Televisions

The whole Channel 4 3D hoopla had kind of passed me by, until I was exchanging a faulty DVD at customer services in Sainsburys last weekend and spotted a huge dump-bin full of chequerboard-printed cardboard 3D specs.

Grabbed a fistful for self, friends and family, and settled down to watch the old Royal Festival footage on Monday and Tuesday nights, along with a less-than-convinced Mrs E, who had a pair of the cardboard specs perched over her own glasses.

Have to say I found the whole thing rather fun: the Coronation footage was almost ridiculously 3D, with a very distinct cardboard cut-out look in the long-shots, a bit like one of those children's theatres where you moved characters around on the end of pipe-cleaners or bits of wire.

Close-ups were much more effective, just as explained in their narration, and this was demonstrated both by the vintage stuff and the new stereo footage shot by the winningly jolly Arthur Wooster and Bob Angell, makers of the original 3D newsreel. Wielding an exceptionally unwieldy modern camera, they filmed Her Maj at the recent swan-upping on the Thames, and at a garden party at Buck House, and the results were truly striking.

Mind you, some of the old stuff shown in the second chunk of the two-parter was equally amusing: steam shovels looming toward the camera, kid on a swing looming toward the camera, man with a ball on a string looming – well, you get the idea.

And the 3D duo, now both in their 80s, were clearly having a whale of a time, Angell grinning broadly as they sat in a screening theatre announcing 'Please put on your 3D glasses'.

Our esteemed uber-Editor reports that the effect worked well on her projector and screen, as it did on my 50in plasma. Interesting, given that Panasonic will have you believe that plasmas, not projectors, are the way forward for its next-gen 3D system...

Only trouble is, through the Channel 4/Sainsburys glasses, the picture was pretty dark: both Clare and I found ourselves cranking the brightness on our respective displays, and I turned off all the room lights, finding the 2D world around the screen distracted from the 3D effect on it.

And I have to say that even with the relatively short bursts of 3D shown, I was getting a feeling of tension around the eyes by the end of each episode, which Clare also says was becoming noticeable.

Whether that was an inherent problem, or just the result of constant switching from 3D to 2D, and from a relatively dark picture to a very bright one, I'm not sure: it'll be interesting to see how I get on with a full-length movie using the system.

Friday the 13th Part III is being shown in 3D on Friday the 20th – I'm sure I'll be watching.

But Derren Brown and JLS in 3D? There's devotion to duty, and then there's...

The price of LCD TV panels is on the up, and that's bad news for those companies who buy in their displays from other manufacturers, and good for those still making screens in-house.

The main problems are the huge demand from the emerging flatscreen TV market in China, and a shortage of the glass substrates on which LCD and plasma TV displays are made, according to a report in Japan's Nikkei business newspaper.

£300–£135=not much
In fact, prices have risen around 20% in the past, way ahead of the industry's worst-case predictions at the beginning of the year. The mid-August ex-factory price for a 32in LCD panel hit $215, or about £135, up $35 from the mid-june price.

And with entry-level 32in LCDs now selling for as little as £300, that puts a lot of pressure on manufacturers who have to buy in screens from outside suppliers.

After all, while prices of TVs seem to have stabilised a little, there's no scope for manufacturers to increase prices to take account of these rises further down the supply chain. Take £135 away from £300, factor in shipping, plus distributor and retailer profit margins, and the maker of the TVs doesn't have a lot of budget to play with for the rest of the set.


Sony has a joint venture with Samsung, making LCD display panels

Even companies making screens in joint ventures with other firms are thought to be feeling the pressure: Sony makes screens with Samsung in Korea, and also buys them in from Taiwanese suppliers.

Its Chief Financial Officer Nobuyuki Oneda, is on record as saying "We will not be able to avoid a worsening of TV operation losses in the July-September period compared with the April-June period."

And remember that's worsening from the figures it recently posted for the second quarter of this year, during which the company's LCD business lost Y8bn, or around £51m.

Sharp buoyed by price-rises
By contrast, Sharp, currently carrying an LCD division operating loss of Y14.7bn (almost £95m) for the same period, is hopeful these price increases will help it recover. After all, Sharp makes its own LCD screens, and has been widely discussed as a future joint venture partner for Sony in the LCD business.

There's a glimmer of light on the horizon, in that the shortage of glass is expected to ease soon. But industry analysts merely expect that to signal a peaking of prices next month, and for the price of panels then to stay at that elevated level.

Who'd be a TV manufacturer, eh?

Ever had one of those moments when you're doing something very routine, and you get a sudden inkling something's not quite right?

I had one while being very domestic and hanging out the washing yesterday. Something just felt wrong, and when I looked round, back at the house, I saw what it was.

The people next door have had a new satellite dish fitted – their second, actually – in the past week or two, and while the mast is fixed to the wall of their property, the whole of the dish/LNB assembly is above the flat roof of our living room.

Now there's a good neighbour conundrum: what do you do?

Insist on having it removed or resited? Live with it, on the grounds that it's not actually attached to your own house so what harm's it doing? Or just get a bit indignant that it was put there without anyone asking if you'd mind?

I'm tending towards option three at the moment, on the basis of a quiet life, however much Mrs E is fulminating about writing to the agent handling the letting of the house next door, the owners, the local planning department and anyone else she can think of.

