You couldn't make it up - as Richard Littlejohn is fond of saying. 3DTV isn't even in the shops yet, but already doom-merchants are claiming that it could be hazardous to your health.
Internet pundits such as BoingBoing.net and ABC.net.au are sounding Daily Mail-style warnings that prolonged exposure to 3DTV could read more »
Original PVR pioneer TiVo has unveiled a new generation of set top boxes at a press event Stateside which it claims represents the next evolution in personal video recording. read more »
TechRadar's 2010 Awards are here! Vote for your top tech - and you could win a share of £25K worth of prizes.
The TechRadar Awards 2010 have gone live today at www.techradar.com/awards and we want you to vote for the tech you've loved the most over the last 12 months. read more »
Onkyo is famed for being first out of the traps with desirable new features, and the TX-NR807 is certainly no exception. This is the first receiver under £1,000 to feature Dolby ProLogic IIz and Audyssey DSX processing.
Opinions on the merits of both formats and the need to move rear-back speakers to front-height or front-wide position are divided (largely between me and the HCC editor) but I am right and anyone who disagrees is wrong. Audyssey DSX and Dolby ProLogic IIz are a revelation in home cinema sound and a must-have for any modern set up. And now Onkyo has made this available in a stunningly specified THX Select2 receiver all for £800. Thank you Team Onk!
It’s not my perfect solution though. The TX-NR807 is still a seven-channel amp, meaning you will have to dispense with rear-back channels to choose between either height channels or DSX width speakers...
First published in Home Cinema Choice 176
You can also download a pdf of this review here
Panasonic’s PT-AE4000 looks like the same big, grey shoebox the brand has been touting as a projector for the last three years. Indeed, there’s no visible difference between this and the outgoing PT-AE3000, but for good reason – it’s a shoebox with a remarkably successful lineage and exquisite picture quality.
While the unapologetically dull and corporate casing remains the same, inside you’ll find a new kind of lamp that promises better colour and contrast, and more of the picture-enhancing features that have made this series of projectors a favourite among home cinema enthusiasts...
First published in Home Cinema Choice 177
You can also download a pdf of this review here
What a TV! Sony’s Freesat-enabled LCD debut is a thrilling example of how good a cutting-edge, CCFL-backlit screen can be.
On looks alone, the KDL-46Z5800 could easily be dismissed. It’s thin without being really skinny, but is, from the front, just an anonymous black rectangle. There’s little or no flair displayed, save for a glowing Sony logo that you’ll invariably turn off anyway, else it hampers the viewing experience. It has a relatively drab aesthetic – in essence, the telly equivalent of holidaying in Burnley.
However, none of this matters when it’s switched on. In fact, the blandness of the exterior helps draw the eye to the glass itself. And maybe that’s the point – it’s here where the magic happens, after all...
First published in Home Cinema Choice 177
You can also download a pdf of this review here
After numerous years in development, Quantic Dream founder and CEO David Cage's long-gestating and much-touted vision of the future of 'interactive drama' is finally here. The question now then is whether or not the finished game can possibly live up to our own expectations and the creative team's numerous claims. And while the answer - unsurprisingly - is no, Heavy Rain still read more »
Philips has announced that it will employ LED backlighting across its entire LCD TV range this year. Both edge and full array LED backlights will be used (dubbed LED and LED Pro). The new 5000, 7000 and 8000 TV line up features edge lighting, while full array with local dimming is reserved for the top-end 9000 range (pictured left and below).
The company is also getting into 3D: the 9000 and read more »