Sharp's range of Quattron 3D TVs have been unveiled. Taking in the same four pixel colour technology as seen in the standard Quattron range (which adds a yellow sub-pixel to the red, green and blue of traditional TVs), the 3D TVs are set to launch in Asian territories in July.

Four sizes will be available at the launch of the LV series of 3D TVs, sized up at 40, 46, 52 and a whopping 60 inches. Each 3.9 cm thick LED backlit screen will require AN-3DG10 glasses to view 3D content, which will be available in silver, red or blue. Though a pair will be supplied with the TV, they will also be available separately for around £75.

There's an interesting function thrown in that also allows you to convert 3D content to 2D. A little strange you may think for anyone who has splashed the cash on impressive 3D tech, but once 3D broadcasts become the norm it may prove a godsend in a house full of TV watchers with only two pairs of glasses between them.

The 3D Quattron TVs will this time also feature networking capabilities, missing from the 2D sets, with the introduction of Wi-Fi support and USB hard-drive recording.

Sharp also unveiled two new 3D Blu-ray players to complement the TVs. The Sharp Aquos BD-HDW700 and BD-HDW70 will come with 2TB and 1TB hard drives respectively. Fully networked, they will also deliver content wirelessly to any other Sharp Aquos TV set you may have in the house.

No news yet on when these TVs will hit the UK, but we've been assured that the line is set to go global. We'll update you when we learn anything new.

Via: AV Watch

LG have just announced the launch of a brand new Blu-ray home cinema package, the HB965TZ. Slim enough to be discretely wall mounted, this 5.1 set still has enough punch to output 1110 watts of audio oomph.

With two HDMI inputs, audio expert Mark Levinson has lent his skills to the product to ensure the home cinema set "retains every detail of even the richest soundscapes", according to the LG press release.

The built-in LG Sound Gallery presets offer fine-tuned audio options for various playback situations, including Natural Plus, Game Equalizer, Night Mode, Clear Voice, Bass Blast, MP3 Up-Scaling and VSM Plus to ensure that you can choose the best sound for what you're watching.

Wirelessly connected to the web, the HB965TZ Blu-ray player also allows its owners to stream content from YouTube and web photo albums, as well as connecting to DLNA devices for mp3, image and video playback of files stored on your home network. The online options also open up the BD-Live features of your Blu-ray collection.

With a port to connect up to an iPod or iPhone for charging and media playback, the home cinema set can also connect to external hard-drives via a USB port and play HD-quality DivX and MKV files.

"LG's HB965TZ home cinema looks are designed to blend in and its features are designed to stand out," said Stephen Gater, Head of Marketing, Home Entertainment, LG UK. "Its possibilities are limitless with the ability to wirelessly connect to content on the internet or on a home network. It also has an integrated iDock for playing and charging your iPod or iPhone for even easier access to your complete digital library."

The HB965TZ Blu-ray home cinema package is out now.

LG have today unveiled their latest Blu-ray player, the BD570. Featuring built-in Wi-Fi, it has a host of web-connected tricks up its sleeve to push it beyond mere Blu-ray playback.

"People shouldn't be restricted to watching movies that come on discs," said Stephen Gater, Head of Marketing, LG Home Entertainment Company. "We have included wireless connectivity on the BD570 that allows consumers to access content from other DLNA devices and NetCast too."

Once connected up to your home Wi-Fi network, the BD570's Netcast features include access to YouTube, Picasa and Accuweather forecasts. DLNA compatibility means the player can also stream video, music and photo albums stored elsewhere on your network, but if you don't have another DLNA compliant device, the player also features support for direct USB connection to external hard-drives. It also wont have any problem playing back HD quality DivX and MKV file types.

As well as the 1080p playback of Blu-ray discs, the BD570 will also upscale your DVDs to a 1080p resolution.

In stores now, LG's latest Blu-ray player will set you back around £180.

Kaleidescape are today updating their range of media servers by adding two players with Blu-ray capabilities, the M500 and the M300. While both have Blu-ray playback capabilities, the M500 also has the ability to import high-def movies from Blu-ray discs straight onto the media server.

