The long awaited Blu-ray releases of Gladiator and Braveheart in September followed by Forrest Gump in November, mark the introduction of a new Sapphire Blu-ray disc series by Paramount Pictures in honour of their most celebrated movies.

The Sapphire series capitalises on the high definition picture and sound quality available with blu-ray and each Sapphire release will consist of two discs with extensive never-seen-before special features to appease the most demanding of movie fans.

The Sapphire release of Gladiator will be packed to the brim with special features including a cinematic and directors cut with commentary for both versions, the option to ‘tag’ moments of interest throughout the film creating a shopping list of topics to learn about on the second disc, a 200 minute documentary entitled Strength and Honor, a documentary on Gladiator games and much more – and all in glorious high definition!

Rob Moore, Vice Chairman of Paramount Pictures said “It’s absolutely fitting that we’re presenting the best films in the Paramount library on the finest home entertainment format available. Because of Blu-ray’s phenomenal capabilities, the Sapphire Series will deliver the best pictures in the best picture.”

Giant Buyer have an extensive range of Blu-ray players available for you to start enjoying your favourite movies in high definition.

In an attempt to show the versatility of Blu-ray, Sony Picture Home Entertainment announced last week a new application called MovieIQ which is part of their BD Live feature.

This handy feature has been described as “wikipedia for movies” and is a database that provides on demand information regarding anything in the movie being watched from actors to background music. This is guaranteed to appeal to all movie lovers.

In order to access this information, an internet connection and a BD Live enabled blu-ray disc are required to enjoy continuously updated information such as trivia and more. Upcoming blu-ray disc titles released in September including Angels & Demons, Easy Rider, The Quick and the Dead will feature the MovieIQ technology.

Lexine Wong, Senior Executive Vice President of Worldwide Marketing at Sony Pictures Home Entertainment said "….We know many people interrupt their movie-watching experience to look up the filmography of an actor or to find out more about a song playing in the background. Now through MovieIQ, movie lovers can dive into constantly-updated information about the movie they are watching without leaving their sofa, further enhancing the experience of watching movies in this always-connected age."

Source & Picture: Engadget

It seems that a teenagers life may have been saved thanks to her iPod diverting a bolt of lightning that hit a tree she was sheltering under during a recent thunder storm.

The teenager passed out at the time, as the electrical current travelled through her iPod headphones receiving minor burns to her chest and stomach.

The teenagers Mother said “The doctors say her iPod saved her. Her nan only bought it a few days ago. Luckily, she wasn’t actually wearing the headphones. If she had been, she might not be here today.”

A top weather forecaster said it was likely that the metal in the iPod served as a conductor. The teenager does not remember much about the incident, but is said to be upset by her destroyed iPod!

Home entertainment technology is continually evolving, and now it seems that very soon sales of polarised lenses will be on the increase as 3D TV can be enjoyed in your very own front room! 

LG Electronics will release their first 3D LCD TV with a substantially sized 47 inch screen to the Korean market next month, armed with confidence that demand for 3DTV will be high, in fact LG estimates the 3D television market will exceed 30 million units by 2012.

Regardless of the distance or direction of the viewer, apparently the 3D affect will not be compromised, the only slight downside however, is at present in order to enjoy the full eye popping 3D content it seems likely that a PC will be required.

As of yet, there is no news as to when the UK will be graced with such forward thinking innovation. But needless to say, we shall be following this trend with great interest.

What are you thoughts on this – would you purchase a LCD 3DTV?

LED sets offering better black levels and improved colour fidelity have breathed new life into LCD TV sales according to iSuppli, with the units sold said to escalate to 90 million in 2013 which compares to just 438,000 units circulated in 2008.

It is predicted that by 2013 the LED sales will account for a considerable 39% of all LCD TVs sold. There used to be a significant price difference between LED and traditional CCFL (cold cathode fluorescent lamps) lit televisions, but it is believed the price burden is expected to drop and analysts are expecting that the next wave of LED LCD TV models will be significantly cheaper than current offerings.

Improved refresh rates with LCD TV screens are also contributing to booming rates according to rival research company DisplaySearch, apparently screens offering double and quadruple frame rates will top the 22.5 million mark this year.

Panasonic have launched new two Full HD Compact Cameras and have proudly proclaimed them to be the ‘worlds lightest’.

Despite their small size, weighing in at less than 230g, both the HDC-SD10 and HDC-TM10 are loaded with impressive technological features.

