Below are the top stories from around the internet.
LG 3D TV line to debut in May – The Register
Samsung to bundle glasses with 3D TVs – The Register - Only two pairs?
Samsung is betting big on 3D TV – The Inquirer
Sharp Aquos LC-52LE700E 52in LED Backlit LCD TV Review – Trusted Reviews - Dam time to upgrade
Samsung SP-A600B DLP Projector Review – Trusted Reviews
First of all I’ll admit to being a fan of Onkyo receivers, my own TX-SR806 has served me well and has great sound as well as it’s THX certification works well with my B&W speakers. Now Onkyo has released a new line of upgraded budget receivers topped off with the new TX-SR608 their first featuring HDMI 1.4 and able to transmit 3D HD video to a compatible 3D TV. For audio this receiver also features HD audio decoding and Dolby’s ProLogic IIz adding two height channels. Another new feature is an analogue RGB video input for connecting a media PC or laptop, however most users should still use one of the I connectors to keep the video digital (wither via HDMI on your PC or using a DVI to HDMI cable). The 608 also includes Audyssey room correction and DVD upscaling to full 1080p.
This is how the new line up looks
TX-SR608 – THX Select2-certified 7.2-channel HD home cinema receiver with 1080p upscaling, analogue RGB in, Dolby Pro Logic IIz/Audyssey DSX – £450
TX-SR508 – 7.1-channel HD home cinema receiver with Dolby Pro Logic IIz – £350
TX-SR308 – 5.1-channel HD home cinema receiver – £250
Also announced are new all-in-one packages and speakers. To partner the above is a new budget Blu-Ray player priced at £200.
Available this summer, the BRAVIA XBR-LX900 series features integrated 3D functionality and screen sizes including 60 (XBR-60LX900), 52 (XBR-52LX900), 46 (XBR-46LX900), and 40-inch (XBR-40LX900). Sony is using its own active shutter glasses which fly against their recent announcement of a partnership with ReadD which uses passive glasses. The models also include integrated Wi-Fi for streaming video from the internet including services such as YouTube and Sony’s own Bravia Internet video platform. Perhaps more interesting is that these sets couple 3D with full-array LED backlighting improves contrast and dynamic range by local dimming that controls the LED backlight level by area so that detail is maintained in the dark areas
The XBR-HX900 series 3D ready (with the addition of Sony active shutter glasses and transmitter, both sold separately) full HD (1920 x 1080p) models feature Intelligent Dynamic LED backlight and Sony’s new Monolithic Design. These can be upgraded with an optional wireless adapter for internet streaming. These models are lit by edge LED backlighting.
Your new Sony TV will also watch you, with face detection the new presence sensor will detect if you’ve left the room and dim the TV to save power and if you’re out for an extended period of time the TV will turn off.
New 3D Blu-ray options
The BDP-S770 is Sony’s new top of the range 3D capable Blu-ray player. Featuring 802.11n high speed Wi-Fi and a wired Ethernet connection, this player also allows streaming on internet content. This player can also be controlled from Sony’s BD Remote iPod/iPhone application.
The BDV-HZ970W 3D capable home theatre system features S-Air wireless speaker technology to enable wireless (excluding the power) rear speakers or you can stream wireless audio to another room. With wired connections the system delivers 1000watts of power over its 5.1 channels.
It’s looking increasingly likely that RealD’s glasses systems for 3D TV may be the default system for 3D TV. Previously signed up by Sony and JVC/Kenwood the company has now announced that its system will also be used by Samsung. With some of the biggest players in TV technology now signed up it looks like RealD could be the dominant system for 3D in the home. This could also mean that with so many companies adopting the same technology that the price could be driven down where the expected premium for 3D over conventional 2D TV’s could be lower than expected.
Following on from the recent announcement that Sony has selected ReadD as its technology partner for 3D TV’s JVC Kenwood as how announced that it will also use ReadD’s systems in future 3D TV’s and imaging systems. No announcements were made about specific products.
Sony and ReadD announced a partnership to use ReadD’s 3D technology in future Sony Bravia TV’s. The ReadD system is currently used in hundreds of cinemas worldwide. Sony will product new LCD TV’s that will work in conjunction with ReadD’s glasses, to bring 3D technology to the home. It has already been announced that the final specification of the Blu-ray 3D standard will work with the Playstation 3 so coupling this with the new Bravia 3D TV’s should be an exciting prospect.