Loading the discs onto the Kaleidescape server allows the films to be watched on any number of Kaleidescape players you may have dotted around the house. However, at £2,995 and £1,995 for the M500 and M300 respectively, that looks to be a feature only really open to the super-rich.

You get plenty of bang for your buck though. The Kaleidescape range include support for
1080p video with 24 frames per second and bitstream pass-through of Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD Master Audio, as well as having one of the most comprehensive UI's available, with a movie guide covering detailed information on 135,000 titles.

Annoyingly though, due to copyright restrictions, playback of Blu-ray films from the server can only be accessed if the retail Blu-ray disc is present in at least one player. It's a problem Kaleidescape are said to be working on, with a disc-loader in the works, but it kind of undermines the whole point of a Blu-ray server as it stands.

You can pre-order the players here, to be shipped out on May 18th.

A long time ago in a galaxy far far away, someone planned to have the six live action Star Wars films released on Blu-ray. Now, sometime in the future, on this very planet, George Lucas' classic sci-fi space opera will be hitting the high-definition format.

"We have been at work for a couple of years working on--I won't call it the Ultimate Set because we keep finding stuff--but, a very full set of all six movies on Blu-ray with lots of extra material." said Steve Sansweet, Lucasfilm Director of Fan Relations. "We're finding all kinds of scenes from dailies that have never been seen before. Beyond all of those things that you know about... there are some real treasures."

So when is it due? "We're not ready to announce exactly when it's coming out, but it won't be in the too distant future" said Sansweet.

Remove the "Greedo shoots first" scene and I'll wait as long as you like, George.

Via: IGN

Panasonic has launched its latest range of Home Theatre kit with which to tempt the pounds from your pockets. The SC-BT735, BT330, BT230 and BT222 home cinema kits are touted as having the most "realistic" cinema surround experience outside of your local multiplex.

This "realistic" experience is achieved by using a mixture of both real and virtual speakers to throw audio at the viewer from all manner of angles. PHL Reference Chroma Processor Plus is standard across the entire range too, making for more accurate colour reproduction on screen.

The BT375 features "Pure Direct Sound" speakers at the front and "Advanced Bamboo" cone units for the front and surround speakers. There is also a slim-type speaker box included which "reduces unwanted reflection from the baffle and brings out high quality pure direct sound."

The SC-BT330, BT230 and BT222 also feature the Advanced Bamboo cone speakers as central speakers.

All kits except the BT222 are wireless ready for the rear speaker units, and feature DLNA capability, BD-Live, VieraCast and wireless LAN functionality. YouTube videos and Picasa photos can all be accessed through VieraCast.

Panasonic also announced its Full HD 3D Blu-ray Disc Home Cinema System. It will also feature Pure Direct Sound Speakers and will include Full HD 3D playback with 1920x1080 frame-sequential method, VieraCast, and BD-Live. It is expected to launch in the Autumn.

Pick up the BT375 here for £698 once it become available in the UK shortly.

Epson have announced two new projector deals to coincide with this years 2010 World Cup, and they looks very tempting indeed.

Customers who pick up a EH-TW 450 projector will receive a complimentary 80 inch Epson portable screen, worth £157. Those who go instead for a EH-TW3500 will pick up a free Philips BDP2500 Blu-ray player instead, worth £99.

Both projectors, particularly the EH-TW3500 (pictured) are very capable pieces of home cinema kit, while that Philips Blu-ray player isn't to be scoffed at either. Click here for details on the EH-TW3500 and here for info on the EH-TW450.

Graeme Davidson, Marketing Development Manager, Epson UK, commented: "With an Epson projector, football fans can now bring all the excitement of the game into their homes. With these two projectors, Epson offers a HD, widescreen experience that can be shared by friends and family."

The offer runs from today until the 11th July 2010.

Sony has confirmed that the 3D firmware update that would allow PS3 users to watch 3D Blu-ray movies will be delayed past its expected June launch.

