Toshiba doesn't actually manufacture the panels and tech inside its TVs, but this 40-incher provides yet more proof of why – as a brand – it continues to be one of the most popular around. One word: value. There's no sniff of absolute top quality here, but nor is there anything remotely tacky about this Edge LED-lit effort; it’s a mid-range TV that will suit living rooms after an affordable flatscreen.

Even the plastic frame manages to make a decent effort at looking faintly metallic (the new vogue in flat telly land), though it's the super-slim bezel that's the 40RL858’s key design flourish; it's barely a centimetre in thickness, quite something for such a low-priced set.

Add a Freeview HD tuner, almost total digital file support from its USB slot, and a BBC iPlayer app, and the 40RL858 is so far looking every bit the every-man TV. There are, however, some significant problems that take this telly down a few notches in the flatpanel pecking order.

Wi-Fi, USB & digital file support

A big problem is Wi-Fi, or lack thereof. A TV that can access web content only via wired connection is hardly cutting-edge; we'd argue that a Wi-Fi dongle is crucial - one is available for a paltry £30, happily. Secondly, the 40RL858’s ins and outs are a tad restrictive. Most alarmingly there is only one USB slot, leaving us wondering whether to install that dongle or dock a USB stick full of DivX files. Choices, choices. We're also put out by the three HDMI inputs - hardly generous.

Also note that this USB slot cannot indulge in any kind of recording, pausing or rewinding of live digital TV, which although something of a relative oversight on a TV of this price, is hardly a deal breaker – a dedicated PVR does a far, far better job in any case.

In terms of file support we’re impressed by the 40RL858; it plays everything, including MKV video and Apple Lossless M4A music. If USB slots are a tad too manual for your tastes, know that the 40RL858 also indulges in DLNA networking, though here MKV isn't supported.

Smart TV hub

Our main complaint about Toshiba Places is its drab European-ness. We've nothing against our continental cousins, but do we need to read Euronews or France 24? Unfortunately, that's all that's on offer in the News Places area. We would much prefer local services, after all isn't that supposed to be the beauty of web-connected devices that know your IP address and location?.

Better is the Social Places section, which comprises Facebook, My Photos (Flickr-hosted) and My Videos (DailyMotion), while Games Places contains just Funspot, a tiny collection of slightly fiddly remote control-powered games including chess and Sudoku.

Music Places is virtually empty (iConcerts & Aupeo), and though Video Places (Viewster, BBC iPlayer, YouTube, Dailymotion, BoxOffice 365, Woomi, Cartoon Network, HiT Entertainment & Acetrax) is acceptably full, it’s got few must-have attractions. Toshiba Places is also rather slow to load and to navigate using the remote.

Graphical user interface

Although the general GUI is rather lacklustre, it does at least build-in some excellent shortcuts. For instance, the Media Player menu, accessed via a dedicated button on the remote, gives one-touch access to the application tab of the main onscreen menu; cue links to core services such as Toshiba Places, BBC iPlayer, YouTube, that USB media player and the network media player.

The quick controls shortcuts cover the same ground, but add a sleep timer, a roster of various picture presets, and some aspect ratio choices.

However, the Freeview HD electronic programme guide is ugly, slow and lacks basic functions; it's not a patch on the likes of Samsung and Sony TVs.

Picture & sound quality

With our test disc Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy engaged, it’s obvious straight from the off that the 40RL858 has some issues with light leakage. Although it’s most obvious with a blank screen, the dingy corridors aren't just lined with secrets; around the edges an uneven amount of blotchy light blights the picture’s darker elements. If watching on dynamic mode in a brightly lit room, it's not the huge problem it may at first appear to be, though even with the lights turned down low and some panel brightness sacrificed, it’s still noticeable.

Let's not pretend this is a reference level TV, but we spotted some shadow detailing within blocks of convincing darker colours. Colours are actually where this TV excels, showing off its nuanced palette that can deal with well saturated reds and greens as well as paler and more subtle, natural tones.

There is some motion blur, but again, it's not a serious problem if you engage the 100Hz mode. There's plenty of detail and sharpness in images; certainly enough to add to our impression of the 40RL858 as a tremendously good value screen for hosting Blu-ray images. It’s worth exploring the myriad picture presets, which include two Hollywood settings that are about as close as this TV get to a cinematic look, and also take some of the picture noise from non-HD sources.

If you’re careful, the 40RL858 is a jack-of-all-trades picture-wise – and that’s actually quite rare at this price.

Audio is via a set of stereo speakers on the 40RL858’s undercarriage, both of which are rated at 10W. Results are fairly poor, with a distinct lack of detail and low frequency in the basic soundstage that’s really only good enough for watching news programmes and the like.

Tags: Televisions Home Cinema Toshiba Toshiba 40RL858

Toshiba 40RL858 originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Thu, 02 Feb 2012 17:19:00 +0000

Personal TV is here. Sort of. If you're the type of person who endlessly fiddles with a TV's settings mid-movie to howls of abuse from your co-habitees - largely to undo others' ruinous work, obviously - Toshiba's 37UL863 might just be the TV for you.

Using face detection tech from a built-in camera, this lounge-friendly 37-inch LED TV saves preset picture parameters and other customised info, instantly loading them whenever you slump in front of it. Customised settings can include login details and various tweaks in Toshiba Places, a newly refreshed online hub of ‘smart’ TV that offers several, err, places for video, photos and social media accounts.

We’ll come on to the success or otherwise of these two features, but know that the 37UL863B's other features together make-up a thoroughly advanced TV.

HD and edge LED

Edge LED-backlighting is key to its success, though just as important is its Freeview HD tuner which should be de rigueur in 2011, though missed off some of Toshiba's other offerings this year. And, for free-to-air satellite fans, Freesat HD - an increasingly hard to find add-on, and one that’s strangely not trumped-up in the 37UL863B’s marketing.

Freeview HD is treated sumptuously, with a thoroughly comprehensive electronic programme guide giving broadcast information across multiple channels at once while the current channel continues underneath. It’s helpful, too; the set even produces a message that reads thus: ‘A higher quality version of this service may be available. Do you wish to change channel to this service?’, which is a slightly wordy way of saying ‘Fancy watching a HD version?’. Of course we do, though an upscaled version of Cash in the Attic wasn’t quite what we’d hoped for.

USB recording

We quickly found the USB recording option, which makes it possible to record live broadcasts - as well as set timers for recordings - straight to a hard disk linked to the 37UL863B via USB. Doing so doesn't exactly create a PVR-like environment, but it does also bring "+" features like pause/rewind live TV.

Better still, all this trickery is operated by a surprisingly sleek remote control. Longer and more slender than most, it features an aluminium slider that clicks into place to cover the pause/FF/RW and number buttons, making operating the top controls - principally the directional buttons and the channel and volume rockers - much easier. It can be slid down to rest on the bottom, exposing the number keys, but can’t cover the top buttons. It’s a nice feature, though it’s made more useful by the remote’s long design, something that without the slider would be difficult to operate with one hand.

For those who refuse to use anything without a touch-sensitive screen, the Toshiba TV Remote App is available for smartphones. We attempted to use it an iPhone 3GS, but it wouldn’t link up with a TV despite it being on our network. Perhaps it needs an iOS5 refresh?

Sockets and inputs

The 37UL863B’s ins and outs are rather generous, with four HDMI inputs and two USB slots - one of each placed on a side panel – and with component video in tow, too. Audio is via analogue phonos (two sets) or optical digital audio, with a headphones jack also on the side panel. Also there is a common interface slot for adding subscription TV to the Freeview tuner, and a composite video input.

Probably the most important connections though, are its Ethernet LAN and built-in Wi-Fi. Smart TV is an area that Toshiba has lagged behind in for the past couple of years, but it's got its act together just in time; more than a quarter of all TVs sold this year can connect to a network. Still, the refreshed Toshiba Places won't please everyone.

Toshiba's smart TV

It’s easy enough to use, though a touch too busy in look - and suffers from the opposite problem regarding content. We weren’t able to get through to BBC iPlayer or YouTube from the dedicated VOD screen, though these two icons are also on the TV’s main user interface and both worked fine when accessed from there.

Besides, there’s little to get excited about in Places, which comprises the kind of ‘extra’ features no one really wants. Viewster, Box Office 365, Dailymotion, Aureo, Meteonews. It’s all a tad underwhelming.

The same could be said of the personal TV function, which as well as not being that useful unless you’ve got a load of different logins in Places, doesn't recognise faces all that well. It’s a good idea though, and one we expect to see returning next year in an improved second-gen guise.

Networking and USB playback is a disparate experience in that the file formats handled aren’t the same, though we did manage MKV from a USB thumbdrive and AVI via DLNA from a netbook.

Picture and sound quality

The 37UL863B proves a great all-rounder with both Freeview and Blu-ray, and offers a nice smaller option for living rooms keener on restrained, plasma-like richness rather than the eye-popping brightness of most LCD TVs. Here, the colours look natural and brightness is toned-down nicely. ‘Cinematic’ is probably how best to describe its images, something that prompts us to recommend this to film fans, despite its immaculate behaviour with Freeview, too.

Don't buy the 37UL863B expecting reference-level picture from Blu-ray, because you’ll be slightly disappointed by the occasional motion blur, light spillage from the LED-driven backlight, so-so contrast, and lack of detail in black areas of the image. But in terms of price, size and tech, the 37UL863B is on the money.

Sadly, that’s more than can be said for the speakers despite a ‘spatial’ surround sound mode that is at least a diversion from a lacklustre audio performance.

Tags: Televisions Toshiba Toshiba 37UL863

Toshiba 37UL863 originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Fri, 23 Dec 2011 11:01:31 +0000

Whether or not you’ve been impressed by 3D enough to have it at home, would you seriously consider buying a big, expensive TV that couldn't flirt with the third dimension at all?

Panasonic has taken this quandary of modern times, and thus designed a plasma to suit. Measuring 50-inches in the diagonal and boasting online features galore, the ST30 doesn't come with any 3D glasses.

Optional extras

That explains the low price, then. Unfortunately the 3D glasses needed for this active shutter 3D plasma screen cost north of £100. The add-ons don't stop there, either. Despite the inclusion of Viera Connect, an enticing mix of on-demand fare from YouTube, BBC iPlayer, Acetrax, Viewster - and even a selection of games – the ST30 has only a wired option for connecting-up to a broadband router.

A WiFi dongle is available for lodging at one of the set’s two USB slots, but that’ll cost you another £70-or-so. Oh, and did we mention Skype? To satiate your desire to make video – in HD, no less - calls to friends will cost another £100+ for a Panasonic-made kit.

Happily, you can say a great big ‘no thanks’ to all of this frippery and enjoy an increasingly rare breed of TV; a cut-down, bare bones, and rather brilliant plasma from a big brand, which does what it needs to - and a little more besides - for a reasonable price.

Strong in all the right places

Core duties are completed with the minimum of fuss. For starters, there’s a Freeview HD tuner that seems essential on a Full HD screen as big as this. It's not got a very attractive EPG in tow, but it works fast and simple recordings can be made to a hard disk over USB.

While watching we did wonder if, indeed, a tuner sporting those paltry few HD channels is strictly necessary, for the ST30 upscales standards definition very well. Detail drops, of course, but some resolution enhancer circuitry manages to smooth jagged edges and keeps the picture noise to an absolute minimum.

2D Blu-ray also shines, and though we’re not convinced it matches-up to a similar-sized LCD TV in terms of crystal clarity, there’s a smoothness and rosy colour palette that could only come from a good quality plasma. Contrast is good, for sure, though Panaosnic’s GT30 and VT30 plasmas do better; shadow detail can be on the low side, though there’s no arguing about the deepness of those blacks.

Optional 3D is solid

Over to 3D and the ST30 also does a sterling job. It may be an optional add-on, but there’s no way part of its fee isn't going towards making sure 3D is up to spec, should you choose to make use of it.

It’s not always comfortable to watch; fast action sequences can cause headaches as picture elements whizz around your eyes and cause flicker. Judder is also more apparent than on 2D, but for most Avatar we had few problems – and the panoramic shots around Pandora were gorgeous. Donning those specs deepens black levels a tad too far for our liking, but colours fly from the screen, without the brightness problems of most LCD TVs.

