LATEST ADDITIONS

Blu-ray
Captain America: The First Avenger
Anton van Beek  |  Jan 01, 2012  |  0 comments

The final part of the foundations for next summer’s superhero 'battle royale' The Avengers are set with the arrival of Captain America: The First Avenger. Directed by journeyman filmmaker Joe (Jurassic Park III) Johnson, the film is a surprising treat, mixing gung-ho WWII action with plenty of superhero spectacle. Chris Evans does excellent work in the lead, and Hugo Weaving proves an enjoyable foil as the diabolical Red Skull.

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Blu-ray
Rise of the Planet of the Apes
Anton van Beek  |  Dec 29, 2011  |  0 comments

Maybe it was the horrible aftertaste of what Tim Burton’s remake did to the franchise, but for some reason nobody really expected too much from this contemporary prequel to the beloved 1968 sci-fi classic. But, thanks to its smart storytelling, winning performances and groundbreaking visual effects (a vital issue here, as the main character is a combination of CG effects and Andy Serkis’ motion-captured performance) Rise of the Planet of the Apes is one of the year’s best and most satisfying blockbusters.

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Subwoofers
Velodyne SPL-800 Ultra (£1,000)
Ed Selley  |  Dec 13, 2011  |  0 comments
Like a wolf in sheep’s clothing Adam Rayner finds that the power behind this sub belies its cute size

If you have a copy of Men in Black II or even Stuart Little II on DVD then you have the 2001-2002 Academy Award-winning animated short, The ChubbChubbs. Its stars are some impossibly cute, fuzzy things that look like ducklings with noses like piglets – yet they turn out to be scary monsters with huge teeth and a terrifyingly large appetite.

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Subwoofers
Wharfedale SPC-10 (£300)
Ed Selley  |  Dec 13, 2011  |  0 comments
Wharfedale is one of the UK speaker brands that has been in my awareness for longer than most as it makes stuff that is generally better VFM than just about anyone. And that keen value continues today with this particular line of subs, the PowerCube. This woofer comes in 8in, 10in and 12in flavours and I reckon it’d be brilliant if it also came in a 15in or an 18in, as Wharfedale has packed some lovely stuff in here, but the price is kept low, despite recent increases in the cost of electronics from China.
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Blu-ray Players
Marantz UD7006 universal Blu-ray player review
Steve May  |  Dec 13, 2011  |  0 comments
Musical maverick Not just another cookie cutter disc spinner, Marantz’s new Universal Blu-ray deck has a mind of its own. Steve May explains

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Blu-ray Players
Panasonic DMR-PWT500 review
Ed Selley  |  Dec 13, 2011  |  0 comments
Dual-function fun Panasonic’s combination PVR and disc-spinner is slick and convenient, reckons Steve May, but a larger HDD would be welcome

You might think that a Blu-ray player with a Freeview HD recorder shoehorned into its case would suffer from clicks and thrums, or that co-habitation would add unflattering pounds.

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Blu-ray Players
Sony BDP-SX1
Ed Selley  |  Dec 13, 2011  |  0 comments
Sony frees Blu-ray In this age of tablets and video streaming is there still room for a portable Blu-ray player? Sony thinks so. Steve May takes some BDs on the road

If you’ve been building a collection of Blu-ray discs you may well be wondering how you’re going to watch your movies on the move. Ripping BDs is impractical and, despite a great deal of puff, digital lockers have yet to open for business. Enter the BDP-SX1, Sony’s first stab at a transportable.

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Loudspeakers
Acoustic Energy Compact Neo review
Ed Selley  |  Dec 13, 2011  |  0 comments
Six shooter hits all its targets in style A package that goes one speaker better than the rest, says Ed Selley

In the same week when all six Star Wars films appear on Blu-ray with a brand, spanking new six-channel soundtrack, Acoustic Energy has launched the Compact Neo 6.1 system. This £850 setup matches the existing Neo subwoofer with six Compact One speakers.

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Loudspeakers
Definitive Technology Mythos review
Ed Selley  |  Dec 13, 2011  |  0 comments
Radiating power Danny Philips is impressed by the punch delivered by these slim Jims, and he can’t wait to get them up on his wall alongside his flatpanel TV

Finding the right speaker system to go with a wall-mounted TV can be tricky, but this one is built to deliver the same sort of dynamism and punch as full-size speakers, according to the makers.

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Loudspeakers
Jamo S426 HCS3 & SUB260 review
Ed Selley  |  Dec 13, 2011  |  0 comments
Full-range frugal audio Danny Phillips auditions a 5-channel system that’s got legs

Danish brand Jamo has been exciting home cinema senses for years with killer audio kit that won’t break the bank. A case in point is the £260 S426 HCS3, a system that features a pair of 910mm-high S426 floorstanding speakers at the front, which isn’t something you’d expect for this price. They’re joined by a pair of bookshelf surround channels (S420 SUR) and a centre speaker (S420 CEN). The system doesn’t come with a subwoofer as standard, but you can add the SUB 260, which incredibly costs more (£300) than the rest of the package put together…

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