CHEAP DEAL: 42" Full HD LCD TV at Tesco for under 500 quid

Technika_LCD42-910.jpeg

I’m not going to tell you this is the world’s best TV. It isn’t. It’s got a pretty modest contrast ratio of 1,300:1 and a lot of people will tell you that contrast is the most important feature of any panel. However, it’s very hard to complain when the 42″ Technika LCD42-910 only costs you 500 pounds.

It’s a stylishly slim 6cm deep, without the stand, which is probably where you’re getting the best value, but don’t ignore the fact that it’s got a very healthy 100Hz frame rate and a response time time of just 8ms, so you’re unlikely to suffer from ghosting, blurring and juddering picture problems.

It is a 1080p resolution picture, so provided you’re watching through an HD box or Blu-ray or such, you will be getting Full HD viewing. Technika doesn’t’ even stiff you round the back either with four HDMI sockets.

Tesco has reduced the set by 200 pounds and, so long as you can live with the compromised colour palate, then it could well be time to get your wallet out.

Buy it here

Toshiba pushes out new 1080p Camileo Pocket DV camcorders

toshiba-camileo-hd-camcorders.jpg

Toshiba today announces two new members of its Camileo range of highly portable camcorders, both of which are capable of shooting in full (1080p) high definition mode.

The Camileo H20 is an upgraded version of the H10 launched last summer, and features 1440 x 1080 shooting (not quite the standard widescreen 1920 x 1080 you’d expect from HDTV or a Blu-ray disc, but a fair compromise for a handheld device), 5x optical zoom and 4x digital zoom, video stabilisation, night shooting mode, YouTube upload facility, 5-megapixel digital stills and HDMI output…

Onkyo launches first Blu-ray player: DV-BD606

onkyo-DV-BD606-blu-ray-player.jpg

Onkyo, which made its high definition disc player debut on the HD DVD side last year, has finally launched its own Blu-ray player.

Focusing far more on video and audio quality than on the newer interactive features of Blu-ray, this Profile 1.1-compliant player offers full 1080p playback including 24fps “film mode”, Deep Colour via HDMI, Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD Master Audio formats including direct bitstream output via HDMI or 7.1-channel audio output, and superb audio quality thanks to a 192kHz/24-bit DAC from Burr-Brown…

ViewSonic intros new 22-inch widescreen monitor

viewsonic_VX2260wm_lcd_monitor.jpg

ViewSonic has announced its latest widescreen monitor, the VX2260wm. As the product name suggests, it’s a 22-inch LCD but sports a 16:9 aspect ratio more common on “proper” TVs than on computer monitors.

Able to display full 1080p content without scaling via its HDMI or DVI-D inputs, it also offers 20,000:1 dynamic contrast ratio and a low 2ms response time which should cut down on motion blur…

Samsung stretches out its OLED display technology to a whole 40 inches

samsung_40-inch_oled.jpg

The OLED tech war is raging in the laboratories of companies across the planet right now, and here’s what Samsung’s boffins have managed to come up with – a 40″ OLED TV.

Massively superior to its past OLED test developments, this latest model features a stunning contrast ratio of 1,000,000:1 – and manages to pull off the full HD spec 1920×1080 resolution, or 1080p to give it its common name. It’s pretty much a finished OLED telly, although Samsung has not revealed any launch date plans…

LG intros HRT403DA Freeview+ home cinema system

LG_HRT403DA_home_cinema_system.jpg

LG has announced its latest home cinema system, boasting full PVR functionality, a meaty 400W output, and virtual 5.1-channel sound.

Using the more advanced Freeview+ system means that live TV can be paused, rewound, and recorded onto the internal 160GB hard drive. There’s also a super-multi DVD recorder, an HDMI output with 1080p upscaling to allow standard definition video sources to be enhanced, USB and DV ports, and DivX compatibility…

DVDO intros EDGE video processor, for those who must have 1080p with everything

edge_dvdo_video_processor.jpg

DVDO has announced a serious piece of AV kit: the EDGE video processor that can upscale nearly all video formats to the hallowed 1080p, thanks to Anchor Bay Video Reference Series technology.

It boasts six HDMI inputs, so you can connect up a load of HD and “almost HD” gear, and two HDMI outputs. There’s also the usual assorted range of other inputs which will be perfect if you’re thinking of upscaling YouTube footage and other assorted ultra-low-res crap video…

Sharp's 108" LCD actually out to buy – should you have 11 million yen knocking about

sharp-monster-108-inch-lcd-on-sale.jpg

11 million Japanese yen is about £52,000. Plus the shipping for a 108″ LCD TV from Japan is likely to be another £52,000, so it’s probably best to stick with that 28″ CRT of yours for a little while longer yet.

The Sharp LB-1085 – which we first revealed back in our coverage of CES 2007 – will be buyable in Japan this July. Theoretically buyable, should you be in Japan and have a van big enough…

Sharp rolling out 22 AQUOS LCD TVs, because you can never have too many tellies

sharp_aquos_r_series.jpg

Sadly, Sharp isn’t releasing this truckload of AQUOS LCD TVs in Europe yet, but the Japanese obviously like choice when it comes to tellies (or Sharp thinks they do), because TWENTY-TWO models are being released in June.

The AQUOS R series (pictured) will come in 65, 52, and 46 inch screen sizes, in black or brown finish (brown… nice), 1080p, with 20,000:1 contrast ratio and 120Hz refresh rate, three HDMI ports, and just 5cm thick…