The DS10 and TM10 HD camcorders differ only with their recording format – the SD10 records to SD/SDHC Memory Card, while the TM10 offers 8GB built in memory and SD/SDHC Memory Card recording.

Both have 16x optical zoom, an auto exposure tracking feature, automatic scene mode capability, face detection, intelligent contrast control and optical image stabilisation, useful for when in motion.

Panasonic say both of these HD Camcorders will automatically power on in 1.9 seconds after the LCD is flipped so events can be captured as they happen. There is also the Pre-Rec function which continuously records 3 seconds of images onto the internal buffer so you don’t miss any action – perfect for eliminating those moments when the record button is pressed too late.

These compact HD Camcorders are light, fit easily in a handbag or palm without causing fatigue and have the requirements to produce top quality images. However, with the constant advancement in technology today, how long will Panasonic be able to hold on to claim of producing the ‘worlds lightest’ camcorder? 

The Panasonic HDC-SD10 and HDC-TM10 will be available in the UK from June 2009.

With the channels launching HD programmes picking up speed, Channel Five is the latest to have received a license to transmit high definition TV programmes from 2010.

Top shows such as The Gadget Show, CSI and the UEFA Europa League can be enjoyed in glorious high defination once the digital switchover begins.

The plan is to initially broadcast both standard definition and high definition programmes at peak times with Five predicting to share its HD slot with another broadcaster during the daytime hours, there are also predicted to and supply other services such as video-on-demand (VOD) in HD overnight. There is also said to be plans for blockbuster movie premieres to be broadcasted in HD from late 2010.

Channel Five faced fierce competition from both Channel 4 and S4C for the Freeview HD slot, Ofcom said "Both bids were of high quality, but after careful consideration we decided that the application from Channel Five fulfilled the various criteria more fully than the application from C4 and S4C”.

If you haven’t yet got a LCD TV to enjoy the benefits of high definition viewing, Giant Buyer have a great selection available which can be viewed here.

Source: What HiFi

According to the 2009 Digital Entertainment Survey, 75% of UK consumers want to watch internet content on their living room television screens – in fact it is the most desirable home entertainment requirement of the moment which underlines the need for faster broadband speed across the UK.

Interestingly, the demand for internet enabled TVs was not just among the young – 77% of males and 61% of females in the 45-54 year old age group expressed an interest. Of the 17% who already have internet enabled TVs; 28% are teenage boys.

"Internet on the main television is set to become a mass market reality within a short period," explained Russell Hart, Chief Executive of Entertainment Media Research.

Currently, Sony and Samsung are the two manufacturers that have released internet enabled LCD TVs, however following this report this may change quite rapidly in the future.

Source: Techradar

The competition to release the smallest and thinnest of LCD TVs continues and JVC have proudly launched a new contender into the ‘thin battle’ with the JVC GD-32X1 which is just 6.6cm thick and weighs just 5.7kg.

Until now, Sony were the market leaders with their 9.9mm thick LCD TV and although both Samsung and LG have announced LCD TVs with screens as thin as 6mm, they have not yet been released into the consumer market.

The ultra slim GD-32X1 boasts an impressive 400cd/m2 brightness with a contrast ratio of 4,000:1 and a Genessa Premium unique video engine that promises optimal picture quality it comes with two HDMI inputs, RGB, component and composite ports.

At the moment JVC are marketing this ultra slim LCD TV to businesses who want to add an impressive video to different locations such as a sliding door, picture frame or window frame.

Source: What HiFi

We are very pleased to announce the new range of LCD TVs now available.

The stunning Sony Bravia range – all stylishly designed with cutting edge leading features, blurred images are a thing of the past with Sonys picture technology, and LG LCD TVs, another top manufacturer who continually deliver high performing LCD TVs. For more information on this products, click on the link below.

• Sony KDL32V5500U 32 inch LCD TV – Eco-friendly with Bravia Engine 2 technology
• Sony KDL37S5500 37 Inch LCD TV – Budget-conscious and energy saving. Low on price, high on features.
• Sony KDL40Z4500 40 inch LCD TV  – Stunning picture quality with 200Hz Motionflow technology
• Sony KDL46Z4500 46 Inch LCD TV – Sleekly designed, crammed with features and Motionflow 200Hz technology
• LG 19LS4D 19 inch LCD TV – Smallest HD ready Freeview LCD TV, perfect for the office, study or bedroom
• LG 22LG3000 22 Inch LCD TV – Packed with features including the Game Mode option to enhance gameplay.