She's really got very Margot Leadbetter – "Jerry, do something!" – about the situation, while I just think the whole thing leaves a slightly nasty taste in the mouth.

But one question I have to ask: what kind of satellite installer is so stupid, or so blasé, as to think that such an installation is in any way acceptable?

Launched in the past couple of days in the States, Sharp's new LE700 Aquos LED TVs – that's LED-backlit LCDs to you and me – not only claim excellent picture quality, but some novel facilities, too.

Yes, I know: every new TV range claims unsurpassed picture quality, and in Sharp's case this is down to what the company calls 'UltraBrilliant LED backlight technology'.

It's "a full array of LEDs dispersed evenly behind the diffuser", as opposed to around the edges of the screen. But it's an always-on system, with not a sign of local dimming capability.

This works with the Spectral Contrast Engine MC to give a Dynamic Contrast Ratio of more than  2,000,000:1, and also helps keep the power consumption down. For example. the 32in model is rated at just 55W, and even the big 52in model consumes just 105W.

Oh, and Sharp reckons they'll last longer: 100,000 hours, which is over 60% longer than conventional LCD TVs, the company says. Or about 54 years at five hours' viewing a day.

But the intriguing thing is right down the bottom of the announcement. Sharp says that, using the Aquos Net internet connectivity, "consumers also have access to unparalleled customer support for their television.

"[This includes] the ability to have dedicated AQUOS Advantage advisors connect remotely to their TV to assist in adjusting the TV's settings and optimizing picture quality for the best viewing experience.

"This interactive tool, known as AQUOS Advantage Live, is easily accessible from the AQUOS Net home page."

Sounds fascinating – an end to all that hit and miss set-up, or the time and/or expense of calibrating the set or having someone do it for you.

Mentioned it in the office, and Technical Editor Ketan Bharadia, freshly returned from a two-day ISF training session, deadpanned "But how do they know what the ambient lighting is like? Or what contrast settings you prefer? Or what the colour looks like in your room? Or –"

And it was all going so well...

With all the talk about the Global Economic Situation, you might expect that things are a bit slow for the world's TV makers.

Not so – massive demand for the latest eighth-generation LCD screens means that the world's biggest manufacturers are struggling to supply enough screens, even though they're working at full tilt.

The demand is largely coming from China, driven by government measures to boost sales of consumer electronics.

And it's meant LG has rushed to open a new LCD production line at its plant in Paju, S. Korea (below) – six months ahead of schedule.

 

The new line, which can make 20,000 display panels a month, lifts production to well over 80,000 panels a month when operating at full capacity.

Which is just what it's doing now as the demand from China just keeps on growing.

LG is the second-largest manufacturer of LCD TV panels in the world. Market-leader Samsung is also hurrying to ramp up output of the eighth-generation screens, and last month opened a second line at its joint venture with Sony, S-LCD.

The 2.2x2.5m eighth-generation glass substrates (below) are particularly suited to the manufacture of larger LCD screens, each one able to yield six 52in panels or eight 46in screens.

 

How much TV do you watch online? I ask the question because the BBC iPlayer has been a huge success, and today The MediaGuardian reports that the US catchup TV portal Hulu is heading for the UK.

Never heard of Hulu? Nor had I. But what I do know is that I increasingly use online catchup services to watch my favourite progarmmes. Take last night for example: lovely sunny evening, no desire to be inside, so I missed Top Gear. No problem, I'll catch it on iPlayer later tonight. Didn't even have to set the PVR.

Competition for web TV is hotting up, with YouTube in talks with ITV and C4 with a view to showing their archived programmes online, and Channel 4 due to relaunch its 4oD service later this month.

And now it seems the decision by the Competition Commission to reject plans for Project Kangaroo, the proposed online video-on-demand service from BBC Worldwide, ITV and C4, has left the door wide open for the Americans.

Hulu is planning an autumn launch in the UK, according to MediaGuardian, with a mix of British and American programmes. It launched in the US 18 months ago, offering streaming of new and old TV shows from Fox, NBC and ABC – among others – and has been a huge success. It even shows C4 series such as Peep Show and Green Wing.

Get this: Hulu served nearly 370 million video streams and more than 40 million unique viewers during April, making it the third most popular video streaming site in the US after YouTube and MySpace.

Now I'm beginning to understand why so many TV manufacturers are tripping over themselves to add web connectivity to their latest models. I'm a subscriber to Virgin Media at home, and can already watch the BBC iPlayer and 4oD via my set-top box. More will surely follow.

Which brings me to my next point: the 'lean forward, lean back' argument. Yes, I can watch HD programmes on my Apple Mac. But I don't want to. When I'm watching the telly, I can kick back on the sofa and relax, which is the way it should be. I don't want to be sitting bolt upright at my desk.

So it seems to me that more and more of us will welcome the convenience of catch-up TV via broadband, but will want to view that content on a TV, not a computer. It appears the BBC agrees, as its much-vaunted Project Canvas is designed to allow broadband catchup services to be watched on TV.

Erik Huggers, the BBC's Director of Future Media & Technology, describes Canvas as "a subscription-free television experience that converges broadcast with broadband and democratises access to TV".

