ASDA are knocking £50 off a 40-inch Luxor HDTV this weekend, putting it at just £249 and making it the cheapest full HD screen of it's size currently onsale, brand new, in the UK.

The set in question is a Luxor LUX-40-914-TVB. It may not have the bells and whistles of a top-end Samsung or LG 3DTV, but has a respectable set of specs that include a full 1080p HD display, a built-in Freeview tuner with EPG, and a pair of both scart and HDMI sockets.

"We're delighted to be offering our customers this product at such a fantastic price," said Asda's resident technology expert Michael Arnott.

"This high definition TV can turn any living room into a quality home cinema. With the lowest cost on the market, this TV offers unbeatable value to our customers."

The deal doesn't go live until tomorrow instores nor online, but you can get a sneak peek at the model getting the price cut by clicking here.

LOVEFiLM have struck a deal with LG to provide their Smart TV platform with access to their movie streaming platform.

In a move to further bolster LOVEFiLM's position following the launch of rival Netflix in the UK, it's the first movie and TV subscription streaming service to hit LGs web-connected screens.

"We are very excited to add Amazon's LOVEFiLM to the already extensive range of content on LG's Smart TV platform," said Stacey Seltzer, head of LG Smart TV.

"LG's Smart TV provides a powerful new offering in home entertainment and we have invested significantly in this technology. Working with Amazon's LOVEFiLM is further proof of LG's commitment to providing customers with the best possible service."

LOVEFiLM recently announced that they would be dropping the price of their unlimited streaming service, LOVEFiLM Instant, to £4.99 a month, as well as inking new streaming deals with Disney's ABC, ITV and BBC Worldwide.

Launching in April, LG screens compatible with the new LOVEFiLM app include:

. LW980T (47"/55")
. LW650T (42"/47"/55")
. LW550T (42"/47"/55")
. LV550T (32"/37"/42"/47")
. PZ950T (50"/60")
. PZ570T (50"/60")

Following their announcement at CES 2012, Nuance have revealed LG as the first manufacturing partner for Dragon voice-controlled TVs, beating any Apple Siri controlled potential alternative to the punch by a wide margin.

Nuance of course lay down the backbone technology for the Siri functionality, but that wont make the blow any easier for Apple to swallow we'd imagine.

Hitting LG's Smart TV Cinema 3D range, the company's Magic Remote now has voice-recognition tech built in, allowing viewers to simply state the sort of content they are searching for before the web-based system presents it.

In other words, saying "Angry Birds" would fire up the TV's Rovio gaming app, while "Lady Gaga" would hunt down the Paparazzi star's music videos. It'll also make text-entry far easier with speech-to-text, great for those who regularly use social networks like Twitter or Facebook on their TVs.

"TV manufacturers like LG have rapidly innovated their TVs and media content capabilities, but the traditional remotes and television guides have fallen behind - that's where voice comes in," said Michael Thompson, senior vice president and general manager, Nuance Mobile.

"Nuance's Dragon TV portfolio brings entertainment and media front and center with the ability to simply speak to find almost anything that is on TV or On-Demand."

The first Dragon-compatible LG Magic Remote will launch in early Q1 2012. Which, come to think about it, would be any time now!

We went eyes-on with Panasonic's impressive new plasma screen range at CES 2012, and came away gobsmacked by the quality of the VT50 series.

Two different models will be headed to shops; the 55-inch P55VT50 and the 65-inch P65VT50.

Designed using a single sheet of glass and ultra thin bezel, the screens manage great black levels through the company's "infinite black ultra panel" design.

THX certified, the 3DTVs can also convert 2D images for added depth, as well as smoothing 24p 3D using Panasonic's new "3D 24p cinema smoother".

24,576 steps of gradation let colour reproduction shine naturally, gently weaving subtle colour shade changes into pictures, a notable addition considering the problems older plasma panels have with this issue.

Scroll up for our eyes-on preview video.

For more news from CES 2012, click here.

Grabbing plenty of headlines at CES 2012 is LG's astonishingly thin 55-inch EM960V OLED TV, a lush screen that some AV enthusiasts are daring to call the best TV ever.

Offering superb viewing angles and flicker/cross-talk free 3D viewing, the EM960V looks as pretty as a picture. It'll also come packing a new Magic Remote model, with gesture and voice controls, as well as built-in Wi-Fi for Smart TV features and a Freeview HD tuner.

