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Can Sony's 'TransferJet' tech banish cables?

Ian Robson — 1209735240

With Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and soon Ultra WideBand and Wireless USB polluting our airwaves, why does Sony think another wireless technology will prove a success?

Unlike the four mentioned above, Sony's TransferJet technology isn't proposed as a disruptive transmission force: it uses electric induction to transmit data rather than the radiation field antennas used by 802.11 Wi-Fi kit.

This means that TransferJet won't interfere with or be degraded by any surrounding radio signals – and this includes natural interference. Most personal area network applications don't need to be wireless over any significant distance.

Could TransferJet replace USB cables?

Think about what you use wired USB for now; it’s mostly suited to transferring large data files from external storage devices, or perhaps synchronising your smartphone. The common thread is that you are usually not too far away from the device you are transferring to.

What users want is an untethered and seamless connection to a large number of consumer electronics devices, with no setup, no interrogating interface and no connection drop-out when you least expect it.

An exclusive demo at Sony’s Tokyo headquarters revealed the potential of TransferJet. Once a close proximity connection is recognised, TransferJet’s induction coils jump into life with almost instant device ID recognition.

"Just touch two electronic products together and files are transferred automatically. TransferJet eliminates the complex setup procedures required by existing wireless systems, and no access point is necessary. Furthermore, users are also able to register their electronic products to enable TransferJet to recognize specific products. For example, by registering only the devices within their household, users can prevent external data leakage. Operation is also very intuitive, and as there is no host/target relationship, data transfer can take place between mobile phones and PCs for example, as well as between mobile devices." - Sony Develops New Close Proximity Wireless Transfer Technology "TransferJet"

Putting the 'jet' into TransferJet

In each case, the receiving device connected in about a second and transferred around 40 high-res JPEGs in a few more seconds to a connected display. A similarly seamless demonstration was given of a 1080p HD video playing on the screen.

With TransferJet’s real-world transfer rate of around 375Mbps, there’s even enough headroom for simultaneous applications.

With wireless technologies criticised for draining the power from diminutive devices, we asked Sony how much energy TransferJet required for operation. While Sony is playing its cards clse to its chest, it told us that the power used by TransferJet (per bit of data transferred) is a mere fraction of that used by other wireless technologies such as Wireless USB, 802.11a/g and Bluetooth 2.0.

Sony seems to have a front running attitude to what’s required for the public at large. And more importantly, it’s demonstrating full working products already.

Updated: Is a Blu-ray player really worth buying?

Ian Calcutt — 1207839600

High-definition TVs are everywhere but the vast majority of what people watch on them is still old fashioned standard-def material. There are now plenty of choices for getting spectacular HD content onto the screen, not least of which is Blu-ray.

However, there are also lots of HD movies on Sky, you can upscale any DVD to near-HD levels of quality and there's the promise of Freeview HD by 2012. Blu-ray might have won the format war, but is a Blu-ray player really worth getting?

"No," says Ian Calcutt

Blu-ray is not the only way to enjoy an HD quality picture. A good upscaling DVD player (like the Denon DVD-1730 ) will cost a fraction of the price of a next-gen disc spinner, even producing 1080p resolutions in some cases. DVD is hardly about to die out.

Blu-ray hardware is expensive. It's all very well if you're a gamer and have a PlayStation 3 (by far the best Blu-ray player, by the way), but home cinema buffs have to pay over the odds for a decent standalone player.

Ok, so the format war between Blu-ray and HD DVD did create consumer confusion. But the competition did drive hardware prices down to almost ludicrously low levels. Did you know that since HD DVD bowed out, prices of some Blu-ray players have actually gone up?!

HD DVD was pretty finalised as a spec, but Blu-ray's hardware and software are still evolving. Some older Blu-ray players have no Ethernet ports for accessing upgrades and interactive disc features via broadband. Many also lack outputs to make the most of the picture and sound that discs can deliver. Some players don't support 7.1 channel audio and many don't meet the latest v1.3 spec of HDMI , allowing for better colour and lip-sync. Don't buy a Blu-ray player unless it supports the full Profile 2.0 spec.

You can get HD movies, sport, drama and documentaries from satellite and cable TV. Both platforms also use PVR technology for on-demand HD viewing.

