Jamie Carter Reviews Archive

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Results 1 to 25 of 54.

Epson EH-TW2900 projector
An affordable HD projector? 26 November 2009 10:51 GMT

The Good
Good value Full HD pictures, whisper quiet, easy to set-up

The Bad
Average contrast, slightly soft 1080p image

Verdict
What the TW2900 lacks in perfect contrast and detailing it makes up packaging together simplicity of use with a consistently impressive image that will impress most users

Price
£1099
Sky Player on Xbox 360
Thinking outside the Xbox 18 November 2009 10:16 GMT

The Good
Attractive interface, 400+ on-demand films, easy navigation and streaming

The Bad
Occasional buffering delays, expense to non-Sky subscribers, no Freeview channels or iPlayer

Verdict
For non-Sky converts, you get what you pay for; an expensive though an excellent IPTV solution that fits seamlessly into the Xbox experience. For existing Sky subscribers, it’s a must-have no-brainer; grab yourself Sky in the bedroom, or even in another property, for the cost of Xbox LIVE Gold

Price
£varies
LG 32SL8000 television
Video files for videophiles 10 November 2009 9:00 GMT

The Good
USB plays DivX and DivX HD, cinematic Blu-ray pics, clean Freeview pics, Bluetooth

The Bad
HD could be sharper, slight lack of contrast

Verdict
A good, if not a great TV in terms of pure HD picture quality, the 32SL8000's multimedia features and addictive digital TV pictures help make this exceptionally user-friendly TV one to cherish

Price
£799.99
Toshiba Regza 55SV685DB television
Flawed genius 3 November 2009 9:30 GMT

The Good
Superb contrast, high-def detail, great showcase screen for Blu-ray

The Bad
Frustrating remote control and onscreen menus, cumbersome DLNA networking, disappointing upscaling, expensive

Verdict
Toshiba has created a Full HD marvel that uses its LED backlighting to create astonishingly deep blacks and rich colours for a LCD TV, but its £4,500 price tag proves it's downfall

Price
£4,500
Samsung LE46B750 television
What Hertz the most? 8 September 2009 9:00 GMT

The Good
Colour, contrast, HD detail, no blur, DLNA networking

The Bad
Network connectivity issues, weak Contents TV, viewing angle, average audio

Verdict
The LE46B750’s weak points are overshadowed by the its impressive core ability to produce a cracking high-def picture that screams class

Price
£1250
HANNspree ST251 television
Looking for an LCD on a budget? 2 September 2009 9:00 GMT

The Good
Colour, good digital tuner, good value

The Bad
Unconvincing blacks, flat picture, lacks Full HD detail

Verdict
HANNspree has come up with a TV that’s certainly good value and is a step ahead of the supermarket cheapies

Price
£329
Philips 32PFL7404 television
A hot performer that won't break the bank? 18 August 2009 10:52 GMT

The Good
Excellent colours, deep black shades, no blur, good value

The Bad
Some flicker when using HD Natural Motion

Verdict
If you want the finest 32-incher around, head for Philips’ feature packed 32PFL9604. If you’re happy with second best – and a saving of at least £300 - the 32PFL7404 makes for an excellent all-rounder that’s a more polished performer than most

Price
£699
Philips BDP3000 Blu-ray player
Blu-ray on a budget 13 August 2009 14:22 GMT

The Good
BD-Live, DivX playback, excellent value pictures, good upscaling

The Bad
No media USB port, external memory stick needed for BD-Live

Verdict
This deck’s excellent value pictures should give it a wide appeal, despite the slightly cumbersome BD-Live arrangement

Price
£170
Cello C3298FR television
Flash of inspiration? 11 August 2009 9:00 GMT

The Good
Records to two SD cards, archive recordings as MPEG files to a PC or Mac, built-in DVD player

The Bad
Poor picture quality, flat audio, girth

Verdict
From a purist’s point of view this TV is below average in terms of picture quality – and is arguably loaded with extra features merely to attract your attention

Price
£450
Epson EH-TW5800 projector
Will this put your home cinema in the frame? 21 July 2009 9:00 GMT

The Good
Clean, detailed pictures, no blur, deep blacks, realistic colours, easy set-up

The Bad
Utilitarian design, large size, occasional flicker when using frame insert system

Verdict
An almost silent runner that provides stunning colour accuracy, realistic blacks and decent motion blur-suppressing circuitry. If you’ve got the cash there’s few better

Price
£3425
Philips 56PFL9954H Cinema 21:9 television
Wide-boy TV stretches the boundaries 14 July 2009 8:33 GMT

The Good
Involving HD pictures, superb scaling, great remote control, beefy sound

The Bad
Some picture distortion, occasional softness, no LED panel

Verdict
At £4,500 it's an expensive upgrade to an existing flatsceen TV, and though short-lived, the initial wow-factor is almost worth the cash

Price
£4500
LG 37LH7000 television
Media-savvy screen 30 June 2009 9:00 GMT

The Good
Digital media playback, colour, onscreen menus, Blu-ray detail

The Bad
On-board speakers; design of HDMI and USB inputs panel

Verdict
With a few exceptions this is a well thought-out and superb value LCD TV that’s versatile enough for any living room

Price
£800
LG 50PS7000 television
The first truly digital TV? 23 June 2009 9:00 GMT

