Two Canadian telecommunications companies, Rogers and Bell, are rumoured to be testing out Apple iTV in their labs.

After the rather speculative Apple iTV specs offered up in a market research questionnaire by US retailer Best Buy, it's now supposedly popped up in Canada, too.

One anonymous source of Canadian paper The Globe and Mail says of Apple: "They're looking for a partner. They're looking for someone with wireless and broadband capabilities."

Another claims that Rogers and Bell already have Apple iTV in their labs. We would have put it in our living room, but that's just us.

But you chose last time, Siri!

Some more, hazy feature lists have come out as well, with the paper claiming that iTV will have SIri voice-recognition onboard to "help viewers make programming choices".

Apparently, viewers will also be able to use hand gestures, while an on-screen keyboard will let you get busy on the 'net. Giant hands and a very close sofa are presumably required, too.

Testing by telecoms companies suggests that the Apple iTV may be tied into a broadband provider when it finally materialises, but we'll just have to wait and see.

The winners and losers of CES 2012

Now that our jetlag is subsiding, it's time to take a look back at the utter madness that was, and always is, the Consumer Electronics Show.

CES 2012 didn't have a huge amount of absolute stand out kit, but for a time of financial uncertainty, there sure were a lot of launches and the industry certainly hasn't been shy in terms of coming forward with expensive designs.

This was the biggest CES ever, with 1.861 million square feet of exhibit space, beating the previous record from 2008. 153,000 attendees dragged themselves to Las Vegas to traipse the miles around the show and Sin City's infamous megaresort hotels.

So let's look at some of the key themes and check out who did well and who did rather less well.

Ultrabooks are great, but there's a problem

Much to our chagrin, Intel is succeeding in making the Ultrabook moniker stick. Ultrabooks were one of the dominant themes of this CES with so many jumping on the bandwagon to make something that, in basic hardware terms at least, is comparable with the MacBook Air. Trouble is, Intel has a big problem - not that Intel's Mooly Eden would admit it (below). Ultrabooks may be desirable, but they are too expensive. And because of the spec that Intel has put together is tight, it doesn't leave manufacturers much wiggle-room. Hence we're going to see cheaper Ultrabooks, but they'll be lower spec. Core i3 and smaller SSDs won't be uncommon. It's a shame, but inevitable.

Intel does phones

It was also a massive show for Intel as it announced bone fide partners for its Atom chip in smartphones. Lenovo and Motorola have taken a big punt, the latter especially considering its ARM heritage. We can only assume a huge sum of cash was involved. We can't wait to see how this one develops next month at Mobile World Congress 2012 in sunny Barcelona.

Microsoft's move seems odd….

While it's pretty understandable that Microsoft would want to withdraw from doing a keynote talk every year (the last few have been super dull), it seems bizarre that Microsoft would withdraw from having any presence at the show. Still, that's what is currently happening, and the company's massive booth space has already been sold elsewhere for CES 2013. Microsoft's strength is in its partners and it will be happy enough that people like Nokia, Samsung and Lenovo will carry the fight for Windows and Windows Phone – although we'd have expected to see more from the next Xbox by this time next year…

….but they won't be alone

While Microsoft will join Apple has a CES absentee in 2013, we reckon they might join the growing band of companies eschewing a stand in favour of suites at a Las Vegas hotel. Asus and Acer had a presence elsewhere, for example. But while meeting space is allowed, we've seen the CES organisers try and restrict actual exhibiting elsewhere in the past. Dell, who had a massive product and meeting room presence in a separate hotel in 2011, weren't there in 2012 – their key product, the Dell XPS 13, was launched in Intel boss Paul Otellini's keynote.

Nokia is back. Kind of

While the Sony, HTC and LG phone launches at the show were all very nice, Nokia grabbed the headlines. Nokia is beginning from a standing start in the US, but the Lumia 900 was very well received at the show and the when Stephen Elop was joined on stage by Steve Ballmer was a bright moment in a turgid day of press conferences. What's more, a lot of people actually really like Nokia's latest generation of Windows Phones. Even us. The big question, of course, is whether Finland's finest can translate its successful buzz into sales and market share – not only in the US, but elsewhere too.

OLED is still way off mass market

We loved the Samsung and LG 55-inch OLEDs we saw at CES. LG's effort is a ridiculously thin 4mm thick. But while the sets will launch this year, the cost is set to remain probative. $5,000 is the latest estimate for Samsung's Super OLED. Wow. Also interesting was Sony's prototype display technology called Crystal LED, though the company says this new technology is "parallel to its continued development and commercialization of OLED displays." Odd.

The future's in the cloud

Yes, so we've heard it all before. But the OnLive Desktop for iPad really does give us an insight into how we might be using remote computers for tasks more complex than our thin and light portable devices can handle. Here it's about bringing a full desktop experience to the iPad. Clever stuff.

Windows 8 blurs the lines

It's an Ultrabook but it's also a Windows 8 tablet. That's the mantra of one of the finest pieces of hardware we saw at CES 2012, the Lenovo IdeaPad Yoga. It sets the tone for what is set to be a massive year for mobile computing. Windows 8 will drive a whole raft of devices that don't conform to the usual laptop-tablet designations and Intel is also talking about touch-based Ultrabooks too. But, once again, cost will be a massive issue with all of these options. These kind of devices won't undercut the iPad. Broadly-speaking though, we can't wait for 8.

Google TV is getting better

The Sony NSZ-GP7 set-top box and LG G6 Google TV show what Google's TV platform is capable of. And, while it's still not a brilliant solution, it is better than a lot of the existing smart TV platforms that remain slosw to start up and tedious to use.

Pie-in-the-sky prototypes

CES remains the place to show off your prototype kit. But is Razer's Project Fiona gaming tablet (pictured below) really worth bothering about? Despite all the buzz, it's a hugely thick tablet that we're betting won't ever see the light of day. We also thought Intel's Nikiski see-through notebook was just plain weird. It has a clever glass touchpad that doubles up as a touchscreen when you close the lid. Sadly though, What Laptop magazine editor James Stables reminded us of its resemblance to Windows Vista's Sideshow tech. Which was rubbish. In TV, Sharp's prototype 8K panel boasted 7,680 x 4,320 pixels. That's 16 times the resolution of HD. Remember that we hardly have any content for 4K displays as yet let alone 8K…

Well done, Lenovo

Our company of the show comes from an unlikely quarter. It may seem surprising, but Lenovo is all set to be a superpower in consumer electronics. Lenovo started the way they meant to go on, previewing laptops and tablets aplenty at the first CES event for press last Sunday. It even had the token secret device, in the form of the IdeaPad K2. But it didn't stop there. At another event on Monday it showed the awesome IdeaPad Yoga mentioned above. But then on Tuesday, Intel announced Lenovo as the first partner for Intel Atom smartphones before Lenovo uncovered the K800 handset at yet another event. It was a nightmare to cover for us journalists but, in the words of Sir Bruce, didn't they do well?

What's big, hot and makes everybody gasp? That's right: CES, the consumer electronics industry's annual beanfeast and arguably the world's greatest technology showcase.

As ever, it's happening in Las Vegas - and, as ever, the best way to enjoy it is to be as far from Las Vegas as humanly possible.

While some 140,000 attendees will battle one another to get hold of the hottest new gadgets, you'll be able to get the skinny from the comfort of your sofa thanks to our cunningly named Techradar @ CES news hub.

• CES 2012: all the latest news

So what are we excited about? CES is where the big guns of home entertainment show off their most exciting new kit, and we're expecting to see some cool new tellies from the likes of Samsung, whose latest TV designs are positively lickable.

LG will be there too, with some new home theatre systems and an impressively hefty 55-inch OLED display and a 4K TV. If you're not familiar with 4K, it's the latest standard for higher-than-high definition TV: where typical HD resolutions are expressed in vertical lines (720p, 1080p), 4K is horizontal and means resolutions of nearly 4,000 pixels across. Expect to hear a lot of 4K chat at CES.

