What Hi-Fi? Sound and Vision - Home Cinema

Projectors are for life, not just for cinemas

Clare Newsome — Tue, 18 Nov 2008 16:11:00 GMT

Many of the tempting technological marvels we encounter promise a life-enhancing effect. But few of the little beauties qualify as life-changing – yet that’s exactly what home cinema projectors have done for me. Before I run the risk of sounding sofa-jumpingly Oprah-show gushing, let me explain.

Four years ago, when my big-ol’ CRT TV was starting to look unbearably lumpy compared to the flatscreens we were testing at work, I visited a friend’s house that appeared to have no telly in its living room – just an expanse of clean space.

Slightly panicked - there being a big match on that weekend I’d fully expected to watch with them - I asked if they’d moved their set to another room. With a proud smile, they pointed to a hitherto concealed projector and pull-up screen.

Now, this was in a regular living room, with big picture windows - not the dedicated, blacked-out cinema-style space I’d previously seen projectors tested, demonstrated and used in. The only extra investment my mate had made was some blackout linings for his curtains, so he could enjoy his big-screen fun on sunnier days, too.

There then followed a film-fest Saturday, a Super Sunday of football and in my case a Damascene conversion (that also involved a shining light, if I remember correctly - but I digress and possibly offend, so will move on).

Why was I watching movies, sports and more on an ugly fat lump of a TV with a mere 32in screen, when I could be revelling in an entertainment-transforming experience from kit I could secrete away when not in use?

Goodbye CRT, hello home cinema

Within weeks the TV was history and I’d taken my first plunge into the world of home cinema projection. Films I’d only ever seen on the small screen – from black and white classics like Casablanca to all-out James Bond action – were suddenly teeming with background detail, endlessly engrossing and awesomely powerful. And all at the touch of a couple of buttons and the unfurling of my very own silver screen.

Back then, there were few projectors that were that living-room friendly – my friend’s model was one of them, being designed to allow ‘side-shot’ set-up (see below), so you could position the projector at the side of the sofa; not just a tidier solution, but one that meant you could get up during a movie/match without your bonce obscuring the action.

Features and ease-of-use have both increased in the interim - during which i've used a variety of projector and screen combinations, from LCD and basic screen to the arrival of high-definition DLP designs and a wider range of portable and fixed-screen options.

I now use a Full HD DLP design (InFocus IN83) and an 80in high-gain screen (Planar X-Screen) – the latter means I can watch during the daytime without even having to draw the curtains (lazy, moi?) The Planar is pictured at the top of this page - though sadly, that's not my loft-apartment living room...

Instead, my projector sits on top of a normal shelving unit behind the sofa, with a single HDMI cable running to it from my AV receiver (the dual-HDMI-output Onkyo TX-NR905, which would allow me to also output all my video sources to a TV, if I wanted a smaller-screen option).

If I had the money, I could have fancy motorised screens, ceiling-mounted projector and the works – but I don’t, and yet neither does my set-up dominate my flat’s compact dimensions. Yes, London living means I sit a mere 12 feet away from said picture, making everything ‘event TV’ – if newsreaders rather Big Brother (in the Orwellian rather than inane sense).

Bigger picture, more fun

A projector is also a more social prospect – having friends round to watch the big match in glorious high-definition, the latest blockbuster on Blu-ray or even indulge in a gaming marathon with my PS3-obsessed stepson gets a lot more lively than a couple of you squinting at a small TV set.

There’s also the feeling that this is true home cinema. A projector in your living room makes it your very own Cinema Paradiso (blimey, just typing the name makes me start to go dewy-eyed. Sniff), and links you to moving-image history.

While that young upstart, TV, is a mere 20th Century device, projectors were first recorded in 2nd Century China, and have been crowd-pleasers ever since.

Though it must be said they also have a great history of scaring people. Take the Phantasmagoria shows (see below) of the 18th/19th century, when frightening images were projected, accompanied by special sound effects.

The most celebrated ghost-show projectionist, Etienne-Gaspard Robert, said: “I am only satisfied if my spectators, shivering and shuddering, raise their hands or cover their eyes out of fear”.

I think of this quote when I find myself having the self-same reaction to penalty shootouts - or indeed almost any over-intense sporting event (aka those involving British competitors).

It’s only then – or when medical-procedure footage and/or Robert Peston shows up without warning – that I ever miss my previous life’s smaller screen.

Thinking of buying Blu-ray? Go on, just do it!

Andy Clough — Sun, 26 Oct 2008 09:12:00 GMT

I finally got round to replacing my DVD player with a Blu-ray player this weekend, and boy has it been a revelation. Yes, of course I've seen numerous demonstrations of Blu-ray in our test rooms at work, but there's nothing quite like having one in your own home to appreciate the difference.

I'm still grinning from ear to ear after watching Casino Royale last night. Naturally the picture was fabulous, but what really blew me away was the soundtrack.

