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JVC launches UK Freeview+ LCDs
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
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.
Wii blamed for ridiculous increase in British hospital visits
Nintendo's Wii has been maiming careless gamers since the day it was launched, but an inexplicable uptick in Britain has professionals scratching their heads. According to Dr. Dev Mukerjee of Broomfield Hospital: "There has been a 100 percent increase in patients complaining of Wii-itis." Turns out, Wii-itis is their word for playing so much Wii that you injure yourself. Astonishingly, up to ten people per week are being "hospitalized with injuries caused by playing Nintendo Wii games," which has forced medical personnel to "issue warnings of the dangers associated with the video game system." Some of the most common injuries are Wii-knee (seriously) and tendon stretching / tearing, both of which could likely be avoided if gamers would bother to stretch before breaking a sweat. Sheesh -- what do folks even learn in Physical Education these days?
Rumor: Free Radical shut down
For those of us who desperately need a TimeSplitters 4 game, this rumor might be a bit hard to swallow. In fact, there's a very real chance you read the headline to this post and went into a murderous rage, destroying your computer monitor and turning your rage on the closest human being. It's okay, it made us feel the same way.The source of this rumor? Well, apparently the Nottingham, England-based Free Radical studio is in a bit of financial trouble, as GI.biz reports. They say that word has it the doors are locked, phones are shut off, and the team met at a nearby hotel for a "final company meeting." We're hoping this isn't the case, because we're pretty big fans of the studio's work, so we'll update when Free Radical makes a statement.[Via Joystiq]
bmi launches in-flight communications trial, voice gratefully excluded
We all know how the British hate lagging behind the French, so it's no shock to see bmi following Air France in the in-flight communications game. The airline has just announced that it will soon launch a six month trial of the OnAir service, though not surprisingly, voice calls will not be a part of said run. Instead, users in a single A320 making loops from London to Moscow will be able to send text messages whilst airborne, and in case that's too boring, users with GSM data cards will also be able to hop online. There's no mention of a VoIP ban, but given the clear anti-voice stance, we doubt the kind attendants would let you chatter long before giving you the evil eye.
First Sky News HD broadcast is the Obama inauguration
The first Sky News HD broadcast will be the swearing in of Barack Obama January 20, 2009. Interested Brits can catch the broadcast on Sky Arts HD channel 258, presented by Jeremy Thompson and Adam Boulton. After the first real HD election, it's only fitting to see the result properly, unfortunately there's still no word on when the news will its own HD feed.[Via HDTV UK]
Ofcom looks to promote pay-TV competition
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.
Disney brings Cinemagic HD to UK
No longer just something for French children, Disney's Cinemagic HD channel will be coming to the UK this December on Sky Digital. Sky's HD count will hit 29 with the addition when it debuts in time for Christmas screenings of "Ratatouille" and "Tinkerbell." In case you're wondering what those two flicks have to do with Christmas, we have to say, "Get over it, Scrooge." Seriously, at least here in the US, we'll take anything HD that breaks up the "It's a Wonderful Life" - "Miracle on 34th Street" - "A Christmas Story" marathon that is the Christmas season and is kid-friendly! Hopefully the offerings on the HD movie-centric channel will grow quickly out of the gate for our UK friends.
NXE creating HDMI headaches for UK Xbox 360 owners?
The path to Netflix-enhanced glory hasn't been entirely trouble free for everyone, this time it's posters on AVForum noticing a distinct lack of audio on Xbox 360s connected to their HDTV by HDMI. So far suggested solutions for the afflicted include plugging in the hard drive while the system is on, or waiting several minutes before switching the monitor to HDMI, and repeating them every time the system is started. It's not the first time we've heard of UK-centric HDMI weirdness, any of you hearing a whole lot of nothing while gaming (that's not attributable to hard drive installs)?[Via Xbox 360 Fanboy]
Report: Gaming to reign supreme in the UK
When it comes to the UK, we really only know one person. So we've just assumed for the longest time that gaming was the bee's knees in the country. Turns out that folks living there have enjoyed other forms of entertainment for a long time. They're all starting to come around now, thankfully.According to a report conducted by Verdict Research, gaming is poised to be the top form of entertainment there for the first time ever this year. The projections for sales figures show the games industry earning 4.64 billion pounds, compared to the 4.46 billion pounds the music and video industry is expected to generate. We wonder how much of that is thanks to the Wii?So, UK readers, does this surprise you? Is gaming a big thing with your inner circle, or has gaming only recently become the activity of choice? How much of your own cash do you think is in that 4.64 billion pound figure?
UK entices young to get tested for STDs with Wii raffle
There really isn't a better way to get young folks to get tested than a free Wii, if we may say so. Unless you handed them a wad of cash, a home-cooked meala and a 24K gold limousine driven by Mr. Peanut, there really isn't a more effective way to get the young's attention. Maybe if Hannah Montana sponsored the thing, we guess ... Anyway, we're getting off the subject here. In the Northumberland and Tyne and Wear areas, the NHS Chlamydia Screening Programme will allow folks to get tested for STDs. Of those that get tested between the ages of 15 and 24, they'll be entered into a raffle to win a Wii, which was donated by South Tyneside Youth Support Service.Really, it shouldn't have to come down to this to get youngsters in and caring about their health and that of those around them. Be responsible, folks.