CES TV announcements won't just be about TVs, though: the lines between TV and computers continue to blur, and Opera will be showing off its TV app store this month while various firms show off internet-enabled Smart TVs.

Gaming, Windows 8 and yet more tablets

Could this year's CES bring good news for gamers? We already know about Nintendo's Wii U, but little internet birdies have been tweeting about the possible unveiling of Microsoft's next console, which probably won't be called the Xbox 720. A CES announcement would certainly steal the march on Sony, whose PlayStation 4 remains a long way in the future, but it all depends on whether Microsoft reckons it's got something to shout about yet.

The biggest of the big deals will be Windows 8, which is going to dominate computing news throughout 2012. Expect to see lots and lots of Windows kit, especially Ultrabooks. Intel and AMD will both be showing off important new PC components including Ivy Bridge processors, the successor to the Sandy Bridge range, and AMD's new Southern Island graphics cards.

Like last year, CES 2012 will have more tablets than you'll find in a branch of Boots. We're particularly excited about the device we've dubbed the GoBot, the Asus Transformer Prime Mini. As the name suggests, it's a Transformer Prime but, er, mini-er. We'll also see the potentially hilarious PadFone and a new version of the Eee Memo Pad.

There's "something big" from Sony Ericsson, which we think means a "super phone" boasting a ridiculously clever 13MP camera and the rubbish codename of LT28at. SE should also take the wraps off its Experia Arc HD, which we're told has an Exmor R camera for superb low-light shooting. It's going to be one of very many top-end smartphones we'll see over the next few days, but we promise not to use the phrase "iPhone Killer". Apart from that bit, just there.

Last but not least, there's this frankly bizarre-sounding bit of kit as described by CES boss Gary Shapiro: "There is a product that is made by a British company which is apparently more effective than IVF for helping a woman figuring out when she should get pregnant and it has a money back guarantee." What on earth could it be? All will be revealed in four days time.

4K TV: what you need to know

TV is gearing up for another revolution in picture quality.

Today's 1920 x 1080 resolution Full HD TVs present us with an image of around 2 million pixels. But a new generation of screens are coming that deliver an 8 million pixel image.

These so called 4K Quad HD, or Super HD, displays, have a resolution of 3840 x 2160 (give or take), and can offer unprecedented picture clarity.

But their introduction will prove complex in the extreme. Introducing a 4K TV isn't like adding LED backlighting to an LCD. It's about orchestrating a seismic shift in the broadcast and entertainment infrastructure, not to mention rewriting the consumer electronics handbook.

4K basics

So why would you want a 4K display?

High def already comes in a variety of flavours, from 1280 x 720 upwards. All offer more picture information than the standard definition formats that came before. The more pixels that make up an image, the more detail you see and the smoother curved and diagonal lines become.

A high pixel count also allows images to go larger before they break up. 4K is already making big inroads into the world of digital cinema.

Of course, perceived picture resolution is as much about viewing distance as resolution. What's the real difference between 720p and 1080p? The answer is about 2 metres. Increase the pixel density and you can sit closer without the pixel grid becoming obvious.

Some engineers dispute that you can see a difference between 2K and 4K on any screen less than 100inches. Go larger and the subtle nuances that make up a 4K picture become easier to appreciate.

4K ON THE WALL: The Sony VPL-VW1000ES home cinema projector is the first true consumer 4K device – yours for £18k

The first genuine 4K consumer product to hit the streets is the Sony VPL-VW1000ES, a home cinema projector that borrows technologies originally developed for the brand's digital cinema projectors. Indeed, the VPL-VW1000ES conforms to the DCI (Digital Cinema Initiative) specification.

NO CONTENT: The Sony VPL-VW1000ES offers a single HDMI input for 4K, but there's no native 4K video content available

Not to be confused with JVC's DLA-X70R and DLA-X90R '4K branded' projectors, which actually deliver a Full HD picture but use pixel-shifting panel technology to produce a more texture image, the Sony VPL-VW1000ES has a native 4k (4096 x 2160) 8.8 million pixel SXRD panel, to deliver true super-high resolution.

The VPL-VW1000ES can accept 4K content over HDMI and display it natively, as well as upconvert any incoming source. Just as well as there's no commercial 4K native content available.

Toshiba first with 4K TV

When it comes to TVs, Toshiba appears to be first at the gate. The soon to be released 55Z2 TV has a 4K 3840 x 2160 pixel resolution screen, and uses a heavyweight multi-core CEVO Engine processor to upscale Full HD sources to its Quad HD panel. Sony, Samsung, Panasonic and LG also have 4K display technology waiting in the wings, but their commercialisation plans are less clear.

The Toshiba 55Z2 is an autostereocopic 3D screen. With no glasses required, it utilises the extra resolution offered by the 4K panel to create nine 3D views filtered through a directional 'lenticular lenslet.'

4K displays and auto-3D technology go hand in hand for many manufacturers who are looking to attribute some practical benefit to super high resolution screens.

A lack of native 4K content is certain to impede the introduction of 4K TV in the early years. But there are huge strides that need to be taken before 4K screens become usable for super high resolution telly-gazing.

Tapping into 4K content

The good news is that there is 4K content available in the vaults of the Hollywood majors. Increasingly movies are mastered at 4K resolution, both for commercial distribution and restoration projects. Hollywood has also begun shooting movies in 4K and beyond.

Peter Jackson's upcoming 3D production of The Hobbit, for example, is being shot on RED Epic digital cameras, capable of 5K resolution.

BEYOND 4K: Hollywood is already moving beyond 4K. Director Peter Jackson is shooting The Hobbit on RED Epic digital cameras, capable of 5K resolution

Quite whether studio bosses actually want this level of picture quality in the hands of consumers remains to be seen. The Blu-ray disc specification currently does not support 4K, although it's not a stretch to imagine at some point the format will accommodate it, via highly-efficient codecs and/or greater storage capacity. Naturally 4K Blu-ray discs would also require a new generation of BD hardware.

At present there is no way to get native 4k video into the likes of the Sony VPL-VW1000ES or Toshiba 55Z2. While the latest HDMI cable specification is compatible with a 4K bitstream, there is no industry standard for the output of a 4K video signal over HDMI from a playback device. So while modern HDMI cables are fat enough to take the signal, there's no way of pouring it in.

A new standard needed

Sony's projector marketing manager Tak Nakane says his engineers are currently developing a converter box able to accept native 4K via a bank of four HDMI/SDI inputs. This convertor would then output the 4K signal via a single HDMI to the projector.

CONVERT IT: Sony's Tak Nakane says his team is working on a converter box able to deliver 4K via a single HDMI output

Currently the only devices to offer 4K play-out are ultra high resolution PC graphics cards, which typically use a quartet of SDI or HDMI outputs to deliver 8MP of video.

Explains Nakane: "For 4K native content to be used, the HDMI specification must be modified to allow a super high resolution player to output 4K. There is no other solution available at the moment."

4K GRAPHICS: With no 4K over single HDMI output standard, graphic cards like this Konga 3G resort to four SDI or HDMI outputs to deliver the 8MP image

The picture's brighter for digital photographers though. A firmware update planned for the PS3 will allow it to display digital still images at 4K resolution over HDMI. Strange as it may seem, the first enthusiasts to benefit from the technology look likely to be photographers and not cineasts.

It's amazing how quickly technology changes: when Week in Tech first wrote about DVDs the hardware cost thousands; now, DVD has been superseded by Blu-Ray and you can get a decent player for as little as £65.

Our round-up of the best Blu-Ray players will help you find the right kit for under the TV - but chances are it's the last disc-based movie or music player you'll ever buy.

We've mentioned the death of the disc before, and the nails in its coffin keep on coming.

