For 2011, the emphasis has shifted towards making the HDTV an integral part of a connected home entertainment setup, and Sony’s latest line-up fully reflects this.

Still, with no less than 27 different new models being announced, there’s bound to be something for everyone!

Sony’s new BRAVIA features at a glance

Sony has added 16 new 3D HDTVs and 22 new 2D models, with screen sizes ranging from 22″ to an unbelievable 65″. All except the lowest two ranges either come with Wi-Fi built-in or are Wi-Fi ready with the addition of an extra Wi-Fi dongle (sold by Sony and which plugs into the TV’s USB socket).

To make the most of the Internet connectivity, Sony has expanded on the Internet TV services it’s offered with some of its 2010 models, and now offers the following Web apps on its BRAVIA TVs:

• Sony’s Qriocity Music and Video on Demand services
• Amazon Video on Demand
• YouTube
• Slacker Interent Radio
• Netflix
• Pandora
• HuluPlus
• Crackle
• Blip.tv

Some of the higher-end models even have Skype built-in, which, with the addition of a camera and microphone (both sold separately, naturally!), means you can make Skype calls from your HDTV (yes, even the giant 65″ one!) to any other Skype client in the world.

That’s a pretty neat feature.

Other new features include a new Track ID feature powered by GraceNote, which lets you identify any music you hear while watching TV. A nifty feature this, and it’s only a matter of time before Sony link the discovered artist through to a store where tyou can instantly purchase it!

In a sign of the increasing pervasiveness of mobile phones, Sony has also announced a new series of iPhone and Android apps that will let you use your smartphone as a remote control (presuambly via DLNA). This will be a life-saver, as using YouTube on a Sony remote without a QWERTY keyboard is an exercise in futility!

The final feature on offer comes from the 3D models, which will be capable of displaying 3D images taken from Sony’s 3D CyberShot cameras.

New enhanced picture technology

Of course, a 2011 Sony TV has to look better than a 2010 model, and so its engineers have come up with a variety of new ways of making your humble TV picture look as perfect as possible.

To this end, the critically acclaimed BRAVIA processing engine, which already does an excellent job of upscaling standard def pictures, has now been enhanced and comes with the new X-Reality PRO and X-Reality Engine video processors. These use algorithms that take video processing to new levels, which helps to make the resultant image look almost as good as it does on BluRay.

There’s also the new Intelligent Peak ELD Backlight, which gives deeper blacks by using full local dimming and so increases picture contrast considerably, making pictures look incredibly detailed.

Finally, there’s Sony’s MotionFlow XR, which helps to reduce the motion blur that’s typically found in LCD and LED TVs.

Sony’s 2011 range of HDTVs

OK, with that out the way, here’s the full range of Sony’s new HDTVs for 2011.

BRAVIA XBR-HX929 Series 3D Capable HDTV
Available in April, Sony’s new 3D capable (with the addition of Sony active shutter glasses, sold separately), XBR-HX929 series features brilliant full HD (1080p) picture quality with Sony’s Intelligent Peak LED backlight for outstanding contrast.
The model also features Sony’s MotionFlow XR 960 featuring a precise backlight control that is synchronized with the liquid crystal movement from frame to frame creating clearer, sharper moving images.

The beautifully designed model features Sony’s improved Monolithic Design Concept that draws viewers into the picture when the TV is turned on, and blends into the room décor when turned off. The 2011 Monolithic Design BRAVIA models incorporate Corning®’s Gorilla® Glass allowing for thinner, lighter, and stronger screen material.
With integrated with Wi-Fi (802.11n), the XBR-HX929 models offer instant access to thousands of Internet movies, videos and music from BRAVIA Internet Video and Qriocity. Sony’s Media Remote app provides simple operation and search for internet content.

The XBR-HX929 models are also custom installation friendly with key features such as rear IR-input and a two-way RS232c connection for easier integration with third-party control systems.