Sounds fine

Audio is nothing special, but when is it ever on a flat TV? But Viera Connect most definitely is. It’s one of our favourite smart TV hubs now it’s got BBC iPlayer built-in, and though it does have a ‘euro’ feel to some of its apps, we can see a bright future for Viera Connect. Better looking than rival platforms and faster to respond to the remote - not to mention the Viera Remote smartphone app - all it needs is Lovefilm and more VOD-based services to succeed. And we love its expanding marketplace that comes complete with paid-for games like Asphalt 5.

All awesome stuff, but there are some disappointing omissions. Some will hate losing a Freesat HD tuner when compared to higher-ranking, pricer Panasonics, others the plain chassis design, or the 3D/WiFi/Skype accessories.

What we disliked most was the lack of DLNA networking. We managed to play a host of video files from a USB stick shoved in the ST30’s back connections panel, including MKV and AVI types, but it’s not possible to have them stream from a PC or Mac. That expensive WiFi dongle is purely for Viera Connect, then. It’s a corner cut too far or on otherwise well judged attempt.

Tags: Televisions Panasonic Panasonic TX-P50ST30 Home Cinema Plasma televisions

Panasonic TX-P50ST30 originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Thu, 22 Dec 2011 17:01:56 +0000

Can't decide whether to invest in a 3DTV? Acer's HN274H, a 27-inch PC monitor that uses an active shutter 3D system might be the perfect stop gap.

Although hardly a good-looking design, with a gloss black chassis that's a tad grating, this 1920x1080 pixel resolution panel can display all the detail from a Blu-ray disc.

But surely this PC monitor can’t host a watchable 3D movie? Actually, it can, and then some. Designed primarily to supply 3D graphics to those using 3D applications or playing 3D games at a desktop, the HN274H comes prepared for anything – with a nod to Nvidia’s 3D Vision format, which isn’t supported by 3DTVs.

Connection options

A VGA and D-sub port on the rear panel is par for the course, as is a HDMI input, but the HN274H goes into 3D overload by fitting an extra two HDMI slots onto the side. All are HDMI 1.4-compatible, so can be attached to all manner of 3D devices.

Used purely as a PC monitor, the HN274H does a decent job, with an exceptionally bright screen and plenty of detail. The only issue is a tight viewing angle, which sees contrast drain from dark areas if you watch from the wings – and contrast isn't great to start with.

3D magic

The magic comes when you attach it to a 3D source. In our test we pumped-in Avatar from a 3D Blu-ray disc, and the results were awesome. We did notice the odd jagged edge, but the all-round picture is detailed enough to convince. Don the specs - Acer puts a single pair of rechargeable (via USB) active shutter 3D glasses in the box - and the perception of contrast skyrockets. The effect of active shutter specs on lowering brightness is well known on 3DTVs, and it's arguably even more noticeable on this small screen, but here it’s a good thing. With brightness lowered and more convincing blacks on show, it helps bring a sense of realism to 3D movies primarily by bolstering the colour palette, and partly makes up for the small screen size.

It's not the smoothest 3D picture we've seen - let’s not pretend that it would do battle with a 42-inch Panasonic 3D plasmas - but it’s very involving, comfortable to watch, and with some excellent and clean depth effects.

A 100Hz screen that claims a response time of just two milliseconds, the HN274H is nevertheless not quite quick enough to prevent the odd blur. As for crosstalk and ghosting, which plague many a bigscreen 3DTV using similarly backlit-LCD panels, the HN274H manages to swerve that particular 3D nasty.

Sit too close to the screen and the pixels become visible, and the picture becomes less involving. Less immersive than big screens it may be, but we're pretty impressed by the HN274H 's 3D performance. That said, the HN274H is clearly designed as a desktop PC monitor for general use and 3D gaming, where realism isn’t as important as total immersion.

Dreadful sound

One drawback is the built-in audio. The HN274H 's speakers are so weak that we're instantly drawn out of the involving 3D images from Avatar. We don't mean weak as in treble heavy or bereft of bass, we mean tinny, thin, despicable sound.

If at all possible switch the source to picture-only over HDMI, and route an audio cable from whatever source you use – be it a PC, Blu-ray player or a games console – to a separate sound system (even small desktop speakers would be preferable).

Tags: Monitors Televisions Home Cinema Acer Acer HN274H

Acer HN274H 3D monitor originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Wed, 21 Dec 2011 21:01:53 +0000

Active shutter or passive 3D? Expensive glasses and awesome detail, or cheap glasses and a slightly softer image? Can't make up your mind? Don’t worry, neither can Philips, which is why its forever delayed 2011 crop of 3D TVs are divided between the two technologies.

This 42-inch Edge LED TV in the brand's 7000 Series sports Easy 3D - Philips' name for passive tech - as opposed to its Max 3D-toting brethren, but it's no poorer for it. Surprisingly for a TV using cheap-as-chips 3D specs there are only two pairs in the box, though a few trips to your local 3D cinema ought to solve that little problem.

Good specification

Generosity abounds elsewhere, with Wi-Fi fuelling a Smart TV platform called Net TV, a deliciously high-end looking metallic finish, and Ambilight, Philips' patented system that creates a halo of light around the TV that changes according to the dominant colours on the LCD panel.

We do love Ambilight. Forget slimness, brushed aluminium surrounds, and flashy remote controls; flatscreen TVs were made to give wow factor, and that's exactly what Ambilight does. It's a gift that keeps on giving, too, since Ambilight can be used in its Lounge Light mode to add soft lighting to a room. And for those with odd coloured walls, the 42PFL7666’s ‘wall colour adaptive’ option changes the colour of the light so it appears to be normal on almost any colour wall - there are 24 choices in a virtual palette. Meanwhile, Ambilight can be used in various degrees of separation, as well as in several moods including Fresh Nature (green), Hot Lava (a red-pink), Deep Water (blue) and Bright Light (white).

Still, a lava lamp from IKEA would be cheaper, so there's got to be more under the 42PFL7666's hood.

Network activity

The engine room is Pixel Precise HD, a suite of processing gubbins including HD Natural Motion and a 400Hz anti-blur mode, but what we're really interested in is Net TV. Once a network connection wizard has walked us through the steps for connecting via wired or wireless - we chose the latter for extra reliability, but still consider the former absolutely essential on any ‘smart’ product - we're up and running.

The TV does possess the BBC iPlayer, in its usual guise, but in terms of genuinely engaging apps, it's elsewhere rather thin on the ground. That said, it's always good to see YouTube, Facebook, Twitter and Picasa make an appearance, not to mention movie streaming from Acetrax and web radio from TuneIn.

Other less inviting apps include Cartoon Network and HiT Entertainment - largely on-demand kids’ programmes - Viewster, MeteoNews and a raft of Euro-centric news channels such as France24, TV5Monde and Euronews, as well as CNBC (US business news), CineTrailer, Funspot, Vimeo, Daily Motion and iConcerts (an actually quite engaging online archive of live gigs). There’s also a link to an online app shop, which contains downloads for the likes of TomTom - on a TV?! - Ebay and some more weather apps.

What Net TV doesn't have - unlike similar, and much more polished, online platforms from the likes of Sony and Samsung - is an app offering the latest 3D movie trailers and showcase footage.

There is a web browser, which has been part of Philips’ smart TV experience for some time, though it's never been executed particularly impressively, and that remains the case on the 42PFL7666 - it’s just so slow to operate from the remote.

That remote control is otherwise good, but there's also an app for phones and tablets - Android as well as iOS-based. What we love about MyRemote, however, isn’t its TV controls, but its novel Slideshow feature, which instantly puts photos stored on a smartphone onto the TV’s screen, with no set-up needed. Apple TV owners may balk, but it’s the kind of feature we can see being used a lot by owners of this TV - it’s just a shame that it doesn't extend to music and movies.

Picture and sound

The 42PFL7666 can record from its Freeview HD tuner to a HDD as well as play digital files over a network or from a USB stick. Two of those features are powered by a brace of USB inputs in the TV’s side, which is also home to an SD card slot, ostensibly for storing purchased video downloads from various Net TV apps, a Common Interface slot and a sole HDMI input.

Nearby, in the same connections panel is a rear-facing RGB Scart, a set of component video inputs and associated analogue audio-ins, and an oddly-placed headphone jack. Just below are three HDMI inputs (one of them Audio Return Channel-compatible), a VGA D-sub 15-pin PC input, an RF aerial connection to power the Freeview HD tuner, and a wired Ethernet LAN port.

Also down here is an optical digital audio input for routing audio to an AV amplifier, though integrated audio is one of the 42PFL7666's major strong points with speakers are among the most powerful available on the TV market. This has been the case for some time on Philips TVs, but it's great to see the unique combination of two rear-firing woofers and two forward-facing drivers that together create a 28W soundstage. That’s at least double what most TVs can muster, and should be enough for most content.

They sound great – full, bassy and with plenty of detail – and the onscreen action isn’t bad, either.

Blu-ray and 3D

Blu-ray is spotless, sharp and smooth, with the only real issue being a slight lack of contrast. Easy 3D, meanwhile, turns in a performance that's best described as 'good value'. Anything close to the camera stands out impressively, although there is almost always a slight shimmer around it. Like any kind of 3D, slow motion shots with very obvious depth affects do look impressive, but as soon as the action hots-up it can all get quite confusing; a splash of water in the direction of the camera in The Ultimate Wave: Tahiti brings an almost nonsensical 3D image that our brain just isn't quick enough to process. At least the use of passive 3D glasses means there are no headaches or eyestrain.

Overall, Easy 3D is indeed all about sacrificing ultimate detail, relative to active shutter 3DTVs, but that won't matter a jot to watchers of Sky's 3D channel, which doesn't broadcast in Full HD anyway.

The viewing angle is about normal for an LED TV of this size; that is to say, if you watch from the wings there is a definite draining of darkness from the opposite side, though it's only truly obvious when you're watching a very dark picture. It’s also good to see an even backlight on a LED TV; many big name brands’ efforts are stained with light leakage. It’s indicative of the high build quality obvious in almost every aspect of the 42PFL7666.

Tags: Televisions Philips Philips 42PFL7666 Home Cinema

Philips 42PFL7666 originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Mon, 19 Dec 2011 11:54:28 +0000

Samsung’s flagship plasma TV represents a delicious compromise. It’s got the second best online dimension, after Sony’s Bravia Internet Video platform, which is too often strapped to TVs with lacklustre 3D pictures. And the second best 3D performance, losing out to Panasonic’s plasmas, which are the best performers, but are blighted by a content-light online service.

We’ll leave this 51-inch plasma’s 3D dimension alone for a while - it’s an optional add-on, with no 3D glasses in the box - and concentrate first on why Smart Hub is becoming irresistible.

Interactive rules the roost

Highlights on the home screen include links to the BBC live streaming news channel, the BBC iPlayer and Lovefilm, the latter being especially good to see, despite the fact that the postal DVD service has yet to digitise many of its must-have titles. Kudos to Samsung’s software designers, who have somehow managed to squeeze not only a live TV preview box (complete with sound) and a video search facility that works independently of source, but also clickable shortcuts to some of the TVs other functions.

The lower half of the screen includes, by default, links to a list of TV programmes recorded to a HDD via USB, videos, photos, and music stored on a USB stick or a PC/Mac on the same home network, a dedicated AllShare button, the Freeview HD or Freesat HD tuners - it’s one of few TVs that have both the UK’s free-to-air tuners inside - and a web browser. That's quite some selection, and it sees Smart Hub growing from a separate interface for online video to full mastery of the TV’s functions as a whole. And we haven't even mentioned the second screen. Scroll across and you'll find links to Cartoon Network, Facebook, Google maps, Picture Box, Google Talk and Skype - though the latter requires a separate CY-STC1100/XC webcam accessory from Samsung, which costs around £100.

Something we did notice however, is that Twitter and YouTube are buried in a third screen, where they should really take the place of redundant apps earlier in the mix, such as Exercise TV, Samsung Imaging and Daily Motion. Samsung's interactive features are really only hampered by slow loading times.