Microsoft's boosting its cloud-based SkyDrive service to encourage us to store stuff on its servers rather than on our hard disks - something that'll come in handy when we're using Office on iPads - and streaming music service Spotify aims to render the CD even more rendundant than it already is.

According to Spotify boss Daniel Ek, "Spotify's mission was simple: give people access to all the music all of the time. And make it legal."

Rather than owning music, Spotify thinks you should just stream it - and to make that easier and more entertaining, it's announced an API (Application Programming Interface) that enables developers to create Spotify apps to help you find music, discover lyrics or anything else music-related.

Our columnist Gary Marshall thinks it's "an enormously clever idea", but the idea of Spotify "getting third parties to plug the holes in its product and provide it with content for free... [is] quite breathtakingly cynical."

Spotify Apps: bothered?

Marshall points out that not everybody loves Spotify - artists such as Coldplay, Adele and Tom Waits didn't put their recent albums on the service, fearing lost sales - and warns that "instead of being destinations in their own right [app developers' sites] are becoming spokes in Spotify's wheel."

So are those spokes any good? Kate Solomon has been kicking Spotify's virtual tyres and found them to be something of a mixed bunch.

"While some of the apps are simply album reviews with a one-click process to get you listening to the album in question, others are much more ingenious and go some way to solving the music discovery problem that Spotify has always had," she says. While The Guardian's app is pretty hopeless, others are much better and the Last.fm app is "the shining jewel in Spotify's app-laden crown".

It's not perfect. Some services are US-only, others aren't much cop and Solomon wonders if Spotify's got its priorities straight: as she points out:

"We published an article on 8 things we'd like to see from Spotify in August 2010 and thus far only folders for playlists have come to fruition." Nevertheless it's an interesting way for Spotify to broaden its appeal "and we can't fault Spotify for not just resting on its laurels".

Spotify isn't the only streaming service we've been playing with this week: we've had our hands on OnLive and Gaikai too. Can cloud-based gaming really deliver the goods given our crappy, congested broadband connections? Phil Iwaniuk found out.

It's definitely cost-effective: "Think about how many big-budget single player blockbusters you've played recently that were over in a matter of hours. If you could have bought a three-day pass for them, how many hundreds of shinies would you have saved?" Iwaniuk writes.

But it won't tempt the hardcore just yet, not least because while lag has largely been addressed some of the visuals are akin to YouTube clips rather than crisp, clear HD:

"Hardware manufacturers are unlikely to go bust at the expense of cloud gaming. PC traditionalists will always want to own and play their content locally, enthusiasts will gladly pay £500 for a graphics card and twitch gamers will always look to gain a technological advantage over the competition."

Twentieth Century Fox believes that European Blu-ray sales over Christmas will help deliver the first rise in full year home entertainment spending since 2004.

Following on from Asda's data that suggests Blu-ray player sales will overtake DVD this Christmas, Fox's prediction is that a bumper Christmas of Blu-ray disc sales is on the cards.

Sales of Blu-ray are up 49 per cent in the third quarter of this year compared to the same period in 2010, with the UK and Germany the biggest markets.

Turning point

"This Christmas is a turning point for home entertainment," said Vincent Marcais, senior vice president of international marketing.

"Alongside a strong line-up of titles, the technology is in place to meet expectations that half of buyers will opt for the premium version of our films, enjoying Blu-ray quality at home, with the freedom to enjoy digital versions on their tablets and smart phones when on the go."

Fox believes that there are 20 million Blu-ray players across the UK, Germany and France, and also raise the statistic that apparently one in three HDTV-enabled homes will have a Blu-ray player by Christmas.

Asda believes that the Blu-ray player will finally outsell DVD players this Christmas, with GfK data convincing the UK supermarket giant to focus on the more modern format.

Pointing to a "more subtle, though significant, difference in image quality" as the reason it's taken five years for Blu-ray to flourish, Asda believes that the tipping point has been reached.

Wayne Steenson, vision expert at Asda said: "More and more UK homes are now equipped to enjoy the full benefit of high-definition Blu-Ray discs and we're pleased to be offering Blu-Ray players at the lowest price in the market."

Supremacy

Asda is selling a Blu-ray player for £40 for the UK, with the ONN player offering a cheap entry to high definition spinning media.

Blu-ray has had to battle for this belated supremacy, fighting through an ill-judged format war against HD-DVD that did not help either in the race to replace DVD.

But the true threat appears to be coming from download –with people turning to digital HD versions of films and televisions in an increasingly connected world.

However, the tangible qualities of owning something solid remain for many, and after five long years it appears that Blu-ray is finally moving past its popular predecessor.

YouTube has finally brought its film streaming service to the UK, with over a thousand films available to rent on the Google owned video site.

The service, which was previously available in the US and Canada, includes classics such as Reservoir Dogs, Casablanca and Mongolian Death Worm. It also lets you stream more recent titles like Hanna, Red Riding Hood and Mega Piranha.

The films cost between £2.49 and £3.29 to rent, with some older titles - such as Nosferatu and Orson Welles' Touch of Evil - available for free.

30 Days of Knight

Once you've paid for the film, you receive a 48 hour pass, which gives you 30 days to begin watching, and 48 hours to finish the film - although we're not sure if this applies if you buy Eddie Murphy vehicle Another 48 Hrs.

Free films are available to watch indefinitely, but they are supported by (unskippable) ads. The titles we looked at don't come in HD formats, either, with most being DVD-equivalent 480p.

However, the films are compatible with Android devices such as phones and Google TV.

In addition to the films, viewers can also access extras like behind-the-scenes videos, interviews, parodies, clips and remixes - though most of this content is on YouTube anyway.

YouTube's biggest rival in the UK is likely to be LoveFilm, which has a similarly-sized catalogue of pay-per-view films at around the same prices, but offers almost five thousand titles to its monthly package customers.

Director James Cameron has revealed to TechRadar that current movie technology is so good that there's not much more Hollywood can do to revolutionise filmmaking.

Speaking to TechRadar at IBC, where the Cameron | Pace Group announced it would be making Walking With Dinosaurs 3D with the BBC, Cameron revealed that he was no longer waiting for technology to catch up to make his movies.

Cameron famously said that Avatar took so long to make as he was waiting for the special effects to evolve so he could tell his story.

According to Cameron, however, this isn't the case anymore.

We are done!

"We have cracked the frame rate issue and there's not more to be done," said Cameron. "I am going to have to spending my entire day on just creative issues.

"We have got colour, we have got widescreen, we've got sound, we've stereophonic sound and stereoscopic projection – we are done!"

This isn't to say that innovations within filmmaking won't happen, according to Cameron, but it will be more like refinement.

"For me now, it is getting good practises for 3D into the home, into the workplace, into our 3D image consumption."

James Cameron has told TechRadar that he is finding the process of converting Titanic into 3D "mind numbing" and has revealed the intricate detail that goes into retro-fitting a live action movie with 3D.

Titanic 3D is to set sail 6 April 2012 to coincide with the 100 year anniversary of the infamous ship sinking.

Cameron is doing one of the most extensive 2D to 3D conversions ever on the movie, spending a year finessing the footage at a cost of $18 million.

Speaking to TechRadar he revealed that the process, of which he is nearly halfway through, has been nothing short of exhaustive.

"I really don't enjoy the process," Cameron explained. "While Vince [Pace, cinematographer] and I sit gleefully watching 3D images being shot, a conversion is the exact opposite.

"It is a mind numbing process of creating depth subjectively. It is as simple as 'this person is bigger than that person, they therefore must be closer put them here'. It is an endless discussion with the artists."

In depth

To make sure the film looks just right in 3D, Cameron is going through not just every scene, but every shot of the movie bit by bit.

"I am five months into this process so the artists are becoming good and starting to read my mind a little, so it has become easier, but I still sit there with the jog wheel and look through the movie frame by frame and make notes on depth.

