Hot on the heels of the launch of the Slingbox from Slingmedia comes Sony’s version of ‘TV anywhere’, LocationFree. Like Slingbox, this device sits hooked up to your both your set-top box and DVD recorder and allows you to access live TV or recorded material from around the world. It does so by transmitting the content via in-built WiFi to your broadband connection.

All you have to do is have the relevant software on your laptop before jetting off and access to your hotel’s broadband. The TV/video signal is sent to your laptop and will playback smoothly , albeit at a variable bitrate depending on the quality of the broadband being used. Still, that’s a whole better than crappy old ‘buffering’. Unlike the Slingbox, however, it has no internal Freeview tuner and costs almost twice as much at £350. Sony stores will get them first next week while a wider rollout to other retail outlets is expected later in the summer.

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Posted by Martin Lynch on May 31, 2006 in Active Home, Television, Web/Tech | Permalink | Comments (0)

Arcam has introduced it’s latest DVD offering, an 1080p high-definition upscaling DVD player with support for both DVD-Audio and Super Audio CD (SACD) audio formats. All you need is a spare £1,250. The Arcam DV137 might look unassuming but inside is enough technical trickery to launch the space shuttle. It uses the Zoran Vaddis 888S core processing engine for both audiophile and videophile quality.

Upscaling is handled by the high-end ABT1010 video scaler from Anchor Bay, allowing for regular DVD quality to be upscaled to near-720p, 768p, 1080i and 1080p quality levels. The player comes with a HDMI input, a new on-board video setup wizard for user video display calibration, and ‘always-on’ composite and SCART video support. Extra extended buffer memory means there is no pause when layer changes occur on dual-layer discs.

There’s even a high quality zoom function with 1.25 and 1.5 settings to fill screens with wrong aspect ratios. Not for everyone’s wallet but it’s always nice to see the kind of technology that will, eventually, filter down into more affordable upscaling DVD players. If we’re lucky.

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Posted by Martin Lynch on May 30, 2006 in Active Home | Permalink | Comments (0)

Samsung has updated its high definition TV (HDTV) offerings just in time for the World Cup with the launch of the R7 range. Arriving in sizes of 26in, 32in, 37in and 40in, the new batch of swivel-based TVs boast a certain amount of style and a few nice features that include in-built digital TV tuners and response times of 8ms, which should eliminate motion blurring.

Screen resolution on all models is 1366 x 768 and they all feature a HDMI input, making them ready for HD movies that use the HDCP content protection system. Contrast ratios range from 3000:1 to 5000:1, while screen brightness is measured at 500 cd/m². The TVs also sport a Games Mode, which increases sharpness and screen response times. Shipping now, prices start at £800. 

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Posted by Martin Lynch on May 29, 2006 in Active Home, Television, Web/Tech | Permalink | Comments (12)

There are enough iPod accessories out there to boggle the mind but every now and then one arrives that sets it apart from the crowd, if only a little. Meet the iWoofer, an iPod dock with lunar landing craft ambitions. The ovoid shape, in part, is down to it housing a pair of 3W speakers, backed up by a 6W subwoofer designed to eliminate the tinny, weak sound you can end up hearing with many speaker-dock combos.

It charges your iPod and also sports an FM radio. Keeping with the space theme there is a blue flashing light around the bottom that flashes in time to the tunes. Weighing in at 474g and almost 7in high, this runs off mains but can be made portable using 4AA batteries. There’s a separate version for new iPods and Nanos. Landing in the UK this month, both will cost £95 from here.

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Posted by Martin Lynch on May 25, 2006 in Music | Permalink | Comments (7)

Freeview, the free-to-air digital TV, provider thinks moré needs to be done to educate punters about the latest generation of personal video recorders (PVRs), also known as digital video recorders (DVRs).

Unlike older VCRs, newer recorders record to internal hard disk drives or blank DVDs. They also sport advanced features include support for 7-day electronic programming guides (EPGs), the ability to pause and rewind live TV, while some will let you go to the start of a programme that is still be recorded and watch it. The company will launch a Freeview Playback brand this September to raise PVR/DVR awareness among consumers and boost the uptake of such devices from its partners. The move follows disappointing results from its own research, which found that there is very little awareness among Joe Public about new TV recording technology. It’s also an attempt to create its own recorder branding against the dominant Sky+.

