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Anton van Beek  |  Jul 11, 2011  |  0 comments

Ironclad is rather nicely summed up by its director as being ‘best described as a medieval Magnificent Seven or a medieval Seven Samurai'. A fictionalised retelling of the siege of Rochester Castle by King John’s forces in 1215, the film stars Paul Giamatti as the regal despot, with James Purefoy’s Templar knight and Baron Cox’s baron leading a rag-tag group of warriors holding the castle against him. It’s very silly stuff, but filmed with so much gusto and lashings of gore that it’s hard not to get caught up in the action.

Ed Selley  |  Jul 10, 2011  |  0 comments
Raiders of the ARC With its quirky and complex setup, the ARC-based MX-700 still manages to put Richard Stevenson into a state of audio-induced euphoria

Canada: a land of sweeping mountains, pine forests and ice hockey, where maple syrup rules and giant moose walk the streets. But what the country is becoming increasingly famous for is its rather tasty AV equipment.

Ed Selley  |  Jul 08, 2011  |  0 comments
Oppo-tunity knocks When it comes to image and audio quality, Benny Har-Even can’t get enough of Oppo's new 3D Blu-ray player

They say the best things come to those who wait and in the case of Oppo’s BDP-93EU, that most certainly is true. Having already forged a reputation amongst AV-holics for its high quality, yet affordable, upscaling DVD players, its debut Blu-ray player, the BDP-831, (HCC #175) impressed UK buyers at the end of 2009 before distribution issues spoilt the party.

Steve May  |  Jul 08, 2011  |  0 comments

The Quick Start guide supplied with Yamaha’s YSP-2200 system concludes with a clear message in bold, overlarge type. It reads: ‘Then have fun for playback!’

Ed Selley  |  Jul 08, 2011  |  0 comments
Fine-tuned powerhouse With THX certified 3D and net connectivity, this high-end plasma heavyweight is no wallflower. Steve May finds beauty within the beast

LG’s plasma screens have a reputation for unassailable value, but the brand was also first to ink deals with THX and ISF for certification and calibration, and has generally impressed with the finesse of its larger panels.

Ed Selley  |  Jul 08, 2011  |  0 comments
3D writ large The flagship model from Samsung’s 2011 3D TV range makes John Archer a very happy man

A couple of issues back, we brought you our first impressions of Samsung’s flagship UE55D8000 when it arrived too late in the day to run through our Tech Labs. To recap, this is a £2,500 55in edge LED 3D set sporting an insanely thin bezel of just 5mm, plus Samsung’s new Smart TV functionality, which combines a superb new onscreen menu hub (providing instant access to just about every input, app and content source) with a web browser and a much stronger app offering than you got with Samsung’s previous Internet@TV system.

Ed Selley  |  Jul 08, 2011  |  0 comments
Sensible cinema While InFocus' new projector is a fairly conventional beast, its picture performance is good enough for John Archer

InFocus has developed a reputation over the years for not being afraid to be different. A few years ago, its original ScreenPlay and subsequent Play Big projector ranges arguably revolutionised the way affordable projectors were designed for the home market.

Ed Selley  |  Jul 08, 2011  |  0 comments
Import duty Martin Pipe gives his verdict on Sharp’s first DLP 3D projector and makes a case for its appearance on these shores

When asked by Sharp if we wanted to audition its 3D projector, we weren’t about to say no, even though the machine hasn’t yet been confirmed for a UK release. Oddly, Sharp is prevaricating about whether there’s a market for a 3D PJ with a retail price of around £4,000. But AV retailers’ shelves aren’t exactly heaving with such items. There’s only Sony’s VPL-VW90ES (£5,400) and a trio of JVC models, ranging in price from £3,500 to £9,500. And that’s currently it.

Ed Selley  |  Jul 07, 2011  |  0 comments
Whizzing media about the house Wi-fi networking and a USB media server impresses Martin Pipe

If all you need is the ability to stream multimedia files to various players around the home, then this device is for you. The 4420 has a server that’s fully uPnP compliant, and boasts a feature you won’t find on the average NAS – the 4420’s integrated wi-fi capabilites enable you to set up an additional access point, or bridge any networking ‘gaps’ in larger homes.

Ed Selley  |  Jul 07, 2011  |  0 comments
Only half the picture? An HD tuner for PCs for £30? Martin Pipe discovers the catch...

This neat dongle adds terrestrial digital TV reception to a Windows PC. But let’s get one thing straight from the beginning – the packaging (and product name) may suggest HD happiness, but the tuner is DVB-T only. Some other countries use the DVB-T standard for HD broadcasting, and the AVerTV Volar HD may well be ready for them. But in the UK, it’s SD-only folks – although manufacturer AVerMedia has said it will release DVB-T2 standard devices in the second part of this year.

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