Looking out of the window right now it's pouring with rain – what a shame! Means I'll just have to stay in and watch 3:10 to Yuma. Can't wait. Oh, and then there's Batman Begins as well. Looks like I'm in for a Sunday afternoon film fest.

Even my existing DVD collection looks better thanks to the player's video upscaling capabilities, and bearing in mind I was previously using a none-too-shabby Arcam DV79, that's no mean achievement.

So, as many of you on our Forums keep asking, is the upgrade to Blu-ray really worth it? You bet! What really convinced me was Clare Newsome's review of the re-mastered James Bond films Dr. No and From Russia With Love, posted here. Once I'd read that, I knew I just had to upgrade.

But in case you think urging you all to upgrade in the middle of a credit crunch is, well, a bit irresponsible, here's the thing. Our five-star Sony BDP-S350 is now available for around £170. That's amazing, considering we've only recently tested it at £230.

And we've seen Yamaha's Award-winning Yamaha DSP-AX763 (normally £400) for as little as £299.

So it seems there may be a silver lining to the credit crunch cloud after all. As retailers struggle more and more to entice customers into their stores, it's going to get very, very competitive out there. Which can only be good news for you, the buyer.

If you need a little more help in deciding which Blu-ray player to buy, then look out for the What Hi-Fi? Sound and Vision Ultimate Guide to Blu-ray which we'll be publishing next Friday, October 31st.

It's packed with reviews of all the latest Blu-ray players, plus the kit you need to add surround sound, the best TVs to go with your player and our Top 50 Best Buy Blu-ray films.

What's more, we've got three stunning £4000 Blu-ray systems to give away in the Ultimate Guide competition. Full details will appear on whathifi.com next week.

Who knows, you could even win the ultimate home cinema upgrade for free! Right, I'm off downstairs to put the telly back on.

Eidos and Ubisoft show-off the games you'll be playing this Chrimbo

Tom Parsons — Wed, 15 Oct 2008 12:10:00 GMT

With the regular work I now do on the gaming side of The Leisure Lab, I'm lucky enough to get occasional invites to see upcoming console releases.

Yesterday was a bumber day in that regard, as I got to spend some time with Eidos' Tomb Raider: Underworld in the rather lavish surroundings of Luton Hoo, followed by a trip to central London's Century Club for a little hands-on time with Ubisoft's Autumn line-up, which includes Far Cry 2, Tom Clancy's EndWar and Prince of Persia.

Now I must admit, I've not played a Tomb Raider game in a few years now, and I wasn't particularly excited about the imminent release of the new instalment. However, that's all changed now I've seen the game in action.

The gameplay looks like it will be fairly familiar to anyone who's played one of Lara Croft's previous adventures, but she now has more moves and more ways to tackle each puzzle.

How well this works in play remains to be seen, but one thing I did take away from the demonstration is the quality of the presentation. This is a hugely cinematic game, and the graphics are superb, from Lara's own character model, to the lush scenery and impressive fire effects.

What's more, it sounded brilliant; with impressively clear dialogue, hugely detailed ambient effects like falling rain and crackling fire, and a score that seems genuinely rousing and dynamic - this game is going to look and sound great in a decent home cinema system, and I am once again under Lara Croft's spell, although that might have a little to do with the fact that the 'real' Lara Croft was also there to promote the game...

Onto Ubisoft's event, and there were a few surprises here, too. The first was Tom Clancy's EndWar, a real-time strategy game in the vein of Command and Conquer, but one that sees you commanding your troops using voice instructions rather than a mouse or controller.

The quality of the voice recognition software is quite exceptional - even stuttering and mumbling fails to prevent your orders getting to your troops. The menu system makes it easy to work out what you need to say, and I reckon most players will pick up this unique control method extremely quickly.

Prince of Persia is most notable for its use of cel-shading, an artistic technique that was very popular for a brief time on the original Xbox and PS2, but which hasn't been seen on the current generation of consoles until now.

It's slightly odd, because there's actually a lot of realistic detail in the character models that almost contradicts the simple, cartoon-like appearance of the hard-black outlines. In practice I think it works, and the addition of one-on-one beat-'em-up style combat looks like a lot of fun.

Last, but definitely not least, is Far Cry 2. My word, had I under appreciated the potential of this one, or what? It bears little resemblance to the original Far Cry or the console follow-up, Instincts, and is instead a more realistic and open first-person shooter in a vast and persistent African setting.

The story involves playing two factions against each other in order to get at the top man, The Jackal. What sets this apart is the open-world, go-anywhere, do-anything gameplay, and some of the most stunning visuals I've ever seen.

The scenery in particular is breathtaking, and the realtime day/night cycle and weather effects add as much depth to combat as it does visual variation and realism. This is a huge technological achievement and I'm very much looking forward to having a playthrough.