Due out in the second half of the year, start saving the pennies now: you're going to need a lot of them to get one of these beauties in your house.

Scroll up for our eyes-on demonstration video.

For more news from CES 2012, click here.

A lot has been made of ultra-definition TVs and OLED TVs at this year's CES, but the technologies on show are respectively either a) too young to have the content to back them up in the case of UDTVs, or b) too expensive for the average consumer when it comes to OLEDs. The stalwart plasma screen will therefore be the sort of high-end set your looking for were you to be going down to your local AV emporium in the next few weeks, and Panasonic's newly revealed VT50 series are the screens you should be hunting down.

Two models will be hitting stores; the 55-inch P55VT50 and the 65-inch P65VT50.

Neatly designed using a single sheet of glass and thin bezel, the screens offer great black levels through the company's "infinite black ultra panel" design.

24,576 steps of gradation let colour reproduction shine naturally, gently weaving subtle colour shade changes into pictures, a notably addition considering the problems older plasma panels have with this issue.

THX certified, the 3DTVs can also convert 2D images for added depth, as well as smoothing 24p 3D using Panasonic's new "3D 24p cinema smoother".

Sonically, the screen should be a step above other flat panels thanks to 8-train speakers being built in. Combined with a 2mm thick subwoofer on the rear, the screens should deliver a far more well-rounded audio performance than similarly slim TVs would.

Lastly, a "touch pad controller" is specifically designed for navigating the screen's Smart TV web-connected features, and even includes shortcut buttons for Skype calling and Netflix streaming.

We'll pass on pricing and availability details as we're given them.

For more news from CES 2012, click here.

Sony's 2012 Bravia line-up made its debut at CES 2012 this week, with the company showing off four new sets packing X-Reality and X-Reality PRO technology for stunning 2D and 3D visuals.

Top of the range is the HX853 model. Alongside X-Reality Pro, it boasts Motionflow XR800Hz, Dynamic Edge LED with Local Dimming and active 3D technology. Wi-Fi is built in for Smart TV access to apps, while a sheet of Gorilla Glass allows for a near edge-to-edge finish and added protection.

Next up is the HX753. It's similar to the HX853 but gets X-Reality instead of the X-Reality Pro tech and Motionflow XR400HZ instead of the 800Hz offering.

Both the HX753 and HX853 come in 55, 46 and 40 inches models, while the HX753 also comes in a 36-inch size.

For full HD on a budget, turn your attention to the EX653 models, bringing X-Reality, Motionflow XR100Hz, Freeview HD and Built-in Wi-Fi to the table. If you're not too fussed about HD visuals, then the HD-ready slim-bodied EX553 is for you.

No pricing details available yet, but we'll pass them on as they trickle in.

For more news from CES 2012, click here.

Will 2012 be the year of the OLED? It certainly looks that way if LG and Samsung are to have anything to do with it. First LG announce their 55-inch OLED model, and now Samsung follow suit at their press conference.

Just like the LG model, it's claiming superb colour reproduction and no notable motion blur, as well as facial recognition.

No onboard colour filter, as the self-emitting RGB sub-pixels can manage themselves, while blacks stay deep and whites bright thanks to a pixel-by-pixel light output automatic control.

A dual core processor is also onboard for swift interface control, and the screen also has 3D support.

"Samsung has had a long and successful history of creating innovative OLED products, including mobile phones, digital cameras and tablet PCs. Today, we are proud to extend our OLED leadership to the TV category with this spectacular 55-inch Super OLED," said Hyunsuk Kim, executive vice president, Visual Display Business at Samsung Electronics.

"By incorporating true-to-life picture quality with ultimate speed and vividness, Smart Interaction, Smart Content and ultimate thinness, Samsung is delivering the ultimate TV today."

No pricing announced yet, but Samsung, just like LG, as promising a release window of within the second half of 2012.

For more news from CES 2012, click here.

CES, the biggest tech show in the world. Where better then to more-or-less announce your new TV strategy is to make your range frickin' massive?

That's the crux of Sharp's CES 2012 press conference, where they announced a new 85-inch, 8K4K super-super high resolution screen.

Slightly smaller in scale, but ten times more likely to hit stores anytime soon is Sharp's new flagship screen, the LC-80LE844U. An 80-inch behemoth, it has a 240Hz refresh rate for fast-moving scenes, pretty much obliterating any judder from from the LED's 3D performance. Web-connected, the set gives owners access to plenty of apps including Netflix and YouTube.