Finally, the internet will become an increasingly important way to deliver HD. So, unless you really must build up a collection of discs on your shelf, why do you even need another disc player? Microsoft's Xbox Live already offers HD downloads to subscribers and you should expect other download services (including Apple's iTunes) to follow suit in the future. Why do we need another disc format, when digital delivery is obviously the next big thing?

"Yes," says Matt Hastings

Blu-ray won the high-def disc war, so it's the only way to watch true HD movies on your TV (unless you're a Sky HD or Virgin Media subscriber).

Even the best upscaling DVD players are no match for genuine HD source material. Why stick with DVD's dated video system (based on very lossy MPEG-2 compression) and rely on an upscaler's guesswork at what bits of the image are missing? Get the whole thing for real on Blu-ray disc. For those movies you still own on DVD, Blu-ray players upscale too, so you get the best of both worlds.

The average TV is getting bigger as technology improves and relative prices come down. Normal DVD pictures are going to start looking increasingly worse in the months and years to come. As a delivery system for HD, Blu-ray is a natural fit for big TVs.

Blu-ray can support films in the higher quality 1080p progressive scan format. Some players also offer a 24 frames-per-second output for as close a match to the original cinema copy as possible. You don't get 1080p with HDTV broadcasts and HD DVD players are not yet 24fps-compatible.

The audio capabilities of Blu-ray also far exceed those of DVD. Lossless high-end formats such as Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD are making movies sound as good as they did to the engineers in the mastering suite.

Like computer memory, you rarely realise how much you're going to want until you're outgrowing your system. At 50GB, Blu-ray has the highest capacity among disc-based media. And its future potential for storing top-notch pictures and high-bandwidth sound is currently unbeatable. Blu-ray can also be put to many other uses, from HD computer games on Sony's PS3 to backing up massive amounts of PC data.

Updated: 10 of the best 32-inch HD TVs

John Archer — 1207825200

Did you know that 32-inch TVs have apparently now been usurped by 37-inch models as the UK's TV size of choice? Nevertheless, the humble 32-incher still has a heck of a lot to offer. It satisfies two completely different buyers: people after a decent-sized TV for their decent-sized living room; and those more TV-centric people who fancy a second high-def TV in the house.

So now that we've established just how many of you could potentially be interested in buying a 32-inch LCD, it's time we got down to business. Here's TechRadar's Top Ten best 32-inch TVs... all HD ready, of course... (prices quoted are best online prices as of 10 April)

10. Sharp LC32AD5E, £449

The LC32AD5E is Sharp’s current entry-level, HD Ready set with no frills and an appealing price.

An extensive selection of connections include the now de rigueur two HDMIs (version 1.2 not 1.3, sadly), a component video input and a PC port. It's a good-looking set, and while colours can tend to look a little off-key during dark scenes, the performance is good for the price point. The factory picture settings don't do the Sharp LC32AD5E justice.

The occasional weak colour tones are counter balanced by some really intense, vibrant saturations. And we were also impressed by the crispness of the LC32AD5E’s HD playback. [Read the full Sharp LC32AD5E review]

Key specs: * 1366x768 native resolution * Digital tuner * two HDMI inputs * VGA port * 19kg

9. Hitachi 32LD9700, £689

There was a time when this now slightly ageing LCD TV was pretty much state of the art. But it's now being usurped from its class-leading position by younger, fitter models. Nevertheless, its punchy, noiseless, colour-rich and ultra-stable pictures, neat design and unusually wide viewing angle still combine to make it one to consider. Especially now that age appears to have substantially withered its price... [Read full Hitachi 32LD9700 review]

Key specs: * 1366x768 native resolution * Digital tuner * Picture Master HD processing * two HDMI inputs * 28kg (weight)

8. Panasonic Viera TX-32LXD700, £700

This is the first of three Panasonic LCD models to make our top 10 - not bad for a brand supposedly more into plasma. With outstanding pictures and features galore, the 32LXD700 is actually Panasonic's flagship 32-inch LCD.