All of the games mentioned here were shown to me on the Xbox 360, but details of other format availability, as well as release dates, can be found below:

Far Cry 2 - Xbox 360, PS3, PC - 24th October

Tom Clancy's EndWar - Xbox 360, PS3 - 7th November

Tomb Raider: Underworld - Xbox 360, PS3, PC, PS2, Wii, DS - 21st November

Prince of Persia - Xbox 360, PS3, PC - 5th December

Under the skin of Sony's STR-DA2400ES - chassis, sockets and solder

Andrew Everard — Tue, 12 Aug 2008 13:48:00 GMT

We had the Sony people in the other day, bringing the new STR-DA2400ES receiver. And while we haven't got round to giving the thing the full test workout - we don't do listening or viewing with the proud (and slightly nervous) 'parents' looking on - we have now had the full technical rundown on the receiver, which Sony clearly sees as one of its key home cinema products for this autumn.

In fact, along with the receiver came what European Technical Marketing Manager Eric Kingdon called a 'Technical note': some note, running as it did to 28 pages of A4 with copious charts and diagrams! But then that's Eric for you - it's indicative of how involved he gets right down to the nuts and bolts of a product.

Or, in this case, right down to the cutting out of little copper dampers to fit on the top of the main power supply caps, in the snug workshop area at the back of the main listening room at Sony HQ in Japan.

It's there he works closely with the Chief Distinguished Engineer of Sony's audio division, Takashi Kanai, who's developed more products than most of us will ever own, and is an inveterate tweaker, not to mention a perfectionist. And if you want to know how much of a perfectionist, this is what he does as a hobby.

Aiming for Onkyo?
Anyway, back to the STR-DA2400ES, which looks like it was designed with the aim of being Sony's Onkyo-beater, It sits above the STR-DG820 in the range, and has two more models above it, the STR-DA3400ES and STR-DA5400ES, the latter being something of a 6 HDMI in/2 out monster. But at £500, the 2400 is clearly very much the core product.

And the receiver comes fully loaded, not just with features but with typical Kanai/Kingdon design tweaks. The chassis, for example, is a fairly simple sheet metal one, but it's embossed in various places to aid rigidity without adding mass, and spread the load of heavy components such as the power transformer and heatsinks.

Off-centre screws
Also in place are feet with off-cenre mounting screws – because they sound better, of course – while the solid aluminium front panel has a further sub-panel behind it, thus isolating the display circuitry, a potential source of electrical noise, from the receiver's audio circuits.

Even the heatsinks have been redesigned: they're big, they're heavy and they're even sculpted to damp out resonances.

All HDMIs are not equal
The circuit layout is kept as short as possible, both on the audio and video sides, and it's interesting to see that one of the HDMI inputs is labelled "BD IN (for AUDIO)". Now there's on for the 'digits is digits' brigade - surely all four of the HDMI inputs handle audio as well as video?

Well yes, explains Kingdon, they do - it's just that the BD input is closest to the HDMI switching in the receiver, and thus sounds better, he says.

Smarter solder
Oh, and finally, let's talk solder. Yes, solder. Sony, like other companies, has had to give up the use of solder containing lead, due to regulations on the reduction of hazardous substances in products. So it switched in 2003 to lead-free solder, choosing the one with the least detrimental effect on sound quality.

Even so, the effects were there, not least because the 'safe' solder sets with a rougher surface than the original, and high frequencies tend to flow better on the surface - the so-called 'skin effect'.

So Sony has now come up with its own audiophile solder, which is almost pure tin with just 0.7% copper to lower its melting point and thus restore the smooth surface. The result, the company says, is even better than the original solder managed, with "a natural, rich texture and atmosphere" and a more enjoyable sound with voices.

That's the kind of thinking that's gone into this receiver - a mixture of getting the features right and applying some good old-fashioned audio tweakery.

It'll be fascinating to see what the review team makes of it.

Microsoft's E3 Press Conference - does it matter to us?

Tom Parsons — Tue, 15 Jul 2008 14:12:00 GMT

As a gamer as well as a home cinema and hi-fi fan, it didn't take much persuading for me to stay at the office a bit late last night to watch the live feed of Microsoft's press conference at E3.

Microsoft's policy tends to be to concentrate on games that will be released before the end of the year, so we didn't see many titles that were entirely new to us, but new footage of games like Fable 2, Gears of War 2 and Resident Evil 5 was impressive none-the-less. The Final Fantasy XIII announcement (that it would launch simultaneously on the Xbox 360 and PS3) is obviously a massive coup for Microsoft, too.

The more important long-term announcement for users was the all-new "Xbox Experience": the dashboard blades are being replaced by a cleaner and more minimalist design - it looks good.

And then there are the Avatars - the characters that you can create to represent you in the Xbox Live community. Are they a rip-off of the Wii's Miis? Yes, of course they are, but they seem to take it further, with more detail, customisation and integration into games.

However, the feature I'm most excited about wasn't actually announced during the press conference, but by Marc Whitten, Xbox Live General Manager, in a letter to the Xbox community's inside man, Major Nelson. The letter can be read in its entirety here, but the key thing for me is that you will soon be able to copy your disc-based games to your 360's hard disk. Doing this will bring loading times down, and crucially, because most of the 360's not-inconsiderable operating volume comes from the optical drive, noise will be significantly reduced. I'll raise my glass to that!

