Skip to Content

WoW Insider is getting ready for BlizzCon!
AOL Tech

britain posts

Sharp BD-HP22H takes a green approach to Blu-ray in the U.K.

by Richard Lawler posted Jun 17th 2009 at 6:11AM


The UK is getting its own taste of Sharp provided BD-Live Blu-ray playing tech with the BD-HP22H, complete with DTS-HD MA, Dolby TrueHD and 1080p24 support. Still, to get buyers to come up with the £199.99 pricetag, its touting a 0.7W/standby 20W/playing energy rating. Buyers should be able to decide if that's worth a few quid later on this month.

You may be too short-sighted to enjoy HDTV, study finds

by Darren Murph posted Jan 15th 2009 at 2:33PM


If Vision Express was looking for some attention, it just got it. A recent study by the optician chain found that 60 percent of Britons had avoided an eye test over the past year, with that number rising to 79 percent in Scotland. Phillip Hyde, dispensing optician and head of professional services at the firm, was quoted as saying that "even a marginally short-sighted person sitting on a sofa watching an HD broadcast may not see the full benefits in enhanced image quality." As if that wasn't comical enough, he continued by saying: "If you're investing in HDTV, you ought to have your eyes checked to make sure you get the full benefit." You heard it here first, folks -- factor in the cost of an eye exam before buying your next HDTV, or you'll regret it. Forever.

[Image courtesy of Lenslinger]

JVC launches UK Freeview+ LCDs

by Steven Kim posted Jan 7th 2009 at 3:19AM

JVC LT-26DE9 LCD TV
Our lucky friends in the UK market just got a couple of new toys from JVC in the form of Freeview+ recording LCD TVs. The LT-26DE9 and LT-32DE9 pack dual tuners and a 160GB drive on the DVR side. The Freeview+ DVR section packs some nice features, most notably Accurate recording that adjusts the recording start and stop times based on data buried in the broadcast (something we'd like to see on our TiVos). Sadly, though, neither model is a 1080p panel -- not that you need all those pixels on a 32-inch display, but if spec bragging is a pastime of yours, consider yourself warned.

LG previews two new UK-bound LCDs

by Richard Lawler posted Jan 5th 2009 at 4:47AM


Stuff.tv has the heads up on two more members of LG's 2009 lineup, the LH5000 and LF7700. The LF7700 LCD should fit the bill for anyone needing an alternative to Panasonic's TX-37LZD81, with integrated FreeSat support, while a plasma version will follow later in the year. If 100Hz isn't enough and 480Hz is too much, the LH5000 drops 200Hz TruMotion tech on European heads later this year. No price or size info for either, but hopefully all this new kit will slightly make up for a Netflix-less existence suffered by our people across the Atlantic.

Ofcom looks to promote pay-TV competition

by Darren Murph posted Dec 9th 2008 at 9:25AM

We've known that a few good souls over in the UK have been fighting for more high-def for some time now, but a new report from across the pond asserts that Ofcom -- the independent regulator and competition authority for the communication industries in the United Kingdom -- has placed the "release of spectrum through the digital dividend at the top of its priorities, and promoting competition in pay-TV." It's also nearing a decision on whether it will forge ahead with proposals to force Sky to "offer some of its premium channels as part of a wholesale offer in spring 2009." In all honesty, it's tough to digest what exactly all this legalese means for the average UK content viewer, but so long as someone up top is pushing for more competition, we guess it can only result in a net positive.

History Channel UK bringing HD Bio and Crime channels

by Steven Kim posted Oct 11th 2008 at 10:34PM

Bio, Crime and Investigation channelsLife and crime go together kind of like life and taxes, so it's fitting that The History Channel UK is bringing out HD versions of the Biography Channel and The Crime and Investigation Network to Sky's lineup. Between Bio's pledge to get serious about HD and the worldwide party that History is throwing, this gives Brits something to cheer about. If things go smoothly and the Sky EPG can spare a couple of slots, these two new offerings should be available by the end of the year.

Sky extends half-off HD box promo, launches 10 million ad campaign

by Richard Lawler posted Oct 3rd 2008 at 12:07PM


If you thought Sky+ HD's lower £150 set-top box was nice, imagine the reaction to its just-extended £75 (plus £60 installation) offer. Available until the end of October, Sky's apparently hoping that in combination with an ad campaign featuring Cyndi Lauper's True Colors will push Britons to make the jump to HDTV. That it will also cause us to relive a particularly embarrassing middle school dance is apparently of no consequence to this heartless media juggernaut. Enjoy your half price high definition boxes, no matter the emotional cost.

Read - Sky Extends Half Price Sky+ HD Deal
Read - Sky backs HD service with £10m campaign

Europe reconsidering spectrum allocation post-analog shutoff?

by Steven Kim posted Apr 23rd 2008 at 6:57PM

Europe reconsidering spectrum allocationBritain began its own digital switchover months ago, but now it seems that there may be some grousing in the UK about the post-analog world. There are some serious concerns about the takeoff of HDTV in Europe, and a recent report concludes that HD-DTT (digital terrestrial television) penetration could be limited to 7-percent by the time the analog shutoff completes in 2012. But now the UK, acting as a bellwether for Europe, is considering plans to hand back up to 12 frequencies initially headed to the auction block. The good news: this plan would produce up to 40 HD-DTT channels for all to enjoy. The bad news: this would require broadcasters to modify their transmission equipment beyond initial plans for the digital transition, which in many cases has already moved into implementation. That sounds expensive, and if European broadcasters are anything like US ones, expense was the major hurdle in getting onboard with the analog shutoff to begin with. We really admire the goal of getting OTA HD across Europe, but we don't think this will fly -- at least not without some serious turbulence.

