Pace, UK-based creators of digital TV products, has won a new contract to supply BT with their next-generation V-box, for use on the BT Vision service.
Previously Philips supplied the V-box (that runs the Microsoft Mediaroom IPTV middleware) but following Pace’s purchase of Philips Set Top Box (STB) division, it’s natural — but we imagine pleasing — that the contact should go to Pace.
BBC and ITV are launching Freesat today, a new free-to-view satellite television service allowing viewers to gorge themselves on high definition television for nowt.
The two UK TV giants have teamed up to serve up a feast of 80 freebie television and radio channels which will be accessible to 98 per cent of homes.
The BBC have been talking about it for quite a while to the point where people stopped believing it would happen, through to a cautious ‘yes probably’ a year and a bit ago.
Continue reading Freesat BBC and ITV Free HD Service Launches
If, like us, you’ve become increasingly aware of the enormous, room-filling girth of your current cathode ray TV set, you may find your wallet being teased and titillated by Sony’s new Bravia V4500 range of sleek’n’slim LCD TVs.
Continue reading Sony Bravia V4500 HDTV Series Announced
While we were at the Archos launch in London last week we had a run through of the Archos Portation.
It’s a free plugin for owners of the Archos TV+ which lets you stream live TV from your TV+ to a laptop, Symbian phone or handheld Archo 605 or 705 with DVR station if they’re equipped with the £30 plugin.
Think of it as a free Slingbox with your Archos TV+.
Continue reading Archos Portation: Product Run Through: Audio
One of the clear upcoming trends for TV manufacturers is to try and persuade you to change your current flat screen (if you’ve taken the plunge already) to an even thinner TV.
While we were at IFA last year, we were stunned by the ultra thin TV shown by Sharp, which came in at a crazy 20mm, at its thinnest point – it was only 29mm at its thickest!
Sony has announced the Handycam HDR-TG3E, claiming it to be the World’s smallest HD 1080 Camcorder – and judging by the photos we’ve had through, they’re more than likely right. The thing looks tiny.
Sized at little larger than a mobile phone (33 x 119 x 63.5mm and 283g), Sony say it’s the smallest, slimmest, lightest camcorder ever to feature 1920×1080 Full HD recording with crisp 5.1ch surround sound.
Continue reading Sony Handycam HDR-TG3E: World’s Smallest HD 1080 Camcorder
Pinnacle are launching the Pinnacle Video Transfer analogue to digital video ripper at CES.
If you’re fed up with having to switch on your computer to rip a video to play on your digital media player, your life could become a little easier.
The pocket-sized device can take any S-Video, Composite video and stereo audio analogue source as an input and cleverly the digital H.264 output is stored on any USB storage device, including Apple iPod Video, iPod nano (3rd generation), iPod classic, Sony PSP, Sony PSP slim, USB flash drive or USB hard drive.
The quality of the video can be set to one of three different levels – Good, Better, Best – depending on their preferences for video quality or the actual size of the video files.
Uses run through the obvious of capturing TV, DVD player, PVR, camcorder or set-top box directly to the less obvious, like capturing video game sessions for showing to their mates later.
Priced at £100, it’s expected to be available in the UK soon.
Over half of US Households now own at least one digital TV set, claim the Consumer Electronics Association (CEA).
In the build up to the trade show mania that is the CES, the CEA is winding up the PR machine and releasing statistics to both boost the TV industry and get the public interested.
Continue reading Digital TV In Over Half Of US Homes
Uk broadcaster, Channel 4, has launched High Definition broadcast of their channel, distributed on using the Sky satellite platform.
No prizes for guessing the name for it – Channel 4 HD.
Continue reading Channel 4 Goes HD
Just over two years ago we covered the launch of FiOS TV, an IPTV service by US operator Verizon, that operates over fibre optic connections.
HD VOD – High Definition Video On Demand – has now being rolled out to a number of the regions covered by the FiOS TV service – Richmond and Virginia Beach, Va.; Tampa, Fla.; Fort Wayne, Ind.; and Pittsburgh.
Continue reading HD VOD Launched By Verizon FiOS