Harman Kardon delivers its DMC 1000 media centre to UK
For all the Brits out there who had their hearts set on the Harman Kardon DMC 1000 media center when we first shot pics of way back at CEDIA 2007 but who had forgotten (understandably) about the unit, consider yourself rewarded -- it's now available in the UK for £1800 ($2980). Pick one up and start feeding it your CDs for ripping to its internal 250GB hard drive and your DVDs for glorious 720p upconversion; once you're done, you can use that four-stream support to cast your media hither and yon. While you're picking this gear up, don't forget to throw in a Bridge II dock to round out your on-the-go lifestyle. Seriously, this seems like a nice piece of kit, but pricey for its functionality -- let us know if if feels cheaper in Pounds.
Sky Sports pumps up NFL HD offerings in the UK
Fans of football (American, not soccer) in the UK are apparently getting a better look at the game than ever, with Sky Sports planning to air high definition broadcasts of many games this season. Beyond the already-HD Monday Night Football they're bringing all six Thursday night games, the three Thanksgiving Day games -- which seems odd since we'd assume it's not a holiday there -- playoffs and Super Bowl. Someone tell Madden to slide in some tea & crumpets next to the Turducken.
C2C coats windows of "quiet" train cabins to block cellphone rings
For UK citizens willing to have their privacy infringed upon in the name of peace and quiet, C2C is the train company for you. The outfit has introduced a special "quiet" carriage in its trains in order to nix conversations and unexpected cellphone noises for those who would prefer. The cabin in question sports a special coating on the windows that allows light in but rejects WiFi and cellular signals. In order to keep the lawyers at bay, folks who sit in this jammed-up area are asked to agree to those terms beforehand, and just in case you sign while inebriated, there are a number of signs and announcements (um, defeating the purpose much?) informing them that no calls will be allowed. Happy trails![Image courtesy of quetzy, thanks ugotamesij]
Denon's DVD-3800BD Blu-ray player slips to December for UK enthusiasts
It's not like we think that a pricey high-end Blu-ray player is what's holding the format back right now (quite the opposite), but for the handful of lucky Brits out there waiting for the Denon DVD-3800BD, you've got another month to save up your £1600 ($2600). The 10-bit Realta-packing, 12-bit video DAC behemoth that promises to do high end justice to both your video and audio is now set for December availability in the UK, just in time for the holidays. And being the gift that keeps on giving, you can expect a firmware upgrade disc to boost you from Profile 1.1 to 2.0, too.
History Channel UK bringing HD Bio and Crime channels
Life 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
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 DealRead - Sky backs HD service with £10m campaign
MI6 agent forgets to delete work records from camera before selling on eBay
We'd swear this had to be some sort of spoof on the impeccable James Bond, but sadly enough, the whole thing is true. A secondhand Nikon Coolpix camera which sold on eBay for a mere £17 ($30) turned out to be a real bargain once its new 28-year old owner completed his first image dump. Along with decidedly decent snaps from his US vacation, he also found a number of "top secret" images, diagrams and sketches that have since been confirmed as MI6 material. We're talking photos of rocket launchers, hand-drawn graphics of terrorist links and all sorts of other information not at all intended for civilian eyes. 'Course, the whole thing could just be the act of one talented Photoshopper, but we highly doubt the agency would be so fortunate.[Via Digg, image courtesy of WWII Airplane Model]
BT Vision's added HD to its VOD
Hopefully our UK brethren have been enjoying the recent addition on high definition downloads to the BTVision IPTV service. 1080i, 5.1 surround sound packing licks are now available on your V-box for £2.95 or £4.95, conveniently marked with an "HD" tag to note the ihgher quality, and a warning that unlike their low-res counterparts, these need to download in full before the user can watch and begin their 24 hour rental period. The Other Boleyn Girl, The Hulk and Babe are among the leadoff hitters, so check it out (these 8GB~ downloads also rather conveniently don't count towards any kind of bandwidth quota, imagine that?) and let us know how it measures up to the rest.[Via HDTV UK]
Rumor: Woolworths Xmas catalog shows UK Xbox 360 price drop
UK retailer Woolworths (not to be confused with the defunct US five and dime store) allegedly published a price cut for the Xbox 360 in the company's Christmas catalog, which officially releases in a couple weeks. Scans of the holiday booklet apparently show that each of Microsoft's consoles will receive a £30 cut, reducing the Arcade to £130, Pro to £170 and Elite to £230.Woolworths would not confirm the information to GI.biz, stating that "The Christmas 2008 Woolworths Big Red Book" will release the first week of October and, "until that date, remains a confidential document."
