Samsung has reportedly inked a deal with Apple said to be worth $240million to deliver screens for the upcoming iPad. The first iPads will feature screens made by LG Display and Chimei Innolux Corp., a Taiwanese display group, but the deal remains a major coup for the SKorean giant. Despite the size of the Samsung deal, LG will remain the main supplier of screens for the iPad, having already signed up to supply  read more »

I like big speaker and subwoofer products and have tested some absolute doozies in my time. Yet above a certain level, you kind of have to go visit them rather than have them visit you. So the recent Sound & Vision show in Bristol saw me driving to see the new stuff, and also to review a subwoofer so bloody huge it might have been a bit of an issue getting it installed in my house: The Paradigm Signature Sub 2.

Not because of its physical size but because it weighs over sixteen and a half stones - or over 100 kilos for you youthful types. It is a stumpy hexagonal spud with three faces with grilles and three that are woody panels. Under each grille reside two ten inch woofers, making this a six-driver subwoofer!

And that means that a megalomaniacal four and one half kilowatt continuous power amplifier can be hooked up to the speakers....

Read more reports from the 2010 Bristol Show in Home Cinema Choice issue 181, on sale April 8, and HCC's review of the Paradigm Signature Sub 2 in issue 182, on sale May 6.

Digital media company DivX has released the latest version of its Windows media suite. The free-to-download DivX Plus includes a player, web player, file converter and codec pack.    read more »

The lights are going out at Toshiba - but don't worry, the Japanese giant isn't pulling out of AV. It's just that Toshiba Lighting and Technology Corporation has stopped manufacturing traditional incandescent lightbulbs in favour of new-fangled LED types.  read more »

Active Shutter 3D TV sets look certain to become the de facto standard for 3D in the home, but pop out for a pint and you’ll still have a chance to compare the technology with Passive Polarization models, thanks to a deal between LG and Sky.

The Korean TV maker will supply the satcaster with a large (if unspecified) number of screens to be installed in pubs nationwide, in time for its weekly Premier League  read more »

Dolby will debut a new theatrical surround sound format, called Dolby Surround 7.1, in cinemas this Summer. The first movie to benefit will be the Disney/Pixar threequel Toy Story 3.

Dolby says that this latest cinematic iteration of its popular surround codec will better integrate with 3D imaging on the big screen, providing full 360-degree audio.  read more »

Hinting at a future where PVRs are made obsolete by Video On Demand, Virgin Media has announced a new hi-def receiver sans hard drive for subscribers to its ultra fast fibre-optic network.

The V HD Box will be available on March 22 for £49 (plus an installation fee of £35). There will be no additional monthly HD subscription to pay.  read more »

Sony has confirmed that it is junking its original Applicast TV internet portal in favour of a new system based on open standards. Introduced on TVs just one year ago, the AppliCast service suffered in comparison to rival content portals from Panasonic and Samsung. Only a limited number of Apps have been Cast.
Speaking at an exclusive briefing of the brand's 2010 Monolith TV range, Sony executive Ed Uzzell told HCC: ‘The problem with  read more »

From tomorrow, you’ll be able to experience first-hand Sky’s upcoming 3D TV service. The satcaster’s new 3D TV Experience opens at the giant Westfield mall in West London (you’ll find it at the Sky Retail Store on level 2).
It’s the first in what will be 100 shopping mall demonstration 'Experiences' rolled-out to support Sky 3D this year.  read more »

LG today confirmed it will release its active shutter Full HD 3DTV and 3D Blu-ray player in May to meet what it describes as 'increasing interest in 3D across the nation.'  read more »