Other XBR-HX929 Series features include:

• Brilliant Full HD (1080p) picture quality with full-array local dimming LED backlight
• Sleek Monolithic Design with OptiContrast Panel Technology
• Integrated Wi-Fi (802.11n)
• Skype™ ready in 720p high definition
• BRAVIA Internet Video and Qriocity
• X-Reality™ PRO Engine
• MotionFlow™ XR 960
• Rear two-way IR inputs and two-way RS232C control
• Screen sizes include 65-inch (XBR-65HX292, which is available in August 2011), 55-inch (XBR-55HX929), and 46-inch (XBR-46HX929)

BRAVIA® HX820-Series LED LCD 3D Capable HDTV

• Available in May
• Brilliant Full HD (1080p) picture quality with Dynamic Edge LED backlight
• Sleek Monolithic Design with OptiContrast Panel Technology
• Integrated Wi-Fi™ (802.11n)
• Skype™ ready in 720p high definition
• BRAVIA Internet Video and Qriocity™
• X-Reality™ PRO Engine
• MotionFlow™ XR 480
• Screen sizes include 55-inch (KDL-55HX820), and 46-inch (KDL-46HX820)

BRAVIA® NX720-Series LED LCD 3D Capable HDTV

• Available in May
• Brilliant Full HD (1080p) picture quality with Dynamic Edge LED backlight
• Sleek Monolithic Design with OptiContrast Panel Technology
• Integrated Wi-Fi™ (802.11n)
• Skype™ ready in 720p high definition
• BRAVIA Internet Video and Qriocity™
• MotionFlow™ XR 240
• X-Reality™ Engine
• Screen sizes include 60-inch (KDL-60NX720), 55-inch (KDL-55NX720), and 46-inch (KDL-46NX720)

BRAVIA® HX729-Series LED LCD 3D Capable HDTV

• Available in May
• Brilliant Full HD (1080p) picture quality with Dynamic Edge LED backlight
• X-Reality™ PRO Engine
• MotionFlow™ XR 480
• Integrated Wi-Fi™ (802.11n)
• Skype™ ready in 720p high definition
• BRAVIA Internet Video and Qriocity™
• Rear two-way IR inputs and two-way RS232C control
• Screen sizes include 65-inch (KDL-65HX729), 55-inch (KDL-55HX729), and 46-inch (KDL-46HX729)

BRAVIA® EX720-Series LED LCD 3D Capable HDTV

• Available in February
• Brilliant Full HD (1080p) picture quality with Edge LED backlight
• X-Reality™ Engine
• MotionFlow™ XR 240
• Wi-Fi™ ready (USB wireless LAN adapter sold separately)
• Skype™ ready in 720p high definition
• BRAVIA Internet Video and Qriocity™
• Screen sizes include 60-inch (KDL-60EX720, which is available in April), 55-inch (KDL-55EX720), 46-inch (KDL-46EX720), 40-Inch (KDL-40EX720), and 32-inch (KDL-32EX720)

BRAVIA® EX620-Series LED LCD HDTV

• Available in February
• Brilliant Full High Definition (1080p) picture quality with Edge LED backlight
• X-Reality™ Engine
• MotionFlow™ 120
• Wi-Fi™ ready (USB wireless LAN adapter sold separately)
• Skype™ ready in 720p high definition
• BRAVIA Internet Video and Qriocity™
• Screen sizes include 55-inch (KDL-55EX620), 46-inch (KDL-46EX620), and 40-Inch (KDL-40EX620)

BRAVIA® EX520-Series LED LCD HDTV

• Available in February
• Brilliant Full HD (1080p) picture quality with Edge LED backlight
• X-Reality™ Engine
• Wi-Fi™ ready (USB wireless LAN adapter sold separately)
• Skype™ ready in 720p high definition
• BRAVIA Internet Video and Qriocity™
• Energy saving Presence Sensor minimize power consumption
• Screen sizes include 46-inch (KDL-46EX520), 40-inch (KDL-40EX520), 32-inch (KDL-32EX520)

BRAVIA® BX420-Series HDTV

• Available in February
• Brilliant Full HD (1080p) picture quality with CCFL backlight
• Five HD Inputs to connect multiple HD devices
• USB input for photo, music and video playback
• Scene select customized picture and sound settings
• Ambient Light Sensor
• Screen sizes include 46-inch (KDL-46BX420), 40-inch (KDL-40BX420), and 32-inch (KDL-32BX420)

BRAVIA® BX320-Series HDTV

• Available in February
• Amazing High Definition (720p) picture quality with CCFL backlight
• Five HD Inputs to connect multiple HD devices
• USB input for photo, music and video playback
• Scene select customized picture and sound settings
• Ambient Light Sensor
• Screen sizes include 32-inch (KDL-32BX320), and 22-inch (KDL-22BX320)

Better still, it won’t have the political hurdles that are currently stalling Google TV’s growth, and all the apps are available now.