But first, he argues, there must be a standard IPTV (Internet Protocol TV) standard, before the number of different platforms mushrooms out of control.

Whether our broadband infrastructure can cope with this explosion of online TV is another matter. At last week's Intellect Consumer Electronics Conference, it emerged that the BBC iPlayer already uses 60 per cent of the UK's web capacity. And YouTube's hosting costs outstrip its revenue, with bandwidth costs apparently running at an eye-watering $1m a day. Ouch.

So Gordon Brown's talk of a "broadband revolution" and an upgrade to the UK's broadband infrastructure can't come soon enough. Me? I just love the fact that I'm no longer at the mercy of the broadcasters' schedules and can watch my favourite TV when it suits me, not them. Bring on the revolution.

 

They may be spending more time than usual keeping a nervous eye on what's going on just north of their Paju display factory at the moment, but that hasn't stopped LG's TV engineers coming up with a couple of serious technological breakthroughs of late.

Not only has the company developed the world's thinnest LCD TV panel – the 42in and 47in screens are just 5.9mm thick – but it's also been showing an enhanced 3D display, claiming twice the brightness of existing screens.

The new super-thin panels (above) are made possible by the company's LED edge-lighting system, along with propietary Light Guide Sheet technology.

This enables the Light Guide Plate in the screens to be halved in thickness, and of course means that the screens are much thinner than conventional LCDs lit by cold cathode fluorescent lamps.

A further benefit is that the display panels are around half the weight of conventional CCFL-backlight devices: the 42in weighs 6.1kg, and the 47in 7.3kg.

Meanwhile on the 3D front, LG has developed a Full HD LCD panel with twice the brightness of devices to date – in fact, it's said to be the world's brightest.

It's a 23in model, and gets over many of the existing problems with 3D displays. Usually, the time-sequential processing required to deliver alternate images for left and right eyes, thus creating the 3D effect, is either in an external processing box or special viewing glasses with LCD shutters.

However LG has embedded most of the 3D technology directly in the panel, which makes 3D viewing both brighter, and possible with low-priced polarised glasses.

 

Welcome to The Week in HD.

This week, you're in for a treat. Tom is currently easing himself in to his lederhosen and no doubt sampling some sausage on a romantic weekend away with his good lady in Munich - he assures us that the clash with the Munich High-End Show was entirely coincidental - so I've been let loose in the worn, and slightly musty, hot seat.

Having had the good chaps at Sky install my HD box just this morning, I guess the hat fits. So, without further ado, here are some selected HD highlights for the forthcoming week...

 

Friday 22nd May

 

UFC 2009: Undisputed (Xbox 360)

While I would never normally recommend you spend your bank holiday beating the living daylights out of people, in UFC 2009: Undisputed that sort of behaviour is very much encouraged. The graphics are scarily realistic and gameplay worryingly addictive, but hey, perhaps I've just had a long week. Head over to our friends at The Leisure Lab to see a review.

Damnation (Xbox 360)

The equally cheery-sounding Damnation sees you guide Rourke through an incessant modern-day civil war, helped by a cache of stupendously damaging weaponry. The usual first-person style romp through death, destruction and I guess, damnation, follows, helped no end by some rather splendid visuals and a heart-stopping soundtrack.

Hay-On-Sky - Sky Arts 1 HD - 7pm

When you've finished beating people up and/or blowing them in to tiny pieces, why not unwind with coverage from the 2009 Guardian Hay Festival. Mariella Frostrup is joined by various other luvvies from the arts world for one of the world's foremost festivals of writing, comedy and music. Yep, I do high-brow, too...

Fantastic Four: Rise Of The Silver Surfer - Sky Action HD - 7.20pm

...but I also realise it's Friday night. So feel free to remove your brain, settle back on the sofa and doze your way through this Fantastic Four escapade. Of course you'll find it pretty hard, what with the arresting HD images and stirring soundtrack - this is one to blow the cobwebs out of your AV system.

Shaft - Channel 4 HD - 10pm

Samuel L. Jackson stars as Shaft in this remake, with Christian Bale finding himself on the wrong side of the tracks here as the bad guy trying to avoid a murder rap. Very strong language/violence, I might add.

Friday Night with Jonathan Ross – BBC HD – 10.35pm

Isn't Wossy naughty? So naughty they'll be pre-recording his radio show from now on. He still does his best to push the decency boundaries on his TV show but it's usually with rather amusing results, so I'll let him off. Martin Sheen and Yvette Fielding will be doing their best to get a word in edgeways, while Grace Jones will probably manage just fine.

 

Saturday 23rd May

 

Gillingham v Shrewsbury - Live - Sky Sports HD1 - 2.30pm

Gillingham take on Shrewsbury Town in the Coca-Cola League Two play-off final at Wembley. If you're looking to have a flutter, I'll point out that Shrewsbury beat Gillingham 7-0 in the league game at Prostar Stadium... Or you could just bet on when the first player gets cramp. I'll go for 78 minutes.

The Lost Tribe Of Palau - National Geographic HD - 8pm

Follow a geographical expedition to the middle of the Pacific Ocean as scientists unearth a collection of human remains which are believed to be a new species. This is arguably one of those programmes that is just as jaw-dropping when watching on mute, but I didn't say that...

