Magazines

What Hi-Fi? Sound & Vision: Ultimate Guide to Television

My quest for the best setup in my new lounge continues with this What Hi-Fi?, which basically covers everything in one handy magazine. No, I don't need to know about projectors or £160 all-in-one remote controls, but there's plenty of very useful information elsewhere.

I'm virtually set on my telly, for example, but the range covered led for some pauses to think. The same can't be said for Blu-ray, where my choice of player is almost dictated by the need to have it region-free (luckily it's also the best budget player around; though for an extra £80 the slightly snazzier one is available region-free too), but the comparisons are undoubtedly worthwhile to anyone who hadn't already decided.

Even more useful for me were the reviews of various TV services (like Sky+ HD and V+HD, which gave me some decent food for thought. Plus, lots of information on sound systems -- I'm not intending to buy a new one, but I finally have answers about some concerns with my current one. Mainly, it should be possible to connect it up and have it work fine with surround sound from both Blu-ray and Sky HD.

The section games consoles was somewhat laughable though, picking them apart for their film & TV content and seeming almost baffled that the Wii has been such a success. It's because (it would seem) all most people want is a well-made fun-to-play games machine, not a multimedia behemoth, and the Wii is admirable in sticking by its notion that, as it's a games machine, a games machine is what it is.

Bloody PS3 giving people ideas about games consoles rising above their station, etc.