We're quite surprised that Microsoft didn't make a big announcement regarding the launch of the 60gb Xbox 360 and price-cut on the 20gb model. As it stands, the news has been confirmed for the States, but not for any other territories yet.

Any hopes that the company is planning a Blu-ray model were also given a knock. Not only does such a device remain unconfirmed, but Microsoft's bullish claims over its digital downloads would suggest the company has no intention of pursuing the idea. I could bang on forever about how disappointing HD downloads are on the 360, but according to Don Matrick, Microsoft's Senior Vice President of Interactive Entertainment Business, "it's the experience consumers want".

So, should we care about what Microsoft's up to? Well, if you're a gamer like me, yes, you should. And if you're not into games? It might be hard to get excited about a new version of Galaga, but there might be significance in some aspects of the presentation. For one, the giant corporation's dedication to online delivery of HD content suggests it's confident that the downloading process will become quicker and smoother, making it a genuine alternative to buying Blu-ray discs. With BT's announcement today that it's investing £1.5bn on rolling-out super-fast optical fibres to 10 million homes across the UK, perhaps Microsoft is on to something...

Sony PlayStation 3 on the up?

Richard Melville — Fri, 20 Jun 2008 09:33:00 GMT

After a slow start, sales of PlayStation 3 have finally reached the numbers that Sony would like. In Japan last week, sales of PS3 overtook those of Nintendo’s Wii for the first time due in no small part to the arrival of Metal Gear Solid 4 – a huge game that Japan loves almost as much as the UK loves Grand Theft Auto IV. And, in case you didn't know, Grand Theft Auto IV sold an incredible 6 million copies in a single week around the world, making it the biggest grossing 'entertainment' launch ever, film and albums included.

At the same time, speaking to Bloomberg, Sony Corp Chairman Howard Stringer announced that Sony hope to sell 10 million PS3s this year globally. Cheaper production costs for PS3 have helped Sony and a reduced marketing spend has been useful, but should Sony have really been pushing the PS3 as a games machine from the start when launch games were so, well, lacklustre? The switch to advertising the console as an all-round home entertainment device was perhaps too late.

After all, the PS3 is a good Blu-ray player and with more inputs and outputs than we ever expected from a games console, it’s a perfect starting point for someone entering the world of budget home cinema. Sony just needs to shout about it a bit more while the gaps between games as big as Grand Theft Auto IV appear. Stringer went on to say that overall improvement was needed amidst falling sales of Sony LCD TVs: “In a UK brand poll, Sony was ranked No.1 this year, but we are not Number 1 in my mind yet''.

So, what do you think? Did you buy your PS3 machine as a games machine, as a Blu-ray player or both and do you see Sony as your number 1 brand?

Panasonic reveals 2008 line-up at Abbey Road Studios

Richard Melville — Wed, 11 Jun 2008 11:48:00 GMT

Panasonic showed its new Blu-ray range at Abbey Road studios last night, alongside a full range of Freesat TVs, a new AV amp and a preview of the first ever Disney Blu-ray release with BD Live functions.

Introducing the new range of Freesat TVs (read the first review here) UK Marketing Director Andrew Denham (left) showed an impressive live BBC HD broadcast of the Russia v Spain Euro 2008 match.

Commenting on the new range, Denham said “It’s about the home network, it’s about the home hub” before showing some HD camera stills and footage passed to the TV using the SD card socket.

He went on to explain that the range features two tuners, both Freesat and Freeview, mentioning that the Freeview tuner also analogue capability built-in. Recordable Freesat products were talked about, too, Panasonic saying it was considering PVR options for the future. It pointed out that, at present, Freesat HD broadcasts can only be recorded in standard definition.

In the famed Studio 2, once home to recording sessions by The Beatles and Pink Floyd, Panasonic revealed the SC-BT100 Blu-ray-in-a-box home cinema system (below).

Due for release later this month at £699, It’s a 3.1-channel system, upgradable to 5.1- or a 7.1-channel with the addition of SB-HS100A speakers and a SH-FX67 wireless kit.

As well as Viera Link technology, the system has a simple set-up mode and an iPod link, which allows you to place your iPod in front of the Blu-ray slot and control it via the main remote. Playlists, albums and all MP3s are sucked from your iPod and displayed on the TV screen in an iTunes style format.

The new £500 DMP-BD50 Blu-ray player includes Profile 2.0 BD Live capability, and also has an SD card slot which can store downloaded content. The first film to offer download functions will be Disney’s Sleeping Beauty, which will also allow email style chat and video messaging functions during playback.

We’re expecting a sample of the DMP-BD50 in the office tomorrow and a full review will follow.

Completing the line-up is the SA-BX500 AV receiver (below), due later this month. Claiming 7 x 130W output, it can handle both Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD MA audio formats and allows both biwire and biamp configurations.

