The long-awaited Apple TV seemed a dead-cert to make an appearance at some point in 2012, rumoured to be putting iOS and it's famous App Store front and centre in the living room. However, a new report from USA Today puts a substantial hurdle in the way of the project, as they claim the Cupertino tech firm are struggling to secure valuable TV rights.

Calling it a "major roadblock", US Today believe it puts the whole device in jeopardy, with consumers potentially seeing no reason to stump up the cash for TV apps were they not easily able to access the shows they wanted to.

Though Apple are still thought to be sourcing panels for the eventual displays, head designer Jonathan Ive is said to already have a working prototype in his office.

"Apple is said to be looking at a 42-inch or larger LCD TV with built-in Wi-Fi. Inside the locked-down studio of Jonathan Ive, senior vice president of industrial design at Apple, there's a slick 50-inch TV, according to the source who worked at Apple," reads the report.

So far we've only heard word of Apple TVs up to about the 37 inch size, meaning the company could be hoping to go really high-end with a 50 inch set.

Yesterday we brought you news that Apple, alongside Google, were looking to secure the rights for Premier League Football coverage for their Apple TV sets.

OLED screens have seemed the TV technology of the future for all too long now, but expensive production costs and diminutive screen sizes have kept the displays out of the mainstream. This may all change come CES 2012 next January however.

Both Samsung and LG are said to be lining up massive 55 inch OLED TVs for the show, with the plan to ship the screens by July 2012, just in time for the Olympic games.

We'd be lying if we were to say we weren't excited. Back at IFA 2009 LG showed off their 31 inch OLED prototype (as seen in the video above). It remains one of the best screens we've seen to date, and we cant wait to see what a year-and-a-bits worth of refinement and a fair few extra inches of display real estate brings to the table.

LG's screens will use a white-OLED with colour filter design, whereas Samsung will opt for hte more effecient true RGB OLED panel. As LG's are easier to produce, the cost should be driven down considerably however.

The Apple OLED TV rumours rear their heads again too, though you have to question their validity considering OLED panel production worldwide is very low. LG say they can squeeze out 30,000 a month for instance, which would hadly sate the appetite of the Apple hordes.

Via: OLED Info/ ETNews

Name: Griffin Beacon

Type: Universal remote control with iOS app

Specs: Click here for full specs

Price: £57 from Amazon

One device to rule them all? That's the idea behind the Griffin Beacon, a universal remote control kit that works in tandem with your iOS device to control all the gadgets in your house that use a remote control. But is the Beacon a shining light in a murky sea of universal remotes, or is your best bet to dig under the sofa for that dusty lost zapper? Read on to find out.

The Griffin Beacon is quite the looker. Best described as a similar size to a black Apple TV box with a shiny black pebble placed on top, it'll sit comfortably and stylishly alongside most AV set-ups. Powered by four AA batteries, it syncs with your iOS device via a Bluetooth connection and, when used alongside the Dijit controller app, lets you control as many as 200,000 home entertainment devices from your iPad, iPhone or iPod Touch straight out of the box.

Set up was incredibly simple. Once the batteries are placed in the bottom of the Beacon, you push down on its curved top till you hear a "Frustration" style click, which sends out a Bluetooth signal. It's then just a case of syncing the device with your iOS gadget through the Bluetooth device menu of your Apple phone, mp3 player or tablet. Rather than an actual remote control, the Beacon actually works to convert Bluetooth signals from your iOS device into infra-red ones that your entertainment devices can understand. Therefore line of sight thankfully isn't needed to control the Beacon's many functions (though you'll still have to carry it around if you want to use it in multiple rooms). There are no control buttons on the Beacon; this is left up to the free Dijit app, which is very good indeed.

Upon firing up the Dijit app (which syncs and recognises the Beacon very simply) you'll be presented with a quick set-up screen which lets you select all manner of AV gear, from TVs to home cinema receivers, games consoles to stereos. Everyone from the big name brands like Samsung and Sony right down to the sort of budget brands you'd find in a supermarket bargain bin are supported, which is a great achievement. There are inevitably gaps in the device list (Roberts DAB radios weren't supported for instance) but the majority of gear is there. App software updates will continually update the device list, so it's worth checking back later, and the Beacon can also be "taught" other unsupported devices too, though that's not worth the complicated set-up it needs.