Google TV’s problems

Google TV is having problems at the moment because the major networks in the US are refusing to allow their channels to be shown on Google TV. This leaves the Google TV service as a browser and YouTube player for your TV – which is still fine in my books! – but annoyingly prevents the platform from offrering the unified Web AND TV service we were all hoping for.

Inevitably this will all be ironed out in due course. In the meantime, limited app-ready TV services such as LG’s, which don’t offer you the whole Web, but still offer you just enough to actually be useful, have a t least a foot in the door until Google TV or equivalents are finall yable to persuade the major TV companies that their content is safe.

[Source: Pocket Lint]

Actually, I keep on calling it the Sony Google TV, but its official title is the Sony Internet TV with Google, but that’s as awkward as the new TV’s controller!

Anyway, the Sony Google TV is a brand new Sony HDTV that features the new Android-based Google TV built in to the unit itself. This has the advantage of negating the need for yet another set top box, and keeps things lovely and tidy within the Sony TV’s super-sexy proportions. Unfortunately, it also has the disadvantage of forcing you to use Sony’s own remote control.

So what did I make of Sony’s take on Google TV?

Google TV: First impressions

My first impressions of Google TV are extremely positive. It really does everything it promises, and it’s super-slick as well. You can call up TV, Web sites, YouTube videos or apps with the deft flick of a button, and the picture changes instantly. Google’s omnipresent search bar is just a click away, and lets you search through TV channels, YouTube videos and the Web seamlessly.

More impressive still was the fact that the user experience was so natural, as it’s basically just Google Chrome on your TV. Web sites, Web apps like Twitter and Facebook, even Flash games, all run as smoothly on the TV as they do on your PC. Google really have brought the Web to the TV and made the whole process so seamless, it’s hard to believe it’s never been done like this before.

Smart TVs

One of the advantages of putting Android on your TV is that it turns into a smart TV, and so its functionality and features will actually grow over time. Already, web apps like Picasa add a new dimension to the TV. You can view any pics you’ve uploaded onto Picasa directly on the TV, and even share them from your telly via Twitter, just with a simple point and click of the remote.

It’s this interaction between apps, all based around the media you consume and share that makes Google TV add genuine value to your humble TV set.

And with Android underneath and a whole new Google TV app store about to launch, your smart TV will expand in ways we never thought possible.

Sony’s Google TV

So what of Sony’s implementation of Google TV? Well, the good news is the TV itself is impressive both as a TV, with superb picture quality (as you’d expect from Sony), and as a Google TV device. Google TV itself runs flawlessly, and it’s nice and responsive so there are no issues regarding using it day to day.

The TV is distinct from other models in that it’s white in colour, but other than that it looks like any other state of the art HDTV.

It’s got four USB ports on the side, into which you can plug a USB stick or MP3 player for viewing photos, videos or listening to music.

And this, I’m afraid, is the Sony TV’s achilles heel. With all the media we have on our PCs, the fact that you can’t wirelessly stream your content onto the TV is a missed opportunity. If you have thousands of pics buried on your PC’s hard drive, the only way you can view them on your shiny new Sony Google TV is to upload them all to Picasa (there’s a Flickr app as well, if that’s your chosen Web photo sharing app), or copy them to a USB stick and plug that into your TV.

Of course, you could purchase a Network Attached Storage device with a USB connector and plug that into the TV, but this rather defeats the point of having an Internet TV – certainly one with built-in wireless!

Sony’s Google TV vs Logitech Revue

In contrast, the Logitech Revue Set Top Box, which is currently the only other way of getting Google TV onto your TV, will let you wirelessly stream all of your content onto from your PC, and so in that respect, is a much better option.

Its keyboard is better, too. OK, not necessarily the giant keyboard that comes with the Revue, but the separate Mini keyboard you can buy is much more elegant thant Sony’s, which seems to pack in more buttons than Jenson’s family tree!

The Sony Controller works OK. It’s got a QWERTY keyboard and two controller pads (one a mousepad, the other a four-button d-pad), plus a variety of other buttons for one-click access to regularly-used features such as search. But it looks cumbersome and is bound to put some people off. Its very definitnely a controller for geeks, which is not the image Sony needs to be conveying if it wants mainstream adoption of Google TV.

