Channel Five and Sky have today announced that Five will be launching a HD service for Sky+HD subscribers this July.

It means Five's many top-rated US dramas such as CSI and FlashFoward will get a HD makeover, as well as Aussie soaps Neighbours and Home & Away, Europa League Football, international cricket and movies.

Five becomes the 42nd channel to hit Sky's HD line-up, following news that ITV 1HD, Sky News HD, Sky Sports HD 4 and the Hallmark Channel HD are all set to launch in the coming months. Sky plan to have 50 HD channels by this Christmas.

Charles Constable, Five's Director of Strategy, said: "This is an exciting opportunity for Five. Our programme schedule is more suited to HD than that any other major free-to-air commercial broadcaster given the wide range of high quality series we broadcast, such as our top-rated line-up of US dramas.  We're delighted to begin our HD journey with Sky."

After long negotiations, ITV HD is finally coming to Sky and Virgin Media TV services on April 2nd. The news means that almost all of the 64 World Cup matches from this year's tournament in South Africa will be available to UK viewers in high-definition.

The service will also get an upgrade for Freesat viewers. ITV 1 HD will now be given a dedicated channel on the service, rather than being a red button feature.

"All of our output will benefit from the stunning picture quality that high definition offers, whether it's ITV's original drama, landmark factual shows, entertainment events or our live football," said Peter Fincham, ITV's director of television, channels and online.

Sky subscribers will also get high-definition launches for the Hallmark and Sky Sports 4 channels. With over 40 HD channels under their belt, Sky are aiming to have 50 up and running by Christmas of this year.

Via:Guardian

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.

Sharp have today launched their new range of Aquos LED LCD TVs. While most of the industry's energies right now are going into the big 3D push, Sharp are looking to refine the current HD standards by pioneering a new Quad Pixel technology, which adds a forth colour sub-pixel, yellow, to the traditional red, green, blue format.

What this means for the layman is that billions upon billions of colours can now be displayed, making in theory for a far more realistic colour palette.

Three models are available; the LC-LE811E, LC-LE821E and LC-LE921E sets ranging in size from 40 to 46 inches, while the LC-LE920 model is 60 inches in size.

While each set features robust energy saving technology and built-in Freeview HD, the flagship LC-LE921E will also have E-motion 200 Hz tech built in too, retaining clarity in fast moving images.

No prices or availability details knocking around yet, but it's good to see innovative new 2D TV tech hasn't been swept away by the 3D wave.

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.

This week sees the launch of a new range of Sony Bravia HD TVs, the UK's first to feature an integrated Freeview HD tuner.

Rather than having to shell out for a HD compatible set-top box, these HX, NX and EX sets will let their owners watch Freeview HD channels straight out of the box.

They're pretty good looking sets too, with a minimalist design that should see them fit right in in almost any home.

Each set will include a range of IPTV features too. LoveFilm accounts can be accessed through the sets, along with Twitter feeds and the Demand Five VOD service.

To sweeten the deal even further, the HX models will be fully 3D compatible once Sony start rolling out firmware updates to their Blu-Ray players and PS3 consoles.

Click here for more details.

Sony have today halted production of XEL-1 OLED TVs in Japan, citing "sluggish demand" as the reason.

Despite wowing tech-fans with its 3mm display and excellent picture, a combination of ridiculously high prices and the advent of 3D TV have meant that OLED's star has fallen of late.

"As flat panel TVs are getting bigger and cheaper, hurdles for OLED models have become higher, at least in the short term," said Hisakazu Torii, vice president of DisplaySearch.

"We will continue to consider new products and applications including OLED TVs," said Sony's spokesman Shigenori Yoshida.

Sony have meanwhile confirmed that it would continue to work with OLED TVs in Europe and North America. Paired with the recent OLED offerings from LG and Samsung, there may still be time yet for OLED to have its day.

Toshiba have launched the Regza WL series of LED backlit HD TVs, boasting built-in Freeview HD.

That means that rather than having to dish out for a separate HD source to make the most of all that LED 1080p goodness, a built in DVB-T2 tuner will deliver crystal clear images straight out of the box, without the need for a satellite dish.

The 200Hz sets will be available in 40, 46, and 55 inch sizes. Toshiba's Resolution + tech will upscale standard definition sources, while DLNA wireless streaming is also supported.