Apart from education, the Digital Television Group will ensure that a new Freeview Playback logo will be present on supporting recorders while manufacturers will be asked to use a common product description to make it easier for consumers. Whether manufacturers will actually listen is another thing altogether. Cary Wakefield, Freeview general manager said:

“The launch of Freeview Playback is crucial to driving consumer understanding and uptake and will help to clearly define the category.”

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Posted by Martin Lynch on May 25, 2006 in Active Home, Television | Permalink | Comments (16)

Sony has announced its first DVD additions to the Walkman brandname with the launch of two new portable DVD players. First up is an ‘ultra-compact’ model, the D-VE7000s DVD Walkman, which uses a tablet-design and is little bigger than a DVD case.

It sports a 7-inch widescreen LCD, rechargeable battery and support for a wide range of discs including DVD, DVD±R/±RW and DVD±R dual layer discs, as well as CD, Video CD, CD-R/RW. It can handle DivX, MP3 and JPEG formats and has an average playback time of three hours. It comes bundled with headphones, speaker cradle and a £200 price tag. There is also an optional car kit.

The second model is the clamshell DVP-FX810 portable cinema, with a bigger 8in screen that can be swivelled 180 degrees. Anti-shock technology has been in-built for smooth playback on those never-ending, family summer road trips. It also comes with a handy remote control so that you can lay down the law, and be obeyed, from the front seat. The unit is good for a six hours using the supplied external rechargeable battery and it comes with a car kit as standard. It will cost £250. Both are due out next month. Full details here.

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Posted by Martin Lynch on May 24, 2006 in Active Home | Permalink | Comments (4)

It’s not an iPod but the first real attempt by LG to sneak a piece of the digital music player action away from Apple in the UK. This 8Gb jukebox may be LG’s first try in this space but it has a decent range of features to match the sleek looks. It offers support for MP3, WAV, and OGG, as well as WMA-encrypted music downloads and is listed under Microsoft PlayForSure banner. At 14mm it’s reasonably thin but the 1.8in OLED display with a paltry resolution 160x128 pixels is nothing to write home about. It will also play back MP4 videos files. Still, that OLED screen does come into its own when it comes to battery life: a claimed 30 hours for music and fours hours for video. No prices yet but more details about the incredibly badly named MFJM53 can be found here.

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Posted by Martin Lynch on May 23, 2006 in Active Home, Music, Web/Tech | Permalink | Comments (0)

Sky has admitted that there will be delays to the rollout of its high definition TV (HDTV) service to UK viewers. The satellite provider has blamed the supplier of its set-top boxes which have not arrived in the numbers Sky expected. The first installations of the new service kicked off last week but some hopeful customers were alerted by Sky that installation would have to be delayed. It’s not yet clear just how severe the delays will be but this is a big blow to viewers and Sky with the World Cup just around the corner. In a statement, Sky said:

"Sky HD is launching on time today but we are having to change some installation dates because of delays to HD box deliveries. We ordered more than enough boxes to meet demand and we're ready to install them but they're not arriving from our supplier as fast as we agreed. We think the fairest approach is to keep installations in the original order. Although this means that any delay to the first installations may have a knock-on effect on others, we believe it is important that those who requested Sky HD first will still be amongst the first to receive it. Thousands of customers will have their HD box this week and many more will be installed in time for the start of the World Cup. We'll do everything we can to bring HD to everyone as soon as possible."

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Posted by Martin Lynch on May 22, 2006 in Television | Permalink | Comments (2)

Now that you’ve purchased your first Ferrari, you’ll want something to go along with it – think of it as a Ferrari theme for the house, in those rare times when you won’t be sitting in your £160,000 armchair in the driveway. What better then than the Art.Engine limited Edition speaker system from, you guessed it, Ferrari. This imposing speaker tower is 47in high, 16in wide and 6in deep so, like the car, discreet it isn’t.

There’s no doubt however that it has a certain in-your-face style. As a single speaker audio solution it has around 280W at its disposal and can be hooked up to traditional stereos, CD/vinyl decks and iPods. It also supports wireless music streaming. Still, at around £12,000 you’d expect more power, more facilities and frankly, another thrown in for free. Car fanatics with cash will no doubt seriously consider this while those looking for audio quality will do well to look elsewhere. After all, £12,000 is a lot to pay for some shiny red paint and horse logo.

