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PC Perspective attempts to review the OnAir GT USB HDTV tuner
USB-powered HDTV tuners are commonplace these days so how do you choose one? Well, most people turn to reviews in order to select the right one for them. But how do you select a review? The first quality in our book is that the reviewer knows what he is talking about. Take this HDTV tuner review for example. PC Perspective is attempting to review OnAir GT USB tuner and we got through most of the review without a hitch but then we happened upon the screenshot page showing examples of different broadcasts. (this is where all their credibility flew out the second story window) The last two examples are signals off digital stations showing daytime programing - none that are high-def. We are sure the reviewer noticed that the stream was 720p/1080i via an onscreen display, but we are here to tell you that the programs are not in high definition - note the side black bars and SD picture quality.
New Sharp products for 2007
It was a shame the TVs we'd trudged half way across London to see weren't actually on view (hence this boring press photo). Nevertheless, Sharp's new 1080p sets looked promising from the presentation, with two ranges that'll eventually supersede the existing XD1 line-up. First is the two-strong XL1 series, available in 46in and 52in sizes (LC-46/52XL1E). They're pretty much the same as the old XD1 range, save for a new design and 100Hz technology for better motion reproduction. As well as 1920x1080p panel resolutions, the XL1 sets come with 4ms response time, 2,000:1 contrast ratio and two HDMI ports. Both are due for launch in July. The HD1 series also comprises 46in and 52in models (LC-46/52HD1E) both of which sport 1080p Full HD panels, a built in Freeview plus an HDTV tuner for future Hi-Def Freeview broadcasts (whenever that may be).
Black Mac mini rip-off gets an outing
IT-REVIEW took a look into the wonderful world of Lego. The latest product Mindstorm, is guaranteed to give you hours of fun. Bear in mind that this is serious robotic kit, although if you give it to your kid, don't be surprised if one day a robot brings you breakfast in bed. PC Perspective reviewed an HDTV tuner called OnAir GT. The tuner still has only 32-bit operating system support, but OnAir claims that v3.0.0.0. of the driver and TV tuner application v3.01 will support 64-bit operating systems as well. Bjorn3D tested AVB USB 2.0 Mobile 4GB Drive and came to an interesting conclusion. Hardware.Info ran a budget system guide article. Regardless of all the marchitecture wars between Intel and AMD, the sad truth is that Intel is still producing too many NetBurst CPUs (yep, Conroe/Merom/WoodCrest are just a little part of the current production mix) and that AMD just has better performing parts than most of Intel's production.
Satisfy your hardcore gaming needs anywhere
If you're a hardcore gamer and need to be able to pack up your rig and take it on the road, you know that toting around a full ATX case can be quite cumbersome. You could always get a laptop, but they're never as good as your desktop. Eurocom is trying to change that thought. They have been making high-end gaming computers for a while now, and have recently introduced a laptop that might just give your desktop a run for its money. You'll get an Intel Core 2 Extreme processor, a Phantom boost dual Nvidia GeForce Go 7950 GTX 512MB / Nvidia Quadro FX 2500M 512MB. You'll also be able to upgrade your video card in the future if you deem it necessary. They spared no expense on these, you'll also get a 600Gb HDD with RAID 5, 4GB RAM, Bluetooth, WiFi and an HDTV tuner.
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