The key difference between HD DVD and Blu-ray is the type of physical media they use — for everything else, these formats are essentially the same. They mostly use the same video codec, the same audio codec and, on the whole, the interactivity is comparable, they’re just run by different software — Java on Blu-ray …

If you don’t care that the new Premier League season starts on Saturday, there probably isn’t a great deal we can say to change your mind. So let’s accept the fact that you enjoy watching 22 men running around after a truncated icosahedron and concentrate on what you watch it on. It’s no secret that sport looks better on the …

If the movie V for Vendetta is to be believed, in the future we’ll all be using Dell computers and watching totalitarian government propaganda on our JVC televisions. While you could rise up against the oppressive future, we don’t think ditching JVC TVs is the way to do it, especially when they’re as good value for money as the LT-42DA8BJ. …

We’ll soon be dousing the winter fires and rediscovering the warmth of the great outdoors, but if you can’t stand to drag yourself away from the footy in the living room, why not hook up at weatherproof LCD out the back? SunBriteTV claims its all-weather outdoor LCDs are impervious to rain, dirt, insects and scratches, with heating elements and cooling …

As an “investment” video sucks. Before you plunk down big bucks on today’s cutting edge video just ponder for a second that what you buy today will be tomorrow’s landfill. Pick up a good set of speakers and they’ll stick around for a long, long time. Anybody who dropped $15K on an early generation plasma display has surely replaced it …

Tech expos can be a pretty blokey affair, but there is always one guaranteed source of female representation: the promotional models. Variously known as promo girls or booth babes — and rarely addressed by name (or indeed using words) — these hard-working, high-heel wearing women saunter the floors of your average tech event in an effort to entice punters to …

I’m a bit confused by the difference between the Sony Bravia KDL-40W2000 and the KDL-40X2000. There seems to be a marked price difference. Can you tell me what the additional features of the 40X2000 are please? Ed Getting to grips with the model numbers of Sony TVs and what they mean is only slightly easier than understanding the basics of …

At the CEDIA 2007 Expo on the Gold Coast last week, home theatre systems distributor Mareor demonstrated projector screens that aim to bring the cinematic experience into the home. Hurdles in traditional home theatre set-ups include perforated screens that distort audio, screens that aren’t in Cinema Scope format (2.35:1 aspect ratio), and moire patterns appearing in the picture, said Gerben …

As much as we’d hoped high-end AV companies such as Denon and Arcam would choose to support both HD DVD and Blu-ray, it doesn’t seem to have panned out like that. Instead Denon seems to have plumped for Blu-ray only, with two models recently announced in the US, the DVD-3800BD and DVD-2500BT. The DVD-3800BD boasts on-board decoding of Dolby TrueHD …

The recording industry has a long history of trying to dictate what you can listen to and when. Time and time again, the industry has tried to get the government to require electronics manufacturers, Internet service providers and digital radio services to lock down music with “digital rights management” systems. Now, the recording industry is threatening the survival of Internet …

Buying a Bravia in 2007 is going to take a lot more deliberation, as Sony has bolstered its Australian range to include 26 TVs under the Bravia banner. Unveiling the new line-up at its “Experience More” showcase at Sydney’s Darling Harbour Convention Centre last Friday, it’s clear Sony is betting heavily on the take-up of high definition displays, offering models …

Thousands of custom designers, installers and home theatre enthusiasts flocked to the Gold Coast last week for the Custom Electronic Design & Installation Association (CEDIA) trade show, an expo showcasing the latest in home electronics and A/V systems. Across two halls of the Gold Coast Exhibition Centre, 87 stands had on display everything from waterproof TVs to leather-clad iPod speakers. …

NEC Australia announced on Thursday its new range of home cinema displays at the CEDIA expo on the Gold Coast, which includes six new LCDs and a high-definition 50-inch plasma. The PXT-50XD1 plasma is a first for NEC, which they see as a strategic move to enter the home theatre market. Its features include a built-in HD TV tuner, 2 …

Many manufacturers embark on annual road shows around Australia to promote their product ranges to retailers, their sales staff and the media. It’s a way to drum up excitement about new products they’re planning to bring into this country in the coming months. CNET.com.au toured Samsung’s 2007 AV road show, which was themed the “Art of Experience”. The company wants …

I’ve heard a lot about Dolby TrueHD recently. What is it, and is it worth a costly upgrade to my AV system to get the best out of it? Steve Since people started watching movies at home, there has been a drive to improve the sound quality. In a cinema, the sound comes from all around the room and produces …