LATEST ADDITIONS

Steve May  |  Jan 25, 2013  |  0 comments

2013 is fast shaping up to be the year of eight million pixels. Full HD, now ubiquitous on TVs at every price point and served up by more than 60 channels, finally has something to look up to. 4K resolution displays, built for those with really deep pockets, are finally becoming a reality. January’s International CES was a galvanising launch pad for these next-generation screens.

Anton van Beek  |  Jan 24, 2013  |  0 comments

Fans of Toshiya Fujita's blood-soaked 1973 tale of revenge and its equally entertaining 1974 sequel (Lady Snowblood: Blood Song of Vengeance) are in for a treat with this hi-def outing. The AVC 2.35:1 1080p encodes look extremely faithful to the source material and show no signs of overt digital manipulation. Likewise, the Japanese LPCM 2.0 audio for both is excellent, with both offering considerably more depth and range than I ever expected. Given that both films have been squeezed onto a single disc, it's hardly surprisingly that extras are limited to trailers and a 11min featurette.

Anton van Beek  |  Jan 23, 2013  |  0 comments

2012's previous Lego game DC Super Heroes (reviewed here) left us feeling quite positive but hoping for 'something a little more innovative next time'. But, although Traveller's Tales has added some new wrinkles to the gameplay this time out– such as item crafting –  at the end of the day it's just more of the same, now wrapped up in cute Lego versions of characters from The Lord of the Rings.

John Archer  |  Jan 23, 2013  |  0 comments

Going back to nature usually means buying a rural homestead with 
a couple of cows and goats, establishing a vegetable patch and donning Hessian underpants. Yet with Philips, taking a cue from nature certainly does not mean abandoning technology. While the brand’s new 46PFL9707 is inspired by a moth, 
it’s about as cutting-edge as TVs get.

Anton van Beek  |  Jan 22, 2013  |  0 comments

This post-Lord of the Rings take on Snow White pushes many of the more familiar story elements (like the seven dwarves) into the background, in favour of a two-hour saga of fantastical creatures and armies at war.

Anton van Beek  |  Jan 22, 2013  |  0 comments

Even director John 'The Plague of the Zombies' Gilling can find nothing new to do with the mummy genre in this third of Hammer's forays into the sub-genre. But, even if the film itself is a little bit of a yawn-fest, Hammer fans can at least take comfort in the fact that it certainly looks better than it has in decades thanks to this Blu-ray's beautifully restored AVC 1.66:1 1080p encode.

Mark Craven  |  Jan 21, 2013  |  0 comments

Sony has released details of its forthcoming range of N-Series home cinema systems and soundbars.

Anton van Beek  |  Jan 21, 2013  |  0 comments

Shot back-to-back with Dracula: Prince of Darkness, this account of the infamous Russian mystic plays fast and loose with facts, but gives Christopher Lee yet another mesmerising lead role. As well as the lovingly restored AVC 2.35:1 1080p Cinemascope presentation, this Blu-ray also offers up a hi-def open-gate version framed at 2.55:1 (complete with inherent concave warping of the image at the edge of the screen).

Steve May  |  Jan 21, 2013  |  0 comments

Despite the evangelical barking of the movie industry, 3D hasn’t exactly taken off in the home. The technology has improved, but this year has seen high-profile 
3D channels being either shuttered (CanalPlus) or scaled back (DirecTV), with stereoscopy polling low as a reason to buy a new set. 

Danny Phillips  |  Jan 20, 2013  |  0 comments

When it comes to AV receivers, Onkyo campaigns to be the people’s champion. Every year its entry-level models come packed to the hilt with features, sporting a competitive price tag and, more often than not, a nailed-on sound quality, too. This commitment to value has made Onkyo the best-selling home cinema receiver brand for four years running, which kinda tells you everything you need to know.

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