Freeview going HD in the UK

by Darren Murph posted Apr 3rd 2008 at 8:15AM Breaking News


It's official: HD aficionados in the UK will soon be able to get their fix via Freeview. If you'll recall, the Freeview HD trial that took place in 2006 went over quite well, and according to Ofcom, up to four free HD channels will be broadcast. Unfortunately, users looking forward to such niceties will be forced to wait until analog is switched off in their neck of the woods, and of course they'll also need an HD-ready TV and a new set-top-box. We've already heard that BBC will be one of the four channels, and ITV, Channel 4, Five and Welsh network S4C have all been "invited to bid for [the other] three slots in which they can broadcast high-definition TV or other new services." On the upside, the whole of the country should be digital by 2012, just in time for the London Olympics -- and for those lucky souls in and around Whitehaven, you'll get the spoils first.

[Thanks, Kieran and Andy]

Sky One ponies up the cash for HD drama

by Steven Kim posted Mar 20th 2008 at 3:54PM

Sky One funds HD production
We Americans may think it's cute or quaint to read about "progammes" and "colours," but there's no laughing at the commitment Sky One is showing to producing more HD content. The company has opened up the shoppe coffers to the tune of eight-figures (that's in pounds sterling, so we Yankees can multiply by two). Right off the bat, adaptations of work from Chris Ryan, David Almond and Terry Pratchett are slated for production, and there's more material in the works to be spread out over 2008 and 2009. All this studio goodwill towards HD comes on the tail of a record of 2.86 million viewers who tuned in to the HD production of Terry Pratchett's "The Hogfather." More premium HD content is always a good thing, but you know the unhappy ending -- no news on if or when these dramas might make it to the US of A.

Sky HD service gets reviewed

by Darren Murph posted Mar 18th 2008 at 2:15AM


Given that our place of residence is most certainly not in the UK, Sky wasn't included in our recent breakdown of HD carriers. Thankfully, the kind blokes / dames over at HDTV Lounge were able to sit down with the Sky HD service and write up a fairly thorough review. For those on the fence, Sky HD has become a fair bit more attractive here of late with the addition of three new HD channels and a price cut to boot. The long and short of it is that the Sky HD DVR is more than satisfactory, and as for the programming quality, reviewers were left with all sorts of positive vibes. Best of all, there's even a few comparison shots to give SD subscribers a look at what they're missing out on. Go on, check out the read link for the full spill.

Super Hi-Vision gets tested, could be used to publicly display 2012 Olympics in Britain

by Darren Murph posted Mar 12th 2008 at 10:27AM


2015? Nah, that's about three years too long to wait for Super Hi-Vision -- for Britons, at least. Reportedly, Japanese public broadcaster NHK is currently testing the Super Hi-Vision system, and the BBC has announced plans to use said technology in order to "broadcast the 2012 Olympics to large TV sets placed in public areas across Britain." For folks worried that their current HDTV is about to become obsolete, we're here to pass along the news that it's not. According to Masuru Kanazawa, a research engineer at NHK's Science and Technical Research Laboratory, "SHV requires at least a 60-inch screen" in order to even see the improvements in quality, and of course, it's not exactly being aimed at the consumer market right now, either. 'Course, all that could change when 150-inch sets become living room mainstays.

Survey sez Brits would give up nearly anything for a 50-inch plasma

by Darren Murph posted Feb 18th 2008 at 11:33PM

We already knew that one in eight blokes would swap their significant other for a swank new piece of kit, but apparently, the Brits have no qualms giving up other luxuries in order to satisfy their electronic cravings. According to a survey pushed out late last month by Comet, nearly half (47-percent) of British men surveyed would do without sex for six whole months in exchange for a shiny new 50-inch plasma, while 35-percent of women said the same. Furthermore, 24-percent claimed that they would ditch smoking for the luscious PDP, while a quarter of participants stated that they would cease eating chocolate. Of course, talk is cheap, and we've serious doubts that these folks could actually keep their promise if put to the test.

[Via Times Colonist, image courtesy of CorrieBlog]

The digital TV switchover begins... in Britain

by Darren Murph posted Oct 17th 2007 at 6:04PM

We're still quite a few days months away from our official analog-to-digital cutover, but the lads (and dames) in Britain aren't wasting any time. Reportedly, the nation is already preparing to begin the switchover, starting in the northwest English resort of Whitehaven with BBC2. This initial move will affect around 25,000 households, and it was noted that the "other analog channels" would be switched off on November 14th. 'Course, Britain as a whole isn't scheduled to go 100-percent digital until 2012, but that didn't stop kiddos at a local primary school from "burying an analog time capsule to recall how television was before the change." Kids these days... they've got it good.

[Image courtesy of BBC]

VeeSee TV brings programming to deaf via IPTV

by Darren Murph posted May 20th 2007 at 2:58AM

After hearing that modern technology wasn't exactly doing the deaf any favors, quite a few attempts have sought to reverse the unfortunate trend. Most recently, a new web-based television service has launched in the UK that brings sign language content to IPTV viewers 'round the clock. Dubbed VeeSee TV, the BSL (British Sign Language) channel is currently available via the internet or a set-top-box, and also "includes an interactive forum and user-generated content." Moreover, the creator suggests that this venue will allow "deaf film-makers to show off their own work" while allowing deaf individuals to conveniently catch catered programming anytime during the day. Notably, the service is a part of the ViewTV portal of channels, and while basic content should be up and running right now, a host of new functionality (including webcam conferencing) is planned for the upcoming months.




AOL News

Other Weblogs Inc. Network blogs you might be interested in:

Joystiq
Download Squad
The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW)
BloggingStocks
Joystiq Xbox
Autoblog
Big Download
Fanhouse NFL Blog