Satellite & cable

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 »

The HDMI Licensing body has announced an early update to its version 1.4 HDMI specification, to further broaden compatibility for 3D technology. The new v1.4a iteration will incorporate mandatory TV support for a variety of broadcast 3D formats, ensuring display equipment knows how to adjust depending on the type of 3D signal received.
While the first version of HDMI v1.4 provided 3D support for Blu-ray and  read more »

Sky has expanded its Sky+HD receiver lineup with a new box featuring a massive 1TB drive. Available now, priced at £249 (installation costs £30 for newcomers and £60 for the rest of us), the new model can store up to 240 hours of hi-def, or 740 hours of  standard definition TV.  read more »

Sky has announced that it will launch the UK’s first dedicated 3D TV channel this April. To kick-off publicity for the service, the satcaster will transmit this Sunday's Premier League match between Arsenal and Manchester United at the Emirates Stadium live in 3D to selected pubs around the UK and Ireland.  read more »

The BBC iPlayer beta trial on Freesat has been extended, with the freecaster now officially releasing the code needed to access the service. To take part, you'll require a Humax Freesat HD or Freesat+ set top box and a broadband connection of at least 1Mbps.
Although the iPlayer has been available via Virgin’s V+ PVR for some time, the move marks the first time the service has been made available on a  read more »

Sky has been quick to confirm that its planned 3D broadcasts will be fully compatible with the new generation of 3D TVs being announced this week at CES.
Brian Lenz, head of Sky’s Product Design and Product Development division says: ‘This is a great example of Sky and TV manufacturers taking the initiative to ensure there is no confusion over formats. By working together with set manufacturers, we want to provide  read more »

News that Sky had inked a deal with MGM for a new, dedicated HD movie channel raised a smile when it was announced last week. When it comes to finding high definition material to feed a swanky new flatpanel, the Sky proposition just gets stronger and stronger.
The new film channel (it’s at 345 on the EPG) is a 50/50 joint venture between Sky and MGM and runs 24/7. It pledges to showcase classics from the MGM library, and Sky has already confirmed  read more »

The next generation of Humax Freesat set-top boxes, scheduled for launch next February, will be able to access the BBC iPlayer and ITV Player services from the outset, meaning that viewers will no longer be tethered to their PC screens when catching up with EastEnders and the like.  read more »

Sky has confirmed that E4 HD, the second dedicated hi-def  channel from C4, will launch on December 14.  A simulcast of E4, the channel will screen HD iterations of popular shows like Misfits, Hollyoaks, Peep Show and HCC fave Glee. The arrival of E4 HD brings the total number of  HD channels available through Sky+HD to 36, making it easily the most dominant UK HD broadcast platform.  Currently running alongside Sky’s own output are  read more »

Freesat starts the festive fun as Home Cinema Choice presents its AV Christmas gift ideas...

With prices starting at £67.39, you could treat yourself or your loved ones this Christmas to a Freesat set-top-box or, if you're particularly flushed of pocket, a Sony or PanasonicTV with an integrated Freesat tuner  read more »

The UK cable TV and broadband supplier Virgin Media has announced an exclusive deal with TiVo to bring the US-based PVR specialist back to these shores.

Many early adopters bemoaned the original withdrawal of TiVo hardware from the UK market, as the American company's proprietary user-interface and set-top-box technologies were groundbreaking at the time. And US AV fans have  read more »

The BBC iPlayer’s long-anticipated migration onto Freesat looks likely to begin this November. According to Rahul Chakkara, the BBC Controller for TV Platforms, an MHEG-5 compliant version of the interface will begin Beta deployment ‘by the end of November’ on the Freesat platform.
The DTG (Digital Television Group) along with the BBC’s R&D team have been  read more »

What Video & Hi-Def TV Digital Edition #1 is now available online and as a free download!

Home Cinema Choice's sister magazine What Video & Hi-Def TV has put together this e-zine for you to read and/or download, and it's completely free. Inside are reviews of some of the UK's most popular TVs, Blu-ray players and Freesat receivers, plus everything you ever wanted to know about Freeview. And, if you like this edition, nip down the shops and check out the latest issue, which is crammed with reviews, views and news...

To download the entire pdf file of this Digital Edition, go here and click the download button.

1.6 million homes now have access to Sky HD. The satcaster has released sterling growth figures, which reveal that during the months between July and September it was recruiting Sky+ HD customers every 30 seconds. 287,000 signed up to the HD platform during the Summer promotional period – a threefold increase on the same period the previous year.  read more »

Is a Sky TV/Samsung tie up in the works for 2010? According to a report in The Korea Times, Rupert Murdoch recently met with senior executives from Samsung Electronics.

Sources indicate that Murdoch traveled to the company’s manufacturing facility in Suwon, SKorea, to confab with Choi Gee-sung, Samsung's digital media division chief.
One of the topics  read more »