Dead Man Walking - Sky Drama HD - 8pm

Susan Sarandon won an Oscar for her role in this 1995 classic, which also stars Sean Penn and was directed by Tim Roth. Look out for an appearance by the real Sister Helen, upon who's life this film was set, outside the prison during the candlelight vigil scene.

 

 

Sunday 24th May 

 

Live Ford Survival Sunday - Sky Sports HD1 - 3pm

Sky's Sports department could generate excitement about literally anything. And give the event an alliterated title. And give over hour after hour for live coverage. So we have 'Survival Sunday' as neutrals around the country cross everything within sight in the hope that Shearer takes Newcastle down. Or is that just me?

The Shining - Sky Sci-Fi/Horror HD - 8pm (pictured, above)

Now this is what I call a film. Jack Nicholson goes from mad, to madder, to just plain ol' scary in one of Kubrick's finest works. If you've seen the Blu-ray you'll know this scrubs up nicely, with special mention to the brilliantly atmospheric soundtrack.

Come Dine With Me - Channel 4 HD - 8.30pm

Well I never, they film Come Dine With Me in HD? Who'd have thunk it. It's worrying how often I can't find anything better to do than watching Come Dine With Me, but now at least I can nose in to other people's homes, and indeed their pots and pans, in glorious high definition. Yay.

 

Monday 25th May

 

Battle Of Britain - Blu-ray

 

Ok, so it’s magazine deadline week and all those exclusive reviews aren’t going to write themselves, so this Week in HD is going to have to be a quick one. So yes, I’ve cheated, and there are some things listed here without any explanation, and some with a synopsis taken straight from the Sky TV Guide. Needless to say I've listed them because I think they're worth checking out, though!


Friday 15th May

Games
Battlestations Pacific – a solid WWII game for the Xbox 360 that sees you flying planes and commanding ships and subs in key battles between the U.S. and Japan. Try before you buy by downloading the demo from Xbox Live Marketplace.

Cricket: England v. West Indies – Sky Sports HD1 – 10.30am

Good Morning Vietnam – Sky Premiere HD – 8pm
Robin Williams classic.

Dexter – FX HD – 10pm
All in the Family: Dexter’s gone from someone petrified of commitment to trying desperately to persuade Rita to marry him. Don’t worry; the killing’s not over.

Vantage Point – Sky Premiere HD – 10.15pm
Fairly solid thriller that looks great in HD.

Friday Night with Jonathan Ross – BBC HD – 10.35pm
Big night, as Jonathan interviews Ben Stiller, Ewan McGregor, Eminem, and someone I’ve never heard of called Charlotte Uhlenbroek.

Generation Kill – FX HD – 11.10pm
Combat Jack: brilliant episode in this brilliant series.

Later with Jools Holland – BBC HD – 11.35pm
Good show tonight: New York Dolls, Morrissey, Little Boots and Annie Lennox.


Saturday 16th May

Cricket: England v. West Indies – Sky Sports HD2 – 10.30am

Football: Manchester Utd v. Arsenal – Sky Sports HD1 – 12pm
Man U need just 1 point to win the Premier League.

Natural World – BBC HD – 6pm
Snow Monkeys.

Wanted – Sky Premiere HD – 10pm
Silly action film with brilliant effects.


Sunday 17th May

Planet Earth – BBC HD – 6pm
Deserts.

Lost – Sky1 HD – 9pm
The Incident: it’s double-episode season finale time!

Cricket: England v. West Indies – Sky Sports HD2 – 10.30am

Football: West Brom v. Liverpool – Sky Sports HD1 – 1pm

Football: Chelsea v. Blackburn – Sky Sports HD1 – 3.30pm


Monday 18th May

Blu-rays
Solid week – pick from the excellent Frost/Nixon, solid and thrilling Defiance, or silly Underworld: Rise of the Lycans.

24 – Sky1 HD – 9pm
Day 7: 5am to 6am.


Tuesday 19th May

Sunshine – Sky Screen 2HD – 7.10pm
Great sci-fi from Danny Boyle.


Wednesday 20th May

Blade Runner: The Final Cut – Sky Screen 2HD – 6.55pm

 
Thursday 21st May

Cricket: England v. West Indies – Sky Sports HD1
The first one-dayer at Headingley.

Platoon – Sky Drama HD – 12am
Vietnam war classic.

OK, OK, so the press image is more than a bit fanciful – never was the disclaimer more relevant – but NEC's engineers think they're on to something when it comes to the one thing likely to crack 3D TV in the home: the ability to get dimensional effects without having to wear silly glasses.

The company has come up with an LCD TV with SVGA resolution, using the company's Horizontal Double-Density Pixel structure. Unlike conventional 'naked eye' screens, which rely on the existing vertically-striped pixel structure to deliver 3D, and thus present images in greatly reduced resolution, HDDP uses a horizontally-striped configuration.

In this, each pixel is made up from three sub-pixels, each split in half lengthwise, as illustrated in the 'science bit' above, allowing data for left and right eyes to be shown alternately with no loss of resolution, leaving persistence of vision to do the rest.

The system can also display conventional 2D images, by using pairs of adjacent pixels,  and indeed can mix 2D and 3D content on the same screen without viewer-fatigue, according to NEC.