The Dijit app is simple to navigate and select different units to control, but perhaps its best feature is the level of customisation it offers. You can add tens of buttons for each device you want to control through the app, resizing buttons to fit what's comfortable for you, add custom buttons to run controls not found on your regular remote, or even remove buttons that you find no use for. The days of squinting at remote controls for a hard to find tiny button are long gone, and you can even use it to invent touchscreen gesture controls, like a two-finger swipe to adjust TV volume for instance.

Another great touch is the Activities feature. This lets you program the Beacon to perform numerous buttons at the press of a single button. For instance, you might set up an activity that turns on your TV, Digital TV box and home cinema speaker system all at once. It's a great time saver, and one that once set up would suit to a tee a technophobe who finds multiple controllers confusing.

As you can probably guess, we were very impressed by the Beacon. But it's not without its faults.

Firstly, the decision to run off of regular batteries rather than a rechargeable built-in one seems an archaic one. Two months worth of battery life is considerably less than I squeeze out of my remote controls. Though the wire-free set up is handy, it would have been nice to have had the option of using an AC adapter for those not planning on moving the Beacon about.

The lack of Android support is understandable for a device that's launching as "Made for Apple", and though there is an app in the works, it's disappointing not to see it ready at launch. Even more disappointing is the lack of native iPad app support; using that big screen to house multiple remotes at once would have been a superb addition over a blown up, stretched iPhone one.

Lastly, the Beacon lacks some functionality in the UK that its US versions have. In the US, users can check TV listings and share them via social networking sites with their pals; in the UK you cant. Likewise Netflix accounts can be browsed and managed in the US with the Beacon and Dijit app, and while Netflix may not be available in the UK, no suitable alternative (like Lovefilm) has been added to fill the gap.

Verdict:

Despite some quibbles, the Beacon remains a superb solution to having tens of chunky remote controls laying around your living room. iPad support and a rechargeable battery are the main issues holding it back from top marks, but the amount of customisation easily lets us see past the Beacon's few faults.

The old style Teletext Holiday pages were a mean old thing. With the rain lashing down outside and you at your lowest ebb, Teletext Holidays was the perfect (and at the time, practically only) place to browse cheap holiday packages and imagine yourself in distant, exotic climes. The irony was, in stormy weather your analogue TV reception would usually go up the wall, and the rainbow coloured blocky text of Teletext would become a garbled mess.

It's a completely different story with the Teletext Holidays App for Samsung's range of Smart TVs. Slick and web connected, they're hoping arm-chair day dreamers will once again turn to their TVs for travel inspiration.

The TV app will help users pick a cut-price trip by offering video guides, destination photos and a booking portal in what its makers are describing as "a glimpse of what the future of choosing holidays will look like".

"Searching for holidays on the television is what our brand is famous for so the partnership with Samsung Smart TV is an exciting new direction for us," said Victoria Sanders, Teletext Holidays managing director.

"This is a first for the travel industry and I believe it has the potential to transform the holiday search process. We've invested in creating an App which is simple, inspiring and practical to use."

The app is live now on Samsung Smart TVs and Samsung's range of connected home theatre products.

Thanks to the popularity of Apple's App Store and the now-ubiquitous nature of apps on smartphones and tablet PCs, apps are weaving their way into every aspect of modern life. From doing your grocery shopping to finding a parking spot, there are apps to help you out with almost everything.

Though many manufacturers have attempted to put apps into their HD and 3D TVs, most have been met with, at best, middling success. Between clunky interfaces and a dearth of content, they feel tacked on additions to otherwise strong hardware.

Samsung however have taken the whole area very seriously, refreshing their connected TV line in 2010 with the Smart TV platform. Mixing together social networks, video on demand content, games, news and even video calling through a Skype app, its use of an app store and familiar grid-like app icon layout made it far easier to navigate than most rival offerings.

"Due to the popularity of smartphones and tablets, we know people are comfortable with smart devices. Smart TV is the next step in the evolution of smart devices and Samsung Smart TVs do everything that other smart devices do and more," said Guy Kinnell Samsung's UK Marketing Director for TV.

"The Samsung Smart TV hub is one of the most user friendly interfaces on the market and viewers are quickly mastering how to make the most of their Smart TV. For instance, Apps such as LOVEFiLM, BBC iPlayer, YouTube, Facebook and Twitter are all common place in people's lives and are also all available on Samsung Smart TVs".

