TV & Home Theatre

  A back to school essential for those going to university is a decent sound system for the dorm room. The room is small so you don’t really need a huge system and for maximum flexibility a wireless system is by far the best way to go. It avoids unnecessary wires hanging around and can give you the ease of using it in the lounge or elsewhere. There are a lot of excellent wireless systems available, in a variety of price ranges depending on your budget. In order to help short-list the myriad of choices, I am providing my top 5 picks ideal for the dorm room.

Blu-Ray players used to be just that, able to only play Blu-Ray discs. Blu-Ray players today come with a myriad of additional capabilities and Samsung’s BD-H6500 is no exception. It is fully loaded and is 4K Ultra HD ready so if you have a 4K TV or plan to get one in the future this is the ideal Blu-Ray media player. One of the great things about this player is that it will upconvert HD content to be much closer to UHD resolution. It is loaded with other features too. Although it costs a little bit more than most other Blu-Ray players, I got my hands on one and given all its features and capabilities it is a great buy.  

Monster manufactures high quality accessories that are needed for any TV & Home Theatre system. You know, cables and surge protectors that you typically just take for granted or simply buy as an after thought. They are extremely well made, but with that typically comes a higher price. You get what you pay for, but with these relatively mundane accessories is it worth spending the extra dough? You just bought a fancy new HDTV or better yet a shiny stunning 4K UHD model, so do you need high-end cables to make sure you get the best picture?   I had the opportunity to try out a couple of excellent Monster HDMI cables and a Power Surge Protector so I can give you my first-hand perspective on why you may or may not consider them for your system.

    You may be thinking it will be a little while before you can afford an upgrade to a stunning 4K UHD new technology TV. That time may be closer than you think with LG’s new 4K 55” 3D Smart TV (55UB8500). They have priced it very aggressively while keeping all the excellent features that you could want in such a TV. It is one of the lowest priced 4K TV’s on the market and comes as a WebOS powered Smart TV, an IPS panel, and passive 3D. This is probably the best value 4K TV on the market.

Heading off to college or university is an exciting time. And if you’re planning to live in a dorm room, it means stocking up on all of the gear you’ll need for the shared living space. When it comes to a display device, one wouldn’t even think of a tablet as being a full-on TV replacement. But when you consider that your home base will be such small living quarters, this becomes a real consideration. And there are advantages for each technology when it comes to both productivity and entertainment.

          Rocketfish makes accessories in a variety of areas, including home AV. Here are four particularly notable items from the line to enhance your AV setup, plus one product for helping to keep your mobile device screens squeaky clean.

  I have always been a big fan of Denon electronics, having several Denon components in my home today. I find Denon to be great value with high quality equipment that is at a reasonable price. They are now launching a new product line, HEOS, which is a wireless multi-room speaker system that is poised to compete with the likes of Sonos and Bose Soundtouch. It is great to see Denon enter this market as they are a formidable competitor that will force everyone to continue improving their products. Here is the lowdown on their new HEOS line.

      If you are in the market for a new TV, you can kill a lot of brain cells trying to figure out all the available models.  It is perfectly acceptable to kill a few more afterward with a few celebratory libations, basking in the glory of a new HDTV. You will especially want to celebrate if you selected one of Samsung’s UNH6350 LED sets, as this new line has some of the best mid-range TVs on the market. If you want a great performing HDTV with an excellent Smart platform you will not go wrong with the H6350’s from Samsung.

  There have been so many spectacular moments during the FIFA World Cup games. From van Persie’s amazing header, to Suarez’s two goals (and bite) to Howard’s stunning blocks and manoeuvres, the excitement has been non stop. If you were watching the games on a pint-sized TV you probably missed some of the stunning details and colour of these historical matches.   Maybe it’s time to upgrade to one of the 4K Ultra HD TVs with their gloriously big screens offering the ultimate immersive viewing experience.