Instead, the June launch will now let PS3 owners indulge in some 3D gaming, with four titles set for release. They are Wipeout HD, Motorstorm Pacific Rift, PAIN and Super Stardust HD.

Sony assure that a PS3 firmware update with 3D Blu-ray compatibility will be on the cards eventually. However, with Sony also announcing the release of their first 3D Blu-ray title (Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs), consumers who were looking to nab one of Sony's 3D TVs may now feel more inclined to buy a new 3D Blu-ray player to go along with it in the interim.

Which, we imagine, was Sony's plan all along.

Sony have today launched their new range of Vaio E Series laptops. With built-in Blu-ray drives and a full HD resolution on the 17 inch model, they're looking set to be pretty awesome portable multimedia centres.

As well as the 17 inch full HD model, there will also be a 14 inch 1600x900 model available at launch. Both will have LED backlit screens, and will be available in a range of colours including white, pink, blue, green and black.

Both models will also feature three new dedicated short-cut buttons. The VAIO button lets you whizz quickly to a gallery of all your media files, while the ASSIST button lets you contact the Vaio technical support team. Perhaps best of all though is the WEB button; using this instead of the power button to boot up bypasses the desktop and sends you straight to your browser instead.

In terms of specs, along with the Blu-ray drives the Vaio E Series laptops pack in 500GB hard-drives, 4GB of DDR3 memory and three USB ports and a high-speed eSATA/USB port .

Keep an eye out for these in May, when they are expected to hit shelves nationwide.

Check out the VAIO E Series laptops in the gallery below.

LG have today unleashed their portfolio of 3D tech to the masses. From May, home cinema enthusiasts will be able to pick up the LG LX9900 Full LED 3D Ready TV and BX580 3D Blu-ray player.

The LX9900 is as feature packed as any 3D TV we've yet seen. Incorporating active shutter glasses for a 1080p image per eye, the 47 and 55 inch models feature LG 's signature super-slim Infinia design for a seamless move from bezel to screen.

Also thrown into the LX9900 is silky image processing in the shape of the 400Hz TruMotion engine. Built in Freeview HD, DLNA networking, Netcast internet widgets and a healthy 4 HDMI ports round out the package.

LG have also promised full compatibility with Sky's incoming 3D service, set to launch latter this year.

Those looking for the full package might want to have a look at the LG BX580 3D Blu-ray player. Playing 3D Blu-rays as well as regular Blu-ray and DVD discs, there's a whole range of DLNA and internet widget features, as well as external HDD playback.

No news on pricing yet, but we'll keep you posted.

Sony have unleashed two brand new Blu-ray players, both of which will be fully 3D compatible. The Sony BDP-S570 model will be 3D ready straight out of the box, while those opting for the cheaper BDP-S470 player will get 3D visuals through a software update.

With a "Monolithic" design style, both players will send 1080p 3D images to your eyes, providing you have a compatible 3D TV and Active Shutter glasses set up.

Hooking up to the internet via either built-in Wi-Fi on the BDP-S570 model or over an Ethernet cable with the BDP-S470 unit (an additional Sony Wi-Fi dongle can be bought for the S470), owners will be able to access Sony's new Bravia Internet Video Service. This new on demand platform will let you stream content from YouTube, LOVEFiLM and BBC's iPlayer without the need for any additional media boxes.

DLNA networking is also available across both Blu-ray players, which have also the nifty feature of being able to be controlled by an iPod Touch or iPhone.

Though prices are still to be confirmed, you'll be able to pick both 3D Blu-ray players up from shops by the end of the month.

Mitsubishi have been working away at a new piece of upscaling technology. The recently demoed kit can take a 1080p image and catapult it right up into the 4k x 2k stratosphere.

But, there's a rather weighty catch to all this. Mitsubishi have yet to make the technology compatible with Blu-ray content, which for the time being makes it more than a little worthless.

Still, the average Joe is miles away from being able to afford a 4k TV or projector anyway, so at least we can sit back smugly as the rich kids are left waiting to get their rocks off.