Toshiba also launched the SL series, packing similar specs apart from 100Hz refresh rates and 32, 40 and 46 inch screen sizes.

The WL series will be available from May, but the impatient among you can snap up an SL model from April.

Perhaps it's a knock on effect of the global rescession, but the latest report by the Institute of Practitioners in Advertising has found that TV viewing is at the highest it has been in 18 years.

Viewers watched an average of 3.75 hours of TV a day last year, the highest figure since 1992, according to IPA research.

As one would expect to find, the first and last quarters of the year, with less daylight and fewer people away on holiday, tended to show the highest television viewing figures.

Interestingly, the IPA revealed that only 8.2 % of UK households relied on an analogue signal to catch their favourite shows, showing that the digital switch-over is almost complete.

While ITV and GMTV gathered 19% of the total television audience in the last three months of 2009, likely thanks to the popularity of the X-Factor, BBC1 continued to achieve the highest share of all the terrestrial channels, at 21%. All five analogue channels continue to lose ground however, as multi-channel satellite options grow in prominence.

Ever seen a rugby player's cauliflower ear in high-definition? Well now you can, free of charge, thanks to Freesat HD and the BBC HD channel.

The annual 6 Nations rugby tournament will be broadcast on BBC HD from February 6th until the 20th of March, with Ireland and Italy squaring up in the first match.

Sport fans can also look forward to The World Cup on the BBC HD channel and ITV1 HD, as well as Winter Olympics, Golf Masters, Wimbledon, FA Cup and UEFA Champions league matches.

For more info, check out www.freesat.co.uk.

Name: UE40B8000 (Samsung)

Type: 40" LCD LED Backlit TV

Specs:

• Contrast Ratio: Mega Contrast 5,000,000:1


• Resolution: Full HD (1920 x 1080p)


• Connectivity:4x HDMI, Digital Audio (Optical), PC, DVI, Component, Composite, Ethernet, RF, 2x USB, Scart


• Speakers: 2x 10 watts SRS TruSurround HD & Dolby Digital Plus


• Dimensions: 677mm H (including base) x 998mm W x 29.9mm D


• Features: 200Hz Motion Plus processing, LED backlighting, DLNA home networking, web widgets with Internet@ TV

Price: Circa £1,500

Samsung's UE40B8000 is so slim that you half expect it to have just strut off of a catwalk in Milan and into your living room. Despite being only 29.9 mm thick, it manages to house all of its electronics, including a TV tuner, 200Hz Motion Plus processor and all its 4 HDMI and breakout composite/component connections, inside the panel itself, without the need for a separate media box. It's a beautiful set with black bezel edging, finished off with a svelte strip of clear plastic that gently glows thanks to a blue LED indicator light. While the TV is perfect for wall mounting due to its size and relatively low weight, its see-through stand was a real chore to attach, and was never satisfyingly stable.

Picture quality is really superb on the UE40B8000. High definition sources were uniformly excellent. 1080p playback of the "Moon" Blu-ray over HDMI through a PS3 delivered black levels as deep as you'd hope to get from the far-flung reaches of outer space, while subtlety in colour ranges and superb skin tones shone through. The LED backlighting also meant that there was excellent clarity in the image, though you may want to disable auto-dimming if you're quickly flicking through many different sources.

The 200Hz Motion Plus technology is an obvious draw here, and we flicked over to a Sky Sports HD Premiership broadcast to put it through its paces. Is it really any better than 100Hz processing? Yes it is, but not massively so. Players darting around the field were noticeably sharper, as was the text from scrolling electronic billboards. However, there was still some shimmering and an element of unnatural movement in fast paced scenes, especially when the motion processing was cranked up to the max. Also, while there is a Game Mode available here, response times for consoles could have performed a little better.

Standard definition content proved excellently processed. A screen this size that lacks attention to standard definition signals can really show off the limitations of SD, but the UE40B8000 smoothed out everything well without producing any unsightly noise. Colours too were rich and vibrant, though the benefits of the motion processing tech was less apparent here. All in, the UE40B8000 offers some of the best picture quality money can currently buy, at least in the UK anyway.

The only real let down here are the incredibly weak speakers. Housing everything inside a set this thin had to have its downside somewhere, and speaker performance lacks both clarity and low-end resonance. They'll serve you well enough for a quiet night in with Eastenders, but if you can splash the cash on the screen in the first place, then you should probably invest in some decent audio gear to support it.