At the moment the screen is a 12.1in (31cm) diagonal monitor, developed from a 2.5in HDDP LCD module originally developed by NEC's Central Research Laboratories for portable devices.

It's thought the initial applications will be in the industrial market, since this is now NEC's main area of interest. Typical applications are thought to be amusement arcades, digital signage and computer-aided design, and medical image analysis.

Then again, Japan already has 3D TV broadcasting, and has since the end of 2007...

 

 

This week's another fairly quiet one for games and Blu-rays, but the TV line-up includes plenty of cricket, football and some cracking shows.

 

Oh, and remember, if you're a Sky user you can set recordings from sky.com, but you need to have set up Remote Record from within your HD Box's menus first. Believe me, it's absolutely worth it! 

 

 

Games

It’s another quiet week on the games front, with no releases for the PS3 and only Velvet Assassin hitting Xbox 360. Despite a fairly intriguing plot and unique presentation, the game itself is a rather generic sneak-em-up.

 

 

Friday 8^th May

 

Cricket: England v. West Indies – Sky Sports HD1 – 10.30am

Who’d’ve thought it? We’re actually giving the Windies a bit of a pasting! Fingers crossed the weather remains dry for the rest of the day and we can continue in that vein.

 

Dexter – FX HD – 10pm

The Lion Sleeps Tonight: Dexter’s still trying to slow down his colleagues in the police, while trying to work out what to do about Freebo and whether he can really trust Miguel Prado.

 

Friday Night with Jonathan Ross – BBC HD – 10.35pm

Old Wossy’s got another rather dull line-up tonight. The Loose Women? Seriously?! Tom Hanks is admittedly much higher profile, but how many times have we seen him interviewed over the years. Think I’ll just record this one and skip to Dizzee Rascal’s appearance and performance.

 

Generation Kill – FX HD – 11.05pm

Another sobering, exciting, hilarious and frightening episode in this series about American troops in Iraq. This really is telly at its very best.

 

Later with Jools Holland – 11.35pm

Does anyone still listen to Manic Street Preachers? If you do, this week’s Later... may well be of interest, but to be honest, I’m not that bothered about them or the other guests, which include Paolo Nutini, Booker T and Taylor Swift.

 

 

Saturday 9^th May

 

Cricket: England v. West Indies – Sky Sports HD2 – 10.30am

It’s day four of the first test, and judging by the way we were running away with it at the time of writing, it may all be over by now. I rather hope not, though; I’m supposed to be watching it at Lords!

 

 

Sunday 10^th May

 

Cricket: England v. West Indies – Sky Sports HD2 – 10.30am

It’s looking unlikely that the first test will continue into the fifth day, but if it does, this is where you’ll find it.

 

Football: Manchester Utd v. Manchester City – Sky Sports HD1 – 1pm

This should be an especially tasty Manchester derby, as United push to seal Premiership victory, while City fight for the final spot in Europe.

 

Football: Arsenal v. Chelsea – Sky Sports HD1 – 3.30pm

The sorest of sore losers travel to the Emirates and attempt to keep their Premiership title hopes alive. Arsenal, also keen to put their Champions League exit behind them, aren’t going to make it easy.

 

Planet Earth – BBC HD – 4pm

Caves: Another edition of the Beeb’s excellent nature documentary, this time all about the world’s deepest, darkest nooks and crannies.

 

Lost – Sky HD – 9pm

Follow the Leader: After last week’s revelations and drama concerning Daniel, this week the focus turns to the apparently immortal Richard Alpert. Meanwhile, Sawyer and Juliet find themselves in a spot of hot water at the Dharma camp. Honestly, if you gave up on Lost during the slow and confusing second season, you’re really missing out now.

 

 

Fringe – Sky HD – 10pm

Midnight: Blimey, this one really is a creepy episode, which features a serial killer who drains his victim’s spinal fluid. Could this be related to the experiments conducted on Agent Dunham?

 

 

Monday 11^th May

 

Blu-rays

Not a lot again this week, but Role Models is certainly worth checking out if you appreciate the odd bit of silly, immature comedy.

 

 

The Diving Bell and the Butterfly – Sky Screen 2HD – 5pm

I actually missed this hugely well-regarded film at the cinema and on DVD, so I’ll be recording it today. It’s an adaptation of Elle editor Jean Dominique Bauby’s memoir, which he dictated by blinking his left eye after being paralysed by a severe stroke. Apparently it’s an astonishing watch.

 

24 – Sky 1 HD – 9pm

Ok, the last couple of episodes have been better, and even the music’s less rubbish, but seriously, how many times are they going to arrest a terrorist leader, only for them to say, ‘oh, I’m just a cog in a big machine – now you’re gonna have to deal with my boss, and he’s even scarier and more powerful! Mwa ha ha!’? I think that’s happened three or four times in this season already!

 

 

Tuesday 12^th May

 

Beverly Hills Cop – Sky Modern Greats HD – 6.10pm

Yeah, I know this is on all the time, but it’s a quiet night for telly, so why not sit back and enjoy one of the greatest action-comedies of all-time, and the film that made Eddie Murphy a star.