"'That should be closer, that should be further back, there's not enough full depth here, there is not enough volume on that shoulder, a little more volume on that urn in the background, see that chair in the background on the left, no the other one on the left, that one needs to come forward another six inches… when the captain stands up we have to do an interlocular dynamic, da da, da da, da da… it's fricking endless!

"It's a mind-numbing process; it's like mowing the lawn with a toenail clipper."

Cameron explained to TechRadar that the process of filming 3D is a much more pleasurable experience.

"The organic process of shooting 3D, native 3D, is that you walk over to the monitor and you see it in 3D, you play it back and it is in 3D.

"The actual process is great; you are having fun, as you have integrated it into your workflow."

Walking With Dinosaurs, the BBC and good 3D

James Cameron is the biggest advocate for 3D working in Hollywood today.

His hit movie Avatar kick-started a new wave of 3D movie-making, using techniques and technology that proved 3D could move beyond being a gimmick.

Although it wasn't to some critics' tastes, the numbers do not lie. Not only is Avatar the best-grossing 3D movie ever made, it is the best-grossing movie ever made.

The key to Avatar's success was that Cameron put 3D at the forefront of the film-making process, and he is now building a business out of offering his insight (and equipment) to other film-makers.

Cameron and the BBC

The fruits of this could be seen at this year's IBC (International Broadcasting Convention), where the Cameron | Pace group, which he runs with co-chairman and cinematographer Vince Pace, announced it would be working with the BBC on a feature film of Walking With Dinosaurs, as well as announcing that Evergreen Films will be the first company with Cameron | Pace certification.

"It's a theatrical motion picture so it will be in the IMAX in the UK and in digital 3D," said Cameron to TechRadar when we met up with him at IBC for an extensive chat on all things 3D.

"We had a very good meeting with the BBC here, where we said we could be doing all kinds of things together."

Walking With Dinosaurs is the biggest 3D production the BBC has undertaken, so it's good that the broadcaster has decided to do it under the tutelage of Cameron, who believes the Beeb needs to increase its 3D output.

DO THE DINOSAUR: Cameron will be working with the BBC

"The BBC has held back a little bit with 3D, where as BSkyB has jumped in and ESPN has jumped in.

"The point I made to the head of BBC was that you can't hold back indefinitely.

"You have to muscle in on this; you have to learn how to do this. This is what broadcasters are starting to wake up to, that 3D is going to happen."

Although the BBC has only taken tentative steps into 3D production – as seen in this year's Wimbledon finals – Cameron does believe that the UK is well equipped for 3D and in some ways leading the way.

"The UK isn't waiting for a massive install base of 3D sets in the home; Sky is going for the sports bars and the pubs.

"That is a very creative solution and is one that can work all around the world."

A new 3D standard

One of the ways Cameron is setting out to improve 3D is to offer up the Cameron | Pace name to productions that use the company's technologies. Like THX before it, it's set to become a symbol to consumers that the 3D in the movie they are about to watch is the best it possibly can be.

PACE OF LIFE: The Cameron | Pace group hopes to bring quality to 3D

But with the sales of 3D TVs not exactly setting the economic world on fire, Cameron understands that it sometimes quality isn't enough, you have to offer quantity as well.

"We care about the quality of 3D, so we are looking to constantly improve it. But for the general public, the biggest improvement we can make for them is to give them more stuff.

"They just want more stuff so when they do purchase their 3D TV set, they want to make sure that there is some programming to justify it."

3D TV should be cheaper

Alongside programming, the cost of installing 3D into your home is something else that needs to improve. Cameron believes that the introduction of passive glasses into the home could be key to mass adoption.

"Instead of having to pay a premium at the cinema, the general public have to fork out on the glasses which are expensive," said Cameron to TechRadar.

"Passive glasses are here and the quality is improving all the time. The fact that they are throwaway means this technology could be critical."

3D TALK: James Cameron with his cinematographer Vince Pace

Sitting down with Cameron it is clear to see that 3D isn't just a passion for the director, it is what he is fully focused on career-wise, so much so that it's hard to see him releasing a movie again without using the technology.

Filming in 3D "never gets old"

"Vince [Pace] and I have been involved in so much 3D photography – we love it, it never gets old for us.

"When we shot the recent Cirque du Soleil film back in December, we were in the truck looking at the images and saying to each other: 'Look at that! That's great!' We're kind of like kids.

"In a way, though, I think we should look forward to 3D when it is less remarkable. In the same way we don't talk about how great the colour is on our TV sets any more or how great the colour is in a movie.

"We need to get to that point of equilibrium, where the tail isn't wagging the dog."

AVATAR: The second instalment will use high frame rate cameras

Unfortunately, since the launch of Avatar there's been a number of movies that have sullied the 3D format – one of which, according to Cameron, was Piranha 3D, a franchise that is linked to the director's early days as a film-maker.

Cameron's first directorial gig was on Piranha Part Two: The Spawning. The franchise was given a tongue-and-cheek 3D remake in 2010 by director Alandre Aja and has spawned the brilliantly titled sequel Piranha 3DD, but Cameron was less than impressed with the results.

"When you are watching a bad 3D movie in 2D and I was watching one the other night, this Piranha film, it was just bad storytelling in 3D, because everything would come to a stop and this grotesque thing would be sitting in the middle of the screen.

"[The movie uses] these stupid 3D tricks that people used to think were good. And there would be one of these zingers every few minutes where everything would come to a screeching halt and some 3D gag would be hanging right in your face.

"That's the 3D influencing the film-makers and not the other way around."

How to ensure 3D success

Although Cameron doesn't get annoyed that films like Piranha make audiences question the quality of 3D – "The film didn't make that much money, anyway," he explains – he does note that 3D done right is the only real way for box-office success.

"Good 3D that's done well in an integrated way and is an enhancement will make a film money.

"Like Alice In Wonderland and the new Transformers, the 3D was done well on that, it was deep and integrated into the shot design."

BAY-HEM: Michael Bay using a Cameron | Pace camera

High frame rates, Avatar 2 and Titanic 3D

One quality improvement for 3D, which Cameron has publicly hailed as the future of the format, is matching the technology with fast frame rate shooting. Although we aren't going to see it used by Cameron until Avatar 2 – which is pencilled in for a 2014 release date – it is a technique that Peter Jackson is using for The Hobbit.

3D WORLD: Cameron behind the scenes of Avatar

"When I went to Show West in 2005 and showed 3D and said this is the future, there was a lot of sniggering and scepticism – even though it turned out to be the case," said Cameron to TechRadar.

"When I showed them high frame rate, however, I did a compelling demonstration, showing the same shot at 24, 48, 60 and so forth and the response was immediate. The exhibitors just got it and understood that this was something they could do quickly, that would be inexpensive.

"It seems to be gathering more momentum than 3D and by the time that I do release the next Avatar in four years it is going to be all over the shop. Something like 50 people would have done it and Peter Jackson looks like the one to break the ice."

3D conversion is "mind numbing"

Although we won't see Avatar 2 for a number of years, Cameron will soon be releasing Titanic 3D, which will be the first time the director has used 2D to 3D conversion – a process that's easy for CG movies like Toy Story but for use on movies with real actors, it is a painstaking process of image manipulation and one Cameron is not entirely enthused about.

TITANIC 3D: A 'mind-numbing process'

"I really don't enjoy the process," he explained.

"While Vince and I sit gleefully watching our 3D images being shot, a conversion is the exact opposite.

"It is a mind numbing process of creating depth subjectively.

"I am five months in so the artists are becoming good and starting to read my mind a little, so it has become easier, but I still sit there with the jog wheel and look through the movie frame by frame and make notes on depth."

"'That should be closer, that should be further back, there's not enough full depth here, there is not enough volume on that shoulder, a little more volume on that urn in the background, see that chair in the background on the left, no the other one on the left, that one needs to come forward another six inches… when the captain stands up we have to do an interlocular dynamic, da da, da da, da da… it's fricking endless!

