Television Technology Reviews, News

Philips 9000 (47PFL9664H/12) review

Fri, 06 Nov 2009 11:56:02 +0000

If ever there were a TV to warm the cockles, the 47-inch, 1080p 47PFL9664H/12 LCD TV is it. It's impressively slender and attractive, it's packed with more features than you'll ever use, and it delivers one of the best AV performances we've ever seen from an LCD TV

Sony Bravia Z5800 (KDL-40Z5800) review

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 11:37:02 +0000

The first telly from Sony to sport a built-in freesat tuner, the 40-inch, 1080p KDL-40Z5800 LCD TV is also one of the company's finest-performing sets. It's expensive and its audio isn't all it could be, but its pictures are generally fantastic and it looks very cool

freesat iPlayer beta service imminent

ian.morris@cnet.co.uk (Ian Morris) — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 14:37:02 +0000

It's not much of a secret that iPlayer was going to turn up on freesat at some point. The good news is, we now know there will be a beta program run at the end of November

Toshiba Regza SV (46SV685DB) review

Tue, 03 Nov 2009 12:17:02 +0000

The 46-inch, 1080p, LED-backlit Regza 46SV685DB is Toshiba's best flat-screen TV to date. Its pictures are superbly sharp, detailed and colourful, and it produces dark scenes with a depth and naturalism that no ordinary LCD TV can match. It doesn't come cheaply, though

Sky+ HD party: Hangover, Harry and Hanks in hi-def

richard.trenholm@cnet.co.uk (Rich Trenholm) — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 11:54:02 +0000

Sky+ HD is offering customers a free film and an M&S voucher to start the high-definition party in December

Win a CNET UK Editors' Choice swag bag worth �1,200!

Mon, 02 Nov 2009 16:37:02 +0000

We're offering the chance for one lucky chap or chapette to win the cream of the consumer-tech crop: five gadgets that have won the coveted CNET UK Editors' Choice award

LG: OLED panels to be cheaper than LCD displays by 2016

Sat, 31 Oct 2009 10:37:02 +0000

An LG executive has predicted that OLED panels will be cheaper than LCD ones in seven years, prompting both vigorous stroking of beards and moistening of undergarments

BT Tower of power: World's biggest LED screen set to light up the night

Fri, 30 Oct 2009 17:41:02 +0000

On Saturday, London's BT Tower will light up like a flaming Christmas tree, thanks to its new LED screen, which will burn our retinas with the power of 1,000 suns

Samsung B7020WW (UE55B7020WW) review

Thu, 29 Oct 2009 09:17:02 +0000

The 55-inch, 1080p UE55B7020WW LCD TV with LED edge lights looks like it's been sent from five years in the future, cramming an extraordinary amount of features into its incredibly svelte body. Its backlight-inconsistency flaw is disappointing, but its pictures are excellent otherwise

Sony Bravia ZX1 (KDL-40ZX1) review

ian.morris@cnet.co.uk (Ian Morris) — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 12:43:01 +0000

The 40-inch Sony Bravia KDL-40ZX1 LCD TV with LED edge lights looks stunning and is remarkably thin. Also capable of receiving a 1080i signal wirelessly -- which means less cable clutter -- it's a good choice if you want a TV whose mere appearance will make your friends insanely jealous

Sky Player on Xbox 360 launch suffers technical problems

ian.morris@cnet.co.uk (Ian Morris) — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 12:30:02 +0000

We were as excited as kids at Disney World when we found out Sky was launching its Sky Player on the Xbox 360 yesterday, but sadly, it was beset with unexplained technical issues

Microsoft wimps out of Family Guy Windows 7 special

nick.hide@cnet.co.uk (Nick Hide) — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 09:37:02 +0000

The software megalith has finally seen sense and decided that having a viciously satirical animation promote its new operating system was a bad idea

BBC HD on Freeview signals shutdown for two 'Red Button' channels

ian.morris@cnet.co.uk (Ian Morris) — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 12:42:02 +0000

The BBC has announced it will close some of its 'Red Button' channels in order to make space for HD programming on Freeview. Wimbledon fans are devastated