Where Samsung look most likely succeed where other rival's connected TV platforms have failed however is in the attention to synergy between the hardware of Smart TVs, Samsung's wider product catalogue and the app software. For instance, text entry in the past for TV apps has been a real chore using traditional remote controls, but the company's Touch Remote with (you guessed it) touchscreen controls makes it far easier to send Tweets or Facebook updates from the sofa. The "AllShare" feature, allowing you to control elements of the Smart TV platform with a Samsung mobile again makes navigation far more intuitive.

Most notably however is the introduction of the new free-to-view 3D Video On Demand app, the first of its kind on any 3D TV from any manufacturer. One of the biggest points slowing the growth of 3D TV sales is the relative lack of 3D video content to go with them, especially for free. With Samsung's 3D Smart TV range you now have access to 3D content straight out of the box, free of charge, with many of the offerings previously having been IMAX 3D cinema exclusives.

"The demand for 3D is growing rapidly, but only a handful of channels are providing content. Samsung has led the 3D LED TV market since it launched last year, and the roll-out of our 3D video-on-demand service demonstrates our commitment to accelerating its growth," said Andy Griffiths Samsung's UK Vice President for Consumer Electronics.

"We believe that in the near future every viewer will have access to 3D content in the comfort of their own living room through a Smart TV. We will therefore continue to develop our Smart TV offering in order to provide consumers with the best viewing experience possible."

So will we ever see apps on TVs as commonly used as those now seen on mobile platforms?

"Connected TV apps I think will grow incredibly but will be a different experience entirely to mobile apps; the TV doesn't move, it is a shared experience and you don't want to be inputting too much text on your TV as the handset makes this difficult," said Craig Chuter Head of Business Development at app developers Capablue, winners of the Samsung App Developer Challenge.

"I think the TV apps will become an integral part of our TV viewing experience especially for TV catch-up and film services. "

Samsung's relationship with app developers, as highlighted by their partnership with Capablue, also bodes well for the future. Compared to other connected TV platforms, you get the sense that Samsung are in for the long haul with the Smart TV's, with a constantly updated stream of apps from a variety of developers and content that looks set to be as well served and relevant in five years time as it is now.

"Samsung will be continually building on the current Samsung Apps store to ensure viewers have the widest range of content to enjoy on their TV" said Kinnell.

"Gaming, 3D videos and social networking; whether they still have a 2011 model in two years or five years time, these Apps will still provide as an important viewer experience as ever before."

Picture the scene; it's a glorious summer's day, birds are chirping in the trees, kids are playing in the parks and hot guys and gals are stripping down to shorts and bikinis everywhere. It's THE time to get outside. But, to pull a line from The Lemonheads' The Outdoor Type tune, "What if something's on TV and it's never shown again?". Are you destined for a summer indoors, pasty skinned watching Cash in The Attic re-runs?

Not any more! Say hello to Toshiba's REGZA 19P2 TV. HD-ready with a resolution of 1366x768, the 19 inch TV comes equipped with a removable rechargeable battery that allows for 5 hours of continuous TV viewing. Packing in a 1Seg Digital TV Tuner, the TV frees you from the tyranny of power sockets, letting you take your shows on the go in crisp HD-ready quality.

You can of course use the TV from the mains too, with a "Peak Shift" option intelligently switching from battery to the mains once the power pack is charged. Additional battery packs are also available, while other specs for the LED-backlit panel include a 1000:1 contrast ratio and a single HDMI port.

Looks to be a Japanese exclusive at the moment however, with a price tag of 50,000 Yen.

Loewe's collection of web-connected HD TVs are getting a software update today that sees Napster added to the growing selection of services through the televisions' online portal.

Napster will now feature in Loewe's MediaNet on all Individual LED, Connect LED and Art LED screens. The service allows users to download and stream some 15 million songs to their sets, and will be available for free for the first 14 days of use, after which a subscription charge will be required.

MediaNet allows websites and online services like Napster to be navigated with just a remote control, optimising websites for viewing on a HD TV.

Name: 58PFL9955H Cinema 21:9 Platinum 3D TV (Philips)

Type: True cinema ratio 3D TV

Specs: Click here for full specs

Price: £3,674.99 from Amazon

For the true movie-nut there's nothing quite like a trip to the cinema; the smell of the popcorn machine, the sticky carpeting underfoot, the awkward teenage fumblings on the back seats, and, most importantly, the gigantic widescreen vision of your favourite directors in all their epic Hollywood glory. It's an effect that, even with a decent projector, has been one difficult to replicate at home, but Philips have come closest to realising it in the living room through their Cinema 21:9 range. This latest model, the Platinum 58PFL9955H, attempts to improve upon the superb work of the previous versions by throwing in built-in active-shutter 3D tech.

