Home Cinema - Crave at CNET UK

Boxee announces Boxee Box for the ultimate media experience

ian.morris@cnet.co.uk (Ian Morris) — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 10:41:02 +0000

We've always loved Boxee, but what it's lacked is some dedicated hardware to make it simple for us to have in our home cinema -- that's changed with the announcement of the Boxee Box

Oppo opts not to sell its BDP-831 Blu-ray player in Europe

ian.morris@cnet.co.uk (Ian Morris) — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 13:20:02 +0000

When Oppo announced that it was making a Blu-ray player, we were very excited. Unfortunately, the company recently announced it won't be coming to Europe so now we're very sad instead

Blu-ray to get managed copy. At last

ian.morris@cnet.co.uk (Ian Morris) — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 11:43:02 +0000

Years after it first launched, Blu-ray is now set to get managed copy, to allow users to copy their movies to another device or keep a backup. But you'll need all-new hardware to do it

Extreme home cinema: Most ludicrous AV setups ever

Sun, 08 Nov 2009 08:00:00 +0000

Think your 50-inch plasma and 7.1 surround-sound system are the badger's nadgers? No chance. Welcome to ten of the most awesome (and awful) home-cinema installations on the planet

Sony BDP-S760 Blu-ray player: Super bit-mapping reality enhancer

nick.hide@cnet.co.uk (Nick Hide) — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 12:40:02 +0000

Sony's new top-of-the-range Blu-ray player, the BDP-S760, is jammed full of exciting new features such as Wi-Fi Internet access and multi-channel headphone mode

Moon lands on Blu-ray this November

ian.morris@cnet.co.uk (Ian Morris) — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 10:35:02 +0000

One of our films of the year -- and one of the most stylish sci-fi films of the last decade -- Moon is soon out on Blu-ray and we're vibrating with excitement

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

Jamo A 102 HCS speaker system: Reduces risk of divorce by up to 3 per cent

ian.morris@cnet.co.uk (Ian Morris) — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 12:23:02 +0000

It's entirely possible that home cinemas account for a significant percentage of failed marriages. If you want a long and happy life with your spouse, Jamo's new speakers can help

Hisense Media Player: 1080p video playback for less than �100

ian.morris@cnet.co.uk (Ian Morris) — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 13:03:02 +0000

While the Popcorn Hour might reign supreme in the media-player market, it's hardly the cheapest option -- so imagine our pleasure when a sub-�100 Hisense player landed on our desk

Popcorn Hour C-200: Adding a Blu-ray drive

ian.morris@cnet.co.uk (Ian Morris) — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 15:25:02 +0000

We love the Popcorn Hour and the new C-200 has the option to accept a Blu-ray drive -- a very smart piece of set-top box convergence. Here's how you plug one in

Popcorn Hour C-200 Blu-ray media streamer: Hands-on photos

ian.morris@cnet.co.uk (Ian Morris) — Wed, 23 Sep 2009 15:08:01 +0000

The Popcorn Hour C-200 is possibly one of the most exciting things we've ever put our sweaty hands on, in large part due to its ability to play both downloaded media and Blu-ray discs

ViewSonic VOT550: Itsy-bitsy Blu-ray PC

rory.reid@cnet.co.uk (Rory Reid) — Mon, 21 Sep 2009 14:58:02 +0000

Heads up, home-cinema fans, we've just got our grubby mitts on the ViewSonic VOT550 -- a Blu-ray playing PC so small it could hang-glide on a Dorito

Samsung HT-BD8200: Blu-ray speaker bar with salty kelp and crystal-clear sound

ian.morris@cnet.co.uk (Ian Morris) — Tue, 15 Sep 2009 12:17:02 +0000

Samsung has been fishing for inspiration, apparently catching only some seaweed, which explains why its new Blu-ray speaker bar has kelp-based speakers

