This is a fantastic boost for all Australian consumers, for years we have been lagging far behind America and Europe in terms of Video on Demand content that is available through either our TV’s, Media Players or Computers, leading to Australia having the one of the highest rates of Piracy (Not the swashbuckling bearded kind). This means consumers will now be able to watch new release movies on their devices sooner then they ever have before.

Titles that will be available on Bigpond’s Movie service will include Black Swan and Gulliver’s Travels. Whilst there will be a large selection of older content such as the popular Devil Wears Prada (For the women) and X-Men Trilogy (For the men) amongst many others.

Another bonus is that both Movies and Television shows will be unmetered for Telstra customers, in layman’s terms this means that when you watch/download these movies it wont eat into your internet limit if you are on Telstra. Considering that movies are large files this is something which is very handy.

What we at ELJO.com.au are most excited about is that the Bigpond Movie service is available on Samsungs 2011 range of Smart TV’s, which means you don’t need any additional hardware to access it. Considering we believe that Samsung’s 2011 range are some of the best LED, Plasma and LCD TV’s on the market this is just an added bonus.

For more information relating to Samsung’s Bigpond service see the Samsung website by clicking here.

What do you guys think about Bigpond Movies on Samsung’s new Smart Hub? We’d love to hear from our customers who use this functionality.

A few points of interest is that the RXV371 now supports ARC and decoding of Dolby TrueHD / DTS HD, the higher end RXV671 will come with a full suite of networking features, which will go perfectly with the Smart Home range of TV’s now available like Samsung’s 2011 range.

Key Points:

RX-V371

Yamaha’s entry level AV Receiver – great for people who are keen on their first home theatre. Includes handy features like iPod connectivity and HD Audio Support. It delivers high-end sound at an affordable price.

RX-V471

A great mid range option from Yamaha’s range, its full of features normally saved for higher end models. The YPAO auto room calibration you are able to automatically determine the optimal sound level for your room. Whilst the inclusion of a front USB iPhone and iPod connection makes this unit an all round winner.

RX-V571

If 5.1ch just isn’t enough, then the RX-V571 is the way to go. With 7.1ch powerful surround sound this is a serious step up from the lower models. It incorporates a fantastic range of connectivity with 6 in/1 out HDMI (3D, ARC, CEC) and the ability to upscale video to Full HD 1080p and iPod/iPhone USB ports, YPAO Automatic room calibration and HD audio decoding this unit is for those who are serious about their home theatre.

At ELJO.com.au we love Yamaha’s range of new AV Receivers, they delver high end Audio at a very reasonable price point, their new range and added features make these a must buy for any true Audiophile.

The good news about new models, means that the old models are now heavily discounted, we have slashed hundreds off the current range of Yamaha Receivers, especially the RX-V667 and RX-V767. To see more visit www.eljo.com.au

Samsung to add an extra inch to their Plasmas for 2011.

It’s every man’s dream – an extra inch! Samsung have come up with a thinner bezel, allowing the frame of their Plasmas to be slimmer, thus increasing the size of the viewable screen on their range of Plasmas, without increasing the overall dimensions of the product. New models will be available in 51″, 55″, 59″ and 64″. They’ve also claimed that Plasma technology will be around for 10 or more years, despite many claims that the technology is old. This is due to the lower production costs and the consequential affordability of the larger screens.

Download PDF of Samsung press release here.

Smart phones? Try Smart TV’s

Samsung have announced a new line up of applications for their TV app store, aimed at further improving interactivity between viewer, TV and programming. Applications include games, sports updates, music sharing programs and more. Whether or not these will all be available in Australia remains unclear. Over-hyped marketing ploy? We think so. But still – the Samsung televisions that will feature them are the best in their class.

Download PDF of Samsung press release here.

Panasonic increase their range by decreasing their size.

Panasonic’s new range of 3D Viera TVs will for the first time have some 3D LCD/LED panels, at 32″ and 37″ sizes. Both are smaller than any currently available 3D TV. Also added to the range will be the 42″ and 46″ sized plasma panels. The 2011 3D range will also comprise multiple models, the VT30, GT30 and ST30. 2010 only had one, the popular VT20A.