The 58PFL9955H is terrifically wide. Whereas traditional widescreen TVs come in a 16:9 ratio, this Philips set sports a 21:9 ratio at a 58-inch diagonal size instead. In effect, this means you get a match for the super-wide cinema style format, minus the distracting black bars at the top and bottom of a DVD or Blu-ray movie. It comes in at around 2.39:1 in terms of width, as close as any TV has come before to 2.35:1 cinema film transfers. While purists will bemoan the fact that no Blu-rays truly take advantage of the size (due to the black bars being added at the mastering stage to fit more traditionally sized screens), the Philips set masterfully processes the source signal, cleverly adapting it to the 21:9 screen. It is truly cinematic and a joy to watch movies on.

Likewise, the screen cleverly handles 4:3 and 16:9 signals. You can force the screen to keep each source signal to scale within the confines of the 58-inch display, putting the black bars left and right of 16:9 or 4:3 sources, distort the images to fill the entire screen, or choose completely unscaled images from the original source. The wealth of options is both necessary and pleasing, though it can become a little fiddly if you're quickly jumping from movies to something shot in anything other than the 21:9 format. The screen can also be set to automatically recognise the screen size, and adjust it appropriately, though we found it sometimes erratically changed scale mid-film, which could be jarring.

All of this would be for naught were the picture quality poor, but the 58PFL9955H truly shines in this department. Complete with 1,500 LEDs behind the display panel, the screen manages breathtaking contrast levels. We watched The Wolfman on Blu-ray with the set, and marvelled at the maintained level of detail surrounding light sources during the film's many dark scenes. Colour reproduction is also superbly vibrant, with superb definition between shades. Of course, the screen fares significantly less well with SD broadcasts as opposed to 1080p Full HD signals, but no worse than other large HDTVs. The lack of a Freeview HD tuner is a significant omission however at this price range.

Like most top-end TV screens, the 58PFL9955H is packed to the rafters with motion-processing and screen smoothing features in the shape of the Perfect Pixel HD engine. 400Hz processing does well to remove the blur of fast moving imagery, though we were less keen on the the Natural Motion feature. Designed primarily to even out the 24fps setting of Blu-rays (less than half the speed of regular TV broadcasts), we found it made playback look unnatural if anything, doing too much to remove the actually-kind-of-enjoyable film "grain" look. It is, of course, an optional effect, and everything looks much better with it set to a "minimum" strength level. And though the viewing angle is a claimed 176 degrees, we found colours to wash-out and lose their strength considerably at tight angles. Regardless, give the set a reasonable amount of tweaking and 2D movies look an absolute dream.

The main jump for the 58PFL9955H over previous Philips 21:9 models is the inclusion of 3D technology. This is built-in rather than an optional add-on, favouring the active rather than passive standard. On the whole, it does a good job; removing the black bars from 3D Blu-ray playback of Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs instantly made the effect feel more involving. All 3D sources however, be they PS3 gaming, Blu-ray or Sky 3D, suffered from echoes and ghosting. Rarely was it bad enough to be a deal-breaker, but in terms of 3D performance, we've viewed better sets. Two sets of 3D glasses are thrown in though, which softens that glancing blow a tad.

On the other hand, sound quality from the 30W speakers in the set was far, far better than any other flatscreen we've tried. Two rear-housed woofers gave a strong bass response, whilst a pair of forward-firing drivers offered clear voices and middle ranges with a pseudo-surround effect. It's no match for a dedicated 5.1 system, but other manufacturers should take note of the flatscreen-sound improvements made here by Philips.

In terms of build, the Philips set isn't the most svelte screen we've reviewed, measuring in at 71mm, but it's hardly chubby either. The superb Ambilight function likely adds somewhat to this extra bulk, but it's worth it; three bars of LED-lights sit on the top, left and right edges of the TV, which colourfully glow to match whatever is happening on-screen. It's another immersive feature, making movie action seem to seep into your surroundings. Other than that it's a solid build, with a thick grey bezel around the screens edge, accented by a small silver lip in the bezel's lower-centre.

