 in Active Home, Music, Web/Tech | Permalink | Comments (3)

When it comes to big TVs we usually think in terms of 42in and above. At the consumer electronics shows we are sometimes treated to some 100in HDTV wonders but in the mainstream, the biggest that high-definition TVs get is around 65in. Pathetic really when compared to what is being hailed as the world’s largest LED display. Measuring 137 feet long by 50 feet high, the new display – capable of displaying high definition content – has been unveiled at the Miami Dolphins’ football stadium in the US. Installed by Daktronics, it is one of two massive LCD displays the biggest of which can be best described as a 1750in TV. Pity then that all people will ever get to see on it is American football and commercials. Via HD Beat.

hdtv TV display football sport technology

Posted by Martin Lynch on April 11, 2006 in Active Home, Television, Web/Tech | Permalink | Comments (2)

While high-definition TV (HDTV) might be hogging the media attention in the run-up to the World Cup, Dolby Laboratories is making sure that audio is on the agenda too. With HDTV broadcasting ready to greatly enhance the visual aspect of the ‘beautiful game’, Dolby has announced that the games will be broadcast in full Dolby 5.1 surround sound. The company is working with HBS, the dedicated host broadcaster, to guarantee that all World Cup games across the 12 stadiums will be in delivered in surround for the first time. It should make a huge difference to the atmosphere of watching the games at home. That said, you will need to have your HDTV, HD set-top box and speakers in place to really feel the full-power of a surround sound Mexican wave.

 

HDTV world cup Football audio dolby

Posted by Martin Lynch on April 10, 2006 in Active Home | Permalink | Comments (1)

Fujitsu has launched two ‘home-friendly’ high definition TVs (HDTVs) aimed at the home cinema enthusiast. The new 42in and 50in Plasmavision models are the snappily named P42HTA51 and P50XTA51 and come with speakers and stands as standard to get that movie set-up off the ground. Classed as HD Ready, both TVs come with a HDMI input for connecting up to high-def video sources through a single cable. They also feature Fujitsu’s AVM II video processing technology which aims to boost contrast and brightness. The 42in model has a resolution of 1024 x 1024 while the 50in comes with a resolution of 1366 x 768. This is a bit disappointing since neither will natively support the better quality HD broadcasts of 1080i or 1080p. Both the P42HTA51and P50XTA51 are shipping now and come with prices tags £1,995 and £3,495, respectively. 

HDTV TV home entertainment fujitsu

Posted by Martin Lynch on April 7, 2006 in Television | Permalink | Comments (1)

One of the UK’s most recognised High St. brands Dixons, has decided to pack up shop after 75 years and move onto the Internet instead. Thanks to rising rates, falling profits and competition from online etailers, Dixons has decided if you can’t beat them, join them. As part of DSG International, Dixons move online does not mean it’s just giving up on the High St. though as the remaining 190 stores will all be rebranded as Currys.Digital - Currys is also part of DSG. The move brings down the curtain on Europe’s largest electronics retailer. Dixons has had an online presence for the last four years but now all of its efforts will go into trying to compete with the major etailers, like Amazon. Sadly, the arrival of Currys.Digital will also mean a change in portfolio. Whereas Dixons was filled with gadgets and entertainment goodies at every turn, don’t be surprised if you now bump into the odd washing machine, dishwasher or Dyson. 

news technology home entertainment Dixons

Posted by Martin Lynch on April 6, 2006 in Web/Tech | Permalink | Comments (0)

Pioneer is all set for the onset of high-definition broadcasts by announcing it has developed the world’s first, 50in HD plasma display capable of displaying 1080p resolution video - the highest level of quality for HD video. The PDP-5000EX Pure Vision Black Plasma Display with a 1920 x 1080 resolution can handle all HD sources including 720p, 1080i and 1080p. Pioneer claims to have doubled the pixel density and resolution in this new set, due to ship in June - in time for the World Cup, but just about. Obviously, the TV can handle standard definition and high definition sources but Pioneer says it can automatically upscale signals to higher resolutions. Connectivity includes HDMI (High Definition Multimedia Interface), DVI (HDCP), component and composite inputs. No price yet but saving hard now is advised.

TV HDTV Plasma Pioneer home entertainment

Posted by Martin Lynch on April 5, 2006 in Television | Permalink | Comments (0)

The projector market is facing some fundamental changes and not all of the big players are going to make it through according to market watchers, Pacific Media Associates (PMA). In its forthcoming  forecast for the front projector market, PMA claims the old model of price-driven competition of similar products that target certain customers via the same channels to market is no good anymore. Companies are going to have to take risks and start creating opportunities in order to stay ahead. According to PMA founder William Coggshall:

“The projector industry is gridlocked and manufacturers must change their approach or die a slow death. Companies with vision will take advantage of further miniaturisation, lower costs, and new technologies to enable projection capability to be built into all sorts of consumer electronic gadgets by the end of this decade.”

The researcher highlighted pocket projectors (pictured), instant theater and video boom boxes as potential growth markets. Via AV Interactive.

News projector home cinema Home Theater

Posted by Martin Lynch on April 4, 2006 in Active Home | Permalink | Comments (0)

The world’s first commercially available HD DVD player has gone on sale in Japan, beating Blu-Ray to the punch and with a lower price tag to boot. That said, UK shoppers will have to wait until the end of the summer before getting any HD DVD player capable of playing the first generation of high definition (HD) movies.
With a retail price of under £500, the HD-XA1 is for playback only, supporting high-res HD movies and newer surround sound formats including Dolby Digital Plus, Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD. It is also capable of upscaling regular DVD video to high definition resolutions of 720p and 1080i. Despite the lack of HD DVD movies out there, those lucky Japanese purchasers will get two free HD DVD flicks with the new player: Resident Evil and Moonlight Jellyfish.
Well, maybe not so lucky after all.

HD DVD Blu-ray Toshiba movies

Posted by Martin Lynch on April 3, 2006 in Active Home | Permalink | Comments (10)