Check out our review of the Western Digital My Book Wold Edition World Edition DLNA network storage/streaming device
If yo’re looking for a device for backing up your PC’s and streaming your photo’s, video and music around your house it’s an essential review.
The Inquirer reports that Sky will start 3D broadcasting before 2010 in the UK. Wee that means they have a month. Read the full story here
Just a word of caution if your thinking or rushing out to pickup a 3D TV for the football. There are few models available and with no standard yet announced for Blu-ray this may be a little premature. LG have a 42 inch commercial display the M4210D which will display 3D for around £7,000, Philips have the 42-3D6W02 which can be found between £6,000 and £9,000 ish online (looks like it may have been discoutinued). There is a very steep price for being in early but you can expect cheaper consumer displays when Sky start broadcasting.
Paramount Digital Entertainment and Kingston technology have announced a deal to make full length movies available on Kingston USB memory and SD cards. No mention on what type of security or DRM may be used but these devices must have some kind copy protection. Also remiss from the announcement is what type of devices these with play on other than a PC.
Sony has announced a new range of Vaio L Series PC’s featuring full 1080p displays with multi-touch capabilities. These new computers feature 24” LCD displays supporting touch allowing the user to interact with images and Windows 7 through touch with Sony’s latest X-Black panels giving excellent images. The some PC’s also feature Blu-ray drives enabling HD disk playback. Processing power will be from Intel’s Core2 Quad processors. Storage will be available up to 1TB with the built-in tuner giving these PC’s full DVR capabilities. The Vaio L Series will be available from October 22nd which is also the launch date for Microsoft’s Windows 7 operating system.
Hot Hardware reports that TDI has created a 10 layer disk using Blu-ray’s Blue laser technology to hold up to 320MB. We have heard of such developments before with 100GB and 200GB disks unveiled before but none have made it to practical release.
Denon is a brand that’s produced good home cinema gear and now they have introduced their cheapest Blu-ray player yet, the BDP-1610. All the usual features are there including DVD upscaling to 1080p, 1080p/24 support and support for the latest audio formats including Dolby Tru HD and DTS Master Audio. In addition it will play DivxHD content and AVCHD contend from cameras and camcorders. The player will be available in the UK in October for a recommended price of £399.
It seems like the 3D bandwagon is well and truly rolling, following recent releases from Panasonic and other manufacturers Sony has announced that it will bring 3D into the home in 2010. Unlike some other manufacturers technologies Sony is committing to offer full HD 1080p resolution to its 3D offering. As well as announcing that it will introduce a full line up of TV’s they also announced that 3D support will come to the Playstation 3 for Blu-ray and games. Sony’s system will be based on sequential display technology where the screen runs with high refresh rates showing each eye’s frame in succession synchronised to a pair of glasses. Sony is in a somewhat unique position to drive 3D not just by owning Sony Pictures Entertainment but also in producing Cinema equipment as well as home hardware and being a driver in Blu-ray technology
LG has launched a new range of ‘borderless’ TV’s. The new SL8000 and SL9000 feature the companies new BORDERLESS™ technology to almost completely eliminate the borders usually found around TV’s. The BORDERLESS™ SL9000 LED TV delivers picture quality as flawless as its smooth surface. Its LED backlight makes possible a dynamic fine contrast ratio of 3,000,000:1. Other features include Bluetooth and HD DivX compatibility. Beneath the SL8000’s beautiful exterior hides a top-end Full HD 1080p SuperIPS panel, which can be finely tuned using LG’s Expert Mode. TruMotion 200Hz ensures that fast onscreen action is always super sharp and a dynamic fine contrast ratio of 150,000:1 gives the TV amazing clarity. LG’s exclusive Intelligent Sensor reduces energy consumption, helping make both TVs friendlier to the environment.
Well is if you like your HD programming sparse (I like to think of Freesat as HD 1.1 as you only get BBC HD as a complete channel with the odd ITV HD program now and then) well previously only Panasonic had launched TV’s with integrated Freesat receivers so if you want to join the recently disappointed then you have another option.
All the usual features are there, 1080p, 100,000:1 contrast ratio, 24p support, BRAVIA ENGINE™ 3 and Live Colour™ the main difference is that the W5810 offers 100Hz picture processing and the Z5800 comes with 200Hz processing