Connection options are generous with 4 x HDMI, 2 x USB, 2 x SCART, 1 x Ethernet and integrated Wi-Fi among others. DLNA networking was a breeze to set up, while we found USB video playback handled a satisfying amount of codecs (including H264/MPEG-4 AVC, MPEG-1, MPEG-2, MPEG-4, WMV9/VC1). Those looking to take their set online will be pleased by the Net TV service too. Not only does it include widgets for YouTube and Cartoon Network among others, but also access to a fully-blown Opera browser, releasing you from the Philips walled-garden of platform content.

If you're a movie-buff, owning the Philips 21:9 is a no-brainer. It's a luscious set that, while having specialist leanings due to its screen ratio, will blow away absolutely anyone who gives it a try. Detailed 2D images, admirable connectivity and strong sound make for a superbly cinematic experience. A few niggling processing problems and middling 3D performance prevent us from awarding a perfect score, but for regular Blu-ray viewers you just wont find a better set.

4/5

It's a technology still in its infancy, and at least three years away from making it to a commercial product, but Samsung have revealed that their next generation of displays are to be powered by quantum dot technology.

Brighter and more energy efficient than either LCD of OLED, quantom dot tech is half the cost of AMOLED and have a longer life span too.

Quantum dot technology is made up of semiconducting nanoncrystals, illumintaed by a current or light. Controlled by an active matrix, each quantum dot-pixel switches on and off through a thin-film transistor.

Protoypes are in the works using both glass and flexible plastics, with Samsung planning to feature the technology in their TVs, mobile phones, tablets and media players over the coming years. LG have also displayed an interest, partnering with quantum-dot experts QD Vision.

So a little way in the future then, but it's looking brighter, and cheaper too, with quantum-dot displays in the mix.

Via: Technology Review / Electric Pig

Panasonic are updating their mini VIERA range with three new models, with features designed to help out cooks with sticky fingers.

The Panasonic VIERA DMP-BV300, DMP-HV200 and DMP-HV150 all come with a 10.1 inch 1024 x 600 displays, with built in digital TV tuners, ethernet connections for DLNA and YouTube widgets and memory card playback from SD/SCHC/SDXC formats.

Motion controls in the DMP-HV200 make it perfect for use in the kitchen, when mucky hands may make it difficult to control otherwise, allowing for waves of the wand to change channels and volume. It's also splashproof, so won't be too bothered if it's sat next to a sink. The DMP-HV150 is also splash proof, but doesn't feature motion controls.

The DMP-BV300 gets an integrated Blu-ray player, with HDMI output to an external 1080p display should you so desire.

All three pair with Panasonic's TY-CC10W Skype camera, with the BV300 also portable for a few hours thanks to a rechargeable batttery pack.

Due out in March in Japan, the BV300 will set you back around £590, the HV200 £390 and the HV150 £320, though no word on a UK release has yet been made.

After nearly a year left out to sea, Pioneer's Elite TVs are set to make a return this year as part of a new partnership with Sharp that will see the Elite brand become a standalone arm of their Quattron TV range.

The AV world shed a fair few tears when Pioneer announced it would be discontinuing their much-praised Elite and Kuro ranges. Perhaps this Elite ressurection also spells out a little hope for a re-vamped Kuro line?

However, Elite fans of old may turn their noses up at the new sets, as they will no longer feature the plasma goodness they're were praised for.

"As a leader in large-screen LCD TVs, we are excited to collaborate with Pioneer to bring a high-end LCD TV to the Elite consumer," explained John Herrington, Sharp's president of marketing in the US.

"The Elite brand is highly respected in the high-end market, and Sharp can deliver the quality and innovation that Elite customers demand."

Sharp and Pioneer are hoping the Elite brand will become instrumental in their expansion of the lucrative custom install market.

Via: CrunchGear

Hannspree, better known for their kooky novelty TVs in the shape of animals and oversized fruit are taking a more sensible route for their latest sets. They're updating their range of HDTVs by throwing LED technology into their latest sets.

The two new sets in question are the SV32 and SV42 models, measuring up at 32 and 42 inches respectively.

Budget friendly at £419.99 and £549.99, both feature generous specifications. While you're not getting web capabilities, you will find the proprietary Vivid Motion 100Hz technology, a Full HD 1080p resolution, a 450cd/m2 brightness, a contrast ratio of 4,750,000:1 (known as X-Contrast), a response time of 6.5ms and 178º/178º  viewing angles.

Connectivity comes from three HDMI 1.3 ports, alongside composite, component and VGA connections. Hook up a USB drive to view JPEG images and various video formats.

Available now, you can pick up the new Hanspree sets online from Ebuyer or the Hannspree store in the Westfield shopping centre.

