Home Cinema Choice Jul-18

Just like Winter in Game of Thrones, 8K TV is coming. In fact, thanks to flat screen purveyor Sharp, it's already here, sort of. With one eye on the 2018 World Cup (England may well be out by the time you read this), and possibly the other on trying to boost its brand recognition after a few years out of the game, the company has made a 70in 8K TV available to buy in Europe. The LV-70X500E comes with a few caveats. Firstly, with no tuner built-in, it's not actually a TV. Secondly, it costs a wallet-worrying €12,000. Thirdly, it can only be fed an 8K video signal via a convoluted 4 x HDMI connection. Fourthly, good luck finding any actual 8K video content. I'm sure some early adopters may…

John Archer: The experienced TV tester cut his teeth as an early HCC staffer Jon Thompson: Film producer and post-production expert delves into Hollywood and AV Steve May: HCC’s former Ed. is one of the UK’s most respected AV journos Martin Pipe: Technical expert Martin is renown throughout the industry Richard Stevenson: Former Editor of the UK CE trade journal ERT Ed Selley: Audiophile Ed mixes his home cinema passion with a love of vinyl Vincent Teoh: Professional video calibrator writes about technology and tweaking…

NEWS HIGHLIGHTS SHARP 70in monitor becomes Europe's first 8K display FOCAL Premium floorstanding speakers unveiled YAMAHA New soundbar packs DTS Virtual:X EMOTIVA Potent power amplifiers hitting the UK NEWS X10 Hot stories in bite-sized chunks AT THE 'PLEX This month's cinema releases TOMB RAIDER Lara Croft returns on 4K BD & MORE! Toshiba is releasing an extensive new range of 4K (and Full HD) TVs this Summer, capped off by its X98 OLED model. Available in 55in and 65in flavours (pricing TBA), this UHD display supports HDR10, HLG and Dolby Vision formats, claims to reach 99 per cent of the DCI-P3 colour space, and features an integrated sound system developed in conjunction with audio specialist Onkyo. Dolby Vision playback is also offered throughout Tosh's 4K LED TV lineup, alongside a…

Yamaha has integrated DTS Virtual:X technology into its new multiroom-ready soundbar to claim a '3D surround sound experience' from its single, sleek enclosure and four midbass/twin tweeter driver array. The feature set of the £600 MusicCast BAR 400 includes HDMI input/output with 4K HDR (including Dolby Vision) passthrough; Bluetooth, AirPlay and Wi-Fi music streaming; hi-res audio support; and app control. Backing up the 'bar's sonics is a 100W, 6.5in wireless subwoofer.…

Sharp has introduced a 70in 8K TV monitor as its opening salvo in what is expected to be a gradual introduction of 7,680 x 4,320 pixel flatscreens at the premium end of the TV market. The LV-70X500E, which will be available globally priced around €12,000, was unveiled at the IFA 2018 Global Press Conference in Rome. Sascha Lange, Sharp Vice President for Marketing and Sales, believes 8K will create a new superscreen TV sector of 70in and larger models, even arguing that consumers now have the room to accommodate screens up to 128in. 'There's a clear desire for ever larger screens,' he told HCC. 'We've seen that with the growth of 55in and 65in 4K models. We believe that 8K will be a major trend at this year's IFA show…

Star Wars: The Last Jedi 3D (All-region BD) Love it or loathe it (and we absolutely love it), the latest Star Wars sequel boasts the most convincing 3D Blu-ray encode we've seen since, well, The Force Awakens… The Greatest Showman (Ultra HD BD) Richly saturated HDR10 visuals and expansive Atmos audio ensure this musical sensation hits all the right notes on 4K Blu. Jurassic World (Ultra HD BD) How better to prepare for a trip to watch the latest sequel on the bigscreen than by revisiting this dino-tastic blockbuster? Gifted (Region B BD) An unemployed man discovers he has a real gift for murder in this intriguing South Korean thriller. The Age of Innocence (Region B BD) A new 4K restoration underpins Criterion's stunning BD release of Scorsese's elegant period drama.…