I'm big enough and ugly enough to know when I have made a mistake, so here goes...

A couple of months back in this Point of View column I waxed lyrical about the surround sound system in an altogether impractical car, which I subsequently bought. It was an impulse purchase on a grand scale and really very, very silly.  read more »

Marantz's affordable pre- and power amplifier combo are among the highlights of today's pdf library update. The HCC top tech test of the AV8003 and MM8003 double act is available here.

Now also available here are the mag's thorough road tests of the Sony VPL-VW40 - the company's mid-market SXRD projector, the Freesat HD receiver from Grundig, the GUFSAT01HD, A single-box Loudspeaker system from ZVox, Panasonic's DMR-EX98V DVD/HDD recorder, and Toshiba's cheap-as-chips 37CV505D LCD TV.

The pdf library of full Home Cinema Choice reviews has been updated today, with the JVC Sophisti NX-F3 2.1 home theatre system given a good working over.

Also recently posted here, are top tests of Bowers & Wilkins' small but perfectly formed ASW608 subwoofer; a pair of tallboys speakers with an iPod dock in the top and bass in the bottom - the Voix MPX & MPY; BenQ's W5000 lower-end DLP projector; the Yamaha DSP-AX763 - an affordable amp with decoders for DTS-HD MA and Dolby TrueHD; And a gizmo for calibrating your HD TV, the Datacolor Spyder3TV. Enjoy!

Very occasionally a sound effect can become almost as famous as a character in a film. The unmistakable hum of a lightsaber being drawn for instance and the chilling scream of a TIE-fighter are as recognisable as the speaking clock and both were created by the same man.  read more »

Could Home, the PS3’s virtual world, emerge as the hot new destination for international business?  British academics are planning to embark on a novel research project that will explore how Home can be used as a business environment where the suited and booted can discuss ideas and collaborate on projects.

If effective, it could change how large companies using virtual worlds as a business tool in the near future.  read more »

The worldwide LCD screen glut is coming to an end. According to market-gazer DisplaySearch, the number of LCD panels entering the global market in November was the lowest since May 2007.

Manufacturers shipped 28.5 million LCDs worldwide, down 21 per cent from the month before. Eight million were TV displays, the rest PC monitors. Revenues fell 24 per cent as a consequence.  read more »

It may be the nation’s favourite destination for groceries, but Tesco doesn’t immediately spring to mind as the place to see and buy hi-def. But that could be about to change. The firm has introduced branded LG HD Zones into 60 Tesco stores across the UK.  read more »

After a flurry of cut-price deals to kick-start the US selling season, the cost of Blu-ray players across the States has begun to rise. Since their Black Friday low, standalone decks have risen by 12 per cent, according to data from retail monitor PriceSCAN.com.  read more »

Richer Sounds, one of the UK's most famous CE retailers, has announced price reductions for its Boxing Day sale, which starts at 10am

Amongst some of the bargains to be had are Sony KDL32V4000 32in TVs, reduced from a typical selling price of 500, to a bargain-tastic £300, and the Sony Bravia KDL40V4000 reduced from £800 to £500.  read more »

The general retail news may be all doom, gloom and discount sales, but it looks as though Blu-ray in the UK is bucking the trend.

In November, 460,000 Blu-discs were sold, according to statistics released by the British Video Association (BVA) and market research outfit  read more »