An OLED-filled future is drawing ever closer to reality after LG revealed that they are planning a major push for the TV technology in 2013.

At their Q4 earnings report earlier this week, vice president of LG Display Jung Ho announced that the company are to triple OLED production by the end of 2013, thanks to the successful $226 million expansion of their manufacturing facilities.

And we're not talking miniscule screens here either, but full fat, large screen display. A 31 inch model is already due for release in the coming months, with a 55 inch prototype expected to land either at IFA 2011 or CES 2012.

CES 2011 how wondrous your goggleboxes were!

From connected sets to mad 3D visors, the show threw up a load of new displays that HDTVUK would kill to have at home.

We've pulled together our five favourite bits of TV tech from the Las Vegas show. Check them out in the videos below.

1: Sony's 3D Headset

Our favourite bit of TV tech from the show wasn't technically a TV at all. This concept from Sony crammed two small OLED displays inside a Tron-like visor, giving the wearer a personal 3D display wherever they turned their head. It worked a charm, despite only being in the early stages of development.

2: LG Passive Cinema 3D TVs

Continuing the stellar work they've put into their 3D developments were LG, launching their new Cinema 3D range of passive 3D TVs. We spoke to George Mead of LG, who explained the companies increasing focus on passive sets, and why the general public seem to be leaning towards that technology rather than active 3D sets.

3: LG ST600 Smart TV Upgrader

Another ace bit of kit from LG was the ST600 Smart TV Upgrader. Expected to cost no more than £100 at launch, it turns any HDMI-equipped TV into a "Smart" TV, capable of web browsing and using apps. With connected sets expected to become ever more dominant in stores, this inexpensive box will make sure your older set isn't branded a dunce.

4: Sharp Aquos Quattron 3D TV

We're big fans of Sharp's Aquos Quattron range at HDTVUK, as shown in our review of the set. Sharp have now revamped the range with 3D smarts, and it's looking very special indeed.

5: Sony's 3D glasses-free autostereoscopic TV

Super-slim OLED TVs always attract the Tech Digest team like flies to a UV light trap, and Sony's 3D glasses-free autostereoscopic OLED TV was no exception. With a great viewing angle and a genuine sense of depth given to the images, it had even the edge of Toshiba's similar sets, despite the latter being expected to go to retail before the year is out.

Following a mixed reception to their internet-based TV service, Google are urging LG, Toshiba and Sharp to postpone the unvieling of their Google TV sets.

Though Sony have already outed their own Google TV, the other brands were expected to reveal their offerings at CES 2011 next month in Las Vegas.

The delay is intended to give Google some time to refine thier software. In a situation where all development is in-house that wouldn't be such a big deal, but with the numerous partners involved in Google TV, delays are inevitable.

James L. McQuivey, Forrester analyst, said: "Google as a company is not a particularly partner-friendly or partner-focused company", he continued:

"Google needs to learn some of those abilities [partnership skills and polished products] - both in terms of partnerships with broadcasters and working with hardware partners. You can give me the recipe for the absolute best chocolate chip cookies in the world, but until I put the ingredients together and bake them at exactly the right temperature for the right time, they're not cookies, and that's where Google TV is".

Via: NYT

If you're looking for a nettop box as sleek as the flatscreen you're planning on pairing it with, take a look at Acer's latest offering, the Revo 100. Stylishly slim, the Revo 100 can sti vertically or horizontally by your screen, grabbing media content from your home network over Wi-Fi and more.

It's rammed full of cool tech too, so it's not just a pretty case. A dual-core AMD Athlon II Neo processor and next-gen Nvidia Ion graphics chip make 1080p playback a breeze, while a built in TV tuner will be handy for those not rocking a set-top box.

A DVD burner or optional Blu-Ray drive are available, the latter of which plays back full 3D content should your TV allow. 750GB of hard drive space is available to store files on, with three USB ports and a multi-card reader built-in to help move content around.

Not content with just a slick box, Acer's remote for the Revo 100 is a touch of class too. A touch-type QWERTY, features a toggle which turns the device into a multi-touch gesture pad.

Out now, prices for the Acer Revo 100 start at around £600.

Sony are launching a 720p HD TV set with a built in PS2 in its base. No, you haven't just timewarped 6 years into the past, the Bravia KDL-22PX300 LCD is a brand new product.

And you know what? It isn't that bad a deal to be fair.