Toshiba's BDX2000 Blu-ray player: In person, in pictures

nate.lanxon@cnet.co.uk (Nate Lanxon) — Fri, 04 Sep 2009 18:55:00 +0000

Toshiba's doing Blu-ray now and it's got its first standalone player -- the BDX2000 -- on show here at IFA. We just planted our gaze down upon it, poked it with a stick and can confirm it is, in fact, real

Toshiba BDX2000: It's Blu-ray all the way

rory.reid@cnet.co.uk (Rory Reid) — Thu, 03 Sep 2009 17:06:01 +0000

Remember when Toshiba tried to flog us all HD DVD? Yeah, that didn't work out, so now it's hopped on the Blu-ray bandwagon with the BDX2000, its first standalone Blu-ray player

Philips: Don't get too excited about 3D

richard.trenholm@cnet.co.uk (Rich Trenholm) — Thu, 03 Sep 2009 14:40:02 +0000

3D this, 3D that... here at IFA it seems everyone is talking about 3D televisions. Philips has a prototype 3D model on display, but it's also offering a welcome warning...

Sony unveils 3D Bravia TV and movie downloads for PS3 and PSP in Europe

richard.trenholm@cnet.co.uk (Rich Trenholm) — Wed, 02 Sep 2009 17:03:02 +0000

Sony is pimping its 3D efforts at the IFA tech show in Berlin, but we're more excited about a movie download service for the PS3 and PSP

WD TV Mini: Minier, and with less HD

ian.morris@cnet.co.uk (Ian Morris) — Wed, 19 Aug 2009 12:29:02 +0000

If you want to shove SD video, photos and MP3s into your home-cinema system, have a butchers' at the Western Digital TV Mini, a tiny little media player

Onkyo Digital Media Transport: Dock your iPod or iPhone in style

ian.morris@cnet.co.uk (Ian Morris) — Tue, 18 Aug 2009 12:51:02 +0000

If you have an iPod and an AV system, you might be interested in introducing them to one another with the Onkyo Digital Media Transport

Toshiba exec: Blu-ray is just one part of our HD strategy

ian.morris@cnet.co.uk (Ian Morris) — Tue, 11 Aug 2009 16:04:01 +0000

With Toshiba announcing it will produce a Blu-ray player and drives for PCs, we asked a senior exec some questions about the decision, and why it's decided to go blue now

Photos: Asus O!Play Media Player hands-on

rory.reid@cnet.co.uk (Rory Reid) — Tue, 11 Aug 2009 12:50:02 +0000

We've just got our hands on the Asus O!Play HD Media Player -- a sort of Apple TV-style box that lets you play digital media on your big-screen TV -- without those awkward disc thingies

Panasonic DMR-EX79: Your new right arm

ian.morris@cnet.co.uk (Ian Morris) — Mon, 10 Aug 2009 13:11:02 +0000

Getting your arm nommed off by a shark is unpalatable, right? Well, don't allow your metaphorical arm to be munched off by not having a Freeview PVR

Toshiba applies to Blu-ray Disc Association

nate.lanxon@cnet.co.uk (Nate Lanxon) — Mon, 10 Aug 2009 10:41:02 +0000

Toshiba has confirmed to CNET UK that it has applied to join the Blu-ray Disc Association, and that it intends to manufacturer Blu-ray players and laptops with Blu-ray drives

Philips PET744: The sugar-free way to entertain children

ian.morris@cnet.co.uk (Ian Morris) — Thu, 06 Aug 2009 12:02:02 +0000

Kids. They sounded like a good idea at the time, but summer is here and there's no way to keep them quiet without feeding them constantly. Philips has a DVD-based solution

CBHD: Blu-ray rival based on HD DVD

Wed, 05 Aug 2009 10:27:02 +0000

HD DVD might win the format war against Blu-ray yet, if the CBHD format, which is based on Toshiba's tech and backed by the Chinese government, continues to enjoy its current success