Three HDMI inputs are accompanied by six more AV inputs, and the receiver is billed as iPod ready, though you’ll need a dock.

Technorati Tags: BD-Live, Blu-ray

NEWS: BBC to put 81 years of programming online

Joe Cox — Wed, 11 Jun 2008 10:54:00 GMT

After the huge success of the iPlayer, the BBC has confirmed plans to make every episode of every single programme ever broadcast on the BBC, available to view online.

The content will be available either via the iPlayer, via commercial platform Kangaroo – an on-demand service being developed with ITV and Channel 4 – , or via a new online archive.

The ambitious project was outlined by Jana Bennett, the director of BBC Vision, at the Banff television festival in Canada.

She said: "Eventually we will add our programme back catalogue to produce pages for programming stretching back over nearly 80 years - featuring all the information we have on the richest TV and radio archive in the world."

Simon Nelson, who is overseeing the project, said: "These permanent pages will always direct the audience to the programme - wherever it may be on the web - first in iPlayer, then elsewhere on bbc.co.uk, or on iTunes, or on any number of other on-demand services including Kangaroo."

"Each page and clip will be promotional for that programme in perpetuity. They will offer the possibility of hits that go on and on - or are rediscovered when the time is right."

The project would be delivered within the existing budget of its digital arm, so shouldn't hopefully cause any further overspend... As a footnote, it was announced that more than 90 million programmes have been streamed or downloaded using the iPlayer since its inception.

Technorati Tags: BBC, download, iPlayer, programnmes, television, TV

NEWS: Sony gears up for launch of new TVs, Blu-ray home cinema systems and wi-fi GigaJuke music system

Andy Clough — Mon, 09 Jun 2008 07:47:59 GMT

Sony's NAS-S55HDE GigaJuke

We've just had a private tour round Sony's Weybridge HQ and a sneak look at some of the new products heading to the UK in the coming months, including more TVs, Blu-ray home cinema in a box systems and a new wireless GigaJuke music system.

First up is the NAS-S55HDE GigaJuke micro system at £749. It has a built-in 80GB hard drive, DAB radio, wi-fi connectivity, iPod dock, a USB port for connecting portable devices and even sets up its own LAN network so it can stream music to additional client units around the home.

CDs can be ripped to the hard drive in uncompressed linear PCM, MP3 or AAC formats and the HDD can store up to 40,000 songs. If the NAS-S55HDE is connected to the internet, either by Ethernet or wi-fi, it will automatically update song and album titles using the Gracenote database system.

Up to five wireless client units can be run off the main unit, with different music playing on each one. Sony will sell the NAS-S55HDE for £749 with one client unit and an iPod dock. Additional client units will be £249 each.

On the home cinema front, there's a new 2.1 'virtual surround' home cinema in a box system, the £349 DAV-F200. It can upscale DVDs to 1080p, has a USB port on the back, an FM tuner and virtual surround mode. A couple of Blu-ray home cinema in a box systems will follow in the autumn.

Sony DAV-F200

There will also be two new Sony multichannel receivers available this year, and we're due to get a technical update on those shortly.

We've already reviewed a couple of Sony's new 'V' and 'W' series LCD flatscreens in the magazine, but next up for release is the E-Series KDL-40E4000 Full HD 'Picture Frame' LCD model which will be available in July for £1400.

It has three HDMI inputs, a 'Picture Frame' mode which enables still images stored within the set to be displayed on the screen when it's not in use, different colour options for the frame surround (white, midnight sky, silver and dark wood), a USB port and Sony's Bravia Engine 2. There will be additional sizes at 26in (£650) and 32in (£1000).

Sony KDL-26E4000

The V4000 series of TVs will be expanded in September with smaller screen sizes in addition to the current 40, 46 and 50in models, and the X-series screens will be replaced with new models in the second half of this year and will include DNLA compatibility.

Sony UK's group product manager for TV, Darren Ambridge, says the company is actively considering launching Freesat TVs, but can't confirm any details just yet. "It will be one of the key things we'll discuss with the engineers in Tokyo very soon," he says.

And he confirms Sony is developing a PAL version of its hi-tech OLED TV screen for launch in 2009. An 11in model is currently on sale in Japan for around $2500, and a larger 17in model is now in development.

OLED technology has a much quicker response time than LCD screens, a higher contrast ratio, and is claimed to reduce power consumption by up to 60 per cent over a conventional LCD.

Last but not least in the new line-up is the RHT-G900 TV stand with integrated 5.1 speaker system. It has built-in amps and speakers to create virtual 5.1 surround sound, an FM tuner, three HDMI inputs and one HDMI output and is designed for 40-42in TVs. It costs £699. A smaller version for 32in screens, the RHT-G500, will be available in September.