Good hardware

Hardware-wise this 3D plasma is on the money. Four HDMI inputs nestle next to a brace of USB ports, one of which can be hooked-up to a hard drive for making recordings from either of the sets integrated TV tuners. The PS51D8000’s only compromises in terms of connectivity come from proprietary ports for both an RGB Scart and component video (and associated analogue audio inputs). Both are easy enough to hook up using supplied adaptors, and allow the connections panel to be especially well organised and above all slim enough to let the PS51D8000 compete with LED TVs in terms of its depth - remarkably it's only 37mm fat.

In terms of the plasma panel itself, the PS51D8000 comes replete with Real Black Filter, part of what Samsung calls its 3D Hyper Real picture processing engine, as well as a Cell Light tweaker.

Set-up

We found the experience of manually attaching the TV to its stand fiddly and frustrating, but the rest of the process is pure plug and play.

Switch-on the PS51D8000 for the first time and we immediately enter the aptly-named Plug & Play menus, a carousel of dynamically designed black, blue and grey screens that take us joyfully through set-up of web services and AllShare DLNA as well as downloading any software upgrades that may have accumulated since you'll set was made.

Then it’s on to a simple selection between home or store as the location - the latter being an exceptionally bright set of picture parameters that help this plasma to compete in the brightness stakes with competitors’ (and Samsung’s) much more luminous LED TVs.

With analogue free-to-air signals switched-off in our area, and without a satellite dish nearby, we tuned in digital Freeview HD channels, which took around three minutes.

The business-like, but beautiful blend of nuanced, shadowed, and 3D sky-blue, yellow and white graphics look especially stunning on the jet black background - though the visually arresting plasma richness of the colours is certainly helped by the sheer size of the screen.

Picture and sound

After attaching a 3D Blu-ray player, the PS51D8000 prompts us to press the 3D button on the remote. What follows isn't reference-level 3D, but it’s darn good; stable, judder-free 3D that’s swimming in contrast, depth effects and detail without too many video nasties.

There’s a touch of crosstalk and double images crop-up, for sure, but it’s a good deal more impressive than most 3D TVs. Using Samsung’s Explore 3D app, we watched some awesome showcase 3D footage including Grand Canyon Adventure, Dinosaurs Alive!, The Ultimate Tahiti Wave and Niagara Falls, as well as a bevy of Red Bull-sponsored sporting events and a host of big name 3D movie clips and trailers. What a shame there are no 3D specs in the box.

Switch to 2D and the good work continues, but true black is suddenly nowhere to be seen, which takes the gloss off colour, too. Still, Freeview HD is still thoroughly impressive in terms of detail, and standard definition channels are always clean and watchable.

The PS51D8000’s viewing angle is a lot wider than most LED TVs we've tested of late, though its arguably even narrower if you view the screen from higher or lower up on the vertical axis - something that you'll only notice if you hang the TV too high on a wall, or position it too near the floor.

Those worried about screenburn can set this TV’s Pixel Shift feature to create a moving screensaver after as little as 10 minutes of a static image.

Sound, meanwhile, is a notch or two above most TVs, with some bass audible from the stero 10W speakers across the PS51D8000’s bottom.

Tags: Televisions Samsung Plasma televisions Samsung PS51D8000

Samsung PS51D8000 originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Wed, 14 Dec 2011 16:03:00 +0000

This is home cinema heaven. We can spot a blackout-bound plasma screen a mile off, but the backlit remote control in the TX-P50VT30’s box – it glows a dark red behind the buttons to delicately help with operation in the dark – is the first clue that this 3D plasma has high-end ambitions.

However, it’s a different kind of luminescence that is at the core of this wonderful picture performer. Where LED TVs typically struggle in their attempt to make LCD panels more dynamic and thus able to show both bright and dark images simultaneously, the TX-P50VT30 achieves it without breaking stride.

Blu-ray stunner

Switch the lights off and it’s still easily possible to make out the panel’s innate brightness - we’re not talking total, utter black here – but we’re sincere in saying there is no other TV that can so well decipher and deliver accurate images from a Blu-ray disc.

Detail in a completely still image is excellent, too, if a shade beneath the levels reached by a same-size LCD TV, but the TX-P50VT30 is more adept at dealing with motion. Quick camera pans and objects rushing through a shot don't cause blur and resolution loss, but are instead tight and comfortable to watch. This fluidity is another innate skill of plasma, and we’re actually more impressed by the TX-P50VT30’s lack of judder while watching Blu-ray. It’s also worth mentioning the built-in audio here, which is surprisingly good given the product’s thinness.

3D performance

Spin some 3D and the quality continues, with clean and involving sequences that don't often get confusing or difficult to decipher, but frequently wow. Although the same attributes remain from the TX-P50VT30’s 2D performance, we’re slightly disappointed by how much deeper the black we perceived the image after putting the 3D spectacles on. Truer black is always welcome, but here it’s at the cost of brightness generally; there’s slightly less shadow detail in black areas, and the pizzazz is removed from brighter images. Overall though, this is a sterling 3D picture.

Make standard definition beautiful

Almost as impressive as 2D and 3D Blu-ray is the way the TX-P50VT30 handles lesser video sources and makes them enjoyable. With both Freeview HD and Freesat HD tuners and interfaces on-board, this is a screen built to please almost any kind of user, though we’re not convinced about the electronic programme guide. Stuffy, small and scarred by a large window that’s clearly designed to - but in reality, does not - host a live channel, it’s in dire need of an overhaul.

Media playback extras

At least recordings can be made to a HDD hooked-up to the side-panel’s USB slot, and thus accessed though a dedicated icon on Viera Tools - a presentation of the TV’s core services that can be reached at the touch of a button on the remote.

Also on Viera Tools are shortcuts to accessing media stored on a USB stick, though the two slots on the rear of the TX-P50VT30 are somewhat hidden and could be tricky to reach if this huge, heavy plasma is wall-mounted. The Media Player supports AVI, MP3 and JPEG from USB, extending to MP4, AVC HD and WMA music if the TX-P50VT30 is on the same network as a DLNA-compatible (Windows 7) PC.

Online services

It is worth getting online, not least because there’s built-in WiFi, so positioning the TX-P50VT30 isn’t a problem. Do so and you’ll also bring alive another core feature of all mid-to-high-end Panasonic TVs in 2011 - Viera Connect. Replete with Skype - if you buy a Skype kit from Panasonic - BBC iPlayer, Acetrax movie streaming, the live BBC News web feed and a nicely presented, intelligently searchable YouTube. There’s also a developing ‘app store’ area with various apps and games.

We’ll leave you with a slight anomaly; despite being clearly designed for use in a dark room – for it’s here where the TX-P50VT30 truly impresses - this giant plasma is nevertheless one of the most attractive screens around. At this price it has to compete with Samsung’s pencil-thin LED TVs, but at 37mm in depth it should be slinky and slim enough for most. The bezel around the actual plasma panel is a lot wider than on a top-end LED TV, but we think the use of one sheet of glass across the front, as well as a distinctive silver trim, lifts the TX-P50VT30 to the upper echelons of flatscreen TV styling.

Tags: Televisions Panasonic Panasonic TX-P50VT30 Home Cinema Plasma televisions

Panasonic TX-P50VT30 originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Thu, 08 Dec 2011 17:42:46 +0000

Another measured attempt by Sony, this time in the increasingly rare, but popular with consumers, 37-inch size. It sits slap bang in the middle of the company's impressive, and popular, Essential EX range.

Forget 3D – it's not on offer here. Just shy of £600 gets you a reasonably well-specified TV. In the design stakes, it's not going to win any awards, but we do like the metallic strip across the bottom of an otherwise standard gloss black finish. It borrows the look of a PC monitor, perhaps, but it's a fairly muted design that doesn't unnecessarily attract attention.

Crucially for such a cheap telly, the 37EX524 uses an Edge LED-backlit LCD panel, which isn't something we expect to find at this level of the market. Its use also ensures a panel depth of just 42mm.

Apps left, right and centre

What is becoming expected on new TVs, at any level of the market, are online apps, and in that regard Sony doesn't disappoint. The 37EX524 includes widgets for Twitter and Facebook, as well as Skype - if you buy a pricey CMU-BR100 headset - but the real fun is over at the central Bravia Internet Video service. BBC iPlayer is the must-have, but it's joined by Sky News, Lovefilm, Demand 5 (exclusively), Eurosport and YouTube. Sony continues to add more video-based services, most notably its own, evolving the Qriocity music and movie streaming services). There is still some clutter though; the likes of Livestrong, Blip.tv and Singing Fool add needless clutter and diminish the service, in our opinion. Less would be more - and there's already a lot to love here.

Not so the open Opera web browser, which is hampered by the use of tiny fonts and slowness, so much so that it provides a compelling reason the TV and internet browser have never truly converged. Sony's media remote app for both iPhone and Android is, in many ways, awesome, but despite making URL entry and general operation of the browser significantly easier, it can’t work miracles; the replacement of a cursor by a system where you have to scroll slowly between each live link on a page is interminable – and it also frequently freezes.

By default these features are supplied through wired Ethernet LAN - there's no built-in Wi-Fi - though it's worth trailing a cable, or buying an optional UWA-BR100 USB Wi-Fi dongle, for both that online hub, and for the 37EX524's excellent streaming skills. Only three file flavours can be played either from a networked Windows PC or Mac (running UPnP software like TwonkyMedia); AVI, AVC HD and MOV. From as USB stick you'd think it would be an identical scenario, but no; supported files comprise AVI, some MPEG2/4-based files, AVC HD and WMV, though not MKV.

TrackID is a nice feature that we’ve loved before. Munch like the Shazam app, you hit the button during live TV, and Track ID will take a sample of any music playing, and go off into the internet to find something that matches. Unlike Shazam, though, this one has only a 50% success rate at gathering the artist/track information.

Record from Freeview HD, with no PVR

USB HDD recording from Freeview HD is a nice extra, though hardly a replacement for a proper time-shifting PVR. Though, if you do start recording something, you are then completely free to head down the pub. Surely this simple feature’s raison d’etre? Because the 37EX524's 'presence sensor' will switch the TV off after a pre-determined time.

Performance

In our test the 37EX524 – a budget TV, remember – managed decent blacks, plenty of shadow detail and a pleasant colour performance, with just enough detail in blur-free images. All that makes it the ideal living room TV, though there is one major caveat; the difference between 720p and 1080p hi-def footage isn't as apparent as it is on other sets. However, the way it plays down detail can also be an advantage since its Freeview HD tuner's standard definition channels are less of a letdown if you've just been watching a Blu-ray disc, for instance. On that note, kudos to Sony for producing a truly great electronic programme guide for the Freeview tuner. Unlike the rest of the revamped Xross Media Bar user interface, which is slow to trawl through if you’re after something specific, the Freeview HD usability is top notch.

So while we wouldn't recommend the 37EX524 to anyone after ultimate hi-def perfection, we're also sure that such people will expect to pay more, and probably aim for a much bigger TV. Not that HD looks bad – arguably the 37EX524's unusual skills with shadow detail and ultimate black - borne from the slight lack of brightness that is the cause of underwhelming 1080p material - lends a Blu-ray disc a dimension that you won't find on to other sets. In short, fans of dark, brooding fare like Batman Begins or even Avatar will prefer the 37EX524's picture, while titles like Despicable Me and Ice Age 3 will likely benefit from the punchier, brighter panels found in Samsung LED-backlit TV.

There is another drawback. It might be the perfect size for a gaming TV in a bedroom, but size isn't everything; during our tests we encountered a lot of blur during a session of Pro Evolution Soccer from an Xbox360. It's no surprise; this is a standard 50Hz panel with no extra processing.

Tags: Televisions Home Cinema Sony LCD televisions

Sony KDL-37EX524 originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Thu, 10 Nov 2011 21:20:52 +0000

This isn't Sony’s most expensive screen, that dubious honour goes to its KDL-55HX923. But don't bother with that because the HX823 series’ luscious 3D, sparkling 2D and a web video hub that’s genuinely engaging will blow your socks off.

A Freeview HD tuner used to rank high up on our list of must-haves. Although the presence of a DVB-T2 tuner on this 55-incher is reassuring, it’s not quite the attraction it was now find one on all but the most budget-priced sets.