Video Preview of the Sony Google TV

OK, enough waffling, here’s the video of the Sony Google TV in action, as ably demonstrated by Dinesh:

Conclusion

Overall, despite its nerdy looks (or maybe because of them), I love the Sony Google TV. True, if faced with the choice, I’d go for the Logitech Revue, as its supoprts wireless streaming from your PC and I prefer its keyboard. But having the latest Sony HDTV with Google TV built-in certainly has its own cachet, and with Sony pushing this hard, it’s very difficult not to be tempted by uit.

If you’re looking for a Google TV experience without an extra Set Top Box, you currently have no choice other than going for Sony’s Google TV, but you certainly won’t be buying a pup. It’s well executed, looks gorgeous (if you don’t look at the remote!), and Google TV is all you ever wanted it to be.

If you’re looking for the best overall Google TV experience, though, I’d go for the Logitech Revue. It’s more flexible, as it’ll plug into any TV, and with its media streaming support, it’s just a better option than the Sony.

But whichever you choose, I genuinely think you won’t regret it. The whole Web on your TV opens up whole new worlds of entertainment.

If you’ve bought a Sony Google TV, or a Logitech Revue, let us know what you think of it in the comments.

We know a fair bit about Google TV – enough to know that’s a seriously sexy bit of kit thaty genuinely could revolutionise TV (and how often have we heard that?!). But until now, we haven’t known that much about the TV itself.

This has been largely due to most of the attention bein gon Logitech’s Revue, which is Google TV in a Set Top Box, and thus able to bring Google TV to any telly.

Having Google TV built-in to the TV itself, though, offers both pros and cons – one of which could be the picture quality! Fortunately, it’s a Sony Bravia, so the picture shouldn’t be a problem.

And although we haven’t seen the picture quality first hand, now we know a little more about the GT1, we cna start to get a feel for what’ll be on offer when it’s announced officially on October 12th.

Sony Bravia NSX-46GT1 Google TV details

First up, it’s a 46″ LED TV that uses LED edge lighting. Black front, white back, chrome stand and rather sexy looking, as you’d expect from a Sony HDTV.

There’s a USB slot in the back, which the TV can use to pull pictures, videos and other content from a USB stick. There’s also an Ethernet connection, at least 2 HDMI ports, WiFi and a plethora of other ports.

You can use Google TV to search for programmes to watch, either via the usual cable or satellite, or from the Web, via YouTube, NetFlix or even videos stored on your PC.

You can control the GT1 either through Sony’s remote control, or through an Android or iPhone app, which has “seriously cool” written all over it (not literally, but let’s face it, it does!)

There’s also the Google Chrome browser built-in, so you can surf the Web and your TV at the same time.

Google TV release date – imminently!

But we know all this already! What we to see is the actual service and the actual TV, live and up and running!

Fortunately, we won’t have too long to wait. Logitech are expected to launch the Logitech Revue Google TV sTB tomorrow (6th october), with Sony following next week on the 12th October with the GT1. Then we’ll get a real feel for whether or not TV really is about ot be revolutionised.

And then we in the UK just have to hope that Google TV is launched in the UK before Christmas, because I really really want one!

[Source: HDGuru]

The 19″ and 22″ also have Freeview, with the 32″ and 37″ models coming equipped with Freeview HD and Freesat HD.

While these TVs are evolutionary rather than revolutionary, being able to get a TV for the bedroom or lounge that goes with your decor has until now been difficult – however now you can, and what’s more is that it’s from an excellent brand.

The iPlayer joins streaming video from Channel 5′s Demand 5 service, YouTube, LoveFilm and more, plus widgets that give access to Facebook, Twitter, Flickr and even more to come.

Users from the UK’s AVForums have reported the update showing up for download on their TVs, but if you are the impatient (and brave) type, you can check out the update here.

Here’s a list of the lucky Sony TVs that are compatible with the new update:

• KDL-32EX403 / EX503 / EX603 / EX703 / EX713 / NX503
• KDL-37EX403 / EX503
• KDL-40EX403 / EX503 / EX603 / EX703 / EX713 / HX703 / NX503
• KDL-46EX403 / EX503 / EX703 / EX713 / HX703
• KDL-52EX703
• KDL-55EX503 / EX713
• KDL-60EX703

If there’s one thing better than a shiny Sony HDTV, it’s one that keeps on updating itself – it really is the gift that keeps on giving!

It’s not touch that’s Google TV’s revolutionary feature, though – it’s Google itself.

Allow me to explain!

Internet-equipped TVs and Set Top Boxes have been around years, but they’ve largely been rubbish, offering only a browser and a crude QWERTY-equipped remote control to type in your URL.