Smaller still (but still huge by the average consumers standards) are the 20 models heading to Sharp's 20-inch line up. These Quattron sets will feature the company's proprietary Quad Pixel Plus II technology for improved colour accuracy.

No pricing or release dates available for the new sets yet, but it seems all-but-set that Sharp are now focussing on the premium end of the TV scale.

For more news from CES 2012, click here.

LG have been pushing OLED hard for a good few years now, and year-on-year they're rolling out impressive demo models at consumer tech shows. Sadly, we're not seeing any OLED's up for for sale down our local AV emporiums, but finally home cinema enthusiasts have something to look forward to.

Officially revealed at today's CES 2012 LG press conference, the South Korean tech giant's have announced that their 55-inch EM960V OLED TV will be hitting the UK in the 2nd half of this year.

Offering superb viewing angles and flicker/cross-talk free 3D viewing, the EM960V looks a sight to behold. It'll also come packing a new Magic Remote model, with gesture and voice controls, as well as built-in Wi-Fi for Smart TV features and a Freeview HD tuner.

Stephen Gater, Consumer Electronics Marketing Director, said: "Driving technological innovation with premium quality is at the heart of everything we do at LG. Unveiling the world's largest OLED TV today is just one example of our commitment to be the first-to-market leaders in our field.

"LG is globally recognised for its cutting-edge technologies. We're excited about our line-up this year - our premium range of new stylish TVs offers a true statement of style that people will be proud of having as the hub of their home."

All that's left to wait for now is the price, which we totally expect to be heart-attack inducing.

For more news from CES 2012, click here.

The long-awaited Apple TV seemed a dead-cert to make an appearance at some point in 2012, rumoured to be putting iOS and it's famous App Store front and centre in the living room. However, a new report from USA Today puts a substantial hurdle in the way of the project, as they claim the Cupertino tech firm are struggling to secure valuable TV rights.

Calling it a "major roadblock", US Today believe it puts the whole device in jeopardy, with consumers potentially seeing no reason to stump up the cash for TV apps were they not easily able to access the shows they wanted to.

Though Apple are still thought to be sourcing panels for the eventual displays, head designer Jonathan Ive is said to already have a working prototype in his office.

"Apple is said to be looking at a 42-inch or larger LCD TV with built-in Wi-Fi. Inside the locked-down studio of Jonathan Ive, senior vice president of industrial design at Apple, there's a slick 50-inch TV, according to the source who worked at Apple," reads the report.

So far we've only heard word of Apple TVs up to about the 37 inch size, meaning the company could be hoping to go really high-end with a 50 inch set.

Yesterday we brought you news that Apple, alongside Google, were looking to secure the rights for Premier League Football coverage for their Apple TV sets.

To call Google TV "slow burning" is to flatter what has so far been a bit of a lame duck for the search giants. Aimed as a revolutionary TV viewing experience, the reality turned out to be a clunky user interface and a dearth of worthwhile content to draw viewers away from a traditional TV watching experience.

That's set to change next year though according to Google's Eric Schmidt. Speaking at the Le Web conference in Paris, the chairman predicted far wider adoption of their platform for the new year.

"There's a lot of people who are concerned about the future of television, so we thought 'is there a way to integrate the internet and television in a new way', so we took Android and Chrome....and combined them and stuck them inside a television," said Schmidt.

"We've just released version 2 and, by the summer of 2012, the majority of televisions you see will have Google TV embedded in it. Again a similar strategy to what we did with Android. The price is free from Google. You will, of course, be paying for the television."

Seeing Google's platform installed in "the majority of televisions" as Schmidt puts it, currently seems quite a stretch of the imagination, especially considering that launch partners Logitech and Sony seem to have all-but lost interest in the service.

Considering the long-rumoured Apple TV is believed to be making its debut next year, things may in fact be set to get even tougher for Google.

Apple's long-rumoured iOS-packing LCD TV range may be set for a 2012 release according to the latest round of rumours.

Following the revelation that the late Steve Jobs had "cracked" the concept of an app-using television, it now appears that as many as three iTV sets may be incoming.

Leaving the comfort of their usual Chinese production lines, it appears Apple will be heading to Japan to employ the skills of Sharp's LCD manufacturing screens. There's also rumour that Sharp will eventually produce OLED Apple screens too.

