Today we’re taking a look at a great 3D HDTV from Panasonic, the TC-P50GT30. As well as sporting a full HD 2D display the Panasonic P50GT30 has a great 3D display for use with a 3D capable blue-ray player, 3D broadcasts or whatever that is supplied in 3D format. Other features include Infinite Black 2 for increased contrast, Full-time 1080 Moving Picture Resolution for faster images with greater sharpness and 3D 24p Cinema Smoother for smooth and natural looking movie playback.

Panasonic TC-P50GT30 specifications

* Screen size: 49.9 inches
* Native resolution: 1,920 x 1080 pixels
* HDTV display capability: 1080p, 1080i, 720p
* EDTV display capability: 480p
* Speakers: 2 full range, 20W total power, Surround Sound Capable
* Image viewer: Yes (AVCHD/MPEG2/JPEG/MP3 playback)
* Aspect control:4:3, Zoom, Full, Just, H-Fill for TV/AV Modes; 4:3 for PC Mode
* Multi-lingual menu: English/Spanish/French
* HDMI: 4 (4 side)
* Component (Y, PB, PR): RCA x 1 (lower)
* Composite A/V: RCA x 1 (lower)
* USB: 3
* Wireless LAN Adaptor: Wi-fi Ready
* Digital audio output: 1 (optical)
* TV with stand: 29.7″ X 46.4″ X 13.2″ ” (H x W x D); 65.1 pounds
* TV without stand: 28.3″ X 46.4″ X 2.3″ (H x W x D); 56.3 pounds

Panasonic TC-P50GT30 reviews

HDTV Solutions - at least 4 stars out of 5
CNet - 4 stars out of 5
Amazon customer reviews for the Panasonic TC-P50GT30 - 4 stars out of 5

Overall the Panasonic TC-P50GT30 3D plasma gets a thumbs up for its picture quality and connectivity features, however there are a few reservations, for the financially aware, amazingly there are NO 3D glasses supplied with the TC-P50GT30, and they will set you back an extra US$180 per pair. This adds over 10% onto the purchase price if you just want to share the experience with another, let alone the rest of your family and friends. Also a few reviewers raised issues about the black colour quality, with CNet stating ‘fluctuating black and gray levels’. It’s possibly that the colour quality issue may not be noticeable to the average user, but the lack of 3D glasses will make a dent in everyone’s wallet.

However the Panasonic TC-P50GT30 does seem to tick more boxes than it leaves unticked, so could be a great purchase if you’re after a decent 3D HDTV.

>>> Buy the Panasonic VIERA TC-P50GT30 50-Inch 1080p 3D Plasma HDTV now

Featured Tags 3d-hdtv, panasonic


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Sony VAIO All in One VPC-L214FX/B Description

A powerful All-in-One Desktop with a 24″ (diag.) multi-touch display for intuitive touch access to the web, HD movies, music, photos and more. And with powerful features that include optional 2010 Intel Core processors and a Blu-ray Disc drive, it’s the ultimate multimedia machine.

Sony VAIO All in One VPC-L214FX/B Features
* Intel Core i5 processor (2.3GHz) with Turbo Boost technology up to (2.90GHz)
* Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit
* 24″ (1920×1080) Full HD touchscreen display
* 6GB of RAM & 1TB HDD
* Blu-ray Disc ROM drive
* 27 x 9.4 x 20.9 inches
* 37 pounds
* Integrated Intel Graphics Card HD 3000
* Stereo speakers, Microphone, Touch screen
* Wireless Sony VGP-WKB11 keyboard
* Integrated Network adapter, Bluetooth 2.1 EDR, Wireless 802.11b/g/n
* 3 x Hi-Speed USB - 4 pin USB Type A
* VGA output - 15 pin HD D-Sub (HD-15)
* HDMI output - 19 pin HDMI Type A
* HDMI input - 19 pin HDMI Type A
* 2 x SuperSpeed USB - 9 pin USB Type A

Featured Tags all-in-one pc, Sony


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We like space-saving hardware and that’s why we decided to take a closer look at the KEF T205 speaker system. Their satellite speakers are a mere 1.4 inches thick and look neat hanging off your wall next to the flat screen, especially with the centre speaker under the display too. You can also get stands (sold separately) for the rear speaker pair and of course the sub-woofer can hide away just about anywhere. Their price tag may baulk some customers, currently $1,349 at Amazon but that’s what you get for ‘different’ design. Of course the main thing with speakers is how do they sound? Whilst we’ve not heard the KEF T205 system in full-blown action we tracked down a few online reviews to see what they said about them

Trusted Reviews - 9 out of 10
TechRadar - 5 out of 5

Overall the sound quality, as judged by these reviews, was excellent for movies, however TechRadar has some reservations on the sudio quality for music

However, the audiophile in me did feel it was missing something on these tracks. I wanted more transparency from the KEFs. Don’t get me wrong, you can hear a lot of low-level detail, but I felt as if there was a bit of veiling of the music.