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Posted by Martin Lynch on May 19, 2006 in Active Home | Permalink | Comments (1)

Sharp is the latest to join the high definition (HD) projector ranks with the £2,500 XV-Z3000. It comes with a 1280 x 768 pixels resolution and the now standard HDMI input, required for watching forthcoming HD movies, all of which will use the HDCP copyright protection system. It is compatible with both 720p and 1080i HD video formats. Based on DLP projection technology, it has a claimed 6500:1 contrast ratio and a brightness rating of 1200 ANSI lumens. Colour is handled by a six-segment, 5-speed colour wheel while the Colour Management System allows for manual adjustment of the six main colours: red, yellow, green, cyan, blue and magenta. Operating at 30dB, it should be silent enough not to disturb those tender, loving quiet bits in Reservoir Dogs.

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Posted by Martin Lynch on May 18, 2006 in Active Home | Permalink | Comments (1)

With the World Cup round the corner, excitement is growing at the prospect at watching it in high definition.

Sister title ComputerActive has just finished reviewing the Sky HD box and service, and were impressed with what we saw. Certainly, it's going to keep Hollywood directors on their toes.

And, back to the World Cup, if you're a Telewest customer, or an existing Sky HD customer, then you'll get to watch some matches in high definition. If you don't yet have Sky HD, you're unlikely to have it installed in time to watch the beautiful game in high definition detail.

Posted by Rob Jones on May 17, 2006 in Television | Permalink | Comments (1)

We all like window shopping but if you really want to see something larger than life, you might want to check out Harrods in London. The legendary posh shop, a long time collaborator with electronics manufacturer LG, has just become the latest stop for LG’s massive 102in high definition TV (HDTV) which is currently on its world tour. The plasma display panel (PDP) giant is on display in one of the larger windows and will be there until May 29^th surrounded by tiny little 42in models. The 102in display offers full high definition resolution of 1920 x 1080 and boasts a contrast ratio of 5000:1. Until the start of this year it was the largest plasma HDTV (along with Samsung) but Panasonic managed to squeeze in an extra inch with its 103in plasma, which it optimistically claims will be on sale by the end of this year. Via AV Info

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Posted by Martin Lynch on May 17, 2006 in Television | Permalink | Comments (0)

Cable TV company, Telewest has dealt rival Sky a double blow in the high definition TV (HDTV) stakes as the World Cup nears, by signing a deal with both the BBC and ITV. Telewest, which just recently merged with NTL, will offer customers the chance to view all the games in high-def from both channels, as long as they have a HD Ready display and a TVDrive for £10 a month. See how the TVDrive stacks up in this review.
It’s a big boost for Telewest which has been showing HD programmes from National Geographic, including Jean-Michel Cousteau's Ocean Adventures. For those that tire of 12 straight hours of footie, they can tune into other BBC and ITV high definition offerings including, Bleak House, Later with Jools Holland and Planet Earth.

While this is undoubtedly a good boost for Telewest’s HDTV ambitions there is little to suggest that this will prevent Sky from running away with the HD show. The company has already taken 40,000 advance orders for HDTV and installation kicks off next week.

football TV HDTV News sport world cup

Posted by Martin Lynch on May 16, 2006 in | Permalink | Comments (0)

Bang & Olufsen (B&O) has released some details about its forthcoming home cinema ‘hub’, the BeoSystem 3. This high-end fare was designed by David Lewis and retains the usual minimalist looks that B&O kit tends to have. Designed to sit in the middle of your digital home set-up, the BeoSystem 3 accepts video and audio feeds from a wide variety of devices before tweaking the inputs and redistributing the feeds to other devices like – stereos and TVs – around the home.

The company says: “BeoSystem 3 will be a digital video chassis and has 2 x DVI-D digital outputs to deliver the video signals to the plasma screen and/or projector. BeoSystem 3 will have the Automatic Picture Control function known from BeoVision 5 and BeoVision Avant and there is a new IR receiver.”

It can connect to up to 12 B&O speakers and two subwoofers, feeding different signals to different systems. For instance it could handle streaming music to a stereo system upstairs while also channeling   a high-definition movie to a 5.1 home cinema system somewhere else. Like all B&O kit there will be a lot of technical wizardry on hand as long as you have around £4,000 to spare when it launches this summer. More detail here.