 

Beverly Hills Cop II – Sky Modern Greats HD – 8pm

Well, you have just watched the first one...

 

 

Wednesday 13^th May

 

Football: Wigan Athletic v. Manchester Utd – Sky Sports HD1 – 7.30pm

Could this be the game that confirms United’s Premier League victory? Wigan will hope not, but it’s hard to see them getting the win.

 

Napoleon – BBC HD – 10pm

This drama-documentary tells the story of Napoleon Bonaparte’s rise from the rank-and-file to military legend. It forms part of the BBC’s Heroes and Villains season, which in my opinion could do with a little less dramatisation, but has been very interesting all the same.

 

 

Thursday 14^th May

 

Cricket: England v. West Indies – Sky Sports HD1 – 10.30pm

Action switches to The Riverside for the second test.

 

 

One to Avoid

 

Quantum of Solace

007’s latest outing hits Sky Box Office this week. It’ll cost £3.91 to watch in HD, and it’s really not worth it, with the badly directed and edited action combining with a weak baddy, ill-conceived story, occasionally ropey special effects and a charmless Bond to create a film that serves only to undo all the hard work done with Casino Royale.

In a couple of year’s time, those of us who’ve seen the film will be trying desperately to forget it so that we can get excited about the next one. If you can, save yourself the effort by not watching QoS at all.

That’s right, the greatest blog-feature in the history of the internet* is back! If you don’t know what I’m talking about, this is my regular look at the best HD content coming over the next week. It doesn’t matter if it’s a game, Blu-ray or TV show – if it’s hi-def and good, it makes the list. If you disagree with my picks or think I’ve missed something good, post in the comments section below.


Friday 1st May

Games
The only notable game release of the week is X-Men Origins: Wolverine, which bucks the movie-game tie-in tradition by actually being half-decent. It’s available today on Xbox 360, PS3, and just about every other format you can think of.

X-Men – Sky Screen 1HD – 8pm
Decided not to put yourself through the astronomical prices, sticky floors and badly calibrated surround sound of your local cinema in order to catch Wolverine? How about curling-up with his first (and best) movie outing at home, for free, instead?

Lake Placid – Sky1 HD – 10pm
Ok, so it’s silly and a bit old now, but this comedy-horror about a giant killer croc is lots of fun, and fairly family-friendly.

Dexter – FX HD – 10pm
Finding Freebo: after a bit of a rough patch during last season, Dexter is absolutely back on form. In this episode everyone’s favourite blood-spatter expert / vigilante serial killer tries desperately to track down Freebo before the rest of the cops do.

Generation Kill – FX HD – 11.05pm
The Cradle of Civilization: this short series focuses on the American soldiers of Bravo Company during the early stages of the Iraq war. It’s from the creators of The Wire and, as you might expect given that pedigree, is complicated, morally ambiguous, and totally, utterly brilliant. It looks and sounds superb, too.

Friday Night with Jonathan Ross – BBC HD – 10.35pm
Frankly, I couldn’t give two hoots about what musical-director-turned-reality-TV-sellout Lord Andrew Lloyd Webber has to say, nor our Eurovision ‘hope’, Jade Ewen, but Rob Brydon’s also on and he’s absolute class. Plus, The Enemy are playing live, and there’s nothing wrong with that.

Later with Jools Holland – BBC HD – 11.35pm
Tonight’s guests include Depeche Mode, Sonic Youth and the lovely Lily Allen.


Saturday 2nd May

Live Ford Football Special – Sky Sports HD1 – 12.30pm
Middlesborough v. Manchester United: Premier League victory’s tantalisingly close for Man U – can Borough become a stumbling block?

Turner & Hooch – Sky Screen 1HD – 3.55pm
This early Tom Hanks vehicle about a cop and his dog is a certified family classic – perfect for a lazy Saturday afternoon.

Deep Blue Sea – Sky Screen 2HD – 7pm
Yeah, ok, this ultra-stupid film about genetically-modified super sharks is far from high-brow, but it’s still tense fun, and the underwater action looks great in HD.

I Am Legend – Sky Screen 2HD – 7.15pm
Much like the film’s star, Will Smith, I Am Legend divides opinion. I’m quite keen on it myself, and the frequent dark scenes make it a great system tester.

Sunday 3rd May

Live Ford Super Sunday – Sky Sports HD1 – 3.45pm
Sunderland v. Everton: Sunderland are desperately trying to stay out of the relegation zone, but a visiting Everton side will prove dangerous opposition.

Planet Earth – BBC HD – 5.30pm
Freshwater: Planet Earth always looks stunning in HD, and this edition, which follows the trail of our greatest rivers from mountain to sea, promises to be no exception.

The Terminator – Sky Screen 1HD – 8pm
The release of the very promising-looking Terminator Salvation draws ever-nearer, so why not remind yourself what all the fuss is about by watching the first movie in the series in HD. I don’t care what anyone says; it’s definitely better than Terminator 2.

Lost – Sky1 HD – 9pm
The Variable: Lost’s 100th episode sees the return of my favourite character, the secretive Daniel Faraday. It’s time for some answers.

Fringe – Sky1 HD – 10pm
Bad Dreams: this excellent X-Files-like series continues with Agent Dunham experiencing some rather nasty visions.