That aside, the reviewers did seem to think you were getting value for money with the KEF T205 speaker system, sound quality had not been comprised for space saving design and the price tag recognises the R&D put in by the backroom boys at KEF.

KEF T205 Specifications

T301 Satellite Speakers
• Ultra-slim bass driver offering clean, forceful response that brings the action vividly to life
• New large vented tweeter provides warm, natural sound that’s so real you feel you’re there
• Can be mounted on the wall or on the T Series floor stand (sold separately)
• Floorstands utilize Selecta-Mount technology which include extra crossover components to adjust each speakers sound balance for free space vs. wall mount
• Speakers come with wall mount brackets and desk stand
• Two and a half-way closed box
• Two 4.5″ dual layer MF, 1″ aluminum HF
• Frequency response 80Hz - 30kHz
• Magnetic shielding: yes
• Amp requirements: 10-150w
• Weight: 3.3lbs
• Dimensions: 23.6″ x 5.5″ x 1.4″
• Finish: High gloss black

T-2 Subwoofer
• Closed box powered subwoofer• Driver Units: 1 x 10″ LF
• Frequency response: 30Hz - 250Hz
• Maximum output: 110db
• Magnetic shielding: yes
• Amplifier: 250W Class-D built in
• Weight: 28.6lbs
• Dimensions: 15″ x 14.6″ x 7″
• Finish: Classic black

Featured Tags kef, speaker-system


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Sony have unleashed a sleek and stylish smartphone with the Xperia Arc and if you like slim smartphones then the Xperia Arc could just be what you are looking for. It measures a mere 8.7 mm from front to back and in a novel design twist the back panel of the Xperia Arc actually arcs inwards. But enough of design features here are the spec numbers on the Sony Ericsson Xperia Arc

* 4.2 inch LCD screen
* Android 2.3 Operating System
* 8 megapixel camera
* 125 x 63 x 8.7 mm
* 117 g
* GSM 850, 900, 1800, 1900, UMTS 900, 2100 networks
* Data networks - HSDPA 7.2 Mbit/s HSUPA 5.76 Mbit/s
* 4.2 inch TFT 480 x 854 pixel multi-touch display
* 6.91 hours talk time
* 430 hours standby time
* Qualcomm MSM8255 1000 MHz processor
* 1280×720 (720p HD) video capture
* Supports MP3, AAC, AAC+, WMA, WAV, AMR, OGG audio formats
* Supports MPEG4, H.263, H.264 video formats
* FM Radio
* Supports IMAP, POP3, SMTP, Microsoft Exchange email
* microSD, microSDHC card slot (32 GB max)
* 2.1 Bluetooth, Wi-Fi connectivity
* microUSB 2.0 port
* 3.5 mm headphone socket

The net seems to rave about the Xperia Arc with it receiving glowing reviews on many sites, here are few for you to peruse at your leisure

Trusted Reviews - 9 out of 10
enGadget
CNet - 4 out of 5
TechRadar - 4.5 out of 5
phoneArena - 8.5 out of 10

Pros

* Brilliant screen
* Camera has shutter button
* Wafer-thin, curved case
* Gorgeous wide-screen display
* 8.1-megapixel camera with innovative sensor

Cons

* Doesn’t have a dual-core CPU
* Almost too slim
* Battery life still not great
* Thin, plastic case seems delicate
* No privileged access to PlayStation content or Sony’s music and film catalogues

Overall, Sony seem to have a winner with the Xperia Arc with all the cons either being similar cons on the competition or relatively minor issues. If you’re really keen you can grab an unlocked Sony Ericsson Xperia Arc over at Amazon currently for a bargain price of $375.