Sure, the PS2 is a decade old now, but it's got a mahoooosive catalogue of cracking games, and it's cleverly built into the bottom of this 22 inch screen.

The screen itself is decent too, especially considering it wont set you back any more than £200. It's got 4 HDMI ports and support for Sony's Bravia service through Ethernet cable or optional wireless dongle.

So in theory when you factor in the PS3's media capabilities, you're getting a web connected HDTV, games console, DVD player and CD player all-in for £200. Can't knock that really, can you?

We've all be there: you're sitting watching the X-Factor live final or a World Cup penalty shoot-out, only to be hit by a killer power cut at a critical moment. If you think it's annoying here in the West, spare a thought for those in rural or developing corners of the globe, where consistent power supplies are few and far between.

Toshiba have noticed this problem and are launching a new range of HD TVs that will give as much as two hours worth of extra viewing time, powered merely by an internal battery.

Called the Power TV series, it's a line that includes the PC1, PS1, PS2 and PB1 sets. These aren't just minisucle sets either; sizes start at 24 inches and go up as large as 32 inches.The PC1 and PS2 also feature LED-Backlighting to further save on power usage.

Each has an OTA tuner built-in, which, presumably, is the only source you'll be able to watch TV from in the event of a power outtage.

No word yet on pricing or availabilty.

If you're the lucky owner of an LG TV with web connected NetCast features, you'll soon be getting a free software update that will add nine new apps to your television.

BBC iPlayer, Acetrax, Google Maps, Facebook, Twitter and Vtuner apps are among the new additions, which will intall themselves the next time you enter the NetCast portal.

Stephen Gater, head of marketing home entertainment at LG UK said: "People want to be entertained and the role of the traditional TV is changing. We're committed to offering our customers a fully connected home and these new applications will further enhance our current offering".

"Having catch-up TV, movies, and social networking on demand will mean that people's TVs are truly the hub of the living room. Services like Facebook, BBC iPlayer and Acetrax mean that people can now enjoy what they want, whenever they like".

Name: Bravia KDL-60LX903 (Sony)

Type: 60" LCD LED Edgelit 3D TV

Specs: Click here for full specs

Price: £4,449 direct from Sony

Whether you buy into it or not, 3D is the future of TV viewing. Each of the major electronics manufacturers, be they Samsung, Panasonic, LG, Sony or other are investing heavily in the tech. And with all the major Hollywood movie studios buying into producing 3D content and broadcasters such as Sky and Virgin now offering modest 3D channels, there's no denying we're on the cusp of a home entertainment revolution. It doesn't come cheap, but if you've got a spare £4,500 lying about, Sony's Bravia KDL-60LX903 3D TV is one of the best with which to experience this latest high tech trend.

Measuring up at 60 inches across with dimensions of 144.0 x 93.8 x 38.0 cm including its stand, the KDL-60LX903 is a mammoth set that will dominate a living room and rival a trip to the pictures in terms of cinematic scale. 4 HDMI ports (2 side mounted and 2 rear), composite, component, Optical, scart and USB ports are among it's many connections. USB file support here wins out over the included DLNA networking, supporting a greater number of formats including AVCHD, DivX, Xvid, .mkv, JPEG, WAV and MP3 files.

Though much has been made of the "Monolithic" design of Sony's signature range, in reality it's just another black-bezel-packing, though admittedly sleek, flatscreen LCD. It's slim and glossy, but there's not much more to say than that about the design, barring a silver glowing Sony motif on the lower edge.

What it does have in abundance however is features. As you'd imagine from a flagship set, Sony have squeezed everything that they can into the KDL-60LX903, from web connected widgets to motion processing tech. But first we'll look at that headline feature; the TV's 3D abilities.

As the set uses active rather than passive 3D technologies, you'll have to wear a pair of powered active shutter glasses to enjoy 3D content on the KDL-60LX903. They sync up with the TV's built in 3D emitter at the push of a button, and are light and comfortable enough to wear for prolonged periods of time. However, only two pairs of the £100 specs are included out of the box, which seems rather stingy given the £4,500 price tag. Bigger families will either have to cough up for a few more pairs or take it in turns, which considering the relatively small amount of time you'll spend viewing 3D content as opposed to 2D TV on the set, perhaps isn't so painful a proposition. The glasses are bespoke too; as it stands you wont be able to use any other manufacturer's specs with the set.