Sony RHT-G900

Technorati Tags: 1080p, 2.1, 24fps, 5.1, 720p, 80GB, AAC, Blu-ray, DAB, FM, Freesat, Freeview, Full HD, GigaJuke NAS-S55HDE, Gracenote, HD, HD TV, HD-ready, HDMI, HDTV, hi-fi, high-def, High-def TV, home cinema in a box, internet, iPod dock, Linear PCM, MP3, Sony DAV-F200, Sony KDL-40E4000

NEWS: Rumours abound of Bond on Blu-ray

Joe Cox — Fri, 06 Jun 2008 09:31:00 GMT

It's Friday, so let's allow ourselves to be taken in by an exciting sounding rumour: six classic James Bond films are to get the Blu-ray treatment (if French film site filmsactu.com is to be believed).

The website is reporting Fox France, the distributor for MGM film, has Dr No, Thunderball, Live and Let Die, From Russia With Love, Die Another Day and For Your Eyes Only scheduled for a November release on BD.

As we say, it's only a rumour but we can only hope that it's true and that the releases make their way over to this side of the channel, too.

So far Daniel Craig's debut, Casino Royale, is the only Bond to go Blu' – setting as it did a very high bar for future discs to follow.

Naturally if we find out any further information you'll be the first to know...

Technorati Tags: Blu-ray, Bond, Fox, James Bond, MGM, Ursula Andress

EXCLUSIVE REVIEW: Marantz unleashes the ES7001 home cinema Soundbar - UPDATED with price reduction

Joe Cox — Thu, 05 Jun 2008 15:55:00 GMT

Fancy surround sound but not so keen on being surrounded by wires and speakers? There is another way... Marantz is the latest big name to try its hand at a Soundbar, with the ES7001.

Want to know how good this one box solution is? The read our review, brought to you exclusively by whathifi.com.

Marantz ES7001

Sound bar £800
5 Stars

For

Impressive power, scale and extension, even without a subwoofer; musical, too; easy to install, set-up and use; great spread of sound

Against

Not cheap; doesn’t actually place sound behind your head

Verdict
Genuinely impressive stuff – some compromises, but still appealing enough to offer a genuine alternative to conventional 5.1 kit

We’re well aware that many buyers attracted to the notion of better sound are put off by the room-dominating impact a proper 5.1 speaker set-up can have. Marantz’s ES7001 sound bar – also called the Cinemarium – is one attempt to solve that quandary.

So what’s a sound bar? In basic terms, it’s simply a horizontal, self-powered loudspeaker designed to upgrade the limited designs often fitted as standard to modern TVs.

However, the Marantz’s power, specification and capability put it into a different league from any previous contender. It’s designed as a premium accompaniment to high-end TVs.

HDMI Audio support

So this is a big, powerful bar, its twin HDMI inputs capable of accepting almost all forms of audio from Dolby Digital to PCM, its 32-bit DSP surround sound processing derived from high-end home cinema receivers.

The ES7001’s surround effect relies on Marantz’s Optimal Source Distribution technology – OPSODIS – which unlike most rivals, doesn’t attempt to bounce sounds off walls.

Instead, it uses sophisticated processing and six speakers (arranged as two tweeters, two midrange units and two bass drivers), each of which is driven by its own digital power amplifier. This means you can use the ES7001 even in rooms with less-than-perfect layouts.

Of course, there’s little point in it being easy to install if it doesn’t deliver sonically, but Marantz is so confident about the ES7001’s sonic abilities that unlike almost any other sound bar we’ve tested, it doesn’t come with a subwoofer as standard: there’s an output to drive one, of course, but it’s an optional extra.

Musical and exciting delivery

But y’know what? We can see many listeners being perfectly happy with the Marantz just as it is. It’s terrifically full-sounding and powerful by the standards of its class, offering weight and drive with big action movies, coupled to impressive depth, scale and ‘spread’ to the sound.

You don't get any sense the dialogue is being diluted in clarity by the experience, either – even in the midst of the combat in Flags Of Our Fathers, the ES7001 remains lucid and insightful.

And amazingly, it’s even musical: a spin of Jamiroquai’s Love Foolosophy shows the Marantz can track a complex bassline like a hi-fi pro.

But does it actually surround you with sound? Truthfully, no. Sit in the optimum position in the room, and it gets close: even in our big, acoustically treated listening room, we heard aircraft flypasts and artillery crashes placed with convincing space and scale way to the sides of us.

For us, given the nature of this product and its overall sonic prowess, that’ll probably do. No doubt about it, it’s the finest sound bar we’ve tested yet.

EDIT And it's now even better value. Marantz has just reduced its price by £100, from the £900 of the original review, and we've seen it for even less. And that's just enough to tip the balance and win it the fifth star.

What makes it special?