Talk of Siri integration is wide and expected, following Jobs' own description of the possible product in Walter Isaacson's biography of the Apple co-founder:

"I'd like to create an integrated television set that is completely easy to use. It would be seamlessly synced with all of your devices and with iCloud. No longer would users have to fiddle with complex remotes for DVD players and cable channels. It will have the simplest user interface you could imagine."

Apple have a tendency to charge top-dollar for their products, and you can expect any eventual Apple TV to come at quite the premium. Whether it shows up looking anything like the current spate of rumours is another matter entirely.

Via: Smarthouse

Fancy winning a TVonics DTR-Z500HD Freeview+ HD Recorder, worth £199.99, in time for Christmas? Of course you do! Just enter the competition below to be in with a chance.

"Which fictional gadget do you wish you had in real life?"
It's a question we've often asked ourselves! One day it's KITT from Knight Rider, another it's the jet pack from Thunderball, right now it's the neuralyzer from Men In Black... but what's yours? We've teamed up with the guys at TVonics to offer one lucky reader a real-life swanky gadget, TVonics' piano black and rugged DTR-Z500HD. This Freeview+ HD Recorder offers catch-up TV from BBC iPlayer, Dolby Surround Sound and has a handy HDMI switch feature. With its pause, record and rewind technology you can defy the TV Guide and set your own schedule whilst watching and listening to your favourite programmes in stunning high definition. But that's not all, it has a hard drive big enough to satisfy every guys' needs, you could even record a year's worth of Top Gear!

Simply tell us which gadget you secretly crave and the DTR-Z500HD could be yours!

To enter, drop us a mail with your most inventive ideas at shinymediacomps@gmail.com, or leave us a message using our Facebook page, and be sure to leave relevant contact details (email address, phone number, etc etc) so that we can get in touch should you be the lucky winner.

Terms and Conditions

1. You can enter as many gadget ideas as you want.
2. The competition closes at 5pm GMT on Tuesday 13th December 2011. No entries will be considered after then.
3. This competition is open to residents of the UK and Ireland.
4. The decision of the judges is final and no correspondence will be entered into.
5. The winning entry will be the one which is most inventive and in keeping with the technologically advanced, futuristic theme.
6. The winner will be notified within seven days of the closing date.
7. All prizes are non transferable and there are no cash alternatives.
8. Submission of an entry will be taken to mean acceptance of these terms and conditions.

Keep an eye on www.techdigest.tv/promotions and the Tech Digest Facebook page, for chances to win more prizes in the future!

OLED screens have seemed the TV technology of the future for all too long now, but expensive production costs and diminutive screen sizes have kept the displays out of the mainstream. This may all change come CES 2012 next January however.

Both Samsung and LG are said to be lining up massive 55 inch OLED TVs for the show, with the plan to ship the screens by July 2012, just in time for the Olympic games.

We'd be lying if we were to say we weren't excited. Back at IFA 2009 LG showed off their 31 inch OLED prototype (as seen in the video above). It remains one of the best screens we've seen to date, and we cant wait to see what a year-and-a-bits worth of refinement and a fair few extra inches of display real estate brings to the table.

LG's screens will use a white-OLED with colour filter design, whereas Samsung will opt for hte more effecient true RGB OLED panel. As LG's are easier to produce, the cost should be driven down considerably however.

The Apple OLED TV rumours rear their heads again too, though you have to question their validity considering OLED panel production worldwide is very low. LG say they can squeeze out 30,000 a month for instance, which would hadly sate the appetite of the Apple hordes.

Via: OLED Info/ ETNews

It was rumoured for many months that the US movies streaming service Netflix would be coming to the UK and after an announcement last month confirmed the cross Atlantic move Netflix has been busy signing contracts.

A multi-year contract has been signed between Netflix and Lionsgate UK containing plenty of licensing agreements that will allow users to watch Lionsgate UK titles on their TV, mobile devices and games consoles for a monthly fee.

There will be a mix of older titles and the new smash hits, from the classic of Reservoir Dogs and the Blair Witch Project to upcoming releases Expendables 2 and The Hunger Games.

The movie streaming company has been having problems recently, with the company's separate DVD rental service,Qwikster, being a massive flop. Causing a customer backlash and stock price drops, with almost 805,000 subscribers leaving the service. Netflix will be hoping to put these times behind it and enter a new market in the UK, it is not going to be all smooth sailing though, they will be competing with the already well established LoveFIlm service for space.