The Good
Classy styling, connectivity galore, Bluetooth file transfer from phones, DivX HD playback from USB

The Bad
Freeview looks ropey, Blu-ray not razor-sharp, colour can be too ripe

Verdict
While not up there with the finest plasmas around when it comes to pictures, its digital media goodies and dependable audio make this 50-incher worth every penny

Price
£1000
Philips Ambilight 32PFL9604 television
The special one? 16 June 2009 9:00 GMT

The Good
Net TV, connectivity, best-ever HD pics, awesome speakers

The Bad
Picture settings hidden, remote needs more buttons, expensive

Verdict
Encompassing everything from internet access to Wi-Fi connection to a computer, the 32PFL9604 proves, above all, to be a stellar performer with any video source

Price
£1000
Toshiba Camileo H20 camcorder
An HD camcorder worthy of your dough? 10 June 2009 9:40 GMT

The Good
Detail in motion-free Full HD video, outdoor use, versatile SD options for uploading

The Bad
Slow to focus, ergonomics, size/features ratio

Verdict
Although a step up from the tiny S10, which sells for only £30 less, we’re not sure the H20’s extra bulk pays its way

Price
£180
Panasonic DMP-B15 portable Blu-ray player
Blu-ray for your backpack 9 June 2009 12:00 GMT

The Good
BD Live, Viera Cast, DivX playback from disc, SD Card slot

The Bad
Slow to load, slightly impractical design, pricey

Verdict
This is a great Blu-ray player, period. If nothing else it will save space on your home entertainment rack but makes Blu-ray a play-anywhere possibility

Price
£500
Toshiba Camileo S10 camcorder
HD Ready, aim, fire! 2 June 2009 16:00 GMT

The Good
Bright outdoor HD video, small size, expandable storage

The Bad
Focusing, slow and limited zoom, some blur

Verdict
It compares reasonably well to other pocket camcorders on the market, but the S10 remains resolutely at the budget end of camcorders despite its high-definition ambitions

Price
£150
Optoma ThemeScene HD82 projector
Beam me up Optoma 26 May 2009 9:00 GMT

The Good
Smooth pictures, no "rainbow effect", easy set-up, great build quality, high detail

The Bad
Heavy, too big for occasional use, works best in blackout

Verdict
While its size makes it unsuitable as an occasional projector, this otherwise carefully thought out and versatile single-chip DLP projector should have wide appeal among home cinema nuts

Price
£2999
Sony Bravia KDL-46W5500 television
Only high-def addicts need apply 19 May 2009 9:00 GMT

The Good
Clarity of HD, sound, four HDMI inputs

The Bad
Freeview pictures, limited value of AppliCast, USB lacks wide file support

Verdict
If a diet of high-def TV, gaming and Blu-ray is on the cards - and you like the idea of AppliCast - the KDL-46W5500 is definitely worth an audition

Price
£1300
Canon XEED WUX10 projector
Does the performance match the £10k price? 14 May 2009 16:00 GMT

The Good
High brightness for any-time viewing, extra resolution for PC use, ultra-sharp detail from Blu-ray

The Bad
Some blur, muted colours, slight lack of contrast

Verdict
Though it’s hard to ignore the exquisite detail on offer, its pure home cinema performance is on a par with projectors half its price

Price
£10,000
Sony KDL-37S5500 television
Last year’s tech? 12 May 2009 9:00 GMT

The Good
Easy-to-use interface, Full HD resolution, simple remote control

The Bad
Poor contrast, visible blur, noisy Freeview pictures

Verdict
The KDL-37S5500 is not a bad television, but there are others out there that offer better value for money

Price
£829
Samsung BD-P1600 Blu-ray player
BD-Live and Wi-Fi on a budget player? 28 April 2009 9:03 GMT

The Good
BD-Live, Wi-Fi possibilities, DivX playback, USB hubs

The Bad
Wi-Fi dongle is a £50 upgrade, no home networking

Verdict
BD-Live is a bit messy and the Wireless dongle costs more than it should, but the BD-P1600 gives a good picture performance

Price
£170
Marmitek Connect410 HDMI switcher
Switch and save with this HDMI hub extraordinaire 22 April 2009 12:00 GMT

The Good
Simple, great build quality, smaller enough to hide

The Bad
Introduces yet another remote control to your living room

Verdict
Simple and effective, its great build quality and inclusion of a very high quality HDMI cable helps make this one of the best value around

Price
£80
Sharp LC-46DH77E television
Sharp crosses the thin green line 21 April 2009 9:00 GMT

The Good
Strong colours, excellent onscreen menus, very involving Blu-ray picture

The Bad
Some blur and noise, weak audio

Verdict
You won’t find many bells and whistles here, but if you’re after a monster screen to pair with a Blu-ray player there’s few LCD TVs of this size around that give a cinematic treatment to HD sources

Price
£999
Sanyo PLV-Z3000 projector
Smooth operator 3 April 2009 12:00 GMT

The Good
Great contrast, smooth Blu-ray playback, easy set-up, quiet operation

The Bad
Lacklustre colours, bulky design

Verdict
Sharp, smooth and contrast-heavy HD images make this a great option for anyone wanting to take advantage of Blu-ray disc’s ability to go large

Price
£3000