Viera with Freesat © Panasonic

HD seems to be really taking off and I see both BBC and ITV are making many programmes in HD. They’re not available on terrestrial digital TV though, and you need either SKY or “Freesat” – the free service received via a satellite dish.

Up till now, that’s meant a set-top box between the dish and your HD TV, so I was pleased to see Panasonic advertising their new Viera range of HD televisions with a built-in Freesat tuner.

They’re great looking TV sets and the product reviews all say that Panasonic have got it right with this range, giving excellent picture quality and satellite reception.

The main problem as I see it, wonderful though these gadgets are, is that they don’t record.

Nobody I know watches programmes on TV in real time any more, apart from perhaps football matches, so the lack of a recorder in Panasonic’s new TVs is a big drawback. Freesat will be announcing a combined receiver/recorder towards the end of the year, so it’s only a matter of time until HD TVs incorporate this too.

If you’re shopping for HD and Freesat, the advice of this shopping blog is to wait and watch developments. As I see it, there’s not much point buying a Freesat TV only to have to add a separate recorder in a few months time.

And remember, you heard it first at Rob’s shopping blog.

Rob

Rated: from 2066 votes

Is that the future for every roof? flickr © shioshvili

In these days of satellite dishes, you may be surprised to hear that over half of people in the UK still use a good old fashioned tv aerial. In most areas, you can get excellent digital tv reception with your old analogue tv aerial and I for one don’t want my house wall cluttered up with an unsightly satellite dish.

TV aerial © Labgear

If you want satellite or cable for the paid services, or you want the BBC’s HD service which is available on free satellite, then your choice is made for you. You don’t need an aerial.

But if like me you prefer terrestrial digital tv, then there really is no substitute for a quality external high gain digital tv aerial firmly mounted high up on your wall. Aerials with 32 or 52 elements are the norm, depending on the strength of signal in your area. Cost is likely to be around £20 for the smaller one, £40 for the larger.

If you’re not handy with the Black and Decker up a ladder, then get a proper tradesman to fix it for you. Remember poor Rod Hull (and Emu) who fell off his roof while doing it himself.

The other thing you could try is an indoor aerial in your loft. I’ve seen many a good product review of indoor tv aerials, but never yet had one that’s given me a satisfactory picture. And really for the few pounds you’d save, to me it’s not worth the hassle of trying an indoor tv aerial. That said, I’ve got a mate who swears by them. But then I’ve got some odd mates!

Rob

Rated: from 2040 votes

© Canon

By the time Christmas comes, you’ll all be up to here with product reviews, shopping tips and gift ideas. So this shopping blog is getting in early by recommending a fabulous Canon camcorder as the ideal Christmas gift for the man (or woman) who has everything.

You may not have considered a camcorder but just have a look at the latest that Canon has to offer in their camcorder range.

At the bottom end in price, though not lacking in features, comes the tiny Canon MD205 mini. Weighing in at only 380 grams, it boasts a true widescreen capability, large LCD viewfinder and the choice of manual or automatic controls, for well under £150.

At the higher end, but still giving change from £1000, you’ll be delighted by the HF10 High Definition camcorder. With most TVs these days being HD ready, just plug this Canon Camcorder into your large screen TV to show your precious videos in amazing High Definition detail in your own home.

Or there’s a whole host of models in between, powered by rechargeable battery and AC adapter, to suit every taste and every pocket. So don’t disappoint your loved one this Christmas, look in now on the great range of Canon camcorders.

Rob

Rated: from 1859 votes

© Panasonic

Practically every TV on sale these days is HD ready. With the switch-over to digital in progress and the BBC already transmitting programmes in stunning High Definition, it makes sense to buy an HD ready TV now.

The BBC is transmitting HD programmes via the Freesat satellite service, and Sky already has a number of HD channels available so HD is very much with us. Suitable in particular for the larger plasma and LCD television sets, I can foresee that HD will inevitably become more and more widespread until it replaces standard definition TV as the norm in a few short years time.

Even on a 32 inch set, an HD picture looks fantastic. But once you have seen an HD broadcast on a 42 inch HD ready TV set, you will appreciate the amazing difference in quality and clarity. And the larger the set the greater the benefit you will get from an HD picture.

All the major manufacturers offer HD ready plasma and LCD TVs as the norm, with Sony Bravia and Panasonic Viera being two of my favourite ranges. They offer stunning pictures, superb quality and reliability as you’d expect from the Sony and Panasonic brands, and all at a very competitive price.

Rob

Rated: from 2126 votes