Home Cinema

PlayStation Store, the online content store on PlayStation Network, is to get a makeover in April.

The revamp is in response to a survey last year that showed many PlayStation Store users wanted a better interface and easier navigation. The new design will offer an improved navigation system, more scope for categorisation and a new user interface.

The weekend is very close indeed (in fact, I think it's started now!), so it's the perfect time to run through the HD highlights of the next seven days, writes Tom Parsons.

As always, if I've missed something good, post below to let myself and the rest of the whathifi.com community know about it!

So, we thought we'd do a rundown of the manufacturer's TVs, players, recorders and home cinema systems due from now until May.

We've added estimated pricing, too - but please note that in many cases these are pre-order prices that could be subject to change.

OK (deep breath), here goes....

Not all of us can afford custom-installed home entertainment systems, but for the lucky few who can, Opus Technologies has developed this customisable touch-screen keypad.

It's designed to control the Opus 500 multiroom entertainment system and a number of third-party lighting and other smart home products, such as heating, door entry and window blinds.

The WCU600 costs £575 and can display video from DVD, TV and CCTV systems as well as the on-screen menus of audio/video servers, iPod docks and other systems.

BD-live discs, which feature online and downloadable content, will need to be used in conjunction with the new Blu-ray Profile 2.0 format.

Sony recently released a free PlayStation 3 firmware update which allows users to take advantage of BD-Live functions and makes PlayStation 3 the first player to comply with Profile 2.0.

OK, we've done a bit of digging and finally come up with some more details on Samsung's new HT-BD2 Blu-ray system.

It's an all-in-one home cinema set-up, capable of handling Full HD 1080p images at 24 frames-per-second (fps) and delivering high-definition 7.1 audio. However, it doesn't have the latest Profile 1.1 and 2.0 Blu-ray spec.

The HT-BD2 supports Dolby Digital Plus, Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD Master Audio, has audio/video lip sync functionality which allows the sound delay to be adjusted between 0-300msec, and delivers 135w across all seven channels.

Research in the US shows Blu-ray disc sales have topped nine million since inception, with some three million of those discs flying off the shelves in 2008.

The figures, published by Home Media Research, show average weekly sales figures of BD titles ranging from between 200,000 and 300,000.

Big-sellers, such as the recent No Country For Old Men release, helped weekly sales reach 319,000, with the disc itself selling 68,000 copies in the week ending March 16th.

Sony has released the latest firmware upgrade for the PlayStation3, incorporating support for BD-Live on Blu-ray discs – only the second player after the Panasonic DMP-BD50 to do so.

The latest version 2.20 upgrade is here and introduces a number of updates including BD-Live, resume playback of DVDs, faster Interent browsing and support for previously unplayable large DivX and WMV files.

While there was plenty that Philips did tell us about its forthcoming product releases, there was surprisingly little mention of the company's long-awaited Blu-ray player, the BDP7200.

As we reported here from the CES Show back in January, the player was scheduled for a US release in April this year, and we speculated that a UK release would follow in time. But there was no mention of this at the European press launch last week...

The Will Smith box office hit I Am Legend is released on Blu-ray and DVD on April 21st by Warner Home Video. Both versions include the much-hyped alternative ending.

The two-disc DVD release also introduces a new technology called 'Digital Copy' to the UK, which enables people to download the complete film from the DVD disc to their PC.

Onkyo Japan has officially announced the launch of the TX-SA606 receiver, the replacement for the 2007 Award-winning TX-SR605.

The details extensively leaked across various websites are confirmed as being correct, in that the new model adds some features to the old one's specification.

And at least one online retailer is already taking pre-orders for the unit at £400 - the same price as the TX-SR605.

Samsung has a whole range of funky-looking new 2.1 and 5.1 home cinema in a box systems on the way. And it's given us further details of its new 4 and 5 series LCD TVs which are coming to the UK in the next month, having first shown the sets at CES in Las Vegas in January.

Details of the new home cinema systems are still being kept under wraps, but we have managed to get hold of some preview pictures. Shown above is the stylish Samsung X715 5.1 system, which will also be available in a 2.1 version, the X710.

A Columbia university professor has claimed that she was responsible for the tech breakthrough that allows the production of blue and ultraviolet LEDs.

In our April 2008 issue (still on sale, by the way), we cast the First Test spotlight over Onkyo’s LS-V501. It’s a stylish £600 home cinema in a box system, and we found that it was worth three stars – most of the blame for this rather disappointing showing was laid at the door of the 2.1 loudspeaker/subwoofer system.