Via: Akihabara News

Just as it seemed that the Blu-ray format had finally turned the corner onto Mainstream St., the high-def format has been dealt another blow. It looks like Blu-ray disc prices are about to rise as the cost of polycarbonate is set to increase.

Polycarbonate is a major material in the production of not only Blu-ray discs, but everything from water bottles to CDs too. Any price increase would certainly have an adverse affect on Blu-ray disc prices, just as they were seemingly becoming more affordable.

Measures are in place to address the balance here however. Taiwanese manufacturers have begun stockpiling discs in an attempt to bolster resources before what seems to be an imminent rise. If all goes well, consumers may not have to face the extra costs for a little while yet.

Via: DigiTimes

Onkyo are never ones to shy away from high specs (and high prices) when it comes to their home cinema kit. Their latest range of THX-certified gear looks sure to please even the most choosy of cinephiles.

First up is the BD-SP807 Blu-ray player. Featuring 287Mhz/12-bit video DAC from Analog Devices and Noise Shaped Video, the player can render incredible, detailed high-def images. Older DVD's will also scrub up nicely thanks to 10-bit processing from the onboard Anchor Bay ABT1030 chip. Sound is equally well looked after, with all audio channels benefiting from 182kHz/24-bit DACs, with bit stream output of Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD Master Audio Essential Soundtracks.

Next up is the PA-MC5500 THX Ultra 2-certified 9-channel amplifier. Designed with a focus on minimising interference, the 26 kg flagship model will deliver a massive 220w (into 6 ohms) and an SACD-friendly frequency response that hits 100kHz.

Wrapping up the set (with each device optimised to work in tandem) is the PR-SC5507 THX Ultra 2-certified 9.2-channel A/V Network Controller. With seven HDMI, three component and six S-Video/composite inputs, it's a thorough networking solution, delivering studio-quality upscaled video streams and decoding and processing all major home cinema audio formats.

The PR-SC5507 A/V Network Controller is available now, priced £1800. The BD-SP807 and PA-MC5500 will be available in February and March respectively, with no pricing details yet confirmed.

The Consumer Electronics show, the behemoth of tech, the Valhalla of gadgetry, has come and gone for yet another year. But this time, rather than arriving with a bang, it slinked into sight with something more like a whimper.

CES 2010 had really had the wind knocked out of it before it had even got into the ring this year. All eyes were already on Apple and their rumoured Tablet in the run up to the event, despite the fact that Apple are traditionally a no-show at CES, instead planning their own top-secret unveiling at the end of January. Likewise, Google delivered a sucker-punch in the shape of the Nexus One, their flagship handset revealed at their own event on the eve of CES 2010's opening.

To make matter's worse, Microsoft's opening keynote speech (delivered by walking personality drain Steve Ballmer) was pretty darn dull. First a power cut, then a load of waffle on the 2 month old Windows 7, Ballmer hardly seemed to be trying to keep our attention. Though the Christmas release date for Project Natal was welcome news, it revealed nothing new about the device, whilst the partnership with Hewlett Packard for the new Slate device seemed merely like a case of keeping-up with the Joneses. Or should that be the Jobs-es?

But the Las Vegas event wasn't without its highlights. Far from it in fact. Maybe it's the recession, or the generally pocket-pinching mood in the air these days, but for once the most sought after tech wasn't in the realms of dreamy aspiration, but was actually fairly affordable.

Take for instance the brand new 3D TVs on show, of which the Sony BRAVIA XBR-52HX900 (video above, courtesy of Ashley) was the pick of the litter. Finally shaping up to the standards set by its cinema siblings, company reps promised that the average 3D TV will cost little more than a top-end Full HD set. Skype and video calling in many TV sets too will help turn your living room into somewhere the Jetsons could only dream of.

E-readers are also looking to be both big and affordable in 2010. As a comic book fanatic I'd have liked to have seen more attempts at a colour screened e-reader (I'm not including the MSI offering, which is really just a dual-touch screened PC, super-cool as it is). Plastic Logic's Que Pro e-reader looked great though, with a massive, durable screen, and was far lighter than the hundreds of books you'd be able to store on the tabloid-sized device.