Say, say, Sagem: DTR94250S and DTR94500S freesat PVR

richard.trenholm@cnet.co.uk (Rich Trenholm) — Fri, 31 Jul 2009 12:04:02 +0000

Sagem and Goodmans have both announced new freesat PVRs to drop later this year, hopefully taking advantage of BBC iPlayer's rumoured arrival on the format

Universal Blu-ray app: Control movies with your phone

Tue, 21 Jul 2009 10:29:02 +0000

Coinciding with the Blu-ray release of Fast & Furious, Universal is launching an iPhone app that lets you access special features while you're watching

Toshiba Blu-ray player: Just what is the point of that?

ian.morris@cnet.co.uk (Ian Morris) — Mon, 20 Jul 2009 14:49:02 +0000

As the co-inventor of HD DVD, Toshiba has always avoided releasing a Blu-ray player, but now there's a rumour that the company is considering giving in. Let us explain why it shouldn't bother

Pioneer at Air Studios: This is what amazing audio looks like

ian.morris@cnet.co.uk (Ian Morris) — Thu, 16 Jul 2009 11:22:02 +0000

Pioneer invited us to hear its home cinema and stereo music systems at George Martin's Air Studios -- we were blown away

Air Studios: Is this the most expensive screw in the world?

ian.morris@cnet.co.uk (Ian Morris) — Wed, 15 Jul 2009 11:45:02 +0000

We went to see Pioneer yesterday about its new Air Studios-certified SACD player, the PD-D9MK2, and heard a scintillating anecdote about a tiny little screw

Onkyo A-5VL and C-5VL: Audiophile SACD player and amp combo

ian.morris@cnet.co.uk (Ian Morris) — Tue, 07 Jul 2009 17:26:02 +0000

If you want to turn your current home-audio experience into something that will have you jumping for joy, we think you should investigate some new audiophile equipment from Onkyo

Digital Vision GiGo: Freeview recorded on to USB memory cards

ian.morris@cnet.co.uk (Ian Morris) — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 13:07:02 +0000

Freeview PVRs are all the same, merrily recording shows to a built-in hard disk. Not the Digital Vision DiGo, which swaps the hard drive for USB memory, helping you take TV with you

Sony improves your MovieIQ with Blu-ray

Tue, 23 Jun 2009 13:06:02 +0000

Essentially IMDb live, MovieIQ is a new feature on Blu-ray movies that lets you find out who 'that guy' is without pausing the film you're watching

Popcorn Hour C-200: OMG! Now with Blu-ray

ian.morris@cnet.co.uk (Ian Morris) — Mon, 22 Jun 2009 15:02:02 +0000

The Popcorn Hour media streamers are among our favourite devices in the whole world. Now there's a new model and it adds Blu-ray support to an already outstanding feature set

KEF Concept Blade: Man-size sound

Thu, 11 Jun 2009 12:36:02 +0000

Engineered to demonstrate the British hi-fi specialist's technical know-how, KEF's man-size superspeakers have some impressive-sounding technologies inside

Editors' Choice May 2009 winners

jason.jenkins@cnet.co.uk (Jason Jenkins) — Wed, 10 Jun 2009 17:58:01 +0000

CNET UK Editors' Choice awards are given to the very best gadgets we test each month, and manufacturers would sell their first-born to get one. Here's the pick of May's charming bunch

Photos: LaCie LaCinema Black Record media streamer with Freeview recording

ian.morris@cnet.co.uk (Ian Morris) — Wed, 10 Jun 2009 15:57:02 +0000

If you're looking for a media streamer that records Freeview and looks like the lovechild of Darth Vader and a brick, look no further than the LaCie LaCinema Black Record

Wyplayer: Freeview PVR and a fully featured media streamer

ian.morris@cnet.co.uk (Ian Morris) — Tue, 09 Jun 2009 13:35:02 +0000

As much as we love the Popcorn Hour, there's a new kid on the block who's keen to prove he's got the right stuff. Is this upstart hanging tough, or will we be loving the Popcorn Hour forever?

