TechRadar UK Blogs: TechRadar AV

Any movie can now be a 3D movie. That's the promise of Mitsubishi America, as it took the wraps off an astonishing new 3D TV system at the 2009 CES. The company has partnered with graphics experts Nvidia to offer US consumers a 3D experience that requires no more than a transmitter and single pair of shutter 3D glasses.

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When Sony announced its BDV-IT1000 5.1 Blu-ray system at 2008's European IFA tech expo, it predictably made headlines. Elegant and striking, the kit seemed a perfect mash-up of cutting-edge video tech and contemporary aesthetics.

But while much of the coverage focused on the fact it was a pretty-credible looking Blu-ray entertainment centre, the real story lies in the speaker technology behind the system. To make the BDV-IT1000 possible Sony had to reinvent the audio wheel.

The Japanese Corporation charged its audio engineers with developing speakers no wider than a Yakuza's finger. The concept, codenamed Pocky after the popular local chocolate pretzel snack, was eventually made reality through the creation of radical new drivers which measure a mere 16mm wide, 118mm tall and 25mm deep.

Home Cinema Choice was recently given exclusive hands-on time with the new system as well as more insights into the astounding driver technology behind the speakers, at Sony's Tokyo R&D facility.

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With decades of experience in home entertainment technology, Toshiba continues to claim a spot in the AV limelight. Even after withdrawing from the hi-def player battle last year, it recently added a whole new level of energy to the perennial debate about picture quality with the introduction of XDE (eXtended Detail Enhancement) picture processing to standard definition DVD.

Its debut XD-E500 player shocked many by actually living up to the hype which preceded it. The evidence was onscreen for all to see. Toshiba's engineers had indeed found a way to squeeze a pinch more clarity out of regular DVDs. The critics raved and sales have been good.

Some have purchased the player to enjoy a performance boost while sitting out the early days of Blu-ray and/or the credit crunch, yet more probably bought into the concept simply because it made their existing DVD collections look better.

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Shock waves rippled through the high-end AV community when Pioneer, famed for the quality of its Kuro TVs, announced that it was closing its plasma factories and buying panels from rival Panasonic instead.

So would the brand's current 9th generation models be the last to offer its trademark black levels and outstanding picture performance?

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Like all good romances, the relationship looked precarious at times. But it now looks certain that Panasonic will acquire Sanyo, following stakeholder Goldman Sachs acceptance of Panasonic's latest share offer.

Initially, the financial giant, one of three main shareholders in Sanyo, baulked at Panasonic's 120 yen per share offer, claiming it was too low.

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