Design and inputs

Four HDMI inputs, two USBs and built-in Wi-Fi seems reasonable, though one gripe about the KDL-55HX823’s swathe of connection choices is that both Scart and component video users will have need to use an adapter, which is supplied. It's little tricks like this that enable Sony’s engineers to get KDL-55HX823 down to just 27mm thick? Although we understand the reasons, it doesn't half make a mess behind the TV – wall-hangers beware.

You’ll also notice a button that’s new to Sony TVs: an on/off switch. Hardly an advanced addition, but welcome nonetheless.

We like Sony’s new user interface for 2011. Now positioned on the bottom of the screen instead of the criss-cross approach of the former Xross Media Bar, it’s less ruled by sources and sections, and more by content. And frankly, we won't miss that idiotic name.

Worked through by the excellent –and uniquely concave– remote control’s D-pad are icons for recordings, which are made to a manually attached USB hard disk. Along with TV, media (from either a USB stick or home network), inputs, favourites/history (handy shortcuts to recently viewed media or sources), settings and internet content. Sony's Qriocity service is also present, made up of two parts: Music Unlimited and Video On Demand.

There are also widgets for Facebook, Twitter and a gallery of other apps that’s not only empty, but caused an error message to appear when we selected it. There are also applications like Skype, WiFi Direct mode and an Opera Internet browser.

One of those apps, Skype, requires a Sony-made CMU-BR100 camera and microphone to be purchased for a not inconsiderable sum. WiFi Direct will allow you send photos to the TV from a phone, it's a bit like DLNA really.

Despite the occasional lag and the fact that there’s almost too much to wade through, we do like this interface; the way that drop-up menus appear to the right-hand side of a sizeable window showing the live input (TV, games or a Blu-ray movie) makes everything very simple and visible. The window itself takes up around a half of the screen’s real estate, and on the KDL-55HX823 that’s quite a bit.

Internet video

And then there’s the Bravia Internet Video platform, one of, if not the best ‘smart’ TV hub. Its new 3D Experience is theoretically a compelling addition to the platform, but appearances are deceptive. Of the 39 shorts available to watch in 3D, highlights include lengthy montages from Wimbledon, the 2010 World Cup, Winter X Games and some golf (in total there are five sports clips), 3D movies clips from Sony-made The Surfs, The Green Hornet, Resident Evil: Afterlife, Monster House and The Chronicles of Narnia: Voyage of the Dawn Treader.

There are other sections, including music videos, game clips (all PS3-related, naturally), nature clips – all limited to a maximum of five shorts. Ignore the ‘Sony original’ and ‘personal imaging’ section, both of which are merely compilations of adverts, although the entire 3D Experience app is one big ‘look what we can also sell you’ exercise.

It’s elsewhere that the platform shines, with the BBC iPlayer and –uniquely– Demand 5 making-up an enviable catch-up TV service for Brits. Subscribers to Lovefilm will love the chance to stream films, while non-Lovefilmers can rent from Acetrax.

Picture and sound quality

More immediate, strictly 2D digital media can be had from a PC via DLNA streaming, though oddly there’s a lot more flexibility if you use a USB stick, which kills the convenience argument. In our tests we managed to play MPEG4, WMV, AVI and AVC HD files from a USB stick (note the absence of MKV), while over a network only MPEG4 files were read. That’s a different performance from other Sony TVs we’ve tested in 2011. Confusing – and the lack of any support for MKV files is a shame.

Although 2D benefits from Motionflow XR 400 (AKA 400Hz scanning) by replacing blurred motion with visible detail, it’s 3D that really benefits. With the panel refreshing quick enough, the bad old days of dodgy 3D on a LCD screen appear to be over – we didn't notice much double imaging in our Monster House test disc. That said, the active shutter system does still have its drawbacks, and the single pair of glasses included in the box do remove a lot of image brightness.

Viewed in 2D, pictures to lack ultimate contrast and don't get close to plasma-black, but the set has one more must-have feature; X-Reality PRO. Its Smooth Gradation feature takes a poor quality video source from anywhere like Freeview’s low bittrate channels, an old DVD or a YouTube clip, and upscales it for the big screen, with superb results. It’s an awesome about-turn compared to the days when having a 50-inch+ LCD TV meant keeping a strict hi-def diet.

Audio, meanwhile, is better than on most sets, though the third speaker on the rear of the TV seems a little strange.

Despite a huge haul of features on this plain, gloss black TV, we’re not completely convinced this 55-inch LED-backlit set represents good value. Not when there are plasmas about with a similar offering for half the price, and much better black levels.

Tags: Home Cinema TV Sony 55HX823 3D Sony

Sony KDL-55HX823 3DTV originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Wed, 21 Sep 2011 20:18:39 +0100

After virtually creating the big screen LCD TV, Sharp’s latest Aquos is a huge step in the direction of picture perfection, but is it at the cost of usability?

One of the few LED-backlit TVs around that stuffs lights all the way across the back of the panel (unlike “edge” lit TVs), it’s relatively slim at 45mm depth and includes all the latest features: 3D, net TV, networking, USB and Wi-Fi. It’s also got Quattron, Sharp’s very own picture engine that’s quite the revolutionary; it adds “Y” - yellow - to the usual RGB (red, green and blue) colour mix.

The frame sequential “active” 3D shutter glasses included here are much better than the first-gen Quattron 3DTVs. Much lighter (around 40g) and easier to wear, though still with a lithium-ion polymer battery that’s rechargeable via USB (including from the TV’s USB ports), one pair of AN-3DG20-B 3D glasses is included in the box. Be careful - they cost £69.99 to replace.

2D broadcasts are handled by a Freeview HD tuner, while one of the set’s three USB slots is reserved for making recordings to a external HDD or memory stick. Shove in something of at least 2GB and, after formatting, programmes can be scheduled to be recorded from the Freeview HD electronic programme guide - though when recording the channel can’t be changed. Probably more useful day-to-day is this same feature’s flipside - pause & rewind live TV broadcasts, though the USB slot’s proficiency with all major video codec’s (DivX and DivX HD included) shouldn't be underestimated.

Aquos Net+, though, isn't actually the work of Sharp. Could it not be bothered to create its own online hub? Who could blame it - exactly why TV manufacturers should be drawn into content and licensing deals is beyond us - though Net TV (also used by Philips and others) is too basic. A simple grid of icons, its mildly diverting (at best) services include YouTube, Box Office 365 (movies can be downloaded to an SD Card in the 46LE831D’s side), iConcerts, Twitter, Cartoon Network, Funspot, MetroConsult and Screen Dreams. An App Gallery of second-rung services is thrown in for good measure (containing eBay, Cinetrailer, TomTom HD Traffic, Hit Entertainment, MyAlbum and, err, a collection of Volkswagon marketing material) alongside an open web browser.

The remote sports a blue-ringed 3D button that brings a choice between 2D to 3D conversion, side-by-side 3D, and top-and-bottom 3D formats. We plumped for 3D tennis from Eurosport 3D.

There was a strong 3D effect from the back of the court but some “double ball” echoes that are the epitome of crosstalk. The picture is noticeably softer than our 3D Blu-ray test disc Open Season, and far less precise. Graphics and logs, channel idents and so forth standout nicely - you don't get that on 3D films - but there was some obvious shimmer in crowd shots, and some judder as the camera panned around the Roland Garos stands. Yet more crosstalk is evident, usually around the brightest areas of the image, such as white shirts, though never around the players or other objects in the foreground.

2D to 3D conversion is not bad. Again, graphics were excellent, though the football match we watched didn't produce much in the way of standout 3D effects. 3D Blu-ray is stunning, with pin-sharp, almost painfully detailed Full HD images that are immaculately coloured and heaped with contrast. It’s so good it restores our faith in “active” 3D TVs, though 2D Blu-ray is almost as good, befitting from this set’s skill with extreme brightness and local dimming within the same image.

Whichever flavour of 3D it is that's playing this TV lets you makes adjustments in a special “3D mode” part of the interface. The coloured Fastext buttons R, G and B, control the 3D brightness, surround sound and 3D setup, respectively. 3D brightness can be set to three strengths, though we’d avoid the lowest; contrast is great and there’s no flicker, but it’s just too dark. The highest brightness setting introduces flicker and divorces the front effects from backgrounds, so stick to the middle setting where a decent amount on contrast pairs-up with a more natural look, albeit with a touch of flicker. The 3D setup menu comprises just a “3D autochange” mode, an option that warns you how many hours you’ve been watching TV, on the hour, and a 3D test pattern that consists of 2D and 3D coloured balls, just to check your 3D specs are working.

For the lazy there is an OPC mode that measures the ambient light and adjusts the screen‘s brightness to compensate, but it likes to display a logo every time the clouds twitch outside, and appears to make rather drastic changes that can be off-putting. We deactivated OPC immediately.

Tags: Televisions LED televisions Sharp Sharp LC-46LE831E Freeview HD 3D 3DTV Home Cinema

Sharp Aquos LC-46LE831E originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Fri, 08 Jul 2011 15:45:34 +0100

Panasonic’s latest brainy box has so many functions we’re not quite sure what to call it. Back in the 1980s my Dad refused to buy a new TV, a VHS recorder, computer or any games systems, believing that there would soon be one device for the lounge that did everything. It never happened, but fast forward 25 years and Panasonic has come up with something about as close as possible to all-in-one nirvana for the high-def - and even 3D - age.

The BWT700 is packed with features that could help you slim-down your AV rack. Inside are two Freeview HD tuners, a 320GB hard disk drive and a Blu-ray drive. The former has all the “+” features you could ever want, including pause/rewind/record live TV (and in high-def, no less), while the latter spins DVD, 2D and 3D Blu-ray discs, and CD (music can even be ripped to the hard disk with track listing info intact). It’s only that middle feature we have reservations about, especially since it promises to record in high-def - surely 1TB is the number to aim for (such a HDD would achieve about 250 hours of HD rather than the paltry 80 hours possible on this deck). 2D to 3D conversion is also on the menu.

The rear is strapped with a single HDMI two digital audio outs, optical and coaxial - a rare thing in itself. Other hardware includes two USB ports - one on the front behind a flap - stereo audio outputs, Composite video and not one, but two Scarts.

Getting on a network using Ethernet LAN, we managed to stream some video files and check-out Panasonic’s Viera Cast online platform. Sadly, this machine doesn’t host the newer Viera Connect interface, so BBC iPlayer is missing. Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, Eurosport news and Acetrax movies are all present, as is Skype for those interested in investing £129 on a Panasonic-made camera/microphone. 

Despite the online dimension, an iPhone app dreamed-up by Panasonic for its latest Blu-ray players doesn’t work here, which is a shame. Considering this deck’s myriad complex functions, the streamlining that designing an app requires might have been time well spent. Although programmes recorded from Freeview HD (or video imported from a camcorder) are recorded in their natural state, the BWT700 offers five compression options to either free-up more space on the HDD, or for archiving as much as possible to a blank Blu-ray (BD-R/BD-RE) disc. The trouble isn’t the many choices available, and nor do we mind that fact that recordings take an hour or so to be converted, but rather the way they are presented.

A successful product is all about the interface and that’s pretty much the only place where the BWT700 doesn’t come up trumps. Being impossible to compare to anything else on the market makes us look on the BWT700 very kindly, but there’s no getting away from the fact that it is only suited to an owner that is not only active in HD recording and archiving, but who’s also intensely interested. For the rest of us, these features could be a bit overwhelming and, frankly, not needed. That impression is pushed by a user interface that, at times, seems like four separate devices in one, and the remote control isn’t much help; it doesn’t even have a shortcut to the library of recordings.

Another issue is the HDD’s small size, which means that regular compressions of existing files might be a necessary evil in the interests of good HD housekeeping. If that could be a rather depressing way to spend an evening, the BWT700’s actual performance is a fabulous reason to stay in and draw the curtains.

There’s a 3D Effect controller among the user interface, though out of the box we found there was little need to adjust the depth or “leap” of the effects while watching a 3D Blu-ray disc.

