This post was written by Ellen Rocklin
Sony RDR-HXD890 DVD/HDD Recorder features both a DVD recorder and hard-disk. With great recording quality, a slick operating system, loads of features and an alluring price tag, reviewers think this is one of the best DVD/HDD recorders on the market, which is hardly surprising given its similarity to the Pioneer’s machines. There are a few niggles, such as the removal of RAM recording and the inability to play DivX from USB devices or transfer them to HDD, and as ever the inclusion of a single Freeview tuner on board is a major limitation.
Vivadi MediaMaster MM110 Multimedia Server does a decent enough job at displaying DVDs from disc, reproducing the bold colours of Star Wars Episode III with eye-popping vibrancy. The lack of PVR recording functionality and smaller hard-disk make the MM110 a slightly less appealing proposition than the MM200, and the absence of Blu-ray support is still a shame, but despite that the MM110 is still an impressive product that offers decent value for money. It’s a slick, easy-to-use and flexible hub for your media content, all packaged up in a beautiful living room-friendly box.
Creative has in recent years streamlined their desktop entertainment speakers and released their Gigaworks T series product line to much fanfare. Starting with T20 to T40 and now the T3, a full fledged 2.1 system, consisting of a subwoofer and two satellites. Creative undertook the commitment of producing high quality, premium sound parts using state of the art technology and engineering. The T3 was born integrating their new SLAM (Symmetrically Loaded Acoustic Module) technology. The accessories box is superb with remote controller and satellites packed nicely in it.
Pioneer BDP-51FD’s gloss-black fascia feels more plasticky than the LX71, plus it replaces the touch-sensitive buttons found on the pricier player with normal ones, and abandons the silver trim around the play button. Had Pioneer included BD Live capability and DTS HD Master Audio decoding from the box it could have been the Blu-ray bargain of the century, but as it stands these niggling omissions - along with the sluggish disc loading and boot-up times - prevent Pioneer from earning top marks.
Microsoft’s PS3 Wireless Keypad that comes with the Xbox 360 is the best way to chat and browse the Internet on the PlayStation 3. The keypad is small so people with thicker fingers have a hard time typing away on it. Dual functionality of most keypad buttons is an added advantage. Unlike the Xbox 360 chatpad, it lacks backlight for the keys. Priced around $50, it is a bit expensive. It can act as a mouse and can be paired with any other compatible Bluetooth device.
Apple is set to introduce a new home server device. The device is reportedly an expansion of Apple’s Time Capsule platform, according to Web site 9to5Mac. Time Capsule is a device that works wirelessly with Time Machine in Mac OS X Leopard and provides automatic backup, and includes a wireless 500GB or 1TB hard drive designed to work with Time Machine in Mac OS X Leopard. Users can also share media with iPod Touch and iPhones both over the Internet and while at home, and with AppleTV as well.
Hewlett Packard has introduced its latest range of Photosmart printers that can be a good deal as a home office product. Coming with an attractive price tag, the Photosmart C5380can be really useful for those who print lots of photographs at home. Its five-ink system and the colour LCD are some of the features which make it valuable. It does not come with fax facility, but can scan and copy. The product from HP gets distinguished from its competition by its speed of printing photos. It takes just 18 seconds to print an A4-sized photograph.
Konica Minolta has recently launched a series of small compact colour printer the new magicolor 1600W. At an affordable price, this compact device produces minimal noise levels and comes with eco-friendly features, such as low energy consumption. The compact magicolor 1600W produces up to 5 pages per minute for colour documents and 20 pages per minute for black and white documents. Konica Minolta’s Simitri HD toner ensures that users get a high quality print result with fine details and true colour.
TELSTRA is expected to roll out set-top boxes that allow internet customers to download films and play them on television, early next year. The launch of a digital video recorder would put Telstra in competition with Foxtel’s iQ DVR and Home Box Office on-demand movie service after the non-competition agreement between the two parties expired last month. The box will be given free to broadband internet customers as early as the first quarter of next year, with Telstra expecting customers to upgrade their broadband download package to take advantage of the service.
Linksys has launched the WRT110 RangePlus Wireless Router, a three-in-one device, which combines the functionality of a Wireless Access Point (WAP), built-in 4-port full-duplex 10/100 switch and router. It features an internal antenna technology, in which the antenna is integrated into the router body without any effect in the signal coverage. The WRT110 comes with the Linksys EasyLink Advisor (LELA) application that provides consumers with a flash video-based guided installation for PC and Mac users. LELA uses simplified terminology that does not require knowledge of networking jargon, and helps make setting up a wireless network easier.