Home Cinema Choice February 2017

In my household, not a lot happens over the New Year period beyond eating too much and relaxing with a pile of Blu-rays, but the AV world doesn't take a break. With the CES tech show running in the first week of January, manufacturers were setting up booths in Las Vegas while you were probably scoffing the last Quality Street. And it means that 2017 has already got off to a flying start. CES (see p20 for our show report) lays out the roadmap for the year ahead, and it seems we've got a jolly journey in store. OLED TVs are on the horizon that promise to bring new levels of super-thin cinematic goodness to your viewing room, while Samsung is releasing a new-look QLED TV range that it believes…

In my household, not a lot happens over the New Year period beyond eating too much and relaxing with a pile of Blu-rays, but the AV world doesn't take a break. With the CES tech show running in the first week of January, manufacturers were setting up booths in Las Vegas while you were probably scoffing the last Quality Street. And it means that 2017 has already got off to a flying start. CES (see p20 for our show report) lays out the roadmap for the year ahead, and it seems we've got a jolly journey in store. OLED TVs are on the horizon that promise to bring new levels of super-thin cinematic goodness to your viewing room, while Samsung is releasing a new-look QLED TV range that it believes can…

News highlights SONY Ultra-short-throw model joins Ultra HD projector lineup BT SPORT Broadcaster gives 4K football an Atmos upgrade BASE Digital video outguns physical disc sales in the UK BBC IPLAYER Catchup service offers a taste of 4K treats to come NEWS X10 The hottest stories in bite-sized chunks DOCTOR STRANGE Could it be magic on BD? & MORE! Panasonic has announced a new Ultra HD OLED TV that supports HDR 10 and Hybrid Log-Gamma (HLG) HDR, as well as incorporating a Technics-tuned soundbar. Expected to hit the UK in June, the 65in EZ1002 employs a 'Master HDR OLED' panel that Panasonic boasts has a peak brightness double that of conventional OLED sets. The flatscreen also sports a refreshed Studio Colour HCX2 processing engine. Turn to p20 for more on Panasonic's…

Sony VPL-VZ1000ESwww.sony.co.uk Sony will expand its ultra-short-throw projector range in April with the 4K HDR capable VPL-VZ1000ES. Able to craft a 100in picture from as little as 6in from a wall, the new projector uses a laser light source in conjunction with Sony's SXRD panel tech, and claims a colour light output of 2,500 Lumens – a 25 per cent increase over the brand's previous LSPX-W1S. The VPL-VZ1000ES is also 40 per cent smaller than its hefty $50,000 predecessor and Sony teases that the retail price will be 'significantly lower' too. Panasonic doubles up on 4K BD Panasonic will be refreshing its Ultra HD Blu-ray player lineup with new models in 2017. The DMP-UB300 and DMP-UB400 (pictured) both employ a revised version of Panasonic's HCX Ultra HD processor and support 4K/60p output. The…

News highlights SONY Ultra-short-throw model joins Ultra HD projector lineup BT SPORT Broadcaster gives 4K football an Atmos upgrade BASE Digital video outguns physical disc sales in the UK BBC IPLAYER Catchup service offers a taste of 4K treats to come NEWS X10 The hottest stories in bite-sized chunks DOCTOR STRANGE Could it be magic on BD? & MORE! Panasonic has announced a new Ultra HD OLED TV that supports HDR 10 and Hybrid Log-Gamma (HLG) HDR, as well as incorporating a Technics-tuned soundbar. Expected to hit the UK in June, the 65in EZ1002 employs a 'Master HDR OLED' panel that Panasonic boasts has a peak brightness double that of conventional OLED sets. The flatscreen also sports a refreshed Studio Colour HCX2 processing engine. Turn to p20 for more on…

BT TV will begin broadcasting live Premier League football with Dolby Atmos audio from January 31. In a world's first for live sports coverage, the telco giant will add the audio option to its 4K UHD broadcasts, beginning with its Liverpool vs Chelsea fixture. There will be no additional charge for the audio upgrade. BT says that going forward every Premier League match will be broadcast in 4K with Dolby Atmos. However there are currently no plans to extend Atmos to additional BT Sports channel exclusives, such as Moto GP. One reason is the complexity of capturing object-based audio in a live environment. HCC had an early preview of the technology at the BT Tower. Atmos on live sports is quite different from the soundmixes we're familiar with on Atmosencoded Blu-rays, with…