The somewhat more impressive front end, the DR-S501, is available individually for £400, so we thought it was only fair to give it a crack without being hamstrung by its rather pedestrian loudspeaker partners.

So in this exclusive online review we've tested it with a pair of Monitor Audio's impressive BR2 speakers.

With the (welcome) arrival of an extra-long Easter weekend, we thought it would be nice to start our new, weekly guide to the HD content that will get you through the next seven days, writes Tom Parsons.

So here's my pick of the TV shows and movies, Blu-rays and games that you'll find onscreen and in shops this week. If you're a fan of Lost, Terry Pratchett or Premiership Football, you've got a particularly thrilling week ahead of you. And if I've missed anything exciting out, let everyone know below.

Sony has confirmed that software update v2.20 for the PS3, due for release later this month, will add Blu-ray Disc Profile 2.0 – otherwise known as BD-Live.

BD-LIVE allows PS3 owners to take full advantage of interactive features, such as downloadable video content, ringtones and games. Movies with BD-Live functionality will be released next month, says Sony.

In addition, the software update will enable photo and music playlists on a PS3 to be copied to a PSP (PlayStation Portable).

The BBC test-screened the RBS Six Nations rugby match between Scotland and England live in 3D HDTV as a joint venture between BBC Sport and The3DFirm.

It was said to be the first-ever test screening of an international sports event in 3D HDTV via satellite.

Freesat is a joint venture between the BBC and ITV intended to bring free HD programmes to UK homes without a subscription. Viewers will have to pay for a digital set-top box, satellite dish and installation, but that's all.

They say money talks. In the case of Toshiba, the fallout from the demise of HD DVD is becoming clearer and the accountants certainly seem to have spoken.

The company's official forecast for the financial year shows a loss of 65 billion yen ($666m), although this was less than originally predicted.

Still, you can see why the men in suits might have finally said "enough!" and conceded defeat to rival Blu-ray.

Sorry to disappoint all you Xbox 360 owners out there, but Sony's PS3 is proving popular as an affordable Blu-ray player. So cable company QED has unleashed a range of dedicated HDMI cables for the PS3.

The new QED Live HDMI cable is fully compliant with the latest HDMI 1.3 specification and can handle 1080p Full HD images.

OK, OK, I get it now - I know why I have Sky HD, writes Andrew Everard.

Sat down last night and watched The Italian Job - the 1969 original, not the ridiculous remake - on Sky Movies 2 HD, and it looked just fab.

Hold on to your hats – the second series of Heroes is coming to the BBC in high definition this spring, along with new series of Gavin and Stacey and BAFTA-winner That Mitchell & Webb Look.

Other HD highlights include comedy drama Desperados which follows two lawbreakers laying low in a quiet West country fishing village, and Grammy Award-winning singer Jill Scott plays the lead in No.1 Ladies Detective Agency, set in Botswana. Glenn Close stars in legal thriller Damages.

Sony's DVP-FX720 portable DVD player has been around for a while, but it's now available in a range of striking colours including white, blazing red, indigo blue and glamour pink, if that's your thing.

It has a 7in widescreen LCD display, battery life is up to five hours, and the unit comes with a USB connector, in-car charger and a remote control.

So a very big thank you to all of you who have joined and made this one of the most enjoyable and interactive hi-fi and home cinema Forums on the web.

It occurred to me that it might be useful to highlight some of the most frequently asked questions on the site and, for the benefit of newcomers, summarise the replies. So here goes!

Here's your chance to win an extended version of American Gangster on DVD – with 18 minutes of never-seen-before footage – and a digital lifestyle Media Center system from Microsoft.

We've teamed up with Universal Pictures and Microsoft Hardware to give away a high-spec Media Center PC from Toshiba, a backlit wireless entertainment desktop 8000 keyboard, a high-definition Lifecam VX-7000 and a wireless Lifechat ZX-6000 headset.

First there was the Viso Five, that we reported on in January, and now NAD has added the stereo Viso Two to its range of one-box cinema systems.

The £700 Viso Two is a DVD/CD receiver with FM/AM tuner and built-in amplification. It provides virtual surround sound from two speakers, using its Dolby Virtual Speaker mode, and can also play DVD-Audio discs in stereo.

LG has confirmed it will go ahead and sell its combi Blu-ray/HD DVD deck in the UK, despite the demise of HD DVD – but it will only be available in limited numbers and from selected retailers.

The LG Super Blu BH200 is available now for £700 from the Argos catalogue. We first reported on it when it was unveiled at the CEDIA Show in Denver last September.

