July 7th, 2010
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0 If you bought your TV in the last two or three years, it’s almost certainly a HD model. But unless you’ve also bought into Blu-ray, added a Freeview HD set-top box, fed it with a high definition games console or invested in an upscaling DVD player, you’re probably not getting the most out of it.
Luckily, none of those options are expensive any more, and making the jump to Blu-ray, previously one of the pricier ways of enjoying HD, is now cheaper than many others. Read on, and we’ll banish the Blu-ray myths.
Bargain Blu-ray players
Our BDX2100KB is a Blu-ray player designed for everyone. Its neat design means it’ll sit pretty under any TV, while inside there’s the latest Profile 2.0 technology. That means you’ll be getting the very best Blu-ray experience, with picture-in-picture, surround sound, animated menus and, of course, pin-sharp Full HD pictures.
It’s on sale now with a price below £130, and as you’d expect it’ll also play your existing DVD collection, upscaling discs to make them almost as rich as their Blu-ray counterparts.
What’s more, the BDX2100KB has a USB port too, ready to suck up photos, music and even DivX videos from memory sticks.
Get Blu-ray in your PC
Blu-ray under your TV will bring high definition movies to the living room, but what if you want to take them on the road? You’ll need a PC with Blu-ray inside, like the Satellite P500.
It’s a fully-loaded media PC, packed with a Blu-ray player, Harman Kardon speakers and a whopping 46.7cm (18.4 inch) screen, capable of pumping out HD pictures.
Take the Satellite P500 on the road, and you’ve got a real media centre anywhere you like, and at home it’ll replace the back bedroom PC with an all-singing entertainment hub, and transform stuffy offices into veritable home cinema havens.
Get HD in other ways
Switching to Blu-ray might be cheaper than ever, but it’s not the only way to get HD pictures into your home. Our newest TVs, such as the REGZA RV and REGZA SL range, already pack Freeview HD receivers inside. Hook them up to a standard aerial and you’ll get HD pictures with no extra kit.
If your TV doesn’t already have Freeview HD inside, you can quickly and easily hook up a Freeview HD set-top box, such as the Toshiba HDR5010 when available, which will also let you record one HD channel while watching another.
Lastly, you could polish up your existing DVD collection with a DVD upscaler, squeezing more quality from the movies you already own and bringing them very close to HD quality. The Toshiba SD3010 upscales standard DVDs up to 1080p, but costs an extremely wallet-friendly figure of below £50.
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