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Posted by Martin Lynch on May 15, 2006 in Active Home | Permalink | Comments (0)

Diamonds may be a girl’s best friend but when it comes to luxury TV maker Loewe, don’t be surprised to find them on your box. Earlier this year the company launched an initiative to let users customise their TVs with up to 400 different material combinations that could be used to swap out side and front panels like mobile phones. The materials ranged from chrome to cream to leather trim, but now Loewe has taken it one step further with a limited edition Swarovski Crystal Edition. The company is going to make just 2,000 of these 32in LCD TVs, divided into 1,000 black TVs with dark crystal side panels and 1,000 cream/silver TVs with light crystal side panels. They are HD Ready and boast digital TV tuners, HDMI input and four internal speakers that will pump out a thumping 80W. The first round of personalised TVs cost around £2,200 and, for an extra £300, you could have an internal 80GB hard disk drive installed. But, these sparkling gems will set you back around £5000 apiece. 

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Posted by Martin Lynch on May 12, 2006 in Active Home, Film, Television | Permalink | Comments (8)

Sony finally revealed that two versions of the forthcoming PS3 are on their way in November with prices designed to make you swoon. What’s worse is that the so-called entry-level system leaves out many key features that is sure to anger many hopeful users. The two models are a basic PS3 with a 20GB hard disk drive and a bigger 60GB version. Both will use the Cell processor and have Blu-Ray drives for playing high-definition (HD) games and movies. In the US, these will cost $499 and $599 respectively, which works out at around £270 and £321. However, for Europe, the price suddenly becomes EUR499 and EUR599 which makes a huge difference, jacking the price of the basic model up to £341and the top model to £410.

However, users should be aware, that the differences between these two consoles is not just down to the size of the hard disk drives. The basic model is missing many keys features, including the Flash card reader, wireless networking support and, worst of all, a HDMI input. The HDMI input supports HDCP copyright protection which will be on every Blu-Ray-based HD movie. Without it, base model users will not be able to view HD movies. This is more than an oversight by Sony, it’s an unfair attempt to force users to upgrade to the top-end model. And, because many users are already confused by HD, millions of users that buy the base model are going to be both very disappointed and angry when they can’t watch all their new HD movies this Christmas.

UPDATE: Remember where we said last week that UK gamers were getting a raw deal at £410 for the top PS3? Well, it just got worse. Sony's UK MD has confirmed that the cost will actually be £425 when it launches on Nov 17.

Sony console PS3

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

iPod speaker docks and speakers are dime a dozen these days with many boasting the kind of tinny, small sound you’d associated with Minnie Mouse squealing for help. JBL’s Radial Speaker is hoping to change all of that. Not only does this iPod accessory look like a piece of contemporary art, it’s set to pump out 60Watts. When you compare that to the horde of 5-10Watt speaker docks, you are talking some serious sonic output from a small device. The system uses four aluminium-domed Odyssey full-range drivers, which are driven by powerful neodymium magnets, for superior dynamic range. Also, the low-frequency driver is capable of peak-to-peak travel of nearly one inch to fire out some thumping bass. You can hook up the Radial to computers or TVs for viewing photos or videos on the iPod. Due next month it will cost around £160.

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Posted by Martin Lynch on May 10, 2006 in Active Home, Music, Web/Tech | Permalink | Comments (7)

Microsoft has finally announced the long-awaited high-capacity HD DVD drive for the Xbox 360 console at the E3 2006 show. The announcement will no doubt give the HD DVD camp the boost they’ve been craving in its media-focused battle with the Blu Ray format. Although there’s no price, an add-on like this could prove to be one of the cheapest ways to get a high-definition (HD) player into your home. It will allow for playback of games and HD DVD movies in 720p resolution and will connect to the 360 via USB. Apart from that, details are very thin on the ground. There is no delivery date or price but Microsoft in its press release is keen to point how that it will be a lot cheaper than the first run of Blu-Ray players which will cost around £500, when they arrive in a few months.

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Posted by Martin Lynch on May 9, 2006 in Active Home | Permalink | Comments (8)

Norwegian firm, projectiondesign, is no slouch on the high-definition (HD) projection front, having launched one of the first HD models at the end of last summer. The company has followed up now with the Action! Model Two, a well specified 720p HD offering wrapped up in a small magnesium chassis with a price tag of £3,500. The Action! Model Two measures 234 x 278 x 94mm and weighs under 3KG.

Based on the latest Texas Instruments HD2+ DarkChip3 DLP processor, it sports a 7-segment colour wheel and projectiondesign's own light-engine design, a resolution of 1280 x 720 and a contrast ratio of 4000:1. It features true vertical lens shift, which allows you to physically adjust the projector lens up and down in its housing making the projector a lot easier to place in a room. It also sports all glass, cinema-grade lenses from Fujinon. The Action! Model Two measures 234 x 278 x 94mm, weighs under 3KG and comes in Vanquish Grey, Pearl White and Maranello Blue.      