So why isn't it higher up our chart? Because we don't think its distinguishing features of an extra HDMI port, SD card slot and more powerful speaker system justify the price hike over the brand's cheaper models. [Read full Panasonic Viera TX-32LXD700 review]

Key specs: * 1366x768 native resolution * Digital tuner * V-Real 2 and 100Hz processing * two HDMI inputs * 19kg (weight)

7. Panasonic Viera TX-32LMD70, £434

And so we come to Panasonic's second top 10 model. And this one's actually the brand's entry-level offering. Which means that, as well as the third HDMI, SD card slot and enhanced audio of the 32LXD700, it also lacks that model's 100Hz processing for smoother, crisper motion handling.

But while we do certainly miss 100Hz here, the set still manages to deliver a performance that trounces the majority of its direct competitors. [Read full Panasonic Viera TX-32LMD70 review]

Key specs: 1366x768 native resolution * Digital tuner * V-Real 2 processing * two HDMI inputs * 19kg (weight)

6. Sony KDL-32D3000, £599

In terms of specifications and features, the first of Sony's 'proper' second-generation Bravia LCDs is outstanding. New v1.3 HDMIs, 100Hz processing, 24fps signal handling and 10-bit colour reproduction join the already impressive Bravia Engine imaging system.

Our only quibble is that it's hard to appreciate the full worth of some of these features on a 32-inch screen, which makes the TV look a touch expensive. [Read full Sony KDL-32D3000 review]

Key specs: 1366x768 native resolution * Digital tuner * Bravia and 100Hz processing * three v1.3 HDMI inputs * 17.5kg (weight)

5. Philips 32PF9641D, £678

Philips has a confusing habit of using different generations of its Pixel Plus picture processing system on different models across its LCD range. And it turns out that the Pixel Plus version on the 32PF9641D is now two generations old.

But that doesn't stop the TV from producing superbly sharp, detailed, colour-rich and high-contrast images. Instead it just means you can pick the set up for a relative song. Kerching! [Read full Philips 32PF9641D review]

Key specs: 1366x768 native resolution * Digital tuner * Pixel Plus 2 HD processing * two HDMI inputs * 23kg (weight)

4. LG 32LB75, £479

Obviously we're not so shallow as to be seduced by looks alone. But, well, they do help... And anyway, even though the first TV from LG's new Design Art range is possibly the prettiest 32-inch TV ever, that's certainly not the end of its charms. It also boasts all manner of excellent features - including 1080p/24fps compatibility and LG's XD Engine processing - and comfortably LG's best LCD pictures yet.

Key specs: 1366x768 native resolution * Digital tuner * Advanced XD Engine processing * three HDMI inputs * 12.6kg (weight)

3. Panasonic Viera TX-32LXD70, £599

We've picked Panasonic's mid-range 32-inch LCD, the 32LXD70, as the brand's highest-placed model for the simple reason that it seems to offer the best combination of price and features.

Plus, of course, with 100Hz processing on hand to join the ever-dependable Panasonic V-Real image engine, its pictures are an absolute joy from start to finish. [Read full Panasonic Viera TX-32LXD70 review]

Key specs: 1366x768 native resolution * Digital tuner * V-Real 2 and 100Hz processing * two HDMI inputs * 23kg (weight)

2. Samsung LE-32R87BD, £406

Samsung's enviable position as the world's biggest producer of LCD screens means it can sell LCD TVs like the 32R87BD at prices rival brands frankly have to crucify themselves to match.

Crucially, the 32R87BD's appeal isn't exclusively its groundbreaking price. It's also adorable to look at, crammed with unexpected features and flexibility, and - with the exception of a little motion blur - a really excellent performer to boot. [Read full Samsung LE-32R87BD review]

Key specs: 1366x768 native resolution * Digital tuner * DNIe and Movie Plus processing * three HDMI inputs * 13.1kg (weight)

1. Philips 32PFL9632D, £763

This Philips model may not be the most expensive in our top 10, but it's also comfortably the best. Driving it right to the top of our 32-inch pile is its remarkable new Perfect Pixel Engine processing, which works in tandem with an innovative multi-source backlight system to largely eradicate LCD's problems with motion handling. At the same time, it serves up sensational sharpness, colours and black levels. Truly benchmark stuff. [Read full Philips 32PFL9632D review]

Key specs: 1366x768 native resolution * Digital tuner * Perfect Pixel Engine processing * three HDMI inputs * 18.2kg (weight)

Interview: Philips on what's next for the digital home

Mary Branscombe — 1203079517

As the head of R&D for Philips, Johan van de Ven ought to know what’s going to happen in the technology market. We asked him to give us his predictions for the future of home and mobile entertainment.