Unsurprisingly, they never caught on. They nearly did last year, with a raft of Internet-equipped TVs being launched that featured Yahoo! widgets (a series of simple apps such YouTube), but there was one problem with these TVs – you were largely stuck with the widgets that came with the set.

it was also very much a case of an Internet experience and a TV experience – there was no connection between the two, meaning that you were essentially paying for a browser on your TV.

Enter Google TV!

Google TV changes all that. Rather than tacking a browser onto a TV, they’ve integrated TV into a browser, and made the whole thing seamless.

For example, suppose you want to Tweet with your mates. Call up Twitter.com, read and send Tweets, and all the while, you can watch TV, as it appears as a little window in the corner.

More impressively, searching for content lets you search across TV channels and YouTube in the same listing. That’s what I mean by tightly coupling the Web and TV experiences – there is no differrence between the two. It’s the same interface, the same way of viewing the content – everything.

Extending Google TV

Now here’s the really cool part. Google TV will have an app store. So no longer are you stuck with the widgets and apps that come with the TV – you can download as many as you like.

Quite what these apps will be is anyone’s guess, but it’s going to be fascinating to see what will be prodcued.

A seamless sea of Google

Now here’s where it gets really interesting. Ten year ago, we got used to seeing Google when we were searching for things on the Web. Fast forward to 2007, and we were used to seeing Google when we searched, looked for places to go, watched videos and checked our email.

Two years ago, Google moved onto the desktop (with the Chrome browser) and into your hands (with Android).

So when I say a seamless sea of Google, that’s exactly what I mean – we see the company everywhere, and use it for many different things.

So now when see Google on our TV, we know what to expect, and the whole things feels so natural, it’s almost a wonder that all TVs don’t have Google TV.

Video of Sony’s Internet TV

If you don’t believe me, check out the video below of Sony’s new HDTV, which incorporates Google TV. See what I mean? Utterly natural!

Google TV will be hitting the shops before Christmas, but won’t really get started until next year. Which, coincidentally, is around the same time that the new Google tablets will start getting seriously popular!

The future of entertainment, it seems, is Google. Not bad for a search engine!

[Source: Engadget]

TV is going through a transformation the likes of which it’s not seen since the birth of Satellite TV.

New Internet TVs don’t just give you a TV with YouTube – they give you a whole new viewing experience that’ll transform your living room.

To guide you through the minefield of the different technologies available, we’ll take a look at 5 televisions that let you connect to that most social of video sites, YouTube.

TVs with YouTube – making the TV social again

Here at MediaMentalism, we’re all about the social. We’re also about the smart technology, but what really gets the MediaMentalism boat afloat is when the smart technology gets with the social.

Everything’s getting in on the act, from cameras that are Flickr friendly to blasting out your favourite tunes with a HiFi and Last.FM. Now even the TV is getting in on the social action, growing network interfaces and talking to the Internet.

Every TV manufacturer is doing things slightly differently though. To help you choose the best way of watching YouTube on your TV, we’ve looked at different models from different manufacturers, grouped according to the main TV tech being used.

Internet-equipped LED TV

Panasonic D25 LED LCD

While Samsung and LG have cornered the public’s eye with catchy adverts, Panasonic have quietly released their own LED LCD screen, the Panasonic D25 series. Keen AV followers will know that any Panasonic TV comes with an impressive heritage and the D25 is no exception.

Using a top-end LED backlit IPS panel, the D25 comes packed with Freesat HD to flex those HD pixels, 4 HDMI sockets, a very cool USB “HDD PVR” function which allows you to record onto a USB hard drive, and finally the all important Ethernet socket. Through this you have access to Viera Link, Panasonic’s web portal, which includes the usual news and weather, and also social elements like YouTube and even Twitter.

Now you can watch dancing mongoose and tell the world without touching a phone or PC!

The Top End 3DTV

Samsung UE40C8000 3D LED TV

Maybe LED is not enough for you, and you crave something that little bit more. Ok, how about the very cutting edge of television technology from one of the world’s biggest names in TVs?

Samsung’s 8000 series sets are not only the de rigeur LED LCD flavour but these uber-TVs have that trick up their sleeve that everyone wants – 3D. Looking stunning in brushed titanium, the 8000 is loaded with a full HD VA LCD screen (better than monitor-type TN LCD), Freeview HD, 4 HDMI sockets, 200hz motionplus and the all important network connection (WiFi optional).

