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.

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.

In recent days we’ve added a whole range of Flat Screen TVs to our website. These TVs have included the high quality range of Sony Bravia LCDs! Coinciding with our launch, Sony are offering an awesome promo deal where you buy any selected Sony Bravia LCD TV and receive a bonus Sony Playstation 3 AND a 3 year extended warranty for free! The list of eligible models is below.

How does it work? Well the PS3 is cliamable via redemption, which we will take care of for you. There will be a small $35 Postage and Handling fee applicable, to cover the costs of Sony’s admin and shipping fees. We will cover this at the time of putting through the claim for you, you can pay us back before we ship it to you. If you receive your TV before the 20/10/09, you will have your PS3 in time for Christmas! Otherwise, it will be sent to you within 28 days of the original purchase.

There’s a total of 25,000 PS3′s to be given away and we’re pretty sure they will be all gone before the end of the promotional period, which incidentally runs until 20/12/09 or until stocks last.

Eligible Sony Bravia LCD Models:

40″ W Series LCD – KDL40W550
46″ W Series LCD – KDL46W550
40″ WE Series LCD – KDL40WE5
46″ WE Series LCD – KDL46WE5
40″ Z Series LCD – KDL40Z550
46″ Z Series LCD – KDL46Z550
50″ Z Series LCD – KDL50Z550
40″ EX Series LCD – KDL40EX1
46″ EX Series LCD – KDL46EX1
52″ EX Series LCD – KDL52EX1
40″ ZX Series LCD – KDL40ZX1

With the addition of the Panasonic VIErA rane of Plasma and LCD Screen TVs this week, we now allow you to purchase a full home media viewing solution, from Media Storage to Network Players and now, importantly, top quality High Definition Flat Panel TVs.

Coinciding with the addition of the Viera range to the site is a brilliant promotion. Purchase any selected Panasonic Viera Plasma Screen TV and you’ll receive your choice of 3 superb bonus gifts, explained below. The eligible models are listed further down this page. Included amongst them is the seriously epic G10 Series, which won the CNET Australia Editors Choice Award for this year.

1. Digital Camera Pack – DMC-FT1 “Tough” Digital Camera with 4GB SD Card and Case (Valued at $643 RRP)
2. Blu-Ray Home Theatre System – DC-BT200 Blu-Ray Home Theatre system (Valued at $1099 RRP)
3. DVD Recorder – DMR-XW350 DVD Recorder with Twin HD Tuner and 250GB HDD (Valued at $1099 RRP)

Panasonic are offering a total of 12,000 of each of these gifts, but they are sure to go quickly, so whilst the promotion does theoretically run until Christmas Eve, the likelihood is that they will run out before then.

How does it work? The bonus gifts are claimable via redemption, which we will take care of for you. The gift will be sent to you within absolutely maximum 90 days, at which time there will be a small charge of $25 to cover the postage and fulfilment fees.

Eligible Panasonic VIErA Plasma Screen TVs:

THP54S10A (Coming Soon)
THP50S10A
THP46S10A
THP42S10A
THP50G10A
THP46G10A
THP42G10A
THP50V10A
THP54Z1A

Not only have we added the range of Samsung LCD, Plasma and LED Screens to our range (Plasma and LEDs will be listed on the site within days), there is a special promotion running until Christmas time, or until stocks last. That’s right, buy a selected Samsung LCD, LED or Plasma Screen TV and you’ll receive a bonus 22″ or 26″ LCD absolutely FREE!

The eligible Samsung model TVs are listed below. We’ll take care of the redemption process for you. All you need to do is sit tight and we’ll have a second TV delivered to you within 90 days at the most, depending on Samsung’s administration and shipping delay. There will be a fee of $45 which will cover Samsung’s shipping and admin fees. We’ll cover this for you in the interim, you can pay us this fee when the bonus TV is ready to ship to you. If you have any more questions, feel free to contact us and we’ll be able to help you out. The list of applicable models is below.

Eligible LCD TV Models:

LA40B650
LA46B650
LA55B650
LA40B750
LA46B750
LA52B750

Eligible LED TV Models:

UA40B6000 (Enquire)
UA46B6000 (Enquire)
UA55B6000 (Enquire)
UA46B8000 (Enquire)
UA55B8000 (Enquire)
UA40B7100 (Unavailable)
UA46B7100 (Unavailable)
UA55B7100 (Unavailable)

Eligible Plasma Models:

PS50B550 (Enquire)
PS58B550 (Enquire)
PS50B650 (Enquire)
PS63B680 (Enquire)
PS50B850 (Enquire)
PS58B850 (Enquire)

Go on, how can you resist. Any purchase of the above model LCD or Plasma Screens receives a Bonus 22″ LCD TV FREE! ANy LED Screen purchase from the models above receives a 26″ LCD TV FREE! It’s a fantastic deal.