Now we’ve all got flat screens and HD systems, what’s next? Will we all be putting a PC in the living room? If you look at connectivity in the home - the jury is still out. But in general, we still have a few big hurdles especially for internet connected products and wireless connectivity in the home. What a consumer is still looking for is the value proposition - what is in it for me?

But probably even more important is how do I operate it in a simple way? People are puzzled - they are actually taken aback by the complexity of setting things up. Sometimes it works flawlessly and you are pleasantly surprised, but mostly it’s still a job that requires lot of attention, a lot of time, a lot of manuals - which I think is keeping us back.

Why is connectivity still so tricky?
Standards are still not mature everywhere. There’s the 11s [802.11 wireless standards] but also something as simple as HDMI. HDMI is more or less a standard but in the new versions there are still disputes among the founders, what exactly should be in and what’s not, and that doesn’t make life easier for consumer.

And what’s the Philips solution?
We have to create more simplicity and better user interfaces. The PC has become an intrinsic part of the equation. But the PC is almost a synonym for complexity. It’s difficult to set up. When you plug all the cables then the misery starts. The moment people have to start looking for the manuals you know you have missed the opportunity.

If you browse through the manual of a Philips product in the future, you will still be able to find out which connectivity standards it uses - 802.11 g, a, b, n, or anything else - but you will have to browse through and look for the technology specs. Consumers shouldn’t have to care.

What services do people want? Is the digital home still about music and video and TV – or is it home automation and remote control?
In the US most households now have more than one set top box in the home; with DirecTV the average is three. People want to have one of these boxes and connect them up wirelessly and connect the other rooms through this one central point.

I have a lot of MP3 music on the hard disk and I have some sort of a home network - but I still have problems making it work all the time which means I'm copying USB disks all the same time.

Consumers would like access to their music from all the rooms in their home from the same source where it’s being managed. With multimedia we’re further along the learning curve than home automation and control but there’s also energy and sustainability.

The user interface for all of this is going to be very important. If you want to manage your music and video content from another room then you have to have the user interface to browse and to stream; user interface and remote control is very much part of the solution.

And that’s true for home automation. Lighting, climate, temperature in your home, maybe even moisture control, multimedia content, security - they can all go through the same system. I absolute see this coming. But we’re missing the standards, we’re missing the ecosystems and we’re missing the business models.

Are mobile phones going to become music players and portable TVs? Are we going to connect them in the living room?
I have a [Nokia] N95 and I use my phone as an MP3 player which is a trend - most people will be doing that in the future. We have worked with Nokia but it’s extremely challenging to make this really work.

Flash is growing at an amazing rate; 8GB storage sticks are becoming normal, soon it will be 16 and 32GB. You’ll have unlimited storage on the flash memory - why shouldn’t you be able to use your mobile phone as your NAS?

You can enjoy video wherever you have a screen to enjoy it. There’s TV content that’s relevant on the go - news flashes, certain long tail content, YouTube clips. There’s already video on mobile phones. But people want to really enjoy premium video in an environment where you have everything you want.

We want to bring something more than just a TV picture, to try to create a total experience in the TV room or the media room or the home cinema. It’s also about light and sound and video. TV on your mobile - would you pay for a subscription? Will you look at ads? Will there be TV on mobile - there will. Is it the same TV experience as TV at home – no.

HP stokes the digital home fire

Simon Pickstock — 1199871900

Thought the 'digital home' was dead? That it was a buzzword without any real substance to it? Think again, because HP is showing the digital home some love with its new Digital Media Receiver (DMR), connected HD TV and Media Vault NAS.

The HP MediaSmart receiver hooks up to your HD TV, enabling you to watch video, view photos and listen to audio, from multiple PCs scattered around your home. The link can either be wireless, using any of the 802.11a/b/g and draft N protocols, or by Ethernet cable/Powerline.

Smart media devices

The receiver itself is designed to work with Windows XP and Vista Media Center PCs, as well as UPnP devices, such as NAS media servers. And so it won't look out of place in anybody's digital home, the MediaSmart receiver has a "stylish, high-gloss, piano black finish" with the same "Zen" Imprint pattern that adorns its new Pavillion laptops.