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Posted by Martin Lynch on May 8, 2006 in Active Home | Permalink | Comments (9)

Sony has announced that it is pushing back the release date for its Blu-Ray movies by another month, giving HD DVD a two month head-start.

The new date will now be June 20, as opposed to just two weeks from now. Sony has denied speculation that the delay has anything to do with technical glitches.

"The majority of our retail base and hardware partners have requested that we reconsider this date to better coincide with the first commercially available Blu-Ray-compatible hardware,” said Sony Pictures home entertainment president, Benjamin Feingold.

Although it might seem like a blow to Blu-Ray, it’s not. The first Blu-Ray hardware is not due to launch until June 25 from Samsung. Ironically, Samsung was due to launch in two weeks but announced a one month delay recently. Even with a two month lead and fast sales of the first, somewhat measly batch of 10-15,000 HD-DVD players in the US, Toshiba has yet to replenish stocks.

blu-ray Sony hd dvd Toshiba

Posted by Martin Lynch on May 5, 2006 in Active Home | Permalink | Comments (6)

Sky has announced that its imminent high definition TV (HDTV) broadcasts will be in the 1080i format, not the previously announced combination of 720p and 1080i formats. The decison is bound to add fuel to the debate over whether UK TVs are up to the task. It is thought that 720p is better for fast moving sports action while 1080i is better for TV and movies but the big question is whether or not most UK HDTVS are ready for the higher format? The simple answer is not really but, don’t panic, and stop reading national newspaper scare stories for the good of your health.

Most UK HDTVs are 720/768 line models, better equipped for 720p than 1080i. In reality though, the picture quality difference between the two formats will be minimal on all but the largest sets. It should also be noted that Sky’s HD receiver will let users adjust the signal input to either 720p or 1080i depending on your set. If you haven’t bought a HDTV yet though, get one capable of displaying both 1080i and 720p to save any future headaches. Via HCC.

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Posted by Martin Lynch on May 4, 2006 in Active Home, Television | Permalink | Comments (3)

Sony is set to unleash its LocationFree TV offering in the UK this month, allowing you to stream TV not only around your home but also around the globe.

It sounds ‘out there’, but we have already heard about this kind of product in the shape of Slingbox, covered here, and due out this summer. The only difference is that Sony will launch first later this month and it will cost £350 from here.

By hooking the base station to a set-top box you can stream TV wirelessly to PCs or laptops with the bundled Sony software loaded but, the clever bit comes when you hook it up to your broadband. As long as you are in a location with 300Kbps or better broadband you will be able to dial into your TV and never miss that all-important episode of Top Gear. Even better, if you have a digital or personal video recorder (DVR or PVR) connected to the base station, you can program it to tape what you might miss from thousands of miles away.

Even PSP users can receive TV as long as they are running version 2.70 of the firmware.

TV internet streaming home entertainment

Posted by Martin Lynch on May 3, 2006 in Active Home, Television, Web/Tech | Permalink | Comments (7)

Sister title Personal Computer World has posted a group test looking at six minature USB TV tuners, just in time for the World Cup, and watching games on the quiet when you should be working.

None cost more than £89, and overall they were pretty easy to set up. The downside is really your location, and whether the TV signal is good enough to get a decent picture.

But if you're looking for a way of watching TV on your PC or notebook where ever you are, these little sticks might hold the answer. And of course, if you want to avoid the World Cup in football-loving house that hogs the TV, one of these may be your salvation.

Posted by Rob Jones on May 2, 2006 in Television | Permalink | Comments (14)

The Xbox 360 is hardly a pocketable device but JoyTech thinks there's some mileage in its latest add-on, a 9.2in LCD display. The JoyTech 9200 Digital LCD Monitor clips on the front and sports 800 x 480 resolution so games should look just fine but the big question is whether or not it’s worth £100. That’s right, £100. You can now pick up 15in and some 17in LCDs displays for that and even the most space-strapped student can fit in one of those.

It looks nice but just how close will you have to sit to see everything you need to see and considring the heat, you will not be sitting the 360 on your lap. If the Xbox was a portable device then this would make more sense but it’s not and it doesn’t. Will probably sell loads then. More here.

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Posted by Martin Lynch on May 2, 2006 in Games | Permalink | Comments (0)