LG SL8000 (42SL8000) review

Wed, 21 Oct 2009 11:10:02 +0000

The strikingly slim, 42-inch, 1080p 42SL8000 is the best LG LCD TV we've seen so far. It's packed to bursting point with features and connections, its pictures are great 99 per cent of the time, and it looks beautiful. For the price, it's also remarkably good value

Cello C3298FR review

Tue, 20 Oct 2009 11:38:02 +0000

Neither the C3298FR's audio or video performance is anything to get particularly excited about. But the fact that this 32-inch, HD Ready LCD TV with built-in DVD player can record programmes via its two built-in Freeview tuners to SD cards means it's definitely worth considering for those with cutting-edge tastes

Panasonic Viera G15 (TX-P46G15) review

Mon, 19 Oct 2009 17:37:02 +0000

The 46-inch, 1080p Viera TX-P46G15 plasma TV offers plenty of value for money. Although its standard-definition pictures aren't perfect, its high-definition performance is terrific, and it's stuffed with features, including Panasonic's Viera Cast online service, and built-in freesat and Freeview tuners

Philips 7000 (32PFL7404H/12) review

Fri, 16 Oct 2009 13:07:01 +0000

The 32-inch, 1080p 32PFL7404H/12 LCD TV may lack some of the potency of Philips' expensive 9000-series sets, but it's easily one of the finest tellies in its class when you compare it to similarly priced models. Bargain hunters will be delighted by its great picture quality and cornucopia of features

Channel 4 to put entire shows on YouTube

nate.lanxon@cnet.co.uk (Nate Lanxon) — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 13:16:02 +0000

Channel 4 and Google have signed a deal to put the station's entire catch-up service on YouTube, for free, ad-supported streaming in the UK

Sony Bravia E5300 (KDL-22E5300) review

Thu, 15 Oct 2009 11:45:01 +0000

The 22-inch, HD Ready Bravia KDL-22E5300 LCD TV blew our socks off so far that we still haven't found them. Its design is striking, its feature set is ambitious, and, most importantly, its picture quality is superb for such a small TV. This set's expensive, but, if you can afford it, you should buy it

Sharp Aquos LE700 (LC46LE700E) review

Wed, 14 Oct 2009 17:11:01 +0000

The 46-inch, 1080p, LED-backlit Aquos LC46LE700E LCD TV offers plenty of features for the price and is capable of delivering some spectacular images. Its motion-handling capability could be better, but its black-level response is frequently excellent and its colours are exceptionally vivid

Family Guy to promote Windows 7: Has product placement gone too far?

nate.lanxon@cnet.co.uk (Nate Lanxon) — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 16:44:02 +0000

In November, a special edition of Family Guy will air with the sole purpose of telling the world how awesome Windows 7 is. We discuss whether this is product placement taken too far

Toshiba Regza ZV (42ZV635DB) review

Wed, 14 Oct 2009 11:41:01 +0000

Packing plenty of picture-processing chops, the 42-inch, 1080p Regza 42ZV635DB's motion-handling capability is the best we've seen so far on a Toshiba LCD TV. The set's black levels could be better, but it offers an opulent design, good connectivity and a great deal of picture flexibility

Should soap operas be used to encourage people to use the Internet?

nate.lanxon@cnet.co.uk (Nate Lanxon) — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 13:40:01 +0000

More storylines involving the Internet should appear in UK soaps, in an effort to get offline Brits online, says the government's Martha Lane Fox. But are soaps really the right choice?

Cello C1973FIP review

Fri, 09 Oct 2009 10:57:02 +0000

With a built-in iPod dock and DVD player, the 19-inch, HD Ready C1973FIP LCD TV will appeal to those who are either short on space or just hate clutter. You can't expect top-notch picture quality from a machine of this type at this price, but it offers decent performance and convenience in a cute design

Panasonic Viera V10 (TX-P58V10) review

Thu, 08 Oct 2009 13:13:01 +0000

With Pioneer about to abandon the UK TV scene, the 58-inch, 1080p Viera TX-P58V10 plasma telly has emerged as a hugely worthy heir to the mega-screen throne. Besides tonnes of features and connections, this colossal set offers spectacular pictures that outstrip Panasonic's already very high standards