HP has also updated its range of HD TVs under the same MediaSmart branding. The TVs now stretch to full 1080p resolutions and include built-in Windows Media Center Extender technology (like the MediaSmart receiver and the Xbox 360). They also have three HDMI ports, wired and wireless network connections and a back-lit universal remote that can control up to four additional media devices.

To complete the line up, HP has also introduced a range of media-sever NAS devices, called Media Vaults. As well as acting as additional storage, the units can serve up photos and stream iTunes music. The entry level mv2100 series has 500GB of storage, while the Media Vault Pro mv5100, is available in 1TB and 1.5TB versions. No prices have been released.

SlingCatcher finally sees the light of day

Kieran Potts — 1199805826

SlingCatcher is back! First announced in 2007 and originally due for release before Christmas, the SlingCatcher - indeed, a new and improved SlingCatcher - has been re-announced at CES.

SlingMedia's SlingCatcher has a singular role: to gather content from multiple sources and make it available on your TV. It can receive that content from many sources.

Slingboxing clever

For instance, SlingCatcher can work with a SlingBox to take content from one TV in your house and display it on another. Alternatively, PC content could be gathered on a central USB mass storage device using the SlingSync feature. Or the SlingProjector option takes any PC-based video content - from YouTube, say - and sends it to your TV.

In short, the SlingCatcher is like a set-top box that captures video content from a range of different sources and makes it available to your home cinema system.

"SlingCatcher... [is] capable of pulling content from disparate places and consolidating them onto a single TV screen," says SlingMedia, "giving the customer complete control of their personal media".

And an upgrade to the useful SlingPlayer software - unimaginatively called SlingPlayer 2.0 and bundled with the SlingCatcher - adds an EPG, the ability to grab clips of TV programmes to share online, and a 60-second video buffer to pause and rewind live telly.

Content, content everywhere

SlingMedia's solution to the digital home concept is taking a more convincing shape. The idea is to offer a range of different products that solve different problems with regard to moving and accessing content between devices.

You can buy into any one part of the 'Sling' system to resolve a particular content issue, or invest in the whole lot for a more complete multi-room solution.

SlingCatcher - with three built-in applications: SlingPlayer for TV, SlingSync, and SlingProjector - is the best place to start if you want to consolidate your content. Add a couple of Slingboxes and you have a multi-room solution. Or wait for the forthcoming Slingbox PRO-HD and you've got yourself a multi-room high-definition video solution. Hurrah!

The 'digital home' in action

The SlingCatcher box has standard and high definition AV outputs (including HDMI), as well as the usual analogue and digital audio outs. For networking there's an Ethernet jack, or you could invest in a SlingLink powerline Ethernet adapter or Sling's new wireless USB adapter (called SlingLink Wireless - but you probably guessed that).

Sling.com - which currently has a 'coming soon' notice on the homepage - will become a hub of content clips posted by SlingCapture users. The 'Clip+Sling' feature on the SlingPlayer 2.0 client software allows users to capture snippets of programmes and post them to this website, for sharing with friends or the Sling user-base at large. It'll be interesting to follow the uptake of this service and, if it proves popular, to see how long it will take before broadcasters kick up a fuss.

The SlingCatcher is - apparently - due for release in the UK later in 2008.

Blu-ray, HD DVD to hit critical mass in 2008

Rob Mead — 1197936000

The battle between Blu-ray Disc and HD DVD formats should be decided in Britain next year after Christmas shoppers revealed their planned purchases for 2008.

54 per cent of shoppers said they'd definitely switch to one of the two formats in the next 12 months, with 39 per cent saying they'd make the change even sooner - within the next six. The shoppers were surveyed by the Digital Entertainment Group Europe (DEGE), which promotes standard and high definition movie formats in the UK.

As far as this Christmas goes, the overwhelming majority of those surveyed are sticking with DVDs as gifts for family and friends. DEGE says 78 per cent of shoppers plan to give DVDs this Christmas, compared to 68 per cent last. Of those planning to buy one or more movies, 82 per cent said they were buying DVDs, compared with 9 per cent for Blu-ray and HD DVD gifts combined.