There were, of course, tablets aplenty. The dual-booting Viliv P3 may be an underdog in the category, but seemed way more exciting than Microsoft's offering. The offer of both Windows and Android on the same device showed a respect for user choice not often seen in the back-slapping world of consumer tech.

There was still time for fun too. The Parrot AR Drone Quadricopter was fun and fresh, combining real-world toys with augmented reality controls. A little less high-tech but full of retro-chic was the Lasonic i931 iPhone dock/ghetto blaster mash-up. Odd's on its at the top of Flava Flav's Christmas list. And there was still some time for the weird and the plain old dumb, too.

Though less prevalent than other years, there were some great examples of brand new tech on show that were genuinely exciting. A real head-turner and my favourite item of the show was the Light Blue Optic Light Touch. Using a pico projection engine and a touch sensitive sensor, it'll turn any flat surface into a touchscreen. It works ridiculously well despite still being in the development stages, and has almost unlimited potential.

Some detractors say that, recession or not, CES looks to be on its last legs. It's sad, but not unlikely, when you consider the audiences that companies like Apple and Google can command for just a single product launch. However, for emerging companies like Light Blue Optics CES is still vital to gain some exposure, not to mention the fact that such a prominent date in the calendar forces the tech giants to have made some significant, competitive advances in their gear, year-on-year.

So here's hoping the old dog's got a bit of life left in it yet. Hopefully next year will kick off the recessionary cobwebs and kick the show back into high-tech gear. It wouldn't take much to tempt us back to the City of Sin once more.

Click here for full CES 2010 pre-show, day one, day two and day three round-ups.

It may have gotten off to a dull start thanks to the lacklustre showing from Microsoft, but CES 2010 today threw up some really nice surprises. Keep an eye out for the Light Blue Optic's Light Touch here in today's round-up, and be prepared to be blown away.

HTC unveils the Smart, their first budget smartphone
You might recognise this one from last years leaked HTC product roadmap

Dell tease mini Android based tablet, the Streak
It's like an Archos internet tablet. But red.

Sony Z series laptops hands-on video
Ashley gets a quick demo of the new range of Sony laptops

EarVibe vibrating earphones on the way from Tehcnocell
Somehow improves sound quality. Yeah right....

Lady Gaga new creative director for Polaroid
No, it's not a wind-up, she's got herself a real job

Light Blue Optic's Light Touch turns any surface into a touchscreen
Amazing emergent tech, and the most exciting spot of the day so far in my opinion

Samsung's animated OLED identity card is equal parts cool and creepy
Your ID is about to go crazy cool, Bladerunner style

Microsoft's Ballmer announces the HP Slate
The iSlate...Oh? The HP Slate, right...

Project Natal Xbox 360 motion control coming Christmas
You hear that Santa!?

Microsoft's Steve Ballmer opens CES, but does anyone care anymore?
It's a pretty boring display from the PC giants

Sony's new products
In a quick, handy gallery!

Sony Dash personal internet viewer video
Sony do a Chumby

The five hottest e-readers
Another gallery rundown, this time of the best e-readers so far seen at CES 2010

Is this the hottest TV of the year? Samsung's 3D LED 9000
Real-time 2D to 3D conversion on its way

Five things to watch for
Ashley gives his run down on the best things to keep a look out for at this year's convention

Click here for more CES 2010 coverage from Tech Digest

Tech Digest at CES is sponsored by Best Buy. For more CES stories and
videos go here

With CES 2010 now well under way, it can be pretty tough keeping track of all the latest announcements. Here's Tech Digest's round-up of the of best Day 1 at CES 2010 so far, including all the news from the LG and Toshiba press conferences.

Toshiba Press Conference
Amazing new Cell Tvs promise to deliver real-time 2D to 3D conversion

Samsung ready N-range netbooks
Massive battery life makes this Samsung range stand out from the pack

LG Press Conference
3D tech is as big on LG's agenda as expected

Immerz KOR-FX acousto-haptic gear lets you "feel" your gaming experience
Slightly creepy, sort of cool new tech promises to fully immerse you in games and movies

Sony NW-A845 Walkman finally gets European release
Super-slim MP3 player hitting stores in February

Microsoft to unveil new HP built tablet?
Rumour has it Microsoft may be preparing to square up against the Apple iSlate

Brits get the Amazon Kindle DX from January 19th
Too little too late from Amazon?