3D pictures are up there with the best we've seen from rival brands. Though the slightly tinted glasses do result in muted brightness levels, there was little crosstalk and only minimal ghosting across the fairly wide variety of content we watched, be that 3D Blu-ray or Sky 3D. The Sky 3D broadcast of Monsters VS Aliens was colourful with a strong sense of depth as was BUGS!3D which makes for a very nice showcase of the subtle depth of field tricks that can be applied to 3D broadcasts and creepy crawly antenna alike. 3D Blu-ray playback of Cloudy With A Chance of Meatballs likewise handled movement in 3D well, though we did notice a slight flicker when lots of meat-based foodstuffs jumped from the screen at once. All in, it was an impressive performance that made us long for a day when more content would be available in 3D.

The KDL-60LX903's solid 3D performance is obviously in a large part bolstered by the quality of the set's panel, which is perhaps even more impressive in 2D. It manages superb black levels, despite LCD sets notoriously being less adept at this than their plasma counterparts. The edge-lit LED helps achieve this, though we did notice that this led to some unnatural light spillages in scenes from the Predators Blu-ray we tested when darkened corners and bright light sources were at distant ends of the panel. It was a minor and rare complaint, and when weighed against the sharpness of the HD image and superb colour spectrum, including an excellent grey-scale range, it was more than bearable. It's also worth noting that the screen's out-of-the-box default picture settings were far easier on the eye than the usually garish show-room set up most sets flaunt upon switching on, meaning you'll only have to fine-tune rather than overhaul settings when you initially fire it up.

Despite the obvious attraction of having a quality 60 inch 1080p screen in your living room, the KDL-60LX903 is full of image boosting features that, when used in moderation, can improve the picture measurably. The BRAVIA ENGINE 3 remains one of the most detailed processing engines and did a good job of smoothing out standard def broadcasts over the large screen. There was still some noise and artefacting when watching shows from the built in Freeview HD tuner, but considering the size the low-res shows were being blown up to, it did a better job than other humongous screens we've tested before. The MotionFlow 200Hz PRO is a more mixed bag; on the more subtle settings it comfortably reduces blur effects in high speed scenes, but can lead to strange floaty movements if cranked up to the more severe settings. Apply with caution.

As with many flatscreen TVs, the KDL-60LX903 suffers from weak speakers. The sheer space between the two 10W speakers either side of the screen gives very good stereo separation. However , there's very little bass or definition between mids and trebles. Tweak the mixer too high on any setting , particularly the bass, and all you'll cause is rattling sounds from the casing itself rather than a sonic improvement. Of course, if you can afford a TV this expensive you've likely got a dedicated sound system anyway, but at this price range the sound quality just isn't acceptable.

With built-in Wi-Fi or optional Ethernet cable, the TV opens up to a wealth of web connected options, many of them very good indeed. From sports courtesy of Eurosport and FIFA to catch-up TV via Demand Five or movie rentals from LOVEFiLM, if your web connection is up to scratch these portals will provide you with hours of quality content. The YouTube app in particular should be commended, managing to take extremely low quality images and polish them up to a respectable level even when blown up to 60 inches. There is also a selection of widgets, including news and weather feeds, as well as Facebook and Flickr access. They offer basic functionality and overlay onto the screen sensibly, though any that require extensive text entry can be a bit fiddly to use with the remote control.

To be fair, the remote control isn't too. There's a dedicated button for accessing the 3D set-up options, as well as one for quick access to internet features and pre-set scene selection modes. The Xross Media Bar works well as a menu-layout system, with a four-way joypad and central clicking button for input confirmation. The directional buttons sit a little too closely to another ring of buttons however, which can lead to unintentional button presses, and it could be argued that the whole remote is just a little too long. Still, the HDMI-CEC control at least means you'll be able to control all CEC compatible devices from the one remote, which is a nice touch.

The Intelligent Presence Sensor is also a cool, if excessive feature. But hey, you're spending four and a half grand on this thing, lets live a little! It will control brightness and contrast levels depending on ambient lighting, and warn you if you're sitting too near to the screen. Most interestingly, and arguably creepily, it can also recognise which family member is sitting in front of the screen, and recommend shows based on their viewing habits accordingly. It's not intrusive, but it's unlikely you'll find much need for it.

It's not without its faults, but there's an undeniably luxurious feel to the KDL-60LX903. It's so feature rich and provides such a cinematic movie watching experience that you may never go to your local Odeon again. 3D performance is very good, and while the speakers are a let down, the many top-notch web connected apps keep its final score high.

4/5