The native 3D image is believable and free from any crosstalk or ghosting (we judged it on a pin-sharp Panasonic 3DTV), though that can’t be said about the machine’s 2D-3D conversion. It behaves OK with all three sources it can cope with - Freeview, Blu-ray and DVD - but we were not convinced for more than a few seconds at a time. Some shots work brilliantly (the panicking crowds of Na‘vi) while others are just ruined (incidental shots featuring actors crossing the screen, or still shots with few actors and little action). Upscaling of DVD, meanwhile, is exceptional - as is its Freeview HD performance, despite a lacklustre electronic programme guide.

Tags: Blu-ray players Blu-ray recorders Panasonic Panasonic DMR-BWT700 Freeview HD Home Cinema

Panasonic DMR-BWT700 originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Tue, 31 May 2011 08:37:00 +0100

Sony is back with one of its first offerings for 2011, and it’s a budget belter. Lacking any kind of upmarket panel tech, you’ll have to make do with regular LCD (no sign of any LED backlighting here), but elsewhere there are plenty of features to wow the average budget TV buyer.

Probably the most useful are Bravia Internet Video, USB recording, a built-in Freeview HD tuner and a smartphone app.

Let’s start with the latter - and our favourite new feature - smartphone control. Download the free MediaRemote app from iTunes or the Android Market and full mastery of the set is yours. It was actually available late last year to control some of the brand’s Blu-ray players. After activating the app, it finds the KDL-32CX523 in seconds and starts a simple pairing operation that basically gives you 20 seconds to press “OK” on the Sony remote. And that’s the last time you may ever use the (otherwise reasonably well designed and spaced) supplied remote.

MediaRemote first takes you through a set-up wizard where it’s possible to customise various aspects of the app, such as “shake to control”. A simple wave of your hand can then be programmed to perform one of six functions: change the input, bring-up subtitles, change the audio mode, increase the volume, change channel or activate the TrackID feature (see below for more on this).

“Flip operation” is also possible; the TV can be set to got to mute if you place your phone face down on a table. More usefully is “Keyboard sync”, whereby the smartphone displays a virtual keyboard every time the text input screen would normally appear on the KDL-32CX523. This applies largely to Bravia Internet Video content, and it’s a massive time saver.

After the wizard has done its stuff its on to the central screen, where gestures are used to operate the KDL-32CX523’s main menu trees onscreen. As well as a “home” button beneath the gesture pad, there are also “return” and “options” shortcuts.

In practice it is pretty good, though having to switch between the gesture pad and the virtual remote - which happily has a “guide” button up top to swiftly bring-up the Freeview HD EPG - does take a bit of getting used to.

The only aspects that confused us was that (a) we weren’t able to call-up the Xross Media Bar (slightly re-designed for 2011) at all, and (b) the MediaRemote app itself has banner adverts across the top tenth of the screen. This is not acceptable on a product that’s been paid for already. DVD and Blu-ray discs may routinely come with movie trailers and adverts, and Panasonic’s Freeview EPG may also be scarred with an advert, but that doesn’t make it OK.

By the way, the app only works if both the KDL-32CX523 and the smartphone are on your home network, and therein lies a small problem: the KDL-32CX523 has a wired Ethernet LAN port, but no built-in Wi-Fi. We wouldn't expect it to at the price so it’s no cause for complaint, but it’s best you know that a USB dongle from Sony costs around £69.00.

Making Skype video calls will also necessitate buying an add-on camera-cum-microphone from Sony, though the rest of the online features within Bravia Internet Video are free.

They're actually unchanged from last year except for a minor interface tweak, and number over 20 - including Demand 5, BBC iPlayer, Eurosport and YouTube. Open web surfing is also available as an Application along the revamped Xross Media Bar user interface, but it’s far to slow to actually consider useful. Better is file support over DLNA and from USB (we managed most major formats), while it’s even possible to record to a hard disk straight from the pitch perfect Freeview HD 7-day electronic programme guide (this doesn’t work on USB sticks). Another feature, TrackID, is meant to identify track details for songs playing on your TV, but it produced only a “server error” message during our review.

Happily, picture quality from the likes of YouTube is pretty good, with an overriding - and highly watchable - smoothness introduced where noisy, dotty stretched video used to be. It’s clever stuff, but not as half as nifty as the detail in 2D Blu-ray discs. Colour is also excellent, though contrast less so. There’s an issue with motion blur, but it’s not endemic. Sound is almost always underwhelming on TVs this size, but the built-in stereo speakers actually do a half-decent job.

Tags: Televisions LCD televisions Sony KDL-32CX523 Sony Skype iPlayer Freeview HD Home Cinema

Sony KDL-32CX523 originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Tue, 03 May 2011 09:00:00 +0100

The iPhone dock is dead. Despite all the fuss surrounding iPod-iPhone-iPad docks over the past few years, it was inevitable that the very notion of sitting apart from a beloved phone would be the genre’s downfall (as well as the arrival of the “too big to dock” iPad), and at last we’re seeing an influx of wireless speaker systems like this one from Altec Lansing.

Small - just 33cm across - and weighing just 450g, the iMW725 is fully portable, with a built-in rechargeable battery. The wireless speaker sector was revitalised by Apple’s own AirPlay standard, notable largely because of its capability with streaming lossless music files, but that’s not on offer from the iMW725. Instead, it relies on the much lower-spec Bluetooth technology; even then, the iMW725 will only playback tunes streamed from your smartphone if it’s compatible with the stereo-capable A2DP protocol. Happily, most are, and the absence of Apple AirPlay is a veritable bonus for anyone with a non-Apple gadget.

The disadvantage is that Bluetooth isn't exactly renowned for delivering high quality audio. With that in mind, Altec Lansing has fitted this product with apt-X Bluetooth technology, which, it claims, delivers “CD quality audio” - though only if your device is capable of sending it in that format. Apple’s Mac Book Pro is, though most laptops and PCs will require the Apt-X USB dongle included with the iMW725. Apt-X is increasingly being used on the current generation of Bluetooth speakers, receivers and headphones, and claims to offer low latency and high quality from compressed music files.

For devices that don't have a USB slot to take the apt-X dongle, Waves' Maxx audio algorithms are used within the iMW725 itself to nudge sound quality up a notch or two.

Altec Lansing claims this unit can receive a wireless stream from a phone up to 10 metres away, and in our test that proved about right, but that’s not all the iMW725 can manage. Using the Apt-X USB dongle in the box it's possible not just to stream in lossless quality to the unit from a PC or Mac desktop or laptop, but from as far away as 100 metres. Since the unit can manage north of 5 hours playback without mains power, that could come in handy.

Use that dongle and a really high-end feature comes into play: multi-room music. Once the reserve of custom installations, and more recently on pricey products from Sonos or Naim, a couple of iMW725’s can serve the same purpose (albeit in a non-extendable rudimentary manner). Great for a house party, with a more cost effective solution being to wire-up a laptop to an existing hi-fi for one room while simultaneously streaming to a iMW725 in another; to make this easy, the apt-X USB dongle also boasts an analogue line output. There’s also an auxiliary button just below the iMW725’s function buttons for hooking-up any external audio device.

The product itself has a rather retro feel, with a soft-to-the-touch grey plastic finish, though the moulded carry handle and a detachable remote control (which clicks into place on the unit’s rear) are nice touches on this thoroughly solid, well made product.

From an iPhone (over regular Bluetooth without apt-X) we streamed some tracks off REM’s “Collapse Into Now” album to the iMW725, with great results. Totally reliable, the built-in speakers somehow manage to dredge out a thoroughly decent amount of low frequency sound, with some excellent detail and stereo imaging, to boot. An “ESS” button on the remote creates an oddly effective soundstage where Michael Stipe’s vocals appear to be placed behind the instrumentation, though this is where bass is at its tightest and most profound. The same tunes pumped into the iMW725 from a netbook fitted the apt-X dongle produced a sound with noticeably less hiss and bags of detail, though it’s presence or otherwise shouldn't be a deal breaker unless the 100m distance is crucial to you; the Waves Maxx Audio codec puts in a fine performance with standard Bluetooth audio.

Bluetooth’ed straight to the iMW725 from an iMac (again, without apt-X at work), Radiohead’s “Morning Mr Magpie” - stored on iTunes as a 47.3MB WAV file - sounds fabulous and significantly better than some MP3s compressed to 320kbps, though even 128kbps files remain highly listenable.

Tags: Audio Altec Lansing Altec Lansing inMotion Air apt-X

Altec Lansing inMotion Air iMW725 originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Fri, 22 Apr 2011 09:00:00 +0100

Lovefilm is on a charge. Having eclipsed its mail order competition and spent a year streaming its wares to games consoles and every web-connected TV going, the movie monster has joined yet another platform.

Lovefilm’s latest appearance is on the Onyx media browser, a newly refreshed interactive service from London-based Oregan that here powers Digital Stream’s DPS-1000 IP set-top box, though we’ve seen it grace other UK-centric products from the likes of Cello. The UK-specific angle is all-important, because essentially Onyx is a media-rich browser that tries to bring similar services to those currently being offered on mid-to-high-end TVs from the likes of Samsung, LG, Sony and Panasonic. The trouble with those is that they often bring “international” clutter in the shape of news services from Europe or, worse, provincial content websites from the USA. On this Digital Stream box - Freeview HD sister of which we’ve come across before - Onyx adds Lovefilm to an already stellar cast of streaming services and widgets.

Stored in a right-hand window that takes up about a third of the screen is the widget screen, which shows content from whatever is toggled to. That’s limited to weather, news, sport, Twitter and Facebook - the latter of which can obviously be logged-into to show the latest feeds. As well as Lovefilm, the BBC's iPlayer - the missing link on many a connected TV platform - is present on an attractive, fast-working interface alongside three leading icons for BlinkBox , “web TV” and “home media”.

The excellent, no messing iPlayer interface is identical to those found on any connected TV or smartphone, with the usual “just in” tab alongside “highlights” and “last played”. A setting is available for video quality - high or normal quality - depending on the speed of your connection, and though it’s a much simplified version of the website, there’s a good search option and BBC HD versions are offered where possible.

“Web TV” leads to a list of widgets for some common online hubs (YouTube and Flickr) as well as some more unusual services (Funspot Games, CNN Daily, Jamie’s Ministry of Food Recipes, Delicious TV Veg and Diggnation alongside video podcasts for the Disney Channel Movie Previews, Larry King, the Discovery Channel, UEFA.com and Sesame Street). A thumbnail image for each is presented as you hover over it, and like a posh RSS feed, a nicely designed list of available episodes is presented if you select it. These videos play instantly and can be paused/scanned, though none are in anything approaching high-def. In fact, most are pretty ropey in pure picture quality terms.

BlinkBox is almost as good, at least in design terms. A catalogue of TV and films searchable by genre, latest and even by price (from a bargain £1 to rent Syriana or Happy Feet to around £2.99 for newer titles like Red or Due Date - or £10.99 to buy them).

A poor man’s Apple TV? Perhaps, but you're sure to find something to take your fancy whether it be Smallville (£1.89 per episode for £12.99 per series), West Wing (£1.89/£12.99) or House (£15.99 per series).

The Lovefilm service contains few surprises, and though its slick presentation is a cut above BlinkBox, it’s only a slight lead. Film information for the 70,000-strong collection includes the available formats - DVD, Blu-ray and streaming, though only a portion of films can actually be streamed. Non-digitised content can be ordered on DVD or Blu-ray, to be posted later, with the latter being a crucial weapon; there’s no option to stream movies in HD. Prices range from £5.99 for 2 hours of online viewing to £15.99 for unlimited access to posted discs and online material; the options within these outer limits are myriad.

Digital content can also be streamed across a home network from a PC (using DLNA) or Mac (Twonkymedia), but here’s the first hurdle: there’s no built-in Wi-Fi. Third party dongles can, at least, be used, though Digital Stream can provide one for £19.99 (call this number to make an order: 0845 519 2367).

The DPS-1000 is also stuffed with just enough codecs. Accessed under the “home media” icon, we shoved a USB stick crammed with digital files of all sorts into the DPS-1000, and it failed to play some listed files including H.264 MOV (but not QuickTime) files from its rather rudimentary-looking file list. Generally it refuses to display files it doesn’t like, which in our tests comprised only AVCHD files - typically found on high-def camcorders - though in all flavours (M2TS/MTS, etc). It did, however, play VOB, ASF, MP4 HD, MKV (DivX HD), AVI (DivX), WMV and WMV HD files. At any time during playback - which is done using the fiddly buttons on the bottom of the remote - the red button can call-up your widgets.