Source:

As of today Sony are offering music videos directly through your Sony Home Entertainment products. Sony have teamed up with MUZU.TV one of the leading music video sites, set up in 2008, to bring the latest and greatest music videos to your front room directly through the Sony Entertainment Network.

The service will run through BRAVIA TVs, Blu-Ray Players, Home Cinema devices and Network Media Players. MUZU has a huge range of music video from every corner of the music world ranging from head banging metal to smooth jazz in a collection of over 80,000 videos.

The free service features chart videos as well as some from a wide variety of independent artists and record labels, live performances and all the latest news and interviews from the world of music.

Edd Uzzell, Category Development Manager, for Sony Europe stated that:

"As one of the largest digital entertainment services, Sony Entertainment Network aims to bring new ways for consumers to enjoy music, movies, games and more. By continuing to add new and exciting partners such as MUZU.TV, we feel we are perfectly complimenting the existing music services we prove, giving our customers a wealth of choice for enjoying music content whenever they want it."

A great addition to the vast array of services already offered by Sony, a free music video channel will save you all the time and hassle of flicking between music television channels where you are forced to watch whatever they think you should watch. Browsing on MUZU.TV it is a really well presented website with plenty of content and features to keep your ears, and now eyes, full of music for the foreseeable future.

Today sees the launch of a free Sky Movies app on iTunes for iPhone, iPad and iPod touch. This App will allow existing Sky customers to quickly access and find movies from their portable devices.

The App follows in the footsteps of Sky Go and Sky+ Apps linked to the customer's Sky TV package providing up to date information on all Sky Movies and Box Offices releases, including future releases via thumbnails or full page views. Another extra feature will be the inclusion of providing information on movies currently being aired in cinemas.

All films featured in the Sky Movies packages include a review and the options to remote record the movies to your Sky+ HD box to watch at your convenience or watch it on demand with full Sky Go integration. Offering Top Picks of the day, movie trailers and reviews of the latest films on the services, Sky is hoping to give customers more value for their subscriptions.

Ian Lewis, Director of Sky Movies spoke about giving more to customers:

"We are really pleased to be able to add the Sky Movies app to our already strong offering of iPad and iPhone apps. Combined with the Sky+ and Sky Go apps customers now have even more ways to discover and enjoy the films they want to watch, either at home or on the move. We continually strive to give our customers the best possible movie service and this is just one additional feature out of many we have planned for Sky movies over the coming months."

With such a large client base it is only logical that Sky begin to reach out to their customers on-the-go, not just in their front rooms. The strongest feature in this app for me would be the ability to now watch films on the move with Sky Go with the App switching over to allow you to watch it straight from your mobile device.

Sky have also confirmed that an Android version will be available early next year but with no confirmed release date.

It's a tough economic climate for all out there in the working world today, and the tightening of purse strings extends to multi-million dollar businesses too. Philips have just revealed some harsh financial figures, leading to inevitable job losses.

The third quarter of this year saw Philips' profits fall a massive 85%. Compared to the same period last year, Philips' profits are down from a healthy €524 million (£459 million) to just €76 million (£66.5 million).

As a result, some 4,500 jobs are expected to be cut in an effort to save £700 million.

The warning signs have been there for a little while when it comes to Philips fortunes. Philips announced back in April that part of its television arm would be sold off to TVP of Hong-Kong.

But now even that cost-cutting sale is floundering, with the Netherlands-based Philips' position as Europe's largest consumer tech force left hanging in the balance.

"For the eventuality that a final agreement cannot be reached, Philips will consider its alternative options," said Philips' CEO Frans van Houten.

via: The Guardian

I can remember trying to catch the majority of World Cup 1994 from inside a tent on a camping trip with a little battery-powered handheld TV. Needless to say, it was like watching a Subbuteo match through a blizzard, and thoroughly frustrating.

If only I'd had Sharp's LC20FE1 portable HD-ready TV! On show at IFA 2011 over the weekend, it's a 20-inch display running at XVGA resolution, and features HDMI and USB playback, as well as Wi-Fi connectivity for streaming over a home network.

A 5 hour charge of the internal battery gives only two hours of playback right now, which is frustrating, but as an AC adapator can be hooked up, you technically can use this as a regular fixed, wall-powered TV set too.

Out now in Japan, Sharp are considering a European release with a DVB tuner, at somewhere around the €600 mark, but have yet to finalise any plans.

Check it out in the video above.