Click here to view the full Panasonic press release.

Glasses-Free 3D TV announced and demonstrated

Toshiba will be the first to market with glasses-free 3D TV. Or so it seems. Others to announce their intent to move into the product category are Sony. Commercially available panels in sizes that are large enough to allow for true enjoyment of 3D viewing. However, these TV’s are unlikely to capture to much market share, as current incarnations have massively restricted viewing angles, to the point that you pretty much have to be in an exact spot to see it. One day folks… One day.

3D TV goes passive.

In more prommissing news for 3D TV, it has been announced that 3D like it is at the movies will be available for the home in 2011. 3D can currently be produced in 2 ways, passive or active (for a full explanation, click here). Active is the method used in 2010 model 3D TVs, whereas passive is what is used in cinemas. The actual difference in performance is negligible at the end of the day (some say active is better). The major difference however is in the glasses, which are lighter and will cost about one sixth the price of active models. LG and Toshiba have both announced a shift towards this passive 3d technology in 2011.

And the awards goes to…

Vizio! Vizi who? Unfortunately, the best of CES 2011 award for the TV category went to a brand who has little to no interest in ever coming to Australia. America’s leading TV brand, Vizio are leading the way in internet enabled TVs, with their Google TV range among others announced at CES 2011. Their XVT3D6SP series, equipped with Google TV, won the best at show award in the TV category. But don’t consider angering the big retailers by buying one from overseas, the TV’s wont work in Australia, thanks to the different tuner standards in the US. Unlucky for us.

For the full list of Best of CES, click here.

Stay tuned as we will be posting more CES roundups in the coming days.

That said, these internet enabled TVs do not interact with the internet the same way that a computer does (yet). For now, think more along the lines of a smartphone, just without a web browser. The TVs cannot access every page on the internet, but they certainly can access many different preset locations via mini programs, called “Widgets”. Widgets are pre-designed programs that will access certain information on the World Wide Web. For example, the news widget will give you the latest news and sporting  information from around the world. And you can probably guess what a weather widget might do. If you have ever used a mobile phone with applications, such as the iPhone, the concept of widgets is very easy to adapt to. Widgets are essentially applications (apps) for your TV. They allow you to do a range of fun and productive things, from checking the weather without having to look out the window, to checking how your stocks are going, and whether you can afford to get that pizza delivered instead of having to get off the couch and get it yourself. When all is said and done though, the main attraction of internet capable TV is the ability to download and stream content directly from the web. The YouTube widget allows you to watch your favourite video clips from around the world on your television. This can include music videos, sporting highlights or famous moments throughout history, and with over 2 BILLION videos on file, it offers a lifetime’s supply of entertainment on it’s own. But wait, there’s more. Because you always have options galore on your Internet TV, you will never have to be stuck watching infomercials – meaning you will save money on exercise machines that fold up conveniently in your garage never to be seen again.

The Upgrade… Still watching one of the old, bulky CRT TVs? Or perhaps you’re yet to make the digital switch and would really prefer to catch the cup on SBS HD? Our recommendation is to look at Full HD TVs, especially if its’ 40″+ that you’re after. Unless in a particularly large room, a TV about 40-46″ should be plenty big enough for the main TV viewing area. Up for consideration should certainly be the Samsung Series 6 or the Sony EX500 LCDs. Both of these are in stock and both of these will serve you fantastically well for the World Cup. If you’ve got that little bit of extra cash to spend though, the Samsung Series 6 LED looks a great bet. Or of course you could go 3D…

Go 3D… the biggest request we’ve had for TVs in the run in to the world cup has been surrounding the new 3D TV models. We can tell you that for the beginning of the cup, you’re choice revolve entirely around the Samsung 3D LED range, with both the Series 7 and Series 8 models available for immediate dispatch. The Series 7 is available in 3 sizes; 40″, 46″ and 55″, whilst the top of the range Series 8 is available in 2 sizes; 46″ and 55″. These TVs are quite extraordinary. As the tournament progresses, we are expecting to receive stock of the 3D models from Panasonic, LG and Sony, as well as the Samsung 3D Plasmas, but these will probably come in during the 2nd week of the tournament.