Music files supported don’t extend beyond the usual MP3 and WMA, but a simple “now playing” bar across the bottom of the screen is welcome. Photos welcomed include JPEG and BMP only; they’re nicely presented as thumbnails, which load in under 10 seconds.

That “home media” icon also shows a link to any computers or NAS drives on the same home network, with the same file support in action. The same basic file list exists when exploring content on a PC, though the files recognised differ; this time, MOV, DivX, MP4 and, oddly, AVCHD files were listed, though the latter played only with blocky pixilation.

We like the idea of a search engine that’s not source-restricted, but this box doesn't quite each those heights. Instead it searches for text terms both on a networked computers and, oddly, YouTube. So a search for an artist quickly brings up links to music stored in your iTunes and videos on YouTube; this simple merging of internal and external sources is well presented, and a step in the right direction.

An icon on the (extremely fiddly) remote - and information in the instruction booklet - both advertise open web surfing on the DPS-1000, but that function wasn’t enabled on our sample. 

Tags: Set top boxes Digital Stream Digital Stream DPS-1000 Lovefilm iPlayer Home Cinema

Digital Stream DPS-1000 originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Wed, 13 Apr 2011 10:19:06 +0100

A media-savvy micro system that includes DAB and an iPhone dock - and all for less than £200 - sounds like any hi-fi wannabe's desktop dream come true.

At first glance this diminutive system appears reasonably well specified for the modern age. Sure, there's a CD player at its core, but even its iPhone dock and USB slot, the latter of which can read WMA and MP3 files, are starting to feel just as tired as the shiny silver disc. Does anyone carry around MP3s on a USB stick anymore? Not in my experience. And although it's too early to call time on iPhone docks, the trend towards Apple AirPlay-style and Bluetooth speakers is probably irretrievable. The reason is simple: it’s impossible to watch YouTube or play Angry Birds while your phone is on the other side of the room.

A good argument in favour of AirPlay is provided by the CS-545UK itself, which uses a steadfastly 1970s-style remote control to trudge through a USB stick's list of files. It's no worse than a lot of similar systems, but the novelty of playing an MP3 has worn-off enough for a bare-bones user interface to be actively dissuading.

Incidentally, this Onkyo will recognise files transferred to a USB stick using a Mac, but it will also try to read various digital debris from that process, such as file impressions and deleted material; easily navigating and smoothly playing an album without significant gaps proved impossible during our test.

With an iPod or iPhone in situ and charging, the remote can work its internal menus though you’ll obviously have to be sitting pretty close to the CS-545UK to see what's going on. A similar issue mars playback of digital music from a USB device attached to the front; the screen doesn’t have enough characters to display song names at a glance, so instead shows a moving graphic.

Priced at around £100 for the pair as an optional add-on, these diminutive black speakers are well-built and nicely sized for bookshelves (even if the main unit is far too deep for similar positioning), but produce a sound that’s dominated by harsh treble highs and a barely adequate bass response.

There’s nothing wrong with the CS-545UK’s digital amplifier, however; we hooked-up the system to some bigger, more capable speakers and Elbow’s anthemic Open Arms from Build A Rocket, Boys! had enough range to lend the choir an enveloping effect. That was from a CD; files played from both an iPhone and a USB stick had a noticeably harsher sound. All in all, we’d say that the CS-545UK doesn’t produce a warm enough sound while also lacking any up-rezzing tech for compressed music files. There is a Super Bass button, accessed via a very fiddly remote (it’s marred by tiny buttons and a basic design), but it boosts low frequency sound in a rather all-over way that lacks any punch or direction.

In some ways this unit makes for a great compromise option that bridges the gap between the likes of slightly cheaper and less powerful Teac CR-H258i and Denon DM38DAB, and the pricier, more media streaming-savvy products like the Marantz M-CR603 Melody Media and Arcam Solo Mini.

Tags: Audio Onkyo Onkyo CS-545UK iPod docks

Onkyo CS-545UK originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Fri, 08 Apr 2011 14:33:11 +0100

An update of last year’s HD500, the Z500HD from South Wales-based TVonics is a serious attempt at a uniquely talented Freeview HD recorder - and a successful one, to boot. With two tuners and a 500GB recorder, the Z500HD represents the start of the second wave of Freeview+ HD recorders after last year’s pre- and post-World Cup gluts of first-gen models.

Design-wise the Z500HD improves upon its rather laid-back and hard to house forbear. The aluminium casing around a much more traditional “black box” look may be a tad conservative, but it’s a lot easier to store and enjoys a better build quality than the DTR-HD500.

On the rear alongside typical slots like HDMI and Scart are two HDMI outputs that together make the Z500HD capable of switching two high-def sources in 1080p quality. That means one thing; hang your TV on a wall and you’ll only have to trail one cable; everything else in your set-up (Blu-ray, Xbox 360 or PS3, etc), can be plugged into these extra HDMI slots.

No other manufacturer offers that feature to our knowledge, though there is a counterpoint. Despite the fact that the Z500HD can be networked (there’s an Ethernet LAN slot on the back, as there is on every Freeview HD box), there’s no media streaming features or DLNA functionality. That’s a real shame, as is the limited talent of the front panel’s USB slot; it merely plays photos, not digital music or video files. It’s not, however, unexpected - most Freeview HD products (the Humax HDR-Fox T2 is an exception) don't use their networking capabilities at all.

In keeping with TVonics’ mission to make a Freeview HD product that's a tad more giving than your standard standalone black box, there’s also an optical audio output that can carry Dolby Digital created by the Z500HD - and therefore 5.1 sound when it’s broadcast. It also puts normal stereo sound into Dolby so the Pro Logic mode on your AV amplifier can easily create wraparound 5.1 sound itself.

The user interface, which can be styled in green, blue, sapphire or emerald according to taste, is devilishly simple. The start page is bereft of anything except raw settings, with virtually all of the features emanating from the electronic programme guide. Styled in white and yellow lettering over a black though transparent, background, it’s sharp and nicely designed with a red Freeview logo and easy to read fonts. As you inspect the 7-day EPG the channel you're watching plays underneath, complete with sound. Schedules for the next 2 hours are shown for nine channels on each page, with Fastext buttons to jump forward or back either in 24 hour or 4 hour chunks. There’s also a nice search option, complete with virtual on-screen keyboard.

During our tests recordings were made from the EPG without issues; one-off recordings and series links are easy to set (series-linked programmes on the EPG are thereafter highlighted in a red font), and if a recording clash occurs, a message pops-up immediately and it’s a cinch to choose which one to cancel. The timer button presents a list of forthcoming programmes, including series links due to be recorded. There’s no sign of the “recommendation” feature though; the press release suggested that this box would recommend programmes associated with pre-set recordings.

The library page, accessed exclusively through the remote (something of a trend on this box - don't lose that remote!), tells you how much capacity remains, and the title, date and duration of all of your recordings. It’s also possible to play a recording from the start, the end, resume from where you left off, or from a designated minute count. However, stop a recording and instead of going back to the recordings library the box takes 3 or 4 seconds before returning to the last live channel.

Recordings are identical to their source; detail and expansive from Freeview HD channels, regular SD fare also looks fairly crisp and clean, though not noticeably upscaled. There are also no options to record in different qualities - something that might stretch that 500GB hard drive. 

Tags: Freeview+HD Freeview HD Set top boxes TVonics DTR-Z500HD Home Cinema Tvonics

TVonics DTR-Z500HD originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Fri, 25 Mar 2011 11:39:15 +0000

The idea of an iPhone dock is becoming less and less appealing to owners of the humble Apple gadget. Maybe it’s the thought of being parted from all those lovely apps, but there’s a reason why California’s finest released AirPlay last year.

Not that GEAR4’s latest gadget deals in the lossless wireless music Apple AirPlay offers, but it does do a decent impression. It’s armed with Internet radio, DAB and FM radio tuners, and a built-in iPhone dock; the real drawcard on the rather trumped-up sounding HouseParty AirWave is an app-based remote control.

A free download from Apple, this 1.8MB app runs on iOS 3.1.3 and above and is mostly a joy to use. Developed in conjunction with Frontier Silicon, the company that makes the receiver inside the HouseParty AirWave that enables it to find internet radio stations (a platform that’s fast spreading to most other internet radios), using the app is a simply matter of swapping a 4-digit PIN, though that’s hidden away in the main menu under “NetRemote PIN set-up”. The in-app experience is pretty good; there’s a list of web radio stations that so much easier to scroll through than on the main unit, shortcuts to the six separate sources (web radio, music player - streaming from a PC or Mac - DAB, FM, iPod and AUX in), 10 slots for station presets, 9 sound modes (jazz, rock and even “movie”), and a settings tab that includes a power-off mode. The loading of web radio stations takes at least 5 seconds, but the “now playing” page helpfully includes programme details and a volume bar.

If the idea of yet another app doesn't interest you, the unit generously ships with a tiny IR remote control, and even that’s a huge improvement on the actual unit’s confusing array of buttons.

The iPod dock comes with the adaptors (numbers 15, 18 and 19, for iPhone 3G/3GS, iPhone 4 and iPod touch 4 gen, respectively) and, of course, charges its carriage, though given the opportunity for app control we don’t suppose it will be used much; at least its nicely hidden away behind a curved lip on the top of the product.

With so many sources of audio possible and the unit destined to tune-in to your wireless home network, that app makes good sense, though we can't help thinking that there’s some unnecessary duplication going on here. Owners of an iPhone, iPod touch or iPad are already well capable of receiving internet radio stations as well as storing music on their Apple gadget, so what’s the need for their repetition on the GEAR4?

One feature that’s not talked-up by GEAR4 actually proves its saviour; the ability to stream audio from a PC, Mac or NAS drive. For a wired experience, there’s a line input on the rear of the HouseParty AirWave that brings virtually any audio device you can think of into play.

Streaming music over Wi-Fi is relatively easily done straight from the dedicated app on a phone or iPad, with some nice touches such as album artwork visible on the app.

If some serious speakers graced the HouseParty AirWave, we might be tempted to laud GEAR4 for including both an FM and a DAB radio tuner, though since virtually all radio stations also broadcast online, we can’t really see the point. At least the modules themselves work well, with an A-Z list presented after the DAB tuner performs a quick search.

And it’s audio quality that takes the shine from this otherwise fully featured conduit. Its two grill-less 10W stereo speakers provide a very limited sound that lacks bass and treble highs, though it’s fine for speech-based audio. FM provides noticeably better quality than DAB broadcasts, especially for music.

The yellow-on-blue display is not only exceptionally pixelated (it manages just a 128 x 64 pixel resolution), but far too bright to use on a bedside table; it lights-up an entire room. Scrolling text is also rather blurry and difficult to read.

Tags: Audio iPod docks iPod speakers Radios GEAR4 DAB Radios Gear4 HouseParty Airwave Apple Airplay

GEAR4 HouseParty AirWave originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Tue, 08 Mar 2011 17:21:00 +0000

While most brands of television hail from the Asia-Pacific region, Australia is not a country known for supplying budget LCD TVs, but that’s exactly what Kogan is promising. This 26-inch telly with LED goodness is part of a large range of TVs that is an attempt, in Kogan’s own words, to end “rip-off” prices in the UK.

The new kid on the block brand even claims that its TVs are 20-50 per cent better value than its competition, stating that the UK is often referred to as the “Treasure Island” where companies can charge more for their products than in other countries.

With that in mind, Kogan is offering supermarket prices for 19-inch (£129), 22-inch (£169) and 24-inch (£189) models that seem attractive, but this 26-incher costs an extra £100. Seems a little steep for a measly extra 2 inches?

It does indeed, though the FHDLED26 still represents relatively good value purely on size. When it comes to quality, however, it’s a different story, and Kogan’s claims begin to unravel as it becomes clear that the FHDLED26 is all about features and little about picture quality.

Kogan’s promises are three-fold. It’s an ultra-thin Full HD LED TV, boasting “state of the art” design, and has a built-in PVR. We’d also add to that a comprehensive approach to digital file playback, with the likes of DivX, XviD, MP4, MP3 and JPEG all catered for via the USB slot.