Monday 4th May

Blu-rays
It’s far from a massive week for HD discs, with no brand new films hitting shelves. However, modern classics Sin City, Silence of the Lambs, There’s Something About Mary and the superb Fargo all get the Blu-ray treatment.

Live Ford Football Special – Sky Sports HD1 – 7.30pm
Aston Villa v. Hull City: Villa may have messed-up on getting fourth place, but they’re still playing for a spot in Europe, while Hull are desperately fighting for Premier League survival.

Natural World – BBC HD – 7.40pm
Great White Shark – A Living Legend: nothing scares the hell out of me like sharks do (I blame Spielberg), but they’re also fascinating, so I’ll be checking out this BBC documentary.

24 – Sky1 HD – 9pm
I’m still in two minds about this latest series of 24: it’s peculiarly paced, riddled with plot-holes, and boasts some of the most jarringly rubbish and inappropriate music I’ve ever heard accompanying a TV show, but it’s also occasionally thrilling and action-packed, so I may well stick with it to the end of the series.


Tuesday 5th May

Mad Men – BBC HD – 10pm
Meditations in an Emergency: the final episode in the current series of this excellent drama series promises to be a thriller.


Wednesday 6th May

England v. West Indies – Sky Sports HD1 – 10am
Day one of the first test at Lord’s. Here’s hoping for good weather and a decent English performance.

Chelsea v. Barcelona – Sky Sports HD2 – 7pm
It’s the second-leg of Chelsea’s Champions League semi-final. Fingers crossed they’ll actually try to score a goal this time.


Thursday 7th May

England v. West Indies – Sky Sports HD1 – 10am
Day two of the first test.


One to Avoid – Meet the Spartans
Clogging up valuable airtime on Sky Premiere HD all week is this truly repulsive film from the team that brought you Scary Movie. Not only is the film offensive, it’s offensively rubbish, with zero laughs and an abundance of homophobia and racism. Avoid like Swine Flu.


* blog-feature may not actually be the greatest in the history of the internet.

It seems Pioneer's decision to pull out of the TV market, depriving consumers and retailers of reassuringly expensive flat-panel models, is providing an opportunity for other companies.

And clearly some of them believe that, even in These Difficult Economic Times™, there's a market for high-end tellies, set apart from the mass-market.

Already Panasonic is reported to have been targeting US AV specialist retailers hit by the Pioneer decision, and facing shrinking margins created by the still-intense competition in the flatscreen market.

Now it seems Samsung is going after the same upmarket approach, rolling out a $65m (£44m) advertising campaign, and implementing a new Minimum Advertised Pricing policy Stateside.

It's a bold move, tied in with a desire to reposition the brand as an elite one, and aided by the new styling and technologies being offered in the company's 2009 models. Samsung already has market-leading status in the USA, and is building on that by reducing the number of online retailers offering deep discounts, and potentially cutting by a third the number of authorised 'e-tailers' carrying its products.

The company isn't enforcing its pricing strictly, and says that retailers will still be free to set their own pricing levels, but those wishing to take advantage of the company's major promotional push, and get involved in co-operative ads, will be expected to stick to the prices carried in those adverts.

The company is setting out its stall with a focus on its new models combining LCD panels with LED backlighting and 240Hz frame rate (200Hz here in the UK), which will be its main focus this year. In addition, it clearly thinks its plasma range, which is both ultra-thin and able to deliver high-contrast, is a tempting prospect for those former Kuro dealers.

Tim Baxter, president of Samsung's US consumer electronics division, told trade magazine TWICE that, “Our over-arching strategy in TV has been to continue to move up stream, and we have done that quite effectively over the past few years.”

The LED TV technology is, Baxter said, "about bringing in the best picture quality with its mega-contrast ratio.

“It is about leveraging the design technology around its edge-based lighting system that allows for a panel thinness of about an inch and it gives us the ability to offer a truly environmentally friendly solution that is lead-free, mercury-free and requires 40 percent less power to operate.”

It'll be interesting to see how this policy pans out in the States, and whether Samsung can succeed where Pioneer clearly felt it was destined to fail.

 

As we've already reported in our News channel, Panasonic has unveiled a staggering array of new Viera TVs for 2009, plus two Freesat HDD/Blu-ray recorders, three new Blu-ray players, a host of Blu-ray home cinema in a box systems, plus new DVD players and recorders.

There are 42 TVs in the line-up, with screen sizes ranging from 19in to 54in. We couldn't fit everything in one story, so here's our roundup (with pictures) of all the key new models with prices (where we have them).