Menus and the EPG are clear and nicely presented, giving a quick low-down of what each function does, though some may have some trouble navigating the various options on offer. There are two reasons for this. Firstly, there is quite a lot of depth in terms of image options here, which isn't necessarily a bad thing at all, but can at times make it a little confusing when browsing for something specific. Secondly, the backlit remote control, which again overall is fine, features a quirky iPod-style scrolling wheel. It's overly sensitive, which can make precise menu browsing or image tweaking a little difficult. There's also a second, pebble-shaped controller thrown in. It's pretty, but by only packing a few core buttons in means it's a little pointless. The UE40B8000 also has some pretty comprehensive web widgets and DLNA network streaming features, which are simple to set up once the provided USB Wi-Fi dongle is plugged in. There's also an Ethernet port if a Wi-Fi connection isn't convenient.

If we we're judging this TV on image quality alone the Samsung UE40B8000 would get top marks without question. It's a shame then that the thin frame has caused a real compromise in sound quality, which at around £1,500 really should have been addressed. Still, if you're looking for some of the smoothest, sharpest, most stunningly vivid colours your hard-earned cash can afford, then the UE40B8000 should be top of your shopping list.

4/5

Samsung has been announced as the largest technology firm in the world, with sales of their devices hitting the $117.8 billion mark.

The figure sees them overtake HP, who managed an impressive $114.6 billion, making them the second largest tech company.

With a big push in TV, camera and memory chip developments at Samsung HQ (not to mention their sizeable showing at this year's CES) it's no surprise Samsung are doing so well. It's only in the mobile sector where they appear to have lost ground.

Jan Lee of Daiwa Securities told CNN that he saw the mobile market as a potential growth sector for Samsung. "Compare it with Apple" he said, "There is still a gap in profit margins of their phone businesses."

Keep an eye out on Monday for Tech Digest's review of the Samsung UE40B8000 LED TV. Quick teaser; it's wicked.

Samsung have today announced that they are the first company to begin mass production of panels for both LED and LCD 3D TV's.

40, 46, and 55 inch full HD 3D Tvs using "3D Active Glasses" and 240Hz technology were the first to hit the factory floor.

"Recently, 3D displays have captured the industry spotlight," said Wonkie Chang, president of the LCD Business at Samsung Electronics. "Samsung Electronics aims to lead the global 3D TV panel market in pioneering panel mass production for 3D LED and LCD TVs."

According to DisplaySearch, the 3D TV market is expected to grow from $902 million in 2008 to $22 billion in 2018, a pretty staggering figure. Specifically, the 3D TV market is expected to expand to a $17-billion market, with sales increasing from 200,000 units in 2009 to 64 million units in 2018.

Name: iViewer (Cello)

Type: 32" LCD TV

Specs:

• Contrast ratio: 3,000:1
• Resolution: Full HD (1920 x 1080p)
• Connectivity: 2x HDMI, Composite, VGA, PC Audio, S-Video, 2x Scart, RF, 2x USB, Ethernet
• Speakers: Nicam Stereo 2x 10 W
• Dimensions:22"H (including base) x 31"W x 4" D
• Features: BBC iPlayer, Web TV, DLNA home networking, news widgets
• Price: £499

Brit based TV manufacturers Cello have made a bold move with their iViewer range. By being one of the earliest web-connected TVs and the first to have BBC's iPlayer as a built-in widget, they are going where none of the big name brands have gone before. But has capitalising upon this brief window of opportunity left them flailing elsewhere with the set? Certainly, but the TV does still hold it's own.

Sensibly, Cello have kept the aesthetics here rather simple. A glossy black frame about two thirds of an inch thick surrounds the screen, while a speaker bar about an inch in height lies just underneath. The screen can be wall mounted, but at 22"H (including base) x 31"W x 4" D it's rather chunky. I'd recommend using the supplied base stand, which is again glossy, black and discrete. Also, while the main manual supplied is perfectly acceptable, the visual guide thrown in is an absolute joke. It verges on Engrish and looks as though it was put together on MS Paint.