"It's a mind-numbing process; it's like mowing the lawn with a toenail clipper."

KIDS ARE ALRIGHT: Cameron and Pace are like kids when shooting in 3D

While this doesn't mean we won't see other Cameron classics getting the 3D treatment – "Never say never, but if we can't do it with Titanic and George Lucas can't do it with Star Wars, then there isn't a market" – it does prove that introducing 3D at the beginning of the film-making process is far easier than doing it after the fact.

Cameron was keen to point out, however, just how much time he is investing into Titanic 3D.

"We are spending $18 million on Titanic and giving the project a year," he notes after we ask him why he thinks 2D to 3D conversions have failed before, using Clash of the Titans as an example.

"That was a classic mistake," said Cameron.

"They tried to make 3D a post-production process like sound editing and that doesn't work. The film-maker has to be involved and it takes time and good money to do a proper conversion.

"All of those things work against you in post production, where the film-maker is spread thin with getting the visual effects and getting the sound and music done so can't be looking after the 3D and somebody else is doing it.

"They spend five weeks getting stuff done that should take five months, or eight weeks that should take eight months, they spend 10 million dollars on something that costs twice that."

3D has arrived

It is only when you sit down with Cameron you really begin to realise how deep his fascination with 3D is, and that despite the technology still not being where he wants (something he is realistic about), he still believes that 3D's time is now and the tech has arrived at a point when cinema has reached a pinnacle technology-wise.

FACE TO FACE: TechRadar was granted an extensive interview with Cameron

"We have cracked the frame rate issue and there's not much more to be done. I am going to have to spending my entire day on just creative issues," laughed Cameron.

"But we have sort of done it. We have got colour, we have got widescreen, we've got sound, we've stereophonic sound and stereoscopic projection – we are done! We have covered all of the senses.

"For me now, it is getting good practises for 3D into the home, into the workplace, and into our daily image consumption."

Part of this daily 3D image consumption is weaning consumers off the idea that 3D equals glasses.

"We can't wait for big-screen autostereoscopic displays, because right now the quality on them is too poor.

"But smaller screens that are in the desktop, laptop, tablet size, where it is basically a single user model, you can do those right now. And you are going to see a lot more of those products coming to market over the next year and so.

"Then people will realise that 3D doesn't equal glasses, 3D only equals glasses in certain circumstances.

"Ultimately with tablets and laptops, people can toggle between 2D and 3D, and it will just become part of their diet."

For more information on the productions that are using Cameron | Pace equipment and news on their upcoming projects, head over to www.cameronpace.com.

TechRadar met up with director James Cameron at this year's IBC (International Broadcasting Convention), where he explained to us that one of his next projects will be with the BBC.

Cameron is teaming up with the BBC for a big screen 3D version of Walking With Dinosaurs, a partnership he hopes will show the broadcaster that it needs to push ahead with 3D or it will fall behind the rest of the world.

"Walking With Dinosaurs is a theatrical motion picture so it will be in the IMAX in the UK and in digital 3D. We had a very good meeting with the BBC, where we said we could be doing all kinds of things together," said James Cameron to TechRadar, when we met up with him at IBC.

"The BBC has held back a little bit with 3D, where as BSkyB has jumped in and ESPN has jumped in. All these broadcasters have varying degrees of excitement for 3D."

Cameron explained to TechRadar that the BBC should not be as cautious about 3D as it has been, as once 3D production costs reduce, there will be an influx of 3D content from other broadcasters.

"The point I made to the head of BBC was that you can't hold back indefinitely. You have to muscle in on this; you have to learn how to do this.

"This is what broadcasters are starting to wake up to that 3D is going to happen as soon as the cost deltas between the normal 3D productions and 2D productions start to reduce."

The BBC's first public 3D venture happened this year with the Wimbledon finals.

It will be partnering with the Cameron | Pace group and using some of the technology that was used on Avatar.

The Star Wars Saga Blu-ray boxset, out on September 12, will be the first software release to feature THX's new Media Director 'smart content' technology.

Media Director enables your home entertainment hardware to automatically choose the most appropriate audio and video playback settings – meaning you'll always get what the director intended.

The technology works by having metadata encoded into the software, be it a Blu-ray, console game or CD. However, it requires Media Director-enabled hardware to work – a Blu-ray player or TV for instance – and at present no such technology exists.

Giveth and taketh away

That could change in the coming year, though. THX has announced at the CEDIA 2011 Expo that it has signed up electronics experts Analog Devices, Sigma Designs and Silicon Image to its cause, making it easier for products to be developed.

So buyers of the Star Wars package can consider themselves futureproofed – and more Media Director-certified discs will appear in the coming months.

THX's Senior Vice President Rick Dean told TechRadar the thinking behind his company's innovation.

With Media Director, says Dean, 'You would always see the depth of contrast and intensity of colour which are part of the artistic intent, the emotional impact that is programmed into the look and feel of any movie. It would be like having the director personally tune your TV.'

Star Wars Blu-ray audio

The launch of Star Wars on Blu-ray is the biggest thing to happen to the format, so when TechRadar got the call from Lucasfilm to join them in San Francisco for a look at the discs, we said 'yes' faster than Luke on an Imperial Speeder Bike.

Lucasfilm may be a company responsible for many of the major technological advances in movie-making, but it also does a fantastic job of making the old feel new. You only have to look at its campus in San Francisco to see this.

The Letterman Digital Arts Centre is refurbished and re-imagined out of the Presidio, an old fortified base, and is now the offices for many of George Lucas' SFX visionaries and the business side of the Star Wars franchise.

It is here where TechRadar was invited for an exclusive sneak peak of the new Star Wars Blu-ray – apt surroundings, considering that Star Wars has been given another makeover to bring it up to Blu-ray standards; refurbished and re-imagined for the new AV age.

GUIDED TOUR: Luckily, Marc has identification on him

The Star Wars Blu-ray is not just any re-issue, however, it is a boxset years in the making that has been refined for high definition. Even though Episode IV has 23 years on Episode III, the restoration the movies have been given brings them closer together than ever before.

Couple this with 40 hours' additional footage and the closest look at props, maquettes and costumes you will ever get and this is a Blu-ray boxset that doesn't disappoint.

So, with notebook in hand, we followed two Stormtroopers - they even asked to see our identification - past the Yoda fountain into what can only be described as a Star Wars shrine and on to a sound booth where one of the movies' audio maestros was waiting.

STAR WARS EMPIRE: Lucas' movies have spawned many companies

Given that Lucas once said that sound and music is 50 per cent of the entertainment in a movie, remastering the audio soundtrack has been key to putting all six movies on an even keel. This job was given to Matthew Wood who has been working for Skywalker Sound for 21 years, with a number of those years spent sprucing up the Star Wars soundtrack for a hi-def release.

"It was a long process; I started working on A New Hope around the same time as the DVDs were released. I was already preparing the soundtrack for some sort of high-definition release around that time," said Wood to TechRadar, minutes before he previewed the soundtrack to us straight from one of Lucasfilm's mixing desks.

"[George] Lucas loves sound; it is very dear to his heart. Skywalker Sound is actually at Skywalker Ranch so we have a very close relationship."

SOUND ADVICE: Matthew Wood explains all about Star Wars' audio

The soundtrack has been given a massive makeover by Wood and his team. For the first time we get to hear the movies in 6.1 DTS-HD MA, which has meant some hefty tinkering for the Original Trilogy. But with help from Lucas and a surprise find in the archives - production roles from 1976 - the audio re-fresh is how Lucas originally intended the movies to be heard.

"I wanted to make sure that George for the original trilogy was hearing what he heard when he first made the films, as we're remixing for a 6.1 format, so he spent a long time with us making sure it was right," said Wood.

"On this Blu-ray release one of things that came available to us that we found deep in our archive was the original production rolls.

"These were the rolls that were used for the original dialogue recording and the entire production recording that were done on the set."