Last week Samsung announced it was cancelling the release of its second-generation combi player, the BD-UP5500.

The new line-up, which starts from just £500 for a 2.1-channel system using the DMR 45 DVD receiver (pictured) and the A102 speakers, offers no fewer than six permutations, right up to a complete 5.1-channel set-up with floorstanding speakers.

You know the score. You've bought your shiny new flatscreen TV, got it home, installed it... and then you decide you need a surround sound system to go with it.

Trouble is, you haven't got the room for loads of full-size speakers. So what to do? Well, Jamo reckons it might have the answer in the form of its new A 400 speakers.

They're styled by the Award-winning designers Smedegaard and Weis (no, can't say we've heard of them either), and they're part of the company's Aesthetic range of designer speakers.

It looks like we're in for a price war in the games market, with Microsoft announcing it has just cut the price of its Xbox 360 games console.

The Arcade pack now sells for £159.99 (down from £199.99), the Premium pack falls from £259.99 to £199.99 and the Elite drops from £299.99 to £259.99.

This makes the Arcade pack cheaper than Nintendo's hugely popular Wii console (typically £179.99). All prices come into effect from March 14.

Rev up your engines and practice those handbrake turns – Gran Turismo 5 Prologue is due out on Blu-ray in 1080p high definition later this month. It's the prequel title showcasing the forthcoming Gran Turismo 5 for Sony's PS3.

The developers have confirmed a new line-up of 71 cars, all rendered in glorious high definition. So if you fancy yourself as the next Lewis Hamilton, grab the wheel and test your driving skills on one of the game's six tracks, each drivable in two layouts.

And, for the first time, there's online multiplayer – up to 16 players will be able to go head-to-head on PlayStation Network (PSN). With in-depth car tuning, players can tune each car's performance, including the tyres, power and suspension.

It may well come as no surprise to hear the news that Samsung has cancelled the release of the BD-UP5500, the company's planned 2nd-generation combo Blu-ray and HD DVD (come again?) player.

Of course we never got to see the first player – reports suggested it certainly had its foibles – so it looks like that could be the end of Samsung producing combo players. And that decision seems wholly sensible to us...

Need a home entertainment upgrade but feeling the pinch? Here's your chance to win a slice of £20,000-worth of five-star greatness for next to nothing in our biggest ever competition.

You'll need to get hold of the April 2008 issue of What Hi-Fi? Sound and Vision, on sale from March 6, to enter (full details on page 86).

To give you a taste of what we're giving away, check out some of our top prizes:

Miller & Kreisel is making its M series 5.1 speaker systems, originally developed for the professional market, available for home use.

The range includes a choice of two LCR (left, centre, right) speakers, two active subwoofers and a dedicated surround speaker.

All M series speakers use 2.5cm silk-dome, Ferro fluid cooled neodymium tweeters and M&K's phase focused crossovers.

All Xbox 360 owners connected to Xbox LIVE can now download to rent both high-definition and standard-definition films from Paramount.

Standard-definition films will cost from as little as 250 Microsoft points (£2), while high-def films will cost 380 points (£3.20).

Want extra bass in your system, but without having to house a massive subwoofer?

These tiny tots from Sunfire, designed by US amplifier specialist Bob Carver, pack a mighty punch from a small box.

There are three new models in the range: the HRS8 (£650); HRS10 (£799); and the HRS12 (£899).

Play.com has seen the sale of Blu-ray players increase seven-fold since the demise of HD DVD last month, and Pricerunner says it has experienced a 132 per cent increase in the number of users looking for Blu-ray players. And it looks as if prices are starting to fall to more affordable levels.

Mattias Berg, managing director of Pricerunner UK, says: "The switch to Blu-ray is great news for the consumer as having just one format eliminates compatibility issues. My advice is simply do your research first, and make sure you know what you're buying before you part with your cash."

Pricerunner worked with Play.com to find the five most popular and cheapest Blu-ray players in the UK, which are as follows:

Two of the most iconic British films, Zulu and The Italian Job, are to be re-mastered in high definition as part of a celebration of Sir Michael Caine's 75th birthday later this month.

Sky has teamed up with Paramount Home Entertainment to re-master both films in HD, and they will premiere on Sky Movies on March 9th and 16th respectively.

Sir Michael Caine says: "It's fantastic that Zulu and The Italian Job are being re-mastered – I love HD, it's so difficult to watch anything else once you've watched HD. Of course, it's very unforgiving, especially on beautiful young ladies, but thank God I'm old, so I don't care..."