Second TV for the bedroom… Depending on the size of your bedroom of course, we reckon a 26″ TV is about right for the bedroom. At this size, there is a the budget conscious Full HD model from Vivo, available with or without an inbuilt DVD player (whilst the World Cup is not available yet on DVD, other things are. Probably worth a thought for the months post-July). If on the other hand you a bit of a brand snob, then we suggest looking at the Samsung LA26C450 Series 4 LCD or the Toshiba 26AV600A (call for more as it’s not yet listed on site). Both of these are High Definition rather than Full HD, but at 26″, this shouldn’t make too big of an impact.

All the TVs mentioned are in stock and ready for immediate dispatch on the next delivery run. The sooner you order, the quicker you can be watching the World Cup in style.

So, Pinpoint Dimming… there is a technical description and a non-technical description. So as to keep it simple, we’ll start with the simple one. Pinpoint dimming effectively increases the number of LEDs within the TV, which improves the TV’s ability to control the exact amount of light that is produced. This in turn allows for enhanced colours and, importantly, deeper blacks. This means your overall picture quality receives a good boost thanks to the pinpoint dimming technology.

For those techies among you, the way the technology achieves this is by placing additional LEDs at carefully selected intersections within the diffuser mesh that lies behind the panel (to transmit light from the edge-mounted LEDs across the panel), enabling more precise control of light levels across the screen and thus, better contrast ratio performance.

So not only will the TV be edge-lit, but it seems there are extra LEDs positioned in behind the panel which increase the overall performance of the Television set. This, coupled with the 3D technology, access to various internet services and a schmick looking brushed metal frame, makes the new Samsung Series 8 LED TV the most advanced to hit the market yet.

“The future for television changed today with Sony Australia unveiling its 2010 BRAVIA range featuring the company’s first internet-enabled TVs. The BRAVIA Internet Video service signals a new era of home entertainment, with new internet channels to enjoy straight out of the box. As part of its launch, Sony Australia announced 15 channels that will be made available through its service, including catch-up TV and made-for-the-internet content.

The arrival of IPTV (Internet Protocol Television) represents a shift in the way Australians can view television, with videos streamed directly from the internet to a TV. Sony’s IPTV service – known as BRAVIA Internet Video – will be accessible through 21 TVs in the 2010 BRAVIA range.”

At Eljo, we’re proud to bring you this new line of Sony Bravia TVs. For more information about the different models, you can view any of the product pages, or simply contact one of our team and they’ll be happy to go over the new advancements. For the full press release, click here.

The brand new Dvico TViX N1 Network Media Player… It’s a cylinder!

• Ethernet port for quick and easy network connectivity.
• 3 USB ports for connecting external storage.
• Full HD playback, up to 1080p resolution.
• Internet service access, including Youtube, Picasa, Flickr and RSS Feeds.
• Memory card slot for easy photo (or other) playback.
• Live software update, without the need to download anything on the PC.

All of this is available for an RRP of just $249!! Stay tuned as there is sure to be an Eljo launch special of sorts in the coming days…

We’ve got a special offer happening to mark the launch of this new product. All items ordered on presale will receive a FREE Wireless N Dongle (Popcorn Hour’s own new WN-150) so you can connect to your wireless network for file transfers, media streaming and internet services. We’ll also ship the pack to you for free when they arrive in the country, which we expect to be in time for a first week of February dispatch.

The A200 is priced at $299, whilst the WN150 Wireless USB Dongle (also compatible with the Popcorn Hour C200) comes in at a very reasonable $39.95, making this the most affordable Popcorn Hour product release to date.

Get the A200 here or get the WN150 here.

The new look Popcorn Hour A200 in the flesh.

Quick update on the ever popular Popcorn Hour C-200…

We have managed to get our hands on very limited shipment of the C-200′s.

There’s been a price drop down from $489 to $449.

They’re in stock right now! But they are very limited so if you want one – jump in fast!

Next shipment is not until January.