Build quality

Its extruded aluminium chassis makes the Marantz heavier than is typical for kit in this class (12kg), but also ensures optimum rigidity, helping each of the six drive units to do their thing more effectively

Sound processing

The ES7001 has three 32-bit DSP processors: one to decode standard Dolby and DTS surround content, and two to process audio signals and generate surround audio

Mounting options

You can wall-mount or rack-mount the ES7001 as you wish: Marantz even offers a specialist RM7001 rack just for this system

Flexible placement

The OPSODIS surround processing doesn’t rely on the speaker being positioned close to nearby walls or boundaries, which makes this a more flexible design than many rivals

Want to build a complete system? Now Add These:

Sony KDL-40W4000

£1290 5 stars

This superlative 40in Full HD LCD set is an excellent performer, its image quality blending resolution and black-level insight in equal measure.

Sony PS3

£299 4 stars

Optimum gaming quality, and it’s a fine Blu-ray disc player, too. Since it can decode all forms of surround audio (even high-def content) to multichannel PCM, its HDMI output will suit the Marantz perfectly.

B&W PV1

£950 5 stars

Scintillating performance from this, the finest, fastest compact subwoofer available. We know, we said the ES7001 will cope without an add-on subwoofer – but if you can afford to add one, great!

Tech specs

Power 60 watts

Video outputs HDMI

Upscaling No

Audio inputs

2 x HDMI
3 x optical digital
2 x analogue

Audio outputs

1 x subwoofer

Surround mode

Dolby Pro-Logic II,
Dolby Digital 5.1
DTS 5.1
PCM

Dimensions 15 x 108 x 14cm (hwd)

Weight 12 kg

Technorati Tags: Home cinema, Marantz, Marantz ES7001, puppy, Soundbar, surround

NEWS: VHS to PC via USB

Joe Cox — Thu, 05 Jun 2008 10:57:59 GMT

Everyone's got something stuck on an old video that in an ideal world they'd have within easier watching reach.

Whether it be a VHS of your wedding, a Hi8 from your honeymoon or perhaps a Betamax of the last time Liverpool won the league, there's now an easy way to get the content on to your PC or on DVD.

The aptly-named 'Rescue Your Videotapes' from MAGIX contains all the software and accessories you need to transfer your old videos directly to your PC, and all for just £50.

As MAGIX helpfully points out, video tapes don't last forever, with all manner of ways in which you can mangle the tape. So, you'll be wanting to slap them on to your hard disk or on to a DVD, won't you?

MAGIX plugs straight in to your computer via USB and your video player via Scart – cables supplied – and then "with just a few clicks" your content is transferring to the MAGIX Movies on DVD 7 software.

The package works with VHS, Video 8, S-VHS, Hi8 and the infamous Betamax, and also includes editing software as well as picture and sound quality adjustments.

The software can also be used to "compile and burn Internet videos" as well as offering to "burn video to Blu-ray" – now there's a quality mismatch.

The MAGIX Rescue Your Videotapes is out now with a suggested retail price of £50.

Technorati Tags: Betamax, MAGIX, Rescue Your Videotapes, VHS

NEWS: TCI launches its Baby Constrictor

Andrew Everard — Wed, 04 Jun 2008 13:29:00 GMT

The latest product from True Colours Industries may sound like something likely to get you reported to the NSPCC, but in fact the £80 Baby Constrictor Power Block uses a metre of the cable of the same name plus a German-made six-way 13a mains distribution unit.

The company says that "A block is the simplest way to upgrade a Hi-fi or Home Cinema system, as the whole system can initially be 'mains cleaned' at one go. The next step is to add individual Baby or Constrictor Power Leads to each component as budget allows, further improving performance at each step."

The Baby Constrictor uses eight PTFE insulated silver-plated copper conductors in the mains cable, covered with multiple layers of screening, and a mains block with high-current bus-bars sourced from German manufacturer Brennenstuhl.

TCI explains that "UK mains is 'dirty' carrying lots of electronic noise that affects the sound of Hi-Fi and the picture of TVs and Projectors. In the home, dimmers and digital devices add yet more noise.

"The Baby Block filters incoming mains noise and reduces outgoing radiated noise."

The Baby Constrictor starts at £80 for the version with a 1m mains lead, with a 2m version costing £120, a 2.5m £140 and a 3m £160.

Technorati Tags: mains, TCI

NEWS: Denon UK confirms five new AV receivers - due from August

Clare Newsome — Tue, 03 Jun 2008 18:46:00 GMT

Further to the recent US release news - reported here - Denon UK has confirmed its 2008 line-up of AV receivers, with five new models due between now and September.

The company says its new multichannel models will excel for sound-quality, technology/features and ease of use.

The release line-up and pricing is as follows:

August

Denon AVR-1509 - £280
Denon AVR-1709 - £350
Denon AVR-1909 - £450
Denon AVR-2309 - £600 (pictured above)

September

Denon AVR-2809 - £800

Denon's existing, higher-end models - the AVR-3808 and AVR-4308, plus its flagship Denon AVC-A1HD- carry on into 2009.

The entry-level, AVR-1509 and AVR-1709 models are steps up from the equivalent models in Denon's '08 range - adding more channels, power and HDMI inputs (up to three in the case of the '1709) - but buyers looking for HD Audio decoding will be most tempted by the Denon AVR-1909 upwards.