AUDIO ARCHIVE: The original production rolls found

Working from such an audio record was a special moment for Wood – a lifelong Star Wars fan – but it was also key to picking up audio cues that had been lost over time.

"These [production rolls] had only been played once, the first time they were used they were transferred to magnetic film back in 1977 and that was cut.

"So I got to take them and retransfer them into the computer and with the highest quality analogue to digital converters I could actually re-sync these back into the original picture. That is one thing that is new on the Blu-ray. It's amazing."

HISTORY CLOSE-UP: The production rolls date from 1976

Wood also emulated the recording processes of the time so as to not lose the magic of the soundtrack, borrowing some of the tricks used compiling the original soundtrack to his benefit.

"When I think about what was done with the mixes back in '77, and I was talking to Ben Burtt [the original sound designer] about this, they were working on Star Wars on the night shift, as that was the only way they could get time on the main stage and mixes were done like a performance.

MASTER MIX: Wood played us the audio masters of the movies

"The entire reel had to be mixed at once. You had somebody working on dialogue, someone on the effects, with all the tracks coming in synchronised from magnetic film machines which were very loud.

"And you have to remember all your favourite moves and what dialogue comes up and your EQ, and it is all done live. I have always found that fascinating and I always want to make sure that I hold on to that performance, because it is a performance.

"We have that mix and are constantly going back and forth and making sure that we are getting that and at the same time trying to expand it for the modern soundstage."

The demo we were given of the audio was exhilarating. Watching Darth Vader in the carbon freezing chamber in Episode V, it was the soundtrack you know and love but it fizzed with extra detail.

Wood worked on the prequels with Lucas, so it's no surprise that one of his favourite audio mixes in the films is the pod race in Episode I. This is also where he has a cameo in the movie.

SCENE IT: Wood shows us one of his favourite scenes from the franchise

After having a demo of the new mix, this section of the movie was definitely a stand out – the 6.1 mix of the movie gives the audio a 360-degree feel and the roars of the pods are sublime, with a realism that Wood puts down to how they originally collected the sounds for the movie.

"When I started working on the prequels one of my first tasks was to go out with Ben Burtt and record all the different vehicle sounds.

"The Sebulba pod is a Ferrari that had no sound governor on it so it was really loud. The revs were from a boat I recorded in San Francisco Bay.

"Anakin's pod was a Porsche. There was this race track up north you could go to, all you had to do was paint a number on the side of your car so I did that and got the sound from there.

"I remember I was walking around and there were these concrete tubes in the middle of the track so I put my mic inside one of the tubes and recorded an ambient track. It's the sound they make when they turn through the canyon."

STAR MIXER: Wood explains how he recorded sounds for Star Wars

Star Wars Blu-ray changes

The new Blu-ray release of Star Wars fixes a number of the visual niggles that ended up on the DVD release of the films.

Lucasfilm kept quiet about any significant changes Lucas himself has made to the movies, but there have been numerous leaks about what has been changed since our trip.

IMPROVEMENTS: Picture quality for the originals has been improved

These include:

• An all-new digital Yoda to replace the puppet in Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace.
• Ewoks in The Return Of The Jedi now blink, to add some realism to the creatures.
• Greedo definitely shoots first, with no silly jolting in the scene now.
• Obi-Wan's Krayt dragon call in A New Hope has been given more audio resonance
• Perhaps the most contentious change is another audio addition: Darth Vader shouting 'Noooooo' in the climax of the fight between Luke and the Emperor in Return Of The Jedi - similar to the end of Episode III.

The changes TechRadar saw, however, were ones that righted a lot of wrongs. There's been meticulous restoration of some parts of the movie.

With The Phantom Menace, the visual effects supervisors went back to the original digital files of the film, so the image is crisper but there's also 8 per cent of the frame introduced that was missing in the original 2001 DVD release. Some of the 2,000 effects in the film have also been retouched.

SCENE STEALER: The original scene was cut in

MARKED IMPROVEMENT: The scene now comes alive

As Episode II and III were shot digitally (Episode I was the last to be made on film), these have had the least amount of correction, which meant most of the time was spent on the Original Trilogy.

Unlike the DVD 'special editions', however, which were the biggest restoration of the films so far, the tweaks made are a little more subtle. Blemishes have been removed, picture dirt erased and side effects from old school effects have been taken out.

There's now no 'garbage matte' boxes surrounding the TIE Fighters in Episode IV and the puppet arm that's attached to the Wampa in The Empire Strikes Back has been taken out. These are blink-and-you'll-miss them glitches, but ones that have irked fans and the makers of the movies for years.

POLE POSITION: The purple pole is clearly visible

IT'S ALIVE: The purple pole is no more

Another change has been re-introducing the white-hot core of the lightsabers, something which was dampened in the DVD version. Now, when the lightsabers of Luke and the Emperor clash in Return of the Jedi they no longer blend as one.

LIGHT PROBLEM: Notice the merging of colours

LET THERE BE LIGHT: Lightsabers are now white hot

And, those who weren't fans of the 'Emperor's slugs' in ROTJ – a hand drawn shadow on the face of the Emperor that has long been derided – you will be pleased to read this has also been fixed.

Star Wars Blu-ray special effects

The heart of the Original Trilogy's effects very much remain however, and these were down to eight times Oscar winner and a legend in the special effects field Dennis Muren, who spoke to TechRadar about his time on Star Wars in one of Lucasfilm's preview cinemas.

MUREN MOMENT: The genius of VFX speaks to TechRadar

"The idea of special effects is now common [but] the Star Wars movies were an original look as they had space battles – the camera angles and stuff were based on real dogfights," said Muren to TechRadar.

"Nobody had seen what Star Wars was doing, the look of it and that worked for the time."

It is this originality which Muren believes is missing from a lot of special-effects movies at the moment.

"I don't mind if CG isn't quite working as long as it is original," he explained.

"The thing I don't like is imitation and I see so much of that going on.

"People don't have the time to think as it is hard to come up with the budgets so you lose imagination and that's not good."

ORIGINAL LOOK: The effects of Star Wars were one of a kind

As original as Star Wars' effects were, however, Lucas did decide to tinker with the movies back for the special edition DVD releases of the movies, and it is this version of the movies that has been given the picture upgrade for the Blu-ray.

While this will (still) annoy true die-hard fans, Muren wasn't against the changes made to the movies.

"When it comes to the stuff I worked on and you can see some of the fakeness, I don't really have a problem with that, I don't mind if stuff like that shows up.

"When George was doing some re-dos on the original Star Wars, though, I was all in favour for that as we had run out of time anyway.

Star WARS BLU-S: The Blu-ray of Star Wars is the best transfer yet

"I wanted to re-do around 30 to 40 shots and at some point I think it is okay, but to go back and try and continuously update a film to fit in with the latest technology I don't really know what to think about that..

"If it means getting rid of the garbage mattes that really messed up the original VHS of Star Wars then that's fine.

"When they came out everybody thought that was how it looked in the cinema when they were first released but it wasn't. That was because the transfer wasn't done quite right.

"I am all for changing things to get it back to how it looked originally in the cinema. As long as the original version is always available, beyond that then you can do what you want."

DIGITAL YODA: Now CGI in Episode I as well

With this in mind, we quizzed Muren on the upcoming 3D versions of Star Wars, which will begin to hit cinemas in early 2012.

"The only reason the 3D versions are coming out is because it is the future. I love 3D when it is done right but I don't think people are doing it right. For me it is way too cautious.

"If there is a way in the future to do a hologram version [of Star Wars] and the fans want it then it should be done. You don't just want to stop making movies and keep releasing old ones, though.

"These releases should be seen as a supplementary thing."

As we leave Lucasfilm, passing a life-size model of Boba Fett, and say goodbye to Javva The Hutt coffee stand, we can't help thinking that the Blu-ray release of Star Wars isn't the end of the movies in the home; this is a franchise that will continue to live on and, as Muren said, will be transformed for each upcoming new technology.