Keeping in mind this is at the budget end of the market for a full HD set (£499), the iViewer's picture quality is reasonably good. 1080p playback of the "Che: Part One" Blu-ray over HDMI through a PS3 showed an acceptably sharp image with a good range of strong colours in brighter scenes, as you would expect with an LCD as opposed to a Plasma. Night scenes were less impressive: there was a fair amount of noise, black levels were respectable but hardly deep and response times suffered in fast moving shots. As a result of the noise and sluggish response times, it doesn't score highly as a set for gaming, as proven by a quick session with "Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2". For the money you're paying the image here holds up well, but don't expect it to go troubling the big guns.

Likewise, the speakers aren't the greatest. Hollow and echoey, it's a muddled sound that has little in the way of bass, and poor definition between the mids and treble. Higher volumes sometimes caused a slight rattling too.

But, if you've been following this set, you're likely already aware that this isn't exactly a technophiles television. No, the iViewer's trump card lies in its internet-connected capabilities, or more specifically its BBC iPlayer widget, where it does honestly shine.

Getting connected to the web is relatively simple, via either an optional USB Wi-Fi dongle or Ethernet cable. The input connections area on the back of the TV is far too cramped (especially as the USB Wi-Fi dongle is a bit of a sizey beast), but once you're plugged in it's just a matter of finding your network and entering your WEP key, text message style, with the remote control.

The iPlayer interface (and the TV's web UI in general) was designed by Oregon Networks. They've done a great job. It's a good looking UI across all of the web menus, with big icons simple and well defined for the casual user. There's even a dedicated button on the remote for the iPlayer for easy-access to the service. Searching through the iPlayer catalogue will be easy for anyone remotely familiar with the web service. While playback controls can be a little clunky, visually the iPlayer footage scrubs up quite well on the larger screen, providing you don't expect HD levels of clarity.

Web TV channels didn't fair so well. There are 12 in all at present, including a fully-searchable YouTube, Jamie Oliver's Ministry of Food and the Sesame Street podcast. Quality of content varies across each, both visually and in terms of entertainment value, and thanks to some unexplainable file error, I couldn't access the Sesame Street one at all. Which was obviously heartbreaking. Also, the news widgets could do with a little more interactivity, and more options in terms of feed providers.

However, the DLNA home network access is strong and very accessible. Providing your PC is on and sharing allowed, you can access pictures, MP3s and a wide range of the most popular video files including AVI and WMV stored on your computer, though I couldn't get high-def formats to work. In a nice touch, MP3s continue to play in the background whilst you browse other folders for content. It's also worth noting that playback is possible from USB memory sticks, providing you can squeeze it in next to the dongle.

As is now standard, there is also an integrated TV tuner in the iViewer. Visually, broadcasts are good. There was a little noise and a few artefacts, but on the whole very watchable. The 7 day EPG however looks horrendous; from a technical standpoint it's perfectly functional and easy to navigate, but fonts are jagged and the most lurid mix of sharp blues and yellows are used.

While it's far from perfect, it's nevertheless hard to dislike the iViewer. The picture and sound quality aren't the best we've ever seen by a long shot, but it's not epically bad. Just especially average. And while some aspects of the web service don't work too well, the home networking and iPlayer are great, especially as this represents the first roll of the dice for the BBC service on TVs. As you'd expect from a product that's currently a Marks and Spencer's exclusive, it keeps it head down and gets the job done. And if you aren't happy, that M&S guarantee will have you covered.

3/5

Pick up the IViewer here

Fancy a quick flutter on the footie? Thanks to Betfair's recent debut on the Yahoo! TV Widget engine, gamblers can place bets from the comfort of their armchair.

But what does this mean for the traditional high-street based bookie? Is it making it all too easy for addicts to engage their gambling vice? And, most importantly, who's going to win the League?!

We had a quick chat with Betfair TV CEO Simon Miller to find out.

Betfair has become one of, if not the biggest betting exchange on the web. What do you attribute to its popularity?

We are by a country mile the biggest betting exchange in the world. It's really down to the fact that we offer 20% better odds across the board compared to a traditional bookmaker. We take the risk out of bookmaking by acting as an exchange whereas a traditional bookmaker will take a view and a stance on each different betting market. Betfair customers bet against each other and choose their own odds. Betfair doesn't take a view on who is going to win, we simply earn a commission from the Betfair customer who happens to win. I think it is that that has lead to our popularity.

And that customer to customer based betting service carries over to the new TV widget?

Yes, it's built directly from the exchange API; we're using the same odds, the same security, the same registration, the same payment and so on.

