LATEST ADDITIONS

Anton van Beek  |  Nov 20, 2012  |  0 comments

Stop-motion specialist Aardman Animations has struggled to find a level of cinematic success to match that it regularly achieves on TV. In part this is down to some ill-judged forays into computer animation that have struggled to live up to the lofty heights of Pixar.

Mark Craven  |  Nov 16, 2012  |  0 comments

If you want to spruce up your home audio and give money to a good cause at the same time, then Tivoli Audio's Model 10+ BBC Children in Need DAB radio could be the answer.    Available to order online from   http://tivoliaudio.co.uk/cin/, the DAB/DAB+/FM table radio was designed by competiton winner David Hampson. It retails at £199, with £50 from each radio sold benefiting the BBC Children in Need charity. Tivoli Audio is taking no profits from sales.   The competition to find the winning fundraising design was hosted by the Today programme. The outer cover of the radio was meticulously designed to a brief inspired by New Broadcasting House at Portland Place. HCC's own effort, which tried to incorporate Children in Need mascot Pudsey's face in the speaker grille, never got passed the doodle-on-a-napkin stage.   BBC Children in Need’s vision is that every child in the UK has a 'safe, happy and secure childhood'. And you can't argue with that. The live appeal show is on BBC One HD tonight from 7.30pm.  

 

Mark Craven  |  Nov 15, 2012  |  0 comments

Marantz's brand ambassador and HCC Hall of Famer Ken Ishiwata will be demonstrating his high-end hardware at an exclusive event at Birmingham-based independent AV retailer Music Matters on December 4th.

Mark Craven  |  Nov 15, 2012  |  0 comments
  A new YouGov study on the nation’s TV habits has revealed the 'optimal' price for Smart TVs, based on the average amount people intending to purchase a connected set are willing to pay.   The figure for a 32in Smart TV is £440, while the figure for a 42in model is £550.    The You Guv survey also reports that more than 50 per cent of Brits have connected their TV sets to the internet, and that sales of Smart TVs over the next year could reach around £2.5 billion.    Says YouGov's Media Consulting Director Dan Brilot: The good news for Smart TV manufacturers is that there is a huge appetite for accessing internet services on TV sets, whether that be on-demand TV, radio, news apps, or video calling services like Skype. The bad news is that there are a lot of competing technologies out there that can be confusing to the consumer.'    'The message for manufacturers and retailers is clear,' added Brilot. 'If they can set the right price the revenue potential in the short and mid-term from Smart TVs is huge, particularly as we enter the Christmas shopping period.'   HCC wonders if TV manufacturers would consider £550 for a 42in TV 'the right price'...     
Anton van Beek  |  Nov 15, 2012  |  0 comments

A group of heavily-armed cops find themselves trapped inside a 15-storey apartment block and facing overwhelming odds when a raid on a local crime lord goes horribly wrong. And that's all the plot there is to Gareth Evans' turbo-charged movie, The Raid. That pretext leads into a feature-length orgy of violence, showcasing some of the best-choreographed, most imaginative action scenes committed to film in years. Unmissable.

Adrian Justins  |  Nov 14, 2012  |  0 comments

It’s almost impossible to start a plasma TV review without first mentioning the L word. In other words, the seemingly relentless march of LED into the showrooms and living rooms of the nation. If plasma was only just being invented it probably wouldn’t reach production, but thankfully for discerning AV enthusiasts, Samsung, LG and Panasonic have long-established factories that continue to keep cooking on gas.

Anton van Beek  |  Nov 12, 2012  |  0 comments

It was hardly a surprise that the success of the Transformers films spurred toy maker Hasbro into searching its warehouses for other properties to turn into potential blockbusters. But who would have ever thought that at the top of its list of contenders would be the board game Battleship?

Steve May  |  Nov 08, 2012  |  0 comments

A Christmas Carol as envisaged by Robert Zemeckis, is a rather darker retelling of the Dickens classic than you mighty imagine from the Disney Empire. It also has the distinction of being the first 3D Blu-ray from the 'House of the Mouse'. While some might argue that Toy Story 3 should have led the charge, this is actually the better choice. Despite a requirement to wear spex theatrically, Toy Story 3D is a flat viewing experience. This is much more in, on and around your face. 

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