If you’re looking to invest in a new TV, you might face the dilemma of plasma or LCD TV?

Plasma TVs do produce the higher contrast images. Panasonic, perhaps the market leader for plasma TVs, have impressive contrast ratios of up to 10000:1 for exceptionally black 'blacks'. Plasmas are better than LCD for sports' lovers, as they are more adept at keeping up with fast moving objects like a football - so the ball’s motion will look crisper and more detailed.

 

However, LCD screens can now compete with plasmas on size and range from 15 inches to 47 inches. LCDs can deliver even and brighter images, making them ideal for very brightly-lit rooms. Also, if you’re looking to wall-mount your television, it’s worth knowing that LCDs tend to be lighter and slimmer than plasmas.

 

Ensure you buy an HD ready set which will have either a HDMI or DVI connection to accept a digital signal from HD receiving equipment. You’ll need a HDMI or DVI cable to watch high definition broadcasts. Better cables can make a massive difference to sound and picture quality and aren't worth compromising on.

Toshiba 19AV505DB 19'' HD-ready digital LCD TV with a 7 day electronic programme guide, 1 HDMI connection which can also be used as a PC monitor.

 

 

 

Record, replay and pause….all at the touch of the button. If only life was that simple!

 

Upgrade your TV and recording equipment to a digital TV recorder (DTR). They’re great for recording digital TV and offer features such as:

Humax Foxsat HD Freesat Digital TV Recorder- £293.59 from Argos. Use your CashBack Card and save 5%.

 

DVD recorders are great for keeping your recordings indefinitely, and they give you the flexibility to share your favourite programmes, video, MP3 and photos with family and friends instead of them sitting on a hard drive.

 

However, for added flexibility you could choose a DVD recorder with a hard disk drive. Many carry a one-touch recording - select the programme you want to record from the on-screen guide, and press the record button. Some models allow you to 'series record', remembering to record all episodes of a series. You can even pause and rewind live TV - when that phone rings, just hit pause and pick up where you left off! Unlike Sky Plus, this technology comes with no subscription charges, offering greater digital flexibility with no on-going cost.

 

This carries some of the best product reviews by owners:
Panasonic DMR-EZ48VEB-K Digital DVDR + VCR. 533/7015 only £244.69 from Argos. Use your CashBack Card to save 5%

 

A Blu-ray player is the ultimate equipment for watching high definition movies, providing crystal clear images with its high-definition video and data storage. The name blu-ray originates from the blue ray or blue laser used to read the disc. Blu-ray players originally gained popularity late last year, but were initially expensive around £500-£900, but have come down significantly in price over the past 6 months to as low as £149.

 

SONY BDPS350
Get as close as you can to the real theatrical experience with this slim and stylish HD blu-ray player. Sony make some of the best blu-rays on the market and this model is a best seller. Available now from Comet, in-store or online at www.comet.co.uk, at the reduced price of £178.99 from £199.99. Use your CashBack Card and save a further 5%.

 

Wii (pronounced 'we') is Nintendo's home video game console that represents a new era of home entertainment. The unique Wii Remote gives parents and grandparents a chance to play games with their children. For those who grew up with video games, Wii shows that games have not outgrown them.

 

To get the best value on your purchase of a Wii, look for packages which include games and additional hardware.

Argos offer this package for only £229.99 - a saving of over £20. Use your CashBack Card and save a further 5%.

Complete with Nunchuck controller. This console comes packaged with Wii Sports - a fun packed way of getting to grips with the new concept of motion sensitive gaming. Whether your remote acts as a tennis racket, a golf club or a baseball bat, you'll soon get to grips with the remote that transforms your playing experience.

 

The software comes bundled with the Wii Balance Board which can measure weight and balance, and allows body movement to become the control interface. It is used to perform and measure player performance during exercise as well as calculating the BMI and Wii Fit Age.

 

Sit back and enjoy the latest film releases in the comfort of your own home. Here’s PROSPERO’s ‘pick of the best DVDs’ to buy now.

 

Bolt (Cert PG) DVD £14.99 from Sainsbury’s online or in-store - use your CashBack Card and save 5%.

Feelgood Disney animation following the adventures of Bolt, canine star of a Hollywood TV show, who has to find his way home after accidentally getting lost. Having never left the sanctuary of his studio set, action TV star and German Shepherd, Bolt (voice of John Travolta), actually believes he possesses the superpowers of his show's fictional character. Teaming up with some new friends - a seen-it-all-before alley cat called Mittens (voice of Susie Essman), and fat hamster Rhino (voice of Mark Walton), who's encased in a plastic ball, dog-out-of-water Bolt sets off on his cross-country journey to rejoin his owner Penny (voice of Miley Cyrus).

 

 

Slumdog Millionaire - winner of 4 Golden Globes including Best Picture and Best Director. Nominated for 11 BAFTAs including Best Picture and Outstanding British Film, and 10 Academy Awards including Best Picture. Slumdog Millionaire tells the story of Jamal Malik, an 18 year old orphan living on the streets of Mumbai, whose life suddenly changes when he finds himself one question away from winning 20 million rupees.

 

 

Brad Pitt and Cate Blanchett star in this fantasy drama based on a 1922 short story by F. Scott Fitzgerald. The film tells the story of Benjamin Button (Pitt), a man born in unusual circumstances: he is born an old man and ages backwards before finally reaching babyhood. As his strange and often problematic life unfolds, he meets an assortment of interesting characters, including Daisy (Blanchett), granddaughter of one of the residents in the old people's home where Benjamin 'grows up', with whom he has a lifelong romance.