Wanted to let you know we’ve just added a big range of brand name Flat Screen TVs to the store. Samsung, Panasonic, Sony and LG are the headliners – not bad as an introductory range if you ask us! Anyway, coinciding with our Flat Screen range launch, the major brands are running some pretty sensational promotions in the run in to Christmas. Read on for more…

Our introductory promo banner.

SAMSUNG

Purchase a selected LCD or Plasma TV, receive a bonus 22″ LCD (Valued at $699) for free! Purchase a selected LED TV, receive a bonus 26″ LCD (Valued at $899) for free!

Our favorite Flat Panel TV brand, Samsung, have just arrived at Eljo Media Solutions. We are pretty much stocking their entire range, and on certain models, there is an awesome promotion running. As it says above, buy any selected Samsung Flat Screen TV and receive a bonus 22″-26″ LCD absolutely free. We’ll go through the redemption process for you and send out your bonus LCD TV as soon as it arrives. Hurry though because the promo runs until Christmas Eve or, more likely – until stocks last. Of the eligible models, in our opinion you can’t go past the Series 6 LED Screens. They are perfect for wall mounting because they are so slim and offer up top class picture quality. And what’s more – they’re sure to make your friends envious!

SONY

Purchase a selected Sony LCD TV and receive a bonus Playstation 3 Slim (Valued at $499.95) and a 3 Year Extended Warranty (Valued at $199) for free!

The SONY Bravia range of LCD TVs are great to look at when switched off and even better when switched on. What’s even better, they’re now available from Eljo Media Solutionsour store! Again, we’ll go through the redemption process for you and send out your PS3 as soon as it arrives. If you purchase before the end of November, Sony are guaranteeing delivery before Christmas. Of the ones available, we really rate the 200Hz Z Series. But if its’ environmental responsibility your after, check out the WE Series as well, which Sony claims consumes less power than 2 ordinary light bulbs!

PANASONIC

Purchase a selected Panasonic VIErA Plasma TV and receive your choice of Bonus Gifts for free! There is a Digital Camera Pack (Valued at $639), a Blu-Ray Home Theatre System (Valued at $1099) or a DVD Recorder (Valued at $1099) to choose from.

Not to be outdone, Panasonic are also running a promotion on the epic Viera Plasma range which, surprise surprise, is also now available from Eljo! This promotion lets you choose from a selection of 3 gift packs, of which they are giving away a total of 12,000 of each. The promo, like the others above, runs until 24/12/09 or until stocks last – which we’re told wont be until then. If we were you – we’d jump all over the G10 range, to which CNET Australia have given their Editors Choice award to for the year. It’s really quite an amazing TV.

LG

No Promotions – just great TVs at great prices!

We’ve also added an extensive list of the LG Electronics range of Flat Screens. Whilst they aren’t running any promotions, we are pretty sure you’ll fall in love with our prices. LG Electronics, being one of the largest electronics brands on the planet, produce ultra reliable, high end Plasma’s and LCD screen TVs. In terms of value for money, we really like the LH20 range. Although if you have that bit extra to splash out on the LH35, do so as they are wicked.

AUTHORISED FACTORY REFURBS

Eljo have also signed up with one of Australia’s favorite LCD TV brands to be able to offer you Officially Authorised Factory Refurb TVs.

Whilst we’d all love to be able to afford these high end TVs from Samsung, Panasonic or Sony, it’s just not in everyone’s budget. So we’ve arranged with one of Australia’s favorite LCD TV brands to offer you Authorised Factory Refurb TVs. The majority of them are A Grade refurbs, meaning they are guaranteed to be in as new condition. However, all of them are covered by a 3 month manufacturer warranty, just to make sure. Check out the prices, we reckon you’ll be pleasantly surprised (how does $669 for a 32″ LCD sound?).

We are still busily adding the final touches to our range. If there are any particular models that you are really keen on that aren’t on the site, chances are the web master is still getting on to creating the listings. Just contact us to enquire. What’s more, we should be adding more brands in the coming weeks so keep checking in if we don’t currently stock what you are after.

Have a great day!

Added to our range for now are Samsung Series 5, 6 and 7, Sony Bravia V and W series, LG Electronics LH35 and LH50 and a more affordable option from ViewSonic. All models are Full HD and come with an inbuilt High Definition HDTV Tuner. Keep an eye out in the coming weeks for Plasma and LED TVs as well as more brands of LCDs. We hope to be able to offer customers a complete range of TVs so they have a full set of choices, much like they do for their multimedia consumption.