How does it differ from your web browser service?

There is one important difference and that is that the web is obviously a platform that allows for quite an intense relationship with the user. On the Betfair website you can both "back" and "lay" (meaning to either favour a team in a result, or feel that the opponent will either win or hold them to a tie - Ed.) , a reasonably complex process that works perfectly well on the website. But we think that television, as a causal entertainment experience, is very much a "back" only service. People are not coming on to use their television platform as a sophisticated trading system.

How long was spent testing and developing the user interface? Was the focus of the design to make it as simple as possible for the casual user?

Absolutely. We've paired everything right the way down to the absolute minimum. We spent five or six months learning the technology, building the system and to QA it through Yahoo! and manufacturers. For example, on the web there is about 40 different ways you can bet on any single football match; yellow cards, red cards, the number of corners etc. But adding that level of choice onto a television menu doesn't make any sense. Instead we offer 4 different ways to bet on TV that cover the vast majority of the revenue. We think we're offering the customers the things that they most want to bet on, and balancing that with an interface that makes it easy and quick to find that bet, particularly giving the constraints of being ten feet away and using a remote control.

Right now then it's only football that is covered by the new service?

At the moment it is only football. In the next 6 months we plan to develop a multi-sport widget. And again, rather than offering all the thousands of events that Betfair online features, we will pair that down to about five different sports. We'll also have a sixth slot for "specials" like X-Factor results for the final, and other tele-visual related events such as Strictly Come Dancing.

Do you expect the habits of TV gamblers to be much different from your web users?

I think it will be. I think that the television-betting mentality is far more casual, far more entertainment based. I imagine people will tune in, watch a match on a Sunday afternoon and make it a little more interesting by putting ten quid on it. We've set the maximum stake for now at £25, also offering a £2 bet, a £5 bet and a £10 bet, again the reason being our focus on casual customers. The more serious betters will stay on the web.

What measures are in place to ensure user's details are secured?

We use the same methods as on the web to register and pay, referring them to our website. Data entry for now on a remote control is not so good. We will have a registration and payment Widget in our road-map, but online the security in place is of a banking level, possibly higher. We hold masses of money and client funds so we need that level of security. Also in our business, ensuring that no-one under the age of 18 can access our service is absolutely crucial to our reputation, apart from just being the law. The television service raises an interesting question; "What about my kids? Can my kids get on there?" It's an interesting point but there are measures in place. Not only is a username and password required, but if there has been no activity for 30 minutes, or you shutdown the application environment, that information has to be re-entered. Again, we're trying to balance ease of use with a prudent approach to security. The living room, a communal area itself, offers a level of protection; your 14 year old would find it easier to get onto your laptop which you've accidentally left open with your betting account logged in and create mischief than do it in plain sight in the public space of the living room. However, a degree of individual responsibility is of course involved.

Some people will argue that the ease with which people can place bets through the TV service helps facilitate irresponsible gambling? How would you respond to that?

Firstly we will take the same attitude towards responsible gambling that we take on all platforms and take it very seriously. If we see patterns of behaviours which are seemingly problematic we have very well regimented processes in place. The fact that the vice is there whichever platform you choose to use means that all we are really facilitating is an easier and more convenient mechanism to bet on. We are taking a very prudent approach from a targeting perspective by restricting the stake levels to £25. Problem gambling is all about the moment when people lose control. I think we've got a lot of controls built into the very nature of the product to handle that, as well as the publicness of the living room which itself discourages problem gambling.

With online betting, poker and casinos so mainstream nowadays, do you see the internet and internet connected TV's eventually killing off the traditional bookies?

No I don't. I think that the traditional bookmaker has a place. There will be certain customers who will simply prefer that. We've become an important company in this space, employing a lot of people, developing amazing technology, providing what we think is a very good service. Clearly that has attracted a lot of customers. Internet connected televisions will simply be another platform. There will be some people who will say " I don't want to go to an internet site, I prefer to go to my bookmaker", who will now perhaps say, "This television thing, that kind of fits with how my life works". But do I think that the internet and internet connected televisions will be the final nail in the bookies coffin? No I don't think so.

How do you see services like your own, and other Yahoo! widget services evolving in the future? What do you think the next step is?