JAVVA THE HUTT: Best coffee this side of the Galaxy

From what we have seen, Lucasfilm has done a fantastic job bringing Star Wars to Blu-ray, creating a package that from an audiovisual point of view future proofs the movies but in the extras also celebrates its past. From what we have seen, it's the Star Wars release you have been waiting for… at least until the holographic versions come out.

Star Wars: The Complete Saga Blu-ray UK release date is 12 September, courtesy of Twentieth Century Fox.

Printer and projector manufacturer Epson has revealed three new projectors, each with its own selling point such as iPod docks, 3D capability and being cheap.

The MG-850HD docks iPods, iPhones and iPads, and features Epson's 3LCD technology for 720p HD projections of up to 300 inches.

The unit also includes built-in 10W stereo speakers for your tunes, and connectivity for Blu-Ray and DVD players, televisions, PCs and games consoles.

It also packs a 3000:1 contrast ratio, a 2,800 lumens white and colour light output and a microphone input for rapping along to your favourite Kriss Kross tracks.

The MG-850HD has a release date of November 2011, and a recommended retail price of £649. It will be available for pre-order from Apple online stores from October.

Almost like it's real

In addition, Epson has announced a whopping five full HD 3D projectors, ranging in price from £999 to £2,962.

According to Graeme Davidson, category manager - AV at Epson UK, the projectors are "the best home cinema projectors with superior image clarity and accurate colour reproduction."

The most basic 3D projector - the EH-TW5900 - includes a 20,000:1 contrast ratio, 1080p playback, a 2,000 lumens output and two colour modes in 3D.

At the other end of the scale, the EH-TW9000W includes a 200,000:1 contrast ratio, four 3D colour modes, frame interpolation and two pairs of active shutter glasses for that 3D goodness.

The three most basic models - the EH-TW5900, the EH-TW6000 and the EH-TW6000W - will be available from October 2011 priced at £999, £1349 and £1649 respectively.

The higher end models - the EH-TW9000 and the EH-TW9000W - will be available from November and priced at £2650 and £2692.

And finally...

Finally, Epson's cheapest projector, the EH-TW480, includes a contrast ratio of 3,000:1 and and white and colour light output of 2,800 lumens.

It also includes an HDMI input for all your media devices, automatic keystone correction, two 2W speakers and a 5,000 hour lamp life.

The EH-TW480 will be available from November 2011 at a recommended retail price of £549.

Top 10 best gadgets at IFA 2011

It's been a great year for gadgets at this year's Internationale Funkausstellung (IFA) in Berlin with all kinds of surprises - from internet-connected TVs to super-sized smartphones - in the exhibition halls. Here are just 10 of the best in show...

1. Sony Android tablets

Sony's long-rumoured rivals to the Apple iPad 2 finally made their debut at IFA 2011 - and they confounded as much as they surprised. The Sony Tablet P (£499) and Tablet S (£399), both include Nvidia Tegra 2 mobile processors running Android Honeycomb OS, front- and rear-facing cameras, a USB 2.0 port and an SD card slot.

Just like the iPad 2, both tablets are available in Wi-Fi only and 3G models, but it's the clamshell Tablet P that really piques our interest. For the Sony Tablet P sports not one, but two 13.9cm (5.5-inch) touchscreens - one in the base and one in the lid.

This certainly makes it easier to stick in your pocket than most tablets and it obviously has advantages with certain applications - e.g. using the virtual keyboard or playing games where the Tablet P apes the split-screen controls of the Nintendo 3DS to a certain extent.

What's harder to get around is whether Sony will have any success persuading developers to create applications that take advantage of the split-screen. And, of course, for movie viewing it's rubbish.

2. Samsung Galaxy Note smartphone

Apple's iPhone 5 maybe imminent, but it's going to face some stiff competition from Samsung's latest smartphone, the Galaxy Note.

Sporting a massive 13.5cm (5.3-inch) display - the biggest of any smartphone so far - with a WXGA resolution of 1,200 x 800 pixels. Other crowd-pleasing goodies include a 1.5GHz dual-core processor running Android 2.3 Gingerbread, front- and rear-facing cameras, the second of which has a resolution of 8MP and can be used to record 1080p high definition video. Wow.

Weirdly, it seems that styli (styluses?) are back in vogue, with the Samsung Galaxy Note sporting an S Pen, which is ideal for accurate, pressure sensitive handwritten notes and sketches. What's wrong with the good old finger, eh?

3. Samsung Galaxy Tab 7.7 tablet

Sharing the Top 10 gadget honours with the Galaxy Note is Samsung's new Galaxy Tab 7.7 tablet, complete with a 19.6cm (7.7-inch) 1,280 x 800 WXGA resolution AMOLED display, a dual-core 1.4GHz processor and a choice of 8GB, 16GB, 32GB and 64GB of storage.

Throw in a microSD card slot and you'll be able to increase that to a phenomenal 96GB, which is probably just as well as the Samsung Galaxy Tab 7.7 offers 1080p high definition movie playback too. The Tab 7.7 also features the Android 3.2 OS with Samsung's TouchWiz user interface laid over the top.

4. HTC Titan smartphone

Continuing the trend for super-sized smartphones at IFA 2011 is the HTC Titan, a showcase for the latest version of Windows Phone 7 'Mango'.

The HTC Titan comes with an 11.4cm (4.5-inch) display. Its wide, but slim form factor enables it to sit comfortably in your hand, although it may not slip as easily into your shirt pocket. Sadly, the Titan's display resolution doesn't quite match up to its big screen billing offering just 800 x 480 pixels of resolution, although it's bright with impressive colours and good black levels.

Windows Phone 7 Mango also runs smoothly on the HTC Titan's 1.5GHz single-core processor. The best thing about the Titan is what HTC has managed to with it - adding dedicated applications and an improved camera, which enables you to shoot panoramas and includes a handy burst mode.

5. Lenovo IdeaPad U300 / U400 ultrabooks

Undoubtedly one of the biggest surprises at IFA was the arrival of the first ultrabooks - ultra-thin PC alternatives to Apple's Macbook Air that meet or exceed specs set out by Intel. Available in luxurious U300 and U400 models, Lenovo's IdeaPads are milled from a solid block of aluminium - sound familiar? - and offer a choice of 33.8cm (13.3-inch) and 35.6cm (14-inch) displays, Intel Core i7 ultra-low voltage (ULV) processors and AMD Radeon HD5470M graphics.

The Lenovo IdeaPad U300 includes 256GB of SSD storage, while the U400 offers a choice of a 256GB SSD drive or a 1TB hard disk. Battery life is pegged up to eight hours of 'productive use' and up to 30 days of standby time. The U300 and U400 are both available in a choice of Graphite Grey and eye-watering Clementine Orange colours. UK prices have yet to be confirmed.

6. Toshiba AT200 Excite tablet

If HP's recent TouchPad fire sale told us anything, it's that competing with the Apple iPad 2 isn't easy - especially when you have rivals like Samsung and Sony all trying to do the same thing.

That hasn't deterred Toshiba, which wowed IFA 2011 with its own take: the AT200 Excite - a 25.6cm (10.1-inch) tablet that also happens to be the world's thinnest, measuring just 0.3-inches (7.7mm) front to back.

Inside the Toshiba AT200 Excite, you'll find a 1.2GHz processor running Android Honeycomb, 1GB of RAM and up to 64GB of storage, which is pretty respectable.

Battery power is pegged at up to eight hours and the display has a maximum resolution of 1,200 x 800 pixels.

7. Samsung MV800 Multi-View compact camera

One of the undoubted highlights of IFA 2011 has been the launch of three new compact cameras from Samsung including the 18x superzoom WB750 and the 20MP NX200. Our pick though is the MV800 - the first compact camera to include a flip-up screen.