That’s quite a haul for a budget screen, but let’s start on the rear of the TV. There are plenty of ins and outs on the back of the FHDLED26, but their positioning doesn't make much sense. Along the bottom of the TV’s back is a small sunken space with a USB slot, two HDMI inputs, a Scart and a VGA input for a PC in the roof. That’s a reasonable collection, but it can be tricky to squeeze and bend cables to make use of them. So tight is the space around the USB slot that we had to turn the 26VAA upside down to insert a memory stick.

A side panel of equal size has the opposite problem, with cables likely to trail into view; luckily Component video is via a one-cable adaptor. Elsewhere here are left and right audio phono inputs, Composite video, an RF aerial input, Common Interface slot, a - far to high-up on the panel - third HDMI slot and a headphones jack.

“State of the art” design proves an exaggeration; LED backlighting has achieved a 45mm depth, which is impressive, but the frame around that panel is fairly wide. And besides, can gloss black still be thought of de rigueur? By now it adorns most of the nation’s living rooms. The desktop stand itself appears to be modelled on Samsung’s range of LED-backlit TVs - no bad thing - though if you’re primarily concerned with slimness Samsung’s super-slim small screens are actually relatively cheap (roughly £50-or-so more expensive that the FHDLED26).

Aside from slimness, LED backlighting tech was dreamed-up to help create more contrast-rich pictures. It doesn't achieve that here, with neither deep blacks nor peak whites on show, something that takes away the richness of the rest of the colour palette. Significant blur - during camera pans and follow-me camera shots, for instance - is another worry, though the biggest concern are pictures from its Freeview tuner, which seem foggy.

Full HD pics on this native Full HD panel, meanwhile, are packed with detail; perhaps the FHDLED26 could do a job with a PS3 or Xbox if you restrict yourself to relatively slow moving games. Some headphones might be in order, too, because the speakers strapped to the bottom of this set deliver a treble-heavy soundscape.

The success of the USB recording is down to the FHDLED26’s surprisingly slinky onscreen menus, which are nicely designed using high-res fonts and graphics, plenty of fade-in effects (even the input select menu sweeps in from the right-hand side) and - best of all - a simple-to-use architecture. Recordings can be made from the (sadly very basic) electronic programme guide, or directly from the stodgy remote, though bear in mind that if you record a live TV channel you can’t then change channel.

Lastly, our tests with digital files revealed Kogan’s claims to be true; we managed to play a plethora of files without any problems, complete with preview screens for video files - and you can add MOV to its video file compatibility list, too.

Tags: LED televisions Kogan Kogan FHDLED26 Televisions Home Cinema

Kogan FHDLED26 originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Wed, 09 Feb 2011 15:58:00 +0000

Can a TV be considered high-end if it has no Freeview HD tuner? Clocking in at just shy of £2000, Philips’ latest may lack the latest free high-def TV channels, but combines 3D and pin-sharp Blu-ray pictures with Ambilight and Net TV to create a stunning TV.

It may be 3D-ready, but it’s a DIY job on this 9000 Series 40-incher, though the absence of a 3D transmitter doesn't make a huge difference in practice. Attaching to a port on the back, the wired-in 6-inch wide transmitter can be stuck (literally - there’s a peel-off adhesive strip on its bottom) on the top, or on the weighty desktop stand. If you’ve a Wii to partner with the 40PFL9705, it’s probably best to keep them apart to avoid a crowd of accessories, though the transmitter is at its most stable on the desktop (which, incidentally, also acts as a hefty wall-mount).

Though the transmitter does rather interrupt what is an otherwise clean and classy dark grey, brushed aluminium frame, there are other reasons why you might not want to put this TV on the wall though; because it uses contrast-pushing Direct LED (called LED Pro by Philips) tech, it's chubbier than some Edge-lit LED sets, though its unique Ambilight feature is a better reason to keep it off the wall.

Matching colours to those found on screen at any given moment, the dynamic colours spread around a wall by the three-sided Ambilight strips on this TV’s rear, creating an extra layer of wow factor you just won't find on any other brand of TV - although it’s designed largely to reduce eyestrain.

If that wow factor is worth having, we’re not quite as convinced about the 40PFL9705’s 3D images. LCD panels are brighter than plasma sets when it comes to 3D, and that’s the case here, too, though the active shutter technology that’s become standard does cause a constant flicker that’s hard to ignore. The two pairs of included glasses, while comfortable, are set too far forward, which introduces a reflection in each corner.

Colourful, contrast-heavy and brighter than a 3D plasma, there’s nevertheless significant issues with watching 3D on this – or any – LCD TV, whether it’s LED-backlit or not. During our 3D test footage a shot of bank notes tossed into the foreground just causes us a headache; each object is seen fluttering as a double image (this is crosstalk - the left eye sees the image meant for the right eye, and vice-versa), and is indistinguishable as a separate 3D image. It’s these kinds of depth perception issues in both backgrounds and foregrounds that lead us to believe that LCD technology isn’t suited to 3D just yet, though when the depth of field in a shot is less obvious (i.e., where the 3D effect is less powerful, and less necessary) the 40PFL9705 produces a picture that’s free from crosstalk and incredibly nuanced in terms of detail. Relatively speaking this is a reasonable attempt at 3D, but there’s another reason why LCD and 3D can’t often produce comfortable viewing, and that’s motion blur; fast-moving objects are a bit of a mess.

If 3D needs some work, Philips has pretty much perfected 2D Blu-ray, with a judder-free and highly detailed image that lacks motion blur. Digital TV is also highly impressive, with a clean and up-rezzed image. Sound, too, is far better than on Philips’ rivals’ TVs; the extra girth from using Full LED technology (where LED lights are strung right across the back of the panel, rather than around the sides of thinner “edge” LED-lit LCD TVs) has been used to this set’s advantage - there’s even subwoofer attached to the back.

Around the front, the user interface is a major plus point. The home screen is divided into blue icons on a black background, with the option to add shortcuts to the various devices you might want to attach to the 40PFL9705. Permanent shortcuts exist already for Watch TV, browsing Net TV, USB and PC sources, with other icons for settings, a help screen and Scenea – which appears to be a picture of a butterfly that automatically kills the TV dead after 4 hours.

“Connected” TVs might be ten-a-penny, but Philips is the only brand to feature an open Opera web browser. Having to manually type-in web addresses using an alphabetical onscreen keyboard is annoying, while the lack of Flash support makes the websites you actually want to use - such as the BBC webpages or iPlayer - unusable. Having to scroll down each live link on a page in turn also makes using the web on the 40PFL9705 slow going.

The new-look Net TV platform includes widgets for Cartoon Network and Box Office 365, as well as those for YouTube, Picasa, Dailymotion, Screen Dreams, radiotime, funspot, MeteoConsult (weather), France 24 (exceptionally loud news. In French.). There are also a few optional “apps” to download, including Ebay, Cinetrailer and TomTom HD Traffic. There’s nothing here that’s essential viewing.

Tags: Televisions LCD televisions LED televisions 3D Philips 40PFL9705 Philips Home Cinema

Philips 40PFL9705 originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Mon, 20 Dec 2010 12:56:20 +0000

Unlike in the world of Blu-ray players, where buying a non-3D-capable deck is fast becoming a waste of time, the jury is still out on 3DTVs. Sony’s KDL-40LX903 doesn’t do much to change that. LED backlighting, a Freeview HD tuner, loads of online content from Lovefilm, BBC iPlayer and YouTube make this one high-end TV, but can a price tag that nudges £2000 really be justified - 3D or no 3D - on any 40-inch TV?

With built-in Wi-Fi and wired Ethernet LAN, this 40-incher should have digital media chops aplenty, but unlike Sony’s Blu-ray players, that’s not the case. Stick a USB memory stick into the slot on the TV’s left-hand side (it’s at the top, meaning trailing cables aplenty if you decide to attach an external HDD) and it appears as an icon on the brilliant user interface that is Sony’s Xross Media Bar’s video, music and photos dropdown sections. File support from USB is slighter than expected, with AVI (DivX), MPEG4 and AVCHD files only played, with no support for MKV files - aka DiVX HD - which is a real shame. We did, however, manage to playback a high-def H.264 MOV trailer of 2012 downloaded from Apple’s website. Just MP3 and JPEG are supported in the other categories, which is similarly scant.

Change to home networking, and the same applies; your PC or Mac will appear as an icon on the XMB. However, this is even more disappointing; only AVCHD videos (as found on camcorders), MP3 and JPEG files can be streamed. What a waste of Wi-Fi!

The airwaves are used rather more effectively when it comes to Sony’s Bravia Internet Video platform, which is seemingly constantly being refreshed, updated and improved. Sony’s own home ents hub called Qriocity debuts here, though for now its full name is Video On Demand powered by Qriocity. Catchy, eh?

Although Qriocity is a standalone service developed by Sony, it’s only available on Bravia gear so should be seen in the context of the Bravia Internet Video Platform in which is resides. Qriocity sits alongside some impressive - and completely subscription-free - video streaming widgets such as BBC iPlayer and Lovefilm. The latter is some competitor.

You’ll also find Demand Five, YouTube, a rather threadbare Eurosport vodcast service, Sony Entertainment television (featuring episodes of 10 Items Or Less, I Dream of Jeannie and Different Strokes - we kid you not - alongside Sony adverts and other nonsense), podcasts from National Public Radio (a US-style BBC), and a subs-only streaming of Berliner Philharmoniker classical concerts. There’s also a lot of rubbish such as GolfLink, Dailymotion, Ford Models, SingingFool and Howcast.com, though these are hidden down the roster so don’t clutter proceedings.

Since the search function is so long-winded (enter words using an onscreen keyboard) the system could do with an “add to favourites” function, which is a sign in itself that there’s plenty of content on Qriocity. Plenty, but not nearly as much as on Lovefilm, and there’s a complete lack of anything resembling world cinema; bad news for people not interested in films not set in LA or New York.

Elsewhere on the TV are widgets for Picasa and other (far) less interesting web TV channels (SingingFool, anyone?). There are also some more basic widgets for the likes of Betfair Football, Yahoo! Finance, Flickr, Twitter, Yahoo! News and weather.

Here’s an excellent 2D TV with decent speakers that upscales standard-def Freeview channels reasonably well, while treating Blu-ray discs to a pin-sharp, colourful and contrast-rich rendition that’s hard to criticise beyond a slight motion blur. A shame, then, that 3D goes and ruins it all by being rather, well, prototype-y. It’s not that the 3D effect is terrible - it’s certainly not - but 10 minutes of watching a duller (because of the glasses) picture full of flicker left us with a slight headache despite the depth. It does depend on the content, but the PS3 3D demos we played did suffer from some ghosting around stationary objects, and significant flicker among fast-moving ones.

The main issue, though, is immersion. For 3D displays, bigger is always better; losing yourself in the 3D action gets harder the less believable an image is, and on this 40-inch TV total immersion can be a struggle; it’s just not that impressive, and after 5 minutes on Gran Turismo 5 the novelty has worn off. For 3D, the cheapest screen just won’t do; our advice is to instead bide your time and save up for the biggest you can afford. By that time, 3DTVs might have got a little better.

Tags: Televisions 3DTV Sony Sony Bravia KDL-40LX903 LED televisions Freeview HD

Sony Bravia KDL-40LX903 originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Fri, 10 Dec 2010 10:20:00 +0000

It looks like a simple bedside clock radio, but underneath the AXiS’ soft black plastic shell are more features than you’ve a right to expect in a gadget aimed at bedside tables.

Inside are tuners for FM and digital radio - both DAB and DAB+ - with the latter giving much-needed future-proofing, as well as Europe-wide versatility,

The major surprise is a built-in wireless module, which is able to tune in to your wireless home network and stream content from any networked PC or Mac. The ability to play 13,000+ internet radio stations will have wide appeal among those with a niche interest, such as ex-pats after foreign radio stations (Yanks are extremely well served with almost 50 stations) to musos after a particular strand of music (country music fans form a line).

The majority of those with mainstream British tastes will be amply served by stations available either on DAB or FM; go for a more basic DAB radio and the savings are considerable. The key attraction on the AXiS is that these - and other - services are particularly well managed.

