The words "Championship" and "Manager", placed adjacently, have long been enough to induce both wistfulness and fear in my mind. I was a teenage Championship Manager addict, see, and entirely blame my slightly disappointing A-Level results on my former habit.

Nowadays it's called Football Manager, and I've grown into a big strong boy whose head is no longer turned by mere computer games (my internet addiction takes up too much time for that).

I haven't played any football management sim for over ten years, despite - or because of - the reports from friends and colleagues of how the Football Manager series has developed to proportions that could conceivably see me back where I was all those years ago, jonesing for hot transfer deadline action when I should be living a mature, productive life.

However, when I was offered the chance to review the latest version, Football Manager 2009, I was unable to decline because I was threatened with the sack if I said no.

I think my cat gets to eat about 40 percent of the food that is placed in her bowl, thanks to the neighbourhood moggies who barge their way into my parents' gaff and steal her biscuits. Of course humans rarely challenge cats about such matters. Why? Because cats are CUTE, and humans are WEAK.

However even the cutest of kitties will be barred from entry when faced with Sureflap. That's because, thanks to marvellous modern RFID technology, each Sureflap grants entry only to cats recognised by the device.

Have you entered our "My Video Life" competition yet? If not, there's still time - you can shoot something over the weekend in fact, as the deadline is the end of Monday 19th May. Don't forget that the top prize if five hundred quid's worth of vouchers, with eight runners-up prizes of £50 worth of vouchers.

Dave has entered. You know Dave? You know, Dave. You can see his entry above. If you think you can do better, click here to get all the info you need about how to enter.

Like it or not, these days mobile phones can be seen as so much more than just communication devices. And like all things, there's a lot of choice out there. How do you decide what kind of phone to go for? Design? Ease of use? Or is price the most important factor?

We're offering you the chance to win one of five 4 GB Apple iPod Nano Videos just for completing a survey on this very subject.

It'll take about five minutes of your time and everyone who enters their details at the end will be entered into the prize draw. The closing date for entry to the draw is 31st January.

Take the survey here

Terms and conditions apply - see them over the page.

Courtesy of HDTV UK, here's the final part of their handy guide to getting the best high definition cinema system in your very own home:

Playing games on a large screen may not be an essential part of everyone's home cinema experience, but there's no doubt that the experience of playing high definition, or even standard definition, games on the big screen can be incredibly immersive.

This feature article looks at the equipment you'll need to start gaming on your high definition TV or projector.

HD GAMES CONSOLES

There are currently two games consoles capable of handling high definition games: Microsoft's Xbox 360 and Sony's PlayStation 3.

Xbox 360

Microsoft stipulated that all games for the Xbox 360 must output at least 720p (minimum standard) high definition resolution. Some output in higher resolutions, and all will be scaled by the console to match the TV or projector being used.

In addition, older standard definition games will also be upscaled to high definition resolution.

The standard console is connected to the display using either component HD AV cables or a VGA HD AV cable. The Xbox 360 Premium and Xbox 360 Elite can also connect using HDMI.

All games are loaded and run from the built-in optical drive. There's no need to add the HD DVD drive in order to play games.

The standard Xbox 360 can be picked up for around £180, or more for bundles. The Xbox 360 Premium and Xbox 360 Elite, which boast more storage and more output options, come in at around £300.

PlayStation 3

Sony did not make it a prerequisite that all games released for the PS3 had to output native high definition. However, an increasing number of games do, including at full 1080p resolution.

The console is best connected to the display using HDMI, though component can also be used.

All games come on Blu-ray discs, the format of the built in optical drive. The latest European models don't support PlayStation 2 or PlayStation 1 games.

The PS3 with 40GB hard drive costs around £299, while the 60GB version costs £349.

HD PC gaming

Yes, I know a PC isn't a console, but it is possible to connect many modern PCs and notebooks to a high definition display.

Many now feature the necessary components to be able to do this, such as DVI or HDMI output, compatible graphics card, and powerful central processor.

Setting up the system can be more complicated than a dedicated console, and not all games will output in high definition resolutions. However, if you're already an ardent fan of PC gaming, rather than console gaming, this could be the best option.

Courtesy of HDTVUK, here's part five of their guide to getting the best home cinema experience...

With your HDTV or projector and a sound system set up for high definition entertainment, it now comes to finding decent content to watch.

Of course, you can buy a number of HD DVD or Blu-ray discs, though choice is still fairly limited.

Sky HD: What's on offer?

The most common way to watch a variety of high definition programmes is to subscribe to the Sky HD service. Just as, in reality, Sky dominates UK pay TV, they're currently the only significant high definition broadcasters in Britain.

Sky HD launched in May 2006. It now offers a reasonable selection of films, sport, arts, and documentaries. The current full list of channels is:

* Sky Movies HD 1 & 2: offering a variety of high definition films from across the Sky Movies channels

* Sky Box Office HD: Offering a weekly selection of up to ten of the latest blockbuster movies, in high definition.

* Sky Sports HD: offering a variety of live and highlighted sporting action including Premiership, FA Cup, and international football, rugby, cricket, and more.

* Sky One HD: Sky's flagship channel in high definition, offering a lot of hit US shows plus home grown entertainment.

* Sky Arts HD: Offering programmes about art, fashion, music, books, and more.

* National Geographic Channel HD: offering stunning high definition footage of the natural world and its people

* The History Channel HD: a range of history programming in high definition

* Discovery HD: The Discovery Channel in high definition, covering a range of subjects including culture, science, technology, nature, travel, and lifestyle.

* BBC HD: Offering a selection of the BBC's programming, in high definition.

In the third of this six part series from HDTV UK on creating the ultimate high definition home cinema system, we look at high definition disc players

When it comes to watching high definition content, particularly movies, there's a paradox.

Theoretically, the easiest and cheapest method is to invest in a high definition disc player (HD DVD, Blu-ray, or HD VMD) and buy high definition discs.

However, thanks to an ongoing format war between competing film studios and competing hardware manufacturers, the choice is made harder for consumers.

HD DVD and Blu-ray: What's the issue?

We've talked at length — and I mean at length — on HDTVUK.tv about this so-called format war.

Often paralleled with the VHS/Betamax video cassette 'war' of the 80s, which Sony's Betamax eventually lost, the two main manufacturers in this war are Toshiba and Sony.

Sony pioneered the Blu-ray format, while Toshiba created the HD DVD format. A number of other manufacturers and movie studios have either sided with one format or the other, sat on the fence, or created hybrid players. (We'll get on to HD VMD later).

The problem is that, unlike standard DVDs, you now can't get every movie on both formats. Notable examples are Transformers, available on just HD DVD, and Spider-Man 3, only on Blu-ray.

While it's fair to say that most people investing in a high definition display will still buy a high definition TV, it's an increasingly cost-effective option to consider a home cinema projector.

There are several categories, or classes, of projector, and this guide aims to help those with a reasonably modest budget know what features to look for, and what pitfalls to avoid.

Projectors to avoid

Firstly, avoid what I like to call "office" projectors if you are truly after high definition movie playback or gaming.

They'll typically have a lower resolution, or won't be optimised for movie playback. Fine if you're giving a PowerPoint presentation or playing back a standard DVD, and cheaper because of it, but not great for the HD era.

Secondly, unless you have a serious amount of cash burning a hole in your pocket, avoid really high end projectors.

Though there are some really amazing projectors available, they are prohibitively expensive for most consumers, and wouldn't look out of place in a digital cinema. In fact, even if they were affordable, they may even be overkill for the average front room.