Personally, we'll start with football and build up to a multi-sport widget. We'll also develop casino games. Our ambition is to have an appropriate subset of the full sweep of a gambling portfolio available on television. It's not practical to have 250 different slot selections on a television, it'll be a subset of that. Televisions have the advantage of being 42 inches, or 50 inches or so; whatever size screen it is, it's usually the biggest and best quality screen in the house. The exciting thing is, if this platform is as successful as we think it might be, we can then bring real drama to the way that we present casino games. Putting the level of animation and video quality already seen online into a television widget will make it that much more of an invigorating experience.

To round things up, can you give Tech Digest's readers any good tips? The Grand National or football perhaps?

I've never been asked that question before! I am the world's worst better! You're asking absolutely the wrong person. I happen to be a Newcastle fan so my recommendation would be to back Newcastle for the championship title!

Thanks very much for your time Simon.

It's been a pleasure.

Check out Betfair's online service here.

As if you weren't already sick of snow as it is, Freesat have today confirmed that you'll be able to watch all the coverage from this years 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics in high-definition, at no extra charge.

The HD coverage kicks off on the 12th February with the game's grand opening ceremony.

It looks set to be a good year for sport-loving Freesat owners. The World Cup, Golf Masters, Rugby Six Nations and Wimbledon will all be available on the BBC HD Channel with the FA Cup, England World Cup internationals and UEFA Champions league matches also being presented in high definition over on ITV1 HD.

For more info, visit www.freesat.co.uk.

The trend with notebooks and laptops right now is to make them smaller and smaller, so much so that they're nearly in danger of being dwarfed by DVD cases these days. But what if you need both the benefits of a portable machine and a larger screen? Intel may well have the solution.

Intel's Wireless HD Display technology (or WiDi) is one of the simplest wireless laptop streaming devices we've ever seen. It's virtually plug and play; after plugging the HD receiver into your TV via HDMI and performing a simple set-up wizard on your PC, a single button press can have up- or downscaled 720p video streamed straight to your flatscreen TV.

All compression is done on your PC, while the box does the decoding. Remarkably, the whole process rarely eats more than 5Mbps of your network speed when in use.

Artefacts once the video has hit your screen are kept to a minimum, and system resources only take about a 15% hit when on an average Core i5 set up.

Sony, Dell and Lenovo are already said to be looking into integrating the new technology into their machines. If you can't wait for that, you'll be able to pick the kit up yourself from the 17th of January from Best Buy if you're a US reader. No word on a UK launch date yet, but we'd expect to see this hit UK shores not long afterwards.

The argument over whether or not top-end cabling makes a noticeable difference to your home-cinema gear will forever rage between technophiles. If you're on the side of the fence that believes more expensive cabling gets the job done better for your HD kit, have a look at IXOS's XEN XHT6688 HDMI cable.

The XEN XHT668 HDMI cable is designed to work with all HDMI v1.4 components including those with Ethernet capabilities, allowing an internet enabled HDMI device to share its connection across the cable.

24k gold plated conductors are used to prevent oxidisation in the cable and a nitrogen gas-injected polyethylene dielectric is used to ensure accurate impedance transfer of HDMI 1.4 Category 2 with Ethernet signals.

The cabling will also be 3D ready, and will support 4kx2k resolutions once they go commercial.

The XEN XHT668 HDMI cable doesn't come cheap though. You're looking at £129.99 for a 1.5m cable. I'd have wanted AT LEAST 1.6m for that price...

For more info, visit www.ixos.co.uk.

Samsung have confirmed that BBC's iPlayer TV catch-up service will be hitting their web-connected TVs in the coming months. The news comes after much rumour and speculation around the possibility of iPlayer hitting the major manufacturer's sets at this year's CES.

A broadband connection to the internet will be all that's necessary to enjoy the BBC service through a Samsung web TV. The iPlayer app will come pre-installed, ready to use straight out of the box.

The Samsung sets will also feature LoveFilm's online DVD rental service and Muzu.tv's legal music video streaming app.

The BBC's Director of Future Media and Technology Erik Huggers told The Telegraph: "BBC iPlayer has enjoyed huge success since launch two years ago, and the next challenge for us is taking the service mobile and into the living room; we've built a version of BBC iPlayer that can be easily adapted to work on internet-connected TVs. "

British manufacturers Cello were the first company to include a built in iPlayer app to their TVs with their iViewer model.

UPDATE:Tech Digest have a full review of the Cello iViewer set here.