Samsung’s web service is the very-90′s-named internet@tv and it offers an original take on the whole idea with widgets. You can add new widgets to the taskbar on the screen, from BBC iPlayer to Flickr and from Twitter to YouTube. The 8000 even has a Skype widget for video calls on the big screen, very 21st century.

If you are looking for possibly the most Web-aware and technologically advanced TV, the Samsung 8000 series must be at the top of that list.

The 3D LCD Bargain

Samsung LE40C750 3D LCD TV

While Samsung’s 8000 series is at the high end of today’s TVs, it also has a price to match, so in these somewhat frugal days it’s always worth keeping one eye on the cheaper option. Though it may not have the ultra sleek titanium frame and LED technology of its fancy brother, the latest Samsung 7 series LCD TV (the C750) is still getting plenty of praise for its deep black levels, impressive 2D to 3D conversion and great viewing angle.

Still equipped with a raft of socketry (including the now standard 4 HDMI) and Freeview HD, the C750 runs the same internet@tv as it’s bigger brother, so you still get access to cool widgets like YouTube, Lovefilm, Twitter and more, but big screen Skype is kept back for the big boys toys only.

The C750 offers a taste of the big time for small potatoes, so if you’re on a budget, go check it out.

The Refined Plasma TV

Panasonic G20 Plasma

The Plasma vs LCD/LED debate has been going for some time now and shows no sign of stopping. Both have their advantages and their disadvantages – LED TVs are razor thin with a sharp picture, but plasma sets have better black levels and motion handling. Horses, courses!

Panasonic’s G20 series are plasma-based TVs and are one of the best options if you want both plasma technology and YouTube in your new TV with Panasonic Viera Cast. Using Panasonic’s NeoPDP panels (the closest any panel has come to Pioneer Kuro black levels), the G20 packs in a whole lot of tech for a fantastic, lifelike and vibrant image.

A full 1080p display, 4 HDMI inputs, 600hz motion, intelligent frame creation, Freeview HD AND Freesat HD, the G20 has optional WiFi and it’s THX certified so you know it’s been calibrated to motion picture standards.

Another distinct advantage plasma holds over LCD is how well it handles SD video, with LCD tending to be very matter-of-fact and showing all blemishes and noise. Plasma on the other hand will gloss over much of the issues in a similar way to CRT TVs did with video files, smoothing them out and making them look more like regular film.

With YouTube generally being at a lower resolution, plasma may well be the best way to view it on a 42″ screen. Plasma is often (incorrectly) assumed to be old technology, but visit any decent TV showroom or audio visual forum, and you’ll see the enthusiast’s TV of choice will have a plasma screen.

The Cracking Budget Choice

LG 42LD690 LCD TV

LG’s sets have come on leaps and bounds in the last few years, with excellent budget plasma panels, highly reviewed LCD set and revered top end LED model all doing well. Even though it is the cheapest option here, the LG LD690 is still an excellent HD TV for the money and carries on LG’s good name.

Coming packed with Freeview HD, the LD690 can also boast 3 HDMI inputs, 100hz TruMotion and network connectivity. LG have used that inconspicuous little ethernet socket to give the LD690 DLNA capabilites, allowing you to stream videos from any computers or network drives that are sitting on your home network – no boxes needed.

They’ve also used it for NetCast, LG’s answer to Panasonic’s Viera Cast and Samsung’s internet@tv. Netcast offers the viewer weather reports, photoshare, Skype video calls (soon) and YouTube, all on a 42″ full 1080p high-definition screen.

Significantly, as a majority of Channel 4′s demand service, 4OD, is on YouTube, you can now watch it on demand and in your front room. While LCD may not handle YouTube as gracefully as Plasma, it’s a sharper image with HD sources like consoles and Blu Ray players, and in the LD690′s case, it’s a few hundred pounds cheaper too!

The Clever Box of Tricks

WDTV Live

What if you’ve got a great TV already? Let’s say you’ve spent a few thousand on a 60″ Pioneer Kuro and nothing bests it in your eyes, but you still want to dabble in social media and the web on a big screen, so what’s the answer?

Western Digital’s WDTV Live.

Western Digital’s little box of tricks is not only an excellent networked high definition media player, capable of playing back AVI, WMV and MKV up to 1080p, but it also has the all-important on-line action.