Flip-up screens have been a big deal on digital SLRs for a while because they're great for use in situations where a conventional viewfinder or display won't do - such as trying to get a clear view of the action which you're in the middle of a crowd, for example.

The MV800's 7.62cm (3-inch) touchscreen can be angled at up to 180-degrees to help you get the shot - the view even flips around if you turn the camera upside-down. Other goodies include a Live Panorama, which enables you to create wide-angle shots by stitching images together. Specs include a 16.1MP sensor, 5x optical zoom and a 26mm wide-angle lens. UK price? Around £249.

8. Sony SMP-N200 Network Media Player

One of the tech trends of this year's IFA 2011 has been the rise and rise of internet-connected Smart TVs, but what happens if you want to join the party and want to hang on to your existing non-Smart set?

Enter Sony's SMP-N200 Network Media Player, which enables you to do exactly that. The SMP-N200 Network Media Player includes Bravia Internet Video, which enables you to watch streaming content from BBC iPlayer, movies from Lovefilm as well as high definition and even 3D content. Naturally enough, the Network Media Player is compatible with the new Tablet P and Tablet S, erm, tablets, that Sony also launched at IFA.

9. LG PenTouch TV

As any parent will tell you, pens and TVs normally go together like small fingers and electrical sockets, so the launch of LG's PenTouch range of plasma TVs is both surprising and a little alarming.

LG's PenTouch TVs, of course, use a special light-sensitive pen that enables you to write and sketch on screen or edit and organise photos stored on your PC. But it's surely only a matter of time before Junior mistakes the 'special pen' for a ballpoint and you end up with a more permanent version of his scribbles etched onto the display.

Perhaps you can keep him or her distracted by the other things the PZ8590T can do: like enable you to watch 2D or 3D content. Or watch 2D content in 3D using a 2D to 3D conversion engine. The PenTouch TVs are available in 140cm (55-inch) and 152cm (60-inch) display sizes. There's no news yet on UK pricing.

10. Philips Cinema 21:9 TVs

These super-sized, super-expensive TVs have been a staple of IFA 2011 for a few years now but, dang it, they just keep getting better and better - which is why we have no qualms about adding them to our top 10.

Now available in Platinum and Gold versions, Philips new Cinema TVs boast an astonishingly cinema-like 21:9 aspect ratio (hence the name) 3D viewing with 2D to 3D conversion and Smart TV features that gives you access to a compelling portal of online content. Heck, you can even watch internet TV and regular TV at the same time using the split-screen viewer.

Other goodies include LED backlighting and Philips' Ambilight technology, plus a 0.5-second refresh time and a 1,200MHz refresh rate. No UK prices as yet, but we can't wait to get on our hands on them.

What are your favourite gadgets from IFA 2011? Let us know in the comments below.

The Sony BDP-S185 Blu-ray player has been announced, offering up a cheap, eco-friendly box with BBC iPlayer and Bravia Internet Video.

The BDP-S185 uses 47 per cent less power than its predecessor, and the 'affordable' player brings apps that include the iPlayer, Lovefilm and Sky News.

There is, of course, Sony Entertainment Network functionality and it sports a USB port.

Entry-level

"The BDP-S185 Blu-ray Disc Player is ideal if you want to take a first step into the future of entertainment at an affordable price," says James Forrester, Category Marketing Manager, Sony UK.

"From watching Full HD Blu-ray Disc movies, to streaming the latest on-demand, online services, the entertainment possibilities are endless."

Also unveiled at IFA 2011 is the SMP-N200 Network Media Player, allowing people to turn any television into a connected TV.

"The SMP-N200 Network Media Player will change how people experience entertainment at home," added Forrester. "It's an easy way for everyone to enjoy Internet TV.

"With streaming speed and quality constantly improving, you can discover a limitless world of online channels, music and movies on your TV screen with no need for separate entertainment devices."

Networking company Netgear has announced three new products designed to shunt bits to your internet-enabled entertainment devices at IFA 2011.

The Powerline Nano Dual-port Set works like any other powerline adapter, with the advantage that the units themselves are small enough not to block a second outlet. The adapters come with two ethernet ports, and are capable of speeds of up to 200 mbps.

Powerline adapters are as cumbersome as they are convenient so if Netgear can shrink the form factor it will make them far more attractive.

The Nano Dual-port Set will be released in Europe in November, and is set to be priced at approximately £98.

TV on the radio

If you're resolutely against the idea of powerline networking, or somehow live in a house without powerlines, Netgear's other products may prove more enticing.

The Universal Dual Band Wireless Internet Adapter for TV and Blu-Ray players is designed to do exactly what it says on its rather elongated tin.

The adapter connects to any ethernet-enabled TV or Blu-Ray player and allows wireless streaming at both 2.4GHz and 5GHz, the latter of which Netgear reckons is perfect for HD video.

It's also designed to blend in with home entertainment devices, and can be powered by a TV's onboard USB socket or directly from the mains.

The Universal Dual Band Wireless Internet Adapter for TV and Blu-Ray has a release date of September, and a suggested retail price of approximately £55.

And finally...

Finally, the Universal Push2TV Wireless PC to TV Adapter broadcasts the contents of a Windows PC's screen on HDMI-compatible TVs.

The product consists of a USB flash drive-sized adapter for your PC, and an HDMI adapter for your PC.

Installation is said to be a simple one-time affair, and it's capable of displaying in full HD 1080p on your television.

The Universal Push2TV HD Wireless PC to TV Adapter will be released in September with UK pricing of around £78.

Getting style-conscious small-scale speakers to sound good isn't always easy, but Q Acoustics reckons its cracked it with its new Q7000 5.1 system.

Featuring four surround cabinets just 24cm tall, plus a dedicated centre speaker and subwoofer, the Q7000 setup 'moves the goalposts' in terms of audio performance, according to the UK company.

Says Q Acoustics brand manager Tony Jones: 'They are small, look beautiful and deliver an audio quality previously thought unattainable for style speakers in the sub £1,000 price sector.'

One reason for this claim is that all the satellite speakers are full-range, packing a pair of 3in bass drivers and a 1in high-frequency tweeter into their aluminium frames.

Added sub

Yet Q Acoustics accepts that its bookshelf speakers will still lack real low-end grunt, hence the new Q7000 subwoofer, which marries a 10in ultra-long throw bass driver to an integrated 250W amplifier.

Adding to the living room appeal of the system are adjustable desktop stands on each speaker that also double up as wall or ceiling brackets, plus concealed terminals and cable management.

Meanwhile the subwoofer's controls are mounted on the top, rather than round the back, so it can also be wall-mounted.

The Q7000 package slots into Q Acoustics already award-winning range of style speakers, which includes the somewhat chunkier Q 2000 and Q1000i models.

The Q7000 is available in either gloss black or gloss white finishes for around £800 from late September. Matching floorstands will set you back another £125 per pair.

Jeffrey Katzenberg is to be the very first recipient of the 3D Visionary Award, which is to be presented to the CEO of DreamWorks at the 3D Entertainment Summit in September.

The summit is a place where bigwigs in the 3D industry get together to discuss how things are going.

Now in its fourth year, it covers everything 3D-related, from theatrical, mobile, home entertainment, gaming, advertising and broadcast.

Katzenberg will be showing off a few 3D goodies at the event, which is taking place in Hollywood, and James Cameron and Sony Vice President Mick Hocking are among those speaking.

3D's greatest advocate

3D hasn't exactly set the world on fire in 2011, but 3D movies do still ride high in the box office and the movie and home entertainment industry is still collectively behind pushing the format.

Speaking about Katzenberg's 3D award, Bob Dowling, the Summit's co-producer said: "No one is more knowledgeable or passionate about the global possibilities of 3D entertainment than Jeffrey.

"As we mark our 4th anniversary with a major expansion of our programming and sponsor list, it seems a most propitious time to honour 3D's greatest advocate and to thank him for being such a huge supporter of the Summit since its inception."