Next PlayStation 3 update lands 18 December

Dean Evans — 1197849600

Our colleagues over at CVG.com are reporting that Sony's PlayStation 3 will get its next firmware update tomorrow (18 December).

The new 2.10 software will add Profile 1.1 support to the PS3's Blu-ray capabilities, enabling it to support new on-disc features such as picture-in-picture video.

Blu-ray Profile 1.1

In fact, the Profile 1.1 specification adds several improvements to Blu-ray's initial Profile 1.0 standard. The picture-in-picture functionality is made possible by making secondary audio and video decoders mandatory requirements on new Blu-ray players, along with 256MB of persistent local storage and a virtual file system.

As a games system with a hard disk, the PS3 already meets (and exceeds) the Profile 1.1 specification. Because what Profile 1.1 doesn't do is make internet connectivity a required feature - few Blu-ray players come with an Ethernet port as standard and the Profile 1.1 spec doesn't force manufacturers to add it. The PS3, of course, already features an Ethernet port for online gaming and internet access.

Beyond dragging the PS3 up to Profile 1.1, the 2.10 firmware update will also add DivX and WMV support. This will bring the PS3's talents in line with Microsoft's Xbox 360, which has recently benefited from its own DivX-adding firmware update.

BBC iPlayer better, but TV shows missing

Dan Grabham — 1197504000

The BBC iPlayer has unveiled a slew of enhancements ahead of its full publicity drive from Christmas onward. Streaming of all programmes is now available from the site for Windows, Mac and Linux users, and you don't have to register or sign-in to download. Windows Vista users are also included in the download scheme.

"Windows XP and Vista users will have an improved version of Download Manager (formerly the Library) available to them," says Jon, a BBC message board moderator.

Our first impression of the streaming is that it's actually surprisingly good in terms of quality and doesn't look too bad in full-screen mode. However, be warned: you will need to have the latest version of Adobe's Flash Player if you want to go full screen. And you'll need to reset your browser and possibly your machine in order to get it to work.

'Making the unmissable, unmissable'

However, all is not rosy, since many programmes have not been available for days. One of the board moderators seemed to suggest that the external agency providing the programme encoding had not been at the top of their game.

One of the problem programmes is Sunday's Top Gear which some people are struggling to download, and others can only stream. We've asked the Beeb to comment on this, as it rather makes a joke out of its new strapline for the iPlayer: 'making the unmissable, unmissable'.

As for other features, the BBC Radio Player has been rebranded as BBC iPlayer radio, but the two are not yet integrated apart from by cross-linking.

Xbox 360 HD DVD Emulator makes debut

James Rivington — 1197504000

Microsoft today announced the release of the Xbox 360 HD DVD Emulator. It means film studios and disc authoring companies can model the behaviour of HD DVD disc content in a virtual environment before committing to burning a single hard copy. Crucially, costs aren't prohibitive, so smaller companies will also be able to author discs.

It's among the first commercially available, software-based system of its kind, eliminating the need for expensive hardware or time-consuming and costly trial-and-error processes for testing HD DVD titles.

All optical discs need vigorous testing before mass production to ensure the yield rate of each batch is as high as possible. The interactive content used on HD DVD discs increases the need for an efficient way to troubleshoot the discs.

Commitment to HD DVD

The emulator uses a the Xbox 360 and the Xbox 360 HD DVD drive alongside specialised emulation software to playback of near-final disc images from a network store or portable hard drive.

The system enables testing of the layout, menus and interactive content. "We are committed to supporting and advancing the HD DVD ecosystem, and the new Xbox 360 HD DVD Emulator reflects these efforts by providing developers with the software-based tools they need to efficiently deliver the highest-quality content," said Jordi Ribas, general manager of HD DVD at Microsoft.

"Microsoft developed the Emulator to help save studios and postproduction houses time, resources and costs involved with the creation of HD DVD content, and let them focus on what really matters — pushing the envelope with the format."

Setting up the Xbox 360 HD DVD Emulator simply requires establishing a connection to Xbox Live, navigating to the Download Games menu and adding the Emulator software to the hard drive of the Xbox 360 console. However, it costs a fair amount of cash. The one-time licensing fee is $2,999 (£1,489).