22 August 2007 – For the third time this week I’m changing my mind as to who I’ll be going to for my next TV. No longer can the delights of Sony or Sharp tempt me, because now Toshiba has entered the arena, bringing with it not one, not two but 11 new REGZA sets to vie for your (and my) attention.

And do they ever by Jove! Starting with the basics, all the models feature 10-bit 1080p LCD 120MHz panels (experience tells us that these high-speed panels can help remove motion smearing) and support 60 and 24fps images – the latter being important for video purists.

Impressively all the sets allow DVR functionality and will record to either a connected USB 2.0 hard drive or a NAS box connected over Ethernet, while streaming is also possible from any DLNA device. If my Google-Japanese serves me correctly then there appears to be a credible array of noise-reducing and image-enhancing processing going on, including the licensing of Sony’s x.v.Colour engine so no worries on that front.

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22 August 2007 – On the heels of Paramount’s stunning announcement that it will be supporting HD DVD exclusively, Fox and MGM have jumped back into the fray with a massive slate of 29 "new release and must-have" Blu-ray Disc titles that will be in stores by the end of the calendar year. Included will be six Blu-ray titles released day and date with DVD, led by Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer, Live Free or Die Hard and Fox’s hit TV show, Prison Break.

Before covering other aspects of this announcement, it must also be said that there are many impressive titles among the catalog releases announced. For starters, the first three films of the Die Hard franchise are scheduled to hit stores in November, along with Live Free or Die Hard. Other standouts include Independence Day, Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World, Tim Burton’s Edward Scissorhands and Robert Zemeckis’ Cast Away. Few technical details were given, but reference was made to AVC video compression and "Lossless HD audio" being available on "many of the coming titles."

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22 August 2007 – DLP and LCD are no longer the only projection fruit. A few weeks ago we found ourselves seriously impressed by JVC’s DLA-HD1, a home cinema projector using the company’s own Digital Light Amplification technology. And today we’re hoping to be just as impressed by Sony’s VPL-VW100, which uses the brand’s in-house SXRD technology.

By way of an introduction to SXRD (which stands for Silicon X-Tal Reflective Display, in case you’re interested!), probably the easiest way to sum it up is as a close relative to JVC’s DILA system. Both are based on Liquid Crystal on Silicon (LCOS) technology, refining it to make it more appropriate for home cinema as opposed to business presentation use.

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22 August 2007 – DLP and LCD are no longer the only projection fruit. A few weeks ago we found ourselves seriously impressed by JVC’s DLA-HD1, a home cinema projector using the company’s own Digital Light Amplification technology. And today we’re hoping to be just as impressed by Sony’s VPL-VW100, which uses the brand’s in-house SXRD technology.

By way of an introduction to SXRD (which stands for Silicon X-Tal Reflective Display, in case you’re interested!), probably the easiest way to sum it up is as a close relative to JVC’s DILA system. Both are based on Liquid Crystal on Silicon (LCOS) technology, refining it to make it more appropriate for home cinema as opposed to business presentation use.

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22 August 2007 – Innovative Swedish speaker brand Audio Pro has launched a new range of speakers upholstered in real leather.

The hide around the compact, slim profile Mondial range comes in a choice of black or brown hide apparently stitched and finished to a standard reminiscent of high quality leather goods.

The idea is that Mondial’s leather has a character more in keeping with softer furnishings and rich, organic interiors.

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21 August 2007 – We’ve checked out the deets on two of Pioneer’s new A/V receivers in their Elite range, the VSX-92TXH and VSX-94TXH and now they are finally shipping. As you’d expect from the Elite moniker, these units are pretty packed with goodies. They’re both THX approved, 7.1 channel receivers rated at 130 and 140 Watts per channel, respectively. These are fully HD-ready by any sensible definition of "HD". For your eyes, they can pass 1080p, 24Hz video along their four HDMI 1.3a ports. Upscaling of analog video is handled by a Faroudja DCDi chip for all your digitally-deficient components.

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Until now the conventional wisdom has been that the victor in the format war between Blu-ray and HD DVD would be Blu-ray, if there were a victor at all. Well, now all bets are off. Two major studios have announced that they’re dumping Sony’s Blu-ray format for Toshiba’s HD DVD. It looks as though both formats are likely to be around for the foreseeable future.

Shock, surprise: Paramount says it will release high-def titles only in HD DVD for the forthcoming holiday season. More shock, more surprise: DreamWorks says the same.

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21 August 2007 – This 20-inch LCD set from Sony is one of an increasing number to boast HD-ready specs, which means you can get crisp hi-def pictures in the bedroom, kitchen or anywhere you like.

To make this possible, the KDL-20S2030 boasts a widescreen resolution of 1366 x 768 plus an HDMI that can accept 1080i and 720p pictures. This is joined on the rear panel by component video jacks, which also supports hi-def, two RGB-capable Scarts for your standard-def kit, and a PC VGA input.

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21 August 2007 – I just cannot figure out that why would someone want to spend thousands on a doodad worth about $100? And all that only for a glitzy-ritzy look! I feel it’s justified if all that money goes in for more high-tech features. But that’s what I feel……what about those who care a hoot about anything over looks? This one is for them – gold iPod Shuffle studded with diamonds. Folks at Engadget have managed to translate this bit of information and say that it’s made of pure gold and highlighted diamonds. Just last month I mentioned about a Gold shuffle from Germany and also that a diamond version may soon be available.

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