Pioneer BDP-LX52, BDP-320 and BDP-120: True blu trio

richard.trenholm@cnet.co.uk (Rich Trenholm) — Thu, 04 Jun 2009 17:29:02 +0000

Pioneer has announced the Pioneer BDP-LX52, BDP-320 and BDP-120, three Blu-ray players to keep you indoors even on the sunniest day

HDMI 1.4: Throw it all away and start again

ian.morris@cnet.co.uk (Ian Morris) — Mon, 01 Jun 2009 13:11:02 +0000

If you have a home cinema you're proud of -- a system designed from the ground up for best picture and sound quality -- you might want to look away now

Terminator 3 Blu-ray: What's better than robots? Girl robots, that's what

ian.morris@cnet.co.uk (Ian Morris) — Thu, 21 May 2009 12:40:02 +0000

With our hearts heavy over the loss of the TV show Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles, we are pleased to see Terminator 3 make an appearance on Blu-ray for some machine on machine fighting

Ghostbusters on Blu-ray: Dogs and cats to live in harmony?

ian.morris@cnet.co.uk (Ian Morris) — Mon, 18 May 2009 14:01:01 +0000

Good news, the best film ever made is finally coming to Blu-ray. No, not Star Wars -- we're talking about Ghostbusters, the film all 80s kids grew up loving more than any other

Photos: Panasonic DMR-BS750 Blu-ray freesat recorder

ian.morris@cnet.co.uk (Ian Morris) — Wed, 13 May 2009 13:27:02 +0000

Freesat is terrific, but until now there was only one recorder on the market. Now we have a machine from Panasonic that can not only record TV shows to a hard drive, but also to Blu-ray discs

Who watches the BD-Live? Watchmen gets Facebook friends

richard.trenholm@cnet.co.uk (Rich Trenholm) — Tue, 12 May 2009 14:52:01 +0000

Warner Bros and Facebook have formed a superhero team-up to fight crime -- well, to let people chat to their Facebook friends while watching Watchmen, anyway

Netgear EVA9000 Digital Entertainment Elite: Streams media, makes l337 claims

ian.morris@cnet.co.uk (Ian Morris) — Wed, 06 May 2009 12:45:02 +0000

If media streaming is something you want in your life, then the Netgear EVA9000 has quite a bit to offer - including multiple codec support, wireless streaming and a removable hard drive

Editors' Choice April 2009 winners

jason.jenkins@cnet.co.uk (Jason Jenkins) — Tue, 05 May 2009 15:07:00 +0000

There's just one winner of our Editors' Choice award this month, and it's Korean giant Samsung that takes the prize. Find out which product won the prestigious award

Sony BDP-S360 and surround-sound friends: It's a Blu-ray player, innit

richard.trenholm@cnet.co.uk (Rich Trenholm) — Tue, 21 Apr 2009 17:36:02 +0000

The Sony BDP-S360 connects to the Internet for pointless extras, but it also plays Blu-rays and is aided in that noble endeavour by the HT-SS360 and HT-FS3 surround-sound systems

Official new Blu-ray chart puts Max Payne top of the pops

richard.trenholm@cnet.co.uk (Rich Trenholm) — Mon, 20 Apr 2009 17:23:02 +0000

Blu-ray now has an official chart covering all the major retailers, which should see every Blu-ray fan on the edge of their seat to see where their favourite platter has charted

LG HB354BS: Both pretty and cool. So, pretty cool then

ian.morris@cnet.co.uk (Ian Morris) — Mon, 20 Apr 2009 12:51:02 +0000

The LG B354 is a Blu-ray player and a whole lot more -- with an iPod dock, a 2.1 channel speaker system and some pretty nippy performance

Adobe Flash bringing more widgets to TVs

Mon, 20 Apr 2009 10:40:02 +0000

Adobe has announced a version of its Flash software optimised for TVs and Blu-ray players that will let developers bring video and Web apps to the living room