PassivSystems heating control
Economise with this hot Brit-built energy management system

ZOMM Bluetooth leash for your mobile
Never lose your mobile again thanks to this Bluetooth alert system

Saygus VPHONE
New Android handset enters the smartphone fray

Parrot's AR Drone Quadricpoter
Augmented reality app controls this fun gadget copter

Iriver Story e-reader goes wireless and gets a proper launch
A long time coming, but finally the Story gets a happy ending

Six of this year's hottest products
Featuring such gadgetry delights as the Skiff e-reader

Why Apple is the real star of the show
Have Apple stolen the lime-light yet again, without even appearing in Vegas?

Will it be any good this year?
In a recessionary year, Ashley Norris gives his views on what to expect from this year's show.

Click here for more CES 2010 coverage from Tech Digest

Tech Digest at CES is sponsored by Best Buy. For more CES stories and
videos go here

Toshiba have been giving all the details for their 2010 plans today at their CES 2010 press conference. President and CEO Atsushi Murasawa admitted 2009 was a tough year for his company and the industry alike, but that didn't stop Toshiba showing off some impressive new home cinema kit.

The most glitzy gear on show was Toshiba's new line of Cell Tvs. Not only will the sets be 3D-ready, but Toshiba representatives also discussed real-time 2D to 3D conversion of video signals using the new Cell TV technology, though there was no demonstration on show.

Though it sounds incredibly exciting, if the Cowboy's Stadium demo was anything to go by Toshiba have their work cut out delivering on that promise.

Toshiba hope that the cell processor powered Tvs will become the ultimate solution for a unified home cinema kit, incorporating 3D tech with internet connectivity and upscaled web TV at 480Hz using the screen's 8 core processors.

A built in Blu-ray player, 1 TB HDD and colour and light sensitive local dimming round out what Toshiba are cringingly dubbing as "Cell-F realisation".

Toshiba also announced a new 3D Blu-ray player, winging its way to shops later in the year. BDX3000 Blu-ray player will be Toshiba's first player to dabble in the third dimension.

To round things up, Toshiba promised to deliver a screen with a 4k x 2x resolution by 2012. Tech Digest waits with baited breath!

Click here for more CES 2010 coverage from Tech Digest

Tech Digest at CES is sponsored by Best Buy. For more CES stories and
videos go here.

LG's CES 2010 press conference has revealed a whole host of new gear coming soon from the Korean electronic giants.

As expected, 3D tech is big on the LG agenda. The new Infinia TV range has been announced, including the LE7500, LE8500 and the "3D ready" LE9500 model, happy to play nice with Sky 3D as the broadcasting firm suggested earlier. The flagship Infinia LE9500 features an 8.5 millimeter-wide frame and a "TruMotion" refresh rate of 480Hz. The set also features broadband TV functionality, giving users access to Skype, VUDU, YouTube, Netflix and Google's Picasa service.

LG are also planning to release a 3D Blu-ray player too later on in the year, but you'd better start saving as it's likely to have a massive price tag. A more affordable Blu-ray player, the BD 590 was also announced, rocking a 250GB hard drive to store flicks on.

LG also showed off a stunning, as-yet-unnamed 3D projector, pushing out a blinding 2500 lumens of brightness.

The LG Magic Motion remote was also back on show, much the same as its first appearance in Berlin last year. Looking a lot like a Wii remote, it's a slick new home cinema controller.

Though only touched upon whilst showing a new Snapdragon powered projector phone, LG will be displaying a whole load of new smartphones tomorrow morning. Keep checking back to Tech Digest for more LG news from CES 2010.

Click here for more CES 2010 coverage from Tech Digest

TechDigest at CES is sponsored by Best Buy. For more CES stories and
videos go here.