C10 Series (Plasma and LCD)

HD-ready
2,000,000:1 contrast ratio
Viera Link
Viera Image Viewer
Two HDMI inputs
Eco mode
100Hz double scan
V-Audio
26 and 32in LCD (£tbc)
37, 42 and 50in plasma (£tbc)

Panasonic TX-L26CE10PS

X10 Series (Plasma and LCD)

HD-ready
2,000,000:1 contrast ratio
V-Audio Surround
Viera Link
Viera Image Viewer
100Hz Intelligent Frame Creation
19, 26 and 32in LCD (£349, £499, £599)
37, 42 and 50in plasma (£699, £799, £999)

Panasonic TX-L19X10E

X15 Series (LCD only)

HD-ready
100Hz Intelligent Frame Creation
32in only (£649)

Panasonic TX-L32X15P

S Series (Plasma and LCD)

Entry-level Full HD models (1080p)
400Hz Sub-field Drive Intelligent Frame Creation Pro
2,000,000:1 contrast ratio (plasma)
50,000:1 contrast ratio with Intelligent Scene Controller (LCD)
Viera Image Viewer
Viera Link
32, 37 and 42in LCD (£699, £849, £949)
42, 46 and 50in plasmas (£999, £tbc, £tbc)

Panasonic TX-L37S10ES

G10 Series (Plasma and LCD)

Full HD, 1080p
ISP Alpha panels with 50,000:1 contrast ratio (LCD)
2,000,000: 1 contrast ratio (plasma)
Freesat tuner
Viera Link
Viera Image Viewer
32 and 37in LCD (£899, £1049)
42, 46 and 50in plasma (£1199, £1399, £1499)

Panasonic TX-L32G10E

G15 Series (Plasma and LCD)

Full HD, 1080p
DLNA network connectivity
Narrow bezel and slim design
Freesat tuner
Viera Cast
Viera Image Viewer
37in LCD (£1149)
42 and 46in plasma (£1299, £1499)

Panasonic TX-P42G15E

V10 Series (Plasma and LCD)

Full HD, 1080p
Freesat tuner
Digital Cinema Colour
THX Certification
DLNA connectivity
Viera Cast
Viera Image Viewer
42 and 50in plasma (£1499, £1799)
32 and 37in LCD (£1099, £1299)

Panasonic TX-P42V10E

Z1 Series (Plasma only)

Flagship Full HD models
Only 1in thick
Aluminium casework
Full HD wireless transmission technology
DLNA connectivity
DiVX playback
Freesat tuner
46 and 54in plasmas (£tbc)

Panasonic Z1

Blu-ray players and recorders

Panasonic DMP-B15 (799 Euros)
8.9in WSVGA LCD screen
HDMI socket
PHL Reference Chroma Processor Plus
SD memory card slot
LAN port
Viera Cast
BD Live
HD audio output via  HDMI

Panasonic DMP-B15 Blu-ray portable

Panasonic DMP-BD80 (400 Euros)
Viera Cast
Advanced audio components
7.1 analogue output
SD memory card slot
Playback information function
USB socket
Viera cast
Viera Link

Panasonic DMP-BD60 (350 Euros)
Same as DMP-BD80, but without advanced audio components, 7.1 analogue output and playback information

 

Panasonic DMP-BD80 Blu-ray player

Panasonic DMR-BS850 Freesat recorder (£tbc)
Twin Freesat HD tuners
Blu-ray recorder
500GB hard disk drive
SD card reader
Viera Cast

Panasonic DMR-BS750 (£tbc)
As above, but with 250GB hard drive

Panasonic DMR-BS850 Freesat recorder

And just in case this isn't enough for you all, how about the world's largest plasma in the shape of Panasonic's 150in monster? I'm sure they'll make one to order for a suitable fee. Only millionaires need apply.

Panasonic's 150in plasma!

Ok, so it’s not often you get to go to BBC’s Television House and see the return of one of the country’s most-loved TV shows but that’s exactly what we did recently.

What are we talking about? The return of Top of The Pops, of course! It’s back for one off shows on Christmas Day and New Year’s Day and has been off your screens since July 2006. The BBC haven’t decided if it will return for good, despite Simon Cowell and several bands demanding it. And as it’s Christmas, we thought a blog about it might provide some light entertainment while you wind down and prepare for the big day.

So what can you expect on Christmas day? Alex Burke from X Factor appeared, singing her ‘number 1’ single, accompanied by five (FIVE) make-up artists chiefly tasked with stroking her hair. Burke said she had only one hour’s sleep (she won X Factor the previous night) and had to do two takes as some festive glitter paper went up her nostril during filming. That was the most interesting part of her performance. She didn’t even cry.

Chris Martin and Coldplay ran through euphoric versions of Viva La Vida and Life in Technicolor. Pausing to pick out an audience member with a frankly ridiculous festive jumper, Chris Martin protested that he did write Viva La Vida after claims that he pinched bits from another band. Martin also said that because their military style uniforms had got so much stick from the press, he was going to put them all on eBay. For charity of course…

The man in the festive jumper looked a bit scared when he was pulled on stage and predictably danced like an idiot. Sam Sparro appeared seconds after, played hit single Black and Gold before taking pictures of his band and the audience.

And as the show slipped further into the realms of pop music, the cast of Mamma Mia (the musical) ran into the studio and danced like pirouetting, sequinned jelly beans, offering an ABBA medley including Dancing Queen and, of course, Mamma Mia. We may have been given festive dress and been told to dance, though we’re reticent to provide concrete details.

Elsewhere, Adele gave a stunning performance of Chasing Pavements and Hometown Glory making Alex Burke look underwhelming by comparison. Naturally, Radio 1 fave Fearne Cotton presented the show in her own excited scattergun garble. BBC haven’t given exact broadcast times or confirmed a BBC HD version of the show but tune in - it deserves to be a part of your big day if only to see a man in a festive jumper that’s even worse than yours.