The AVR-1909 handles all the HD Audio formats, plus offers 1080p Faroudja video upscaling, component video conversion, three HDMI inputs, HDMI Auto Lip Sync, Pure Direct audio option (for stereo amplification) and on-screen display set-up. It's a 7.1 channel design, with 90W per channel power output.

The AVR-2309 and AVR-2809, meanwhile, both add a fourth HDMI input, plus an extra power transformer (making three in total; the rest of the '09 range boast two).

The AVR-2309 offers 100W per channel, whereas the AVR-2809 offers 115W, plus a range of custom-install-friendly features - including support for up to three zones, plus a learning remote control.

All the '09 models feature Audyssey audio optimisation, including Audyssey Dynamic Volume - which aims to end you having to reach for the volume button every time you change channels (or the noisy adverts come on) in order to listen at a consistent, comfortable level.

Audyssey Dynamic Volume can be used in a range of levels (or not at all, if you like your sound ultra-dynamic), such as midnight mode for late-night listening.

Denon also claims its use of advanced DSP chipsets within its new receiver range has allowed it to take advantage of the more advanced versions of Audyssey's MultEQ technology, which is designed - via your receiver's set-up process - to adjust the sound to suit your room.

Many Audyssey-equipped receivers use the company's earlier 2EQ system, which bases its room optimisation on two measurements. Denon's AVR-2809 - like the existing AVR-3808 and AVR-4308 - uses Audyssey MultEQ XT, which makes up to eight separate room measurements, while the rest of the '09 range use MultEQ, which makes up to six.

All the new receivers are available in black or silver, and we'll be testing every new models as it becomes available - and yes, we've asked for the AVR-1909 first!

Technorati Tags: AV receiver, Denon, HD Audio, Audyssey, Upscaling

NEWS: Three new Denon Blu-ray players due from July

Clare Newsome — Sat, 31 May 2008 17:16:14 GMT

Denon has confirmed UK specifications and release dates for its Blu-ray line-up, which includes the DVD-3800BD (£1600; due November; shown above), DVD-2500BT transport (£800; July), and entry-level DVD-1800BD (price TBC; November).

Denon claims the players will be great all-rounders, offering excellent DVD upscaling and CD replay, as well as superlative Blu-ray playback.

The four pictures featured in this story are of the black US models. The UK designs will be available in black, silver (more of a gun-metal finish) and premium silver, so users can find the ideal colour-match for both existing and new Denon components.

First into shops, then, will be the £800 Denon DVD-2500BT (below). This is a Blu-ray transport, designed to be the perfect partner for receivers that feature HD audio decoding and video processing - "so the customer just pays for what they need."

Denon believes HD audio decoding is ideally done in a suitably equipped AV receiver, rather than Blu-ray player, as there's a shorter signal path involved.

Accordingly, the DVD-2500BT sends HD audio via bitstream for a receiver to decode. You can see the simplicity of its connectivity in the back shot below.

The DVD-2500BT will upscale DVDs to 1080p, but unlike its DVD-3800BD sibling does not apply additional, high-end video processing for Blu-ray or DVD playback - again, it's leaving that to suitably equipped receivers.

Both the DVD-2500BT and DVD-3800BD are impressively well-built machines, inside and out. They feature multi-layered construction; anti-electric and mechanical noise shielding; a separated block layout (to isolate video and audio circuitry); and a 'SVH' (Suppress Vibration Hybrid) mechanism, designed to provide more stable, accurate disc reading.

Directly above is a backshot of the Denon DVD-3800BD - due in November, priced £1600. As you can probably tell, this is a fully loaded player, complete with HD audio decoding and advanced video processing, plus a full suite of analogue outputs - making it an ideal companion for AV amps and receivers without HD audio decoding or picture processing.

Whereas the DVD-3500BT uses a standard 10-bit video chipset, the DVD-3800BD uses a 10-bit REALTA HQV design, which Denon claims can boost even 1080p Blu-ray pictures still further.

The manufacturer says the DVD-3800BD's performance with DVDs is equal to that of its dedicated DVD-3930 DVD player, while stereo performance is comparable to "a high-end CD player".

Few details, meanwhile, are yet available for Denon's DVD-1800BD Blu-ray player. Due in November, the company claims this entry-level design "will look more like a Sony or Panasonic player, with, say, a 4Kg build rather than the 10Kg chassis of our higher-end models".

Intriguingly, all Denon's 2008 Blu-ray players are Profile 1.1 specification, as they do not feature Ethernet ports. Firmware upgrades will be available via disc.

Denon insists the lack of Profile 2.0 support will not diminish users' Blu-ray experience, and suggests the 2.0 spec is a film-studio-driven feature rather than a performance issue.

You'll be able to read reviews of all the new Denon Blu-ray players here as soon as test samples become available.

Technorati Tags: Blu-ray, Denon, HD Audio