That’s largely down to the 3.5-inch colour touchscreen, which neatly presents nine icons for Internet radio, DAB, iPod, Streaming audio, Auxiliary input, FM radio, Last.fm, Alarms and Settings.

Choose iPod and it’s possible to control menus and select playlists, with cover art and a progress bar displayed for each song.

Playing music from an iPod is a cinch, though the interface to control it isn’t the best - a remote would make navigating the internal menus a lot easier. Sadly there isn’t one in the box, and though for a unit that’s clearly designed for a bedside table or desk it’s a forgiveable omission, we’d recommend buying the optional credit card-sized remote for a further £9.95.

Finding the network instantly, we had the AXiS playing tunes from a Mac on the same network relatively quickly, though the system did occasionally stall. In our tests both MP3 and FLAC files were streamed.

There’s no Spotify support, but your thirst for random tunes could be satiated by the touchscreen’s widget for Last.fm. Available online, on phones and on games consoles for no fee, the “tag” radio station with five million songs costs £3 a month on this particular online platform. That’s a shame, though the AXiS does present a 31-day trial membership.

Physically, the 22 x 15cm matt black AXiS is built around an 8W amplifier and NXT speaker tech. That latter is a speaker technology that is primarily aimed at making gadgets thinner, and it’s here in its “balanced radiator” guise. As for iPods, the AXiS is compatible with all models, while there are also aux connections to hook-up almost any audio device.

Sound quality is excellent if you’re planning to use the AXiS in a bedroom or small study, though if you turn it up to full volume you will notice some distortion. Kept to relatively low volumes, though, the AXiS performs very well. One small point is that the speakers stretch around the left side of the product, making it ideal only for the right-hand side of the bed or desk. 

Tags: Audio Radios Internet radios DAB+ iPod docks iPod speakers Revo Networking Streaming Lastfm DAB Radios Revo AXiS

Revo AXiS originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Thu, 02 Dec 2010 12:24:00 +0000

It’s gotta be LED, right? Unless you’re the vain type and only after the slimmest screens around, the trend to LED-backlit LCD TVs is one to be avoided if this 32-incher is anything to go by. Part of Panasonic’s X20 Series, the TX-L32X20 trades all-new LED backlighting for a distinctly out of favour CCFL-lit panel. It’s a feature that sees this set “balloon” to over 8cm in depth, but if you can live with that it also manages to out-perform a lot of its LED-clad rivals.

It does so largely because it uses an IPS Alpha panel, for several years considered the solution to the age-old problems of tight viewing angles and LCD TV technology’s inability to reproduce contrast-heavy images. It’s been overtaken somewhat by LED backlighting of late, but purely on contrast and the width of the viewing angle, the difference between a budget LED model and the TX-L32X20 is minimal.

Something else that might put you off the TX-L32X20 is its lack of Full HD resolution, though its HD Ready status does guarantee a much cleaner, clearer picture from standard definition sources, such as images from its integrated Freeview tuner.

Which brings us on to another of the TX-L32X20’s cost-cutting exercises: there’s no Freeview HD tuner inside, meaning the likes of BBC One HD, ITV 1 HD and BBC HD will have to be pumped in from a separate set-top box. We’re convinced that a DVB-T2 tuner will quickly become standard issue in the flatscreen TV market, but for now it’s nice not to have to pay for it; Freesat, Sky or Virgin Media users will save themselves a few quid.

What the TX-L32X20 does have, in common with almost every Panasonic TV we’ve ever seen, is a SD card slot (which plays AVC HD files from camcorders, as well as JPEG photos), while the company’s V-Real 5 suite of picture optimising circuitry is also welcome - though it’s not the very latest version. 

One small drawback is the provision of just two HDMI inputs on the set’s rear panel, which could cause anyone with a games console, HDTV box and Blu-ray player some problems. There’s a third HDMI input on a side panel to lessen the blow, beside a Common Interface slot for subs TV viewing cards.

The GuidePlus+ interface used on Panasonic TVs isn’t exactly a joy to use, with rudimentary “interactive” adverts anything but.

What the TX-L32X20 does have in spades is image quality. So rare at this low price, this 32-inch LCD TV presents HD pictures that are solid, precisely detailed and stuffed with contrast for rich blacks and more power to bright colours. An excellent set of expanded preset picture modes helps create a cinematic picture whatever the source, with standard definition channels from Freeview also coming up trumps.

A wide viewing angle sees contrasty areas of the image remain, while fast moving sequences don’t cause much blue or resolution loss.

Sound quality is acceptable, with V-Audio dealing reasonably well with movie soundtracks, though V-Audio Surround causes too much separation.

Tags: Televisions LCD televisions Panasonic Panasonic TX-L32X20

Panasonic TX-L32X20 originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Mon, 29 Nov 2010 09:21:00 +0000

Available in white or purple, this 19-inch LED-backlit from Panasonic is a serious attempt at a high-end screen - and at this size that’s rare indeed.

You’ll have to part with almost £400 for the privilege, but get your hands on the TX-L19D28 and you get not only the finest screen of its size currently on sale. You also get an iPod/iPhone docking system that’s impressive, though a notch or two below dedicated iPod/iPhone audio systems.

This is heavy stuff. Fixed to its heavyweight stand the TX-L19D28 weighs a chunky 6.5kg despite measuring a mere 58mm slim - the build quality on show is seriously good.

The solid feel continues in its myriad features, which include an iPod interface, a SD card slot for playing digital files, and a HD-ready resolution. The latter is actually a surprise; although there’s simply no need for Full HD at this size, such is the speed of the technology pipeline at the moment (check out the pointlessly over-specc’d resolution of the tiny iPhone screen for evidence of that) that we’d half expected a 1080p panel.

Not that the 19-inch LCD TV screen isn’t thoroughly advanced; within the sculpted purple (on our review sample) bezel is a LED-backlit LCD screen. More than that, it uses an IPS Alpha LCD panel that’s famed for its ultra-wide viewing angle.

And so it proves in test; the viewing angle is indeed as wide as you could expect, with colour remaining just as strong even if viewing from the wings - and only a touch of contrast drains away. That colour and contrast are significant strengths - we’re talking rich, vibrant and very bright, though natural and nuanced, colours and the kind of contrast never before seen on a flatpanel TV of this size.

Benchmark? You betcha. There’s no trace of any motion blur - too often the bane of small screen LCD TVs - though this TV’s true purple patch is reserved for the iPod interface.

Firmly part of the traditional (and rather basic-looking) Panasonic user interface, the iPod menus are nevertheless comprehensive, giving access to playlists, photos and podcasts without too much searching. “Slick” is pushing it, but the operation is quick and the remote helps rather than hinders.

Sound quality from music is fair, but the TX-L19D28EP’s 3W speakers are not the best for music. That said, they’re better than most; the level of bass might be rather pitiful when put alongside a hi-fi system, but it’s the most rounded sound you’ll get at this size. As always, if you’re using any kind of compressed music, the 128kbps tracks will always sound terrible.

The dedicated iPod dock is connected to its mothership via a made-to-measure connector. Elsewhere there’s a brace of HDMI inputs and a SD card slot that supports the playback of MP3, JPEG and AVC HD files. Wot no DivX?

Tags: Televisions Panasonic LED televisions LCD televisions Panasonic TX-L19D28 iPod docks

Panasonic TX-L19D28 originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Thu, 25 Nov 2010 11:59:00 +0000

Pick almost any genre of product - MP3 players, camcorders, laptops or phones - and there are usually two types of products: high-end models that ooze class and have a price to match, and cheaper versions that have something slightly awkward about them over and above their dependence on lower-quality materials. And in the iPod system market, where weak £50 efforts sit alongside £1500+ systems, that division is at its clearest.

Not so the BoomDock, which saunters into the market with a decent spec and an astonishingly low price. And, Okay, this clumsily named black box isn’t ever going to challenge hand-crafted speakers, but it almost perfectly meets the demands of those who just want a big sound from an iPod - and for as little cash as possible.

A simple docking station for a plethora of Apple portables, from second-gen iPods right through to the iPhone 4 (excluding the shuffle), and all via its top-mounted connector bay, the BoomDock’s big and bulky design proves its ace card.

It encases a plenty powerful amplifier and a 5.25-inch subwoofer that could even be considered overkill for a one-trick MP3 system, but the BoomDock isn’t just for iPods; some analogue stereo “aux” inputs that can take a plethora of audio gear are welcome, though we’re not sure if its built-in AM/FM radio tuner is much cop these days. It’s DAB or bust for us these days, though it could be useful in an emergency.

The BoomDock, as the name suggests, is all about volume. So much so that it performs at its best when it’s loud, when the lack of clarity of the mid-range frequencies is masked. Use it quietly and the effect is a softer, muffled sound, with the basslines lying too heavily. To say the BoomDock doesn’t perform well with acoustic or classical music depends on how loud you like your Dvorak or your Dylan, but it’s certainly at its best with simple and brash tunes.

What we did like - and something that’s fairly unusual on iPod docks, especially at this price - is the ability to change the levels for treble and bass direct from the remote, which does add another dollop of versatility. 

It may go a bit wild, but the BoomDock is easy to tame using the oversized remote control. Despite the simplicity of its layout we did have a few issues learning how to control an iPhone’s internal menus, but once mastered it is possible to select playlists and issue commands that are quickly acted upon.

The overall design is similarly basic but effective, with a red-lit LED display the flourish on a front fascia that also houses a volume knob and other controls - so there’s no panic if the remote control gets lost.

Tags: Audio iPod speakers iPod docks KitSound BoomDock KitSound

KitSound BoomDock originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Mon, 22 Nov 2010 13:11:00 +0000

Built-in DVD players may have never caught on in the bigger screen sizes - where maximum slimness is imperative - but they do make a lot of sense in the bedroom. And that’s exactly where this chunky Toshiba telly is headed.

Measuring 19 inches in diameter, this LCD TV (note the lack of LED backlighting) is an effort at an entire home ents solution in a second room. Okay, so there’s no Blu-ray drive, but that would be somewhat wasted on the 19DV714B’s 1366 x 766 pixels (a resolution that confirms this TV as HD-ready).

In its place is further all-in-one goodness in the shape of a USB input that can accept and playback DivX video files. That’s excellent news - and relatively rare at this small screen size.

The last unusual characteristic of Toshiba’s combi is its colour; although it’s also available in gloss black, our review sample arrived in white.

But while it may have a passing resemblance to an Apple product, its 7cm+ depth is at odds with that feeling, though the build quality is impressive. The desktop stand is a nifty solution; it snaps into place from a vertical position. It may make wall mounting tricky, but that’s of little concern.

The 19DV714B’s bulky nature has its advantages besides its solid build. Included on its generous rear are two HDMI inputs where most 19-inch TVs have just one. Alongside are Component video inputs, a Scart, a connection for a PC and some analogue stereo audio inputs. Also back there is a Common Interface slot, which means Top-Up TV subscription channels can be watched on the 19DV714B.

Sadly the 19DV714B’s chunk doesn’t mean deeper speaker casing; audio is weak and thin, with little in the way of low frequency or rounded mid-range; the set’s digital optical audio output might come in handy if you’re anywhere near a separate sound system. Failing that, a headphones jack is also present.

Toshiba hasn’t often paid much attention to its products’ user interfaces, and that neglect continues on the 19DV714B. Onscreen menus are clad in yellow and grey and look tired, simultaneously lacking functionality and speed. It proves tricky to switch between a USB stick, Freeview channels and that built-in DVD player, though each has its own merits. USB stick playback is adequate, with MP3, JPG photos and DivX video files all playable - and in excellent quality. The 8-day electronic programme guide is no looker, but does the job - and better still, floats over the current TV channel. Insert a DVD disc and it will play immediately, though there’s a full suite of the usual controls on the TV remote.

That matching white remote is a high point of this package despite some of the buttons having two functions; the layout and size of the controls are spot-on.

Pictures are the 19DV714B’s low-point, with a narrow viewing angle the most irritating aspect. Elsewhere there’s a lack of contrast and some motion blur, though Freeview and DVD always remain watchable.

Tags: Televisions LCD televisions Toshiba Toshiba 19DV714B

Toshiba 19DV714B originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Wed, 17 Nov 2010 16:14:00 +0000