Featured Tags cellphone, sony-ericsson


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Cowon seem to be going against the flow with their X7 portable media player. Whilst other manufacturers are trying to squeeze in as much storage as possible into small units, Cowon have not pursued this and their X7 is a massive 6.1 by 3.2 inches, more of a tablet than a media player. We’re not sure this is the right why to go but of course the upside is a large amount of storage with 160 GB available. Here’s a full list of features on the Cowon X7 portable media player

* 4.3 inch TFT LCD, 16 million colors, res. 480×272, ultra portable
* 160GB storage
* JetEffect 3.0 audio engine
* 103 hours music, 10 hours video battery
* Divx video support
* Touch sensitive interface
* Bluetooth, Voice recorder with internal microphone, FM radio, TV-out supporting composite connections and built-in speaker
* 3.2 x 0.4 x 6.1 inches
* 1.3 pounds

The overall impression on the net is that the Cowon X7 is a pretty good media player if you can get past the obvious downsides. Whilst not exactly heavy the X7 is not light either and obviously the phrase pocket-sized is NOT going to appear in the same sentence as the X7. However, it’s large storage and long battery life is ideal for users with large audio collections who are on the road a lot. Most reviewers confirmed close to the mooted 10 hour video time.

Trusted Reviews - 8 out of 10
Engadget
Expert Reviews
AnythingbutiPod
Testfreaks - 9.9 out of 10

Also Amazon customer reviewers give the Cowon X7 media player 4 stars out of 5.

Featured Tags cowon, media player


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BenQ seem to have hit a nice sweet spot between price and features with their full HD home entertainment projector, the W1200. This DLP projector has a MSRP of $1999 (discounts abound we are sure) and yet, according to Trusted Reviews, displays an outstanding full HD image. Here are the features on BenQ’s W1200 Full HD projector

* Full HD Optimized Optical System
* 1920 x 1080 native resolution
* 1.44 - 2.1:1 throw ratio
* 2500 hours quoted normal lamp life (4000 hours in eco mode)
* 5,000:1 contrast ratio
* 1800 ANSI lumens of brightness
* 20W Speakers & SRS WOW HDTM surround sound
* supports VGA (640 x 480) to WUXGA (1920 x 1200) resolutions
* Inputs - component, composite, S-Video, D-Sub PC, HDMI 1.3 x 2
* Ports - USB, RS-232C, IR
* 339 x 139 x 260 mm
* 3.6 kg

Trusted Reviews give the BenQ W1200 Full HD projector a massive 9 out of 10 rating plus a ‘Recommended badge’ with the following pros and cons

Pros - Pictures are very sharp and clean, Colours are intense but believable
Cons - Black levels could be deeper, Fan noise can distract, No vertical image shift

They were very impressed with the image that the projector chucked out and of course image quality is the most important feature on a projector. However we are a bit surprised that it scored a nine given their comment on the fan noise as that’s probably the second most important feature.

If you are keen, you can buy the BenQ W1200 over at Amazon for around $1600 at the moment.

Featured Tags benq, projector


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The Toshiba Satellite L645-S4104 is a mid-range laptop with a price tag around the $600 mark. It boasts an Intel i3-380M processor with 4 gigabytes of 1066MHz RAM and a 500 GB hard drive. Some pretty impressive specs for a mid-range number. Here is a fuller list of the numbers on the Toshiba Satellite L645-S4104

* 2.53 GHz Intel Core i3-380M dual-core processor, 3MB Cache
* 4GB DDR3 1066MHz (max 8GB)
* 500GB (5400 RPM) Serial ATA hard disk drive with TOSHIBA Hard Drive Impact Sensor (3D sensor)
* 14.0″ diagonal widescreen TruBrite TFT display at 1366 x 768 native resolution (HD) with native support for 720p content and LED backlit
* 16:9 aspect ratio
* Intel HD Graphics with 64 MB - 1696 MB dynamically allocated shared graphic memory
* Genuine Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit
* 8x SuperMulti DVD drive with double layer support
* Integrated Wireless-N Wi-Fi networking
* Built-in stereo speakers with Dolby Advanced Audio
* 6 cell/48Wh Lithium Ion battery pack - Battery Life (measured by MobileMark 2007) 5 hours, 48 minutes
* 3 USB 2.0 ports with 1 eSATA/USB combo port
* HDMI high-definition audio/video output
* Multi-format memory card reader
* 9.1 x 13.3 x 1.5 inches
* 5 pounds

The Toshiba Satellite L645-S4104 certainly has all the options you’d expect from a decent laptop, but don’t take our word for it, check out a few reviews from around the net

PCMag - Fine keyboard. Energy Star certified. Bland looks. Underpowered processor.
Amazon customer reviews - robust and quite fast laptop, very portable
Squidoo

Featured Tags laptop, toshiba


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