The WDTV Live allows you to access YouTube, Flickr and internet radio from Live365, all up on your big screen. It also has HDMI out and optical digital out to get the best sound out of the little box into your hifi or surround system. The WDTV Live is a great YouTube player with a simple but powerful media player in the package too, and makes a great media hub at a fantastic price.

Summary

Ok, so there you have six ways to get the power of the internet into your front room – and this is just the beginning. The internet and our front rooms are merging, with services like Google TV, Zune Videos on the 360, Apple TV and many more aiming to stream not only YouTube but high definition films into our living rooms over the internet.

Even YouTube itself is going high definition and even 3D, so it’s a very exciting time. The Web can be at your fingertips if you want it – enjoy yourself!

Just how well does the Sony Bravia Internet Video platform succeed in putting YouTube and the like on your Sony Telly though? Is it just a gimmick (as well as a mouthful!), or does Sony Bravia Internet Video successfully turn your telly into the biggest social gadget in your living room, and the ultimate social hub?

Read on to find out.

Why choose the Sony Bravia Internet Video platform?

The Sony Bravia Internet Video platform massively extends what you can watch on your TV by giving you almost limitless options of new videos and content. Not just movies-on-demand from the likes of Netflix and Amazon Video on Demand, but all the countless videos on YouTube as well.

This sounds like a great idea, but it’s not eactly new – in fact, every manufacturer now has its own version of Internet TV, so why should you choose the Sony Bravia Internet Video platform over the competition?

The answer lies with the choice of applications that Sony have provided combined with a range of arguably the best HDTVs on the market. Add to this 3D, WiFi and DLNA support, and you’ve got a mouth-watering combination of superb features that makes the new range of Sony HDTVs super-social gadgets!

Sony Bravia Internet Widgets

The applications themselves are called the Sony Bravia Internet widgets, which again, isn’t exactly the most concise term! The widgets are simply Web apps displayed on your HDTV. You can position the widgets anywhere you like, and there’s a good selection to choose from, including:

• Netflix
• Amazon Video on Demand
• YouTube
• Slacker Internet Radio
• Pandora
• NPR
• Sony Pictures
• Sony Music
• USA Today sports
• Yahoo Finance
• Twitter
• Flickr photos
• and many more, including news and weather.

The widgets connect to the respective Web sites through built-in Wi-Fi, which makes connection set-up simplicity itself – no worrying about how you’re going to get an Ethernet cable to reach from your home router to the TV; simply switch the Tv and it’ll find your Wireless LAN automatically.

Sony Bravia BRAVIA XBR-LX900 Series 3D HDTV – the best of the bunch

The widgets provided offer a good selection of Web apps. Certainly the usual suspects of video streamin gsites and social media sites, but nothing quite as open and extensible as Samsung’s offering via its SamsungApps Store.

What makes Sony’s offering unique, though, is the quality and features of the TVs that support the Bravia Internet video platform.

Take, for example, the BRAVIA XBR-LX900 Series 3D HDTV. With screen sizes ranging from 40″ up to 60″, these technological marvels offer full HD 1080p, 240HZ MotionFlow PRO for smooth images with fast moving video, Sony’s BRAVIA 3 engine for superb picture quality and contrast, and full 3D.

That’s right – one of the best screen displays on the market, combined with 3D, plus all the benefits of Internet widgets. It’s this combination of TV quality and Internet and social media extensibility that makes the Sony BRAVIA Internet Video platform so compelling.

This advantage might not last for long, though. With every manufacturer releasing their own version of Internet TV, Sony’s superior display technology might not be enough to beat the competition in the long run. Just like the war currently being waged in the mobile phone world, in the end it might all be about who has the best range of apps.

Actually, although this seems like an odd idea at first, it makes a lot of sense for people who’s lives centre around the iPod or iPhone. You can control your iPod through the TV’s remote, which has a similar look and feel to it, and watching videos or photos on your HDTV is much better than staring at your iPod’s screen.

The Teledock TV’s themselves aren’t super-high end, so the iPod dock is the feature, not the quality of the picture. That said, they do offer full HD, 120Hz refresh rate, as well as digital noise reduction, dynamic backlight, three HDMI connections and 1080 24p/30p output.

Oddly, their speakers only have a 10W output, which is a bit weedy, particularly when their main use is to play music from your iPod!

The three JVC TeleDock TVs’ release date is set for Spring 2010, with the TV’s coming in a range of sizes from 32″ to 46″.

[Source: JVC]