Digital Touch has proudly introduced the T3-B, which is actually a coffee table sized unit that features a built-in 26-inch multi-touch screen LCD and Wi-Fi connectivity, allowing you to browse, select and interact with various options on screen. You can also connect this table to an optional receipt printer, a credit card reader or a TV tuner. [Digital Touch]
The Sony Ericsson Vivaz is the HD-video-shooting successor to the Swedish-Japanese firm's flagship Satio model.
With an 8.1MP camera that can also record 720p HD video, it is designed to thrill YouTube-rs with its easy video upload features as well as the bundled 8GB memory card for ample storage.
The touchscreen phone has been ergonomically designed to fit the contours of the hand and with social networking and multi-media features galore, the Sony Ericsson Vivaz is set to give the likes of the Nokia X6 and the LG InTouch Max GW620 a run for their money.
The handset itself has been ergonomically designed and does feel really nice to hold.
The curve of the back fits nicely into the palm and although it's a light handset, the Sony Ericsson Vivaz doesn't feel insubstantial. It has an abundance of very smooth surfaces, so we did find we dropped it quite a few times.
Aside from the LCD display, the handset is very plastic-heavy and does leave something to be desired in the design department.
Available in four different colour combinations, we tested the Sony Ericsson Vivaz Moon Silver with silver back panel with dark blue sides.
The touchscreen is resistive, unfortunately, but it's probably one of the best we've seen and gives the LG InTouch Max GW620 a run for its money.
Although it's not as smooth or accommodating as the capacitive screens found on handsets like the iPhone and HTC Legend, it is still quite responsive and swiping through menus doesn't require much pressure on the screen.
There is a sensible number of buttons on the Sony Ericsson Vivaz. The call, end and menu buttons are on the front of the handset, with volume/zoom and two camera buttons on the right side panel, and power/lock on the top.
However, the latter can be a little fiddly to hit when holding the Vivaz in one hand, with some juggling needed - this means you run the risk of dropping it.
We're glad to see a 3.5mm headphone jack and microUSB port, given Sony Ericsson's previous love for its proprietary Fast Port connector instead of a basic headphone socket.
In the box
The Sony Ericsson Vivaz comes with the basics – a plug, separate USB to microUSB cable to connect to the plug or to your PC, a pair of Sony Ericsson headphones and a standalone stylus.
The headphones don't come with sponge ear buds, nor in-ear fittings to accommodate different sized ears, but do double as a handsfree kit thanks to the built-in microphone.
Given the HD recording function of the handset, Sony Ericsson has also seen fit to include an 8GB microSD card - we would have preferred some inbuilt storage too, but at least this is a generous addition.
The Symbian S60/S^1 operating system is traditionally associated with Nokia handsets, found on devices like the Nokia 5800, N97 and X6.
Despite this, the look and feel of the Vivaz interface is still very 'Sony Ericsson.'
The menus are well laid out and easy to navigate, but because the Vivaz is limited to just one menu screen, some sub-menus are packed with options.
You can avoid venturing into the menus too often if you invest some time customising the homescreen.
The default set up offers a row of five widget tabs across the top of the screen. These can be assigned different functions depending on your preferences.
For example, we had tabs housing our favourite contacts, social networking apps, menu shortcuts and a favourite image acting as wallpaper.
Scrolling between the tabs is easy and satisfying, but is slightly less elegant than the traditional Android homescreen set up.
The tabulated layout of the Sony Ericsson Vivaz is much tidier than the more crowded approach taken by the X6 and N97 Mini, although there is less information available at a glance.
For those craving a simpler life, fewer home screen options can be set using the Standby Themes in the settings menu.
There's a nice level of customisation on the Sony Ericsson Vivaz, but it's more constrained than some of its contemporaries, particularly the Android-toting HTC Tattoo and LG InTouch Max GW620, where a plethora of widgets are on offer.
Making and taking calls is very straightforward thanks to the dedicated call and end buttons, but we wish we could say the same for locking and unlocking the screen and keys.
Locking the keys should be a one-button affair, but not so with the Sony Ericsson Vivaz.
After hitting the power/lock button you have to either select the lock option on the screen, or hit the power/lock button again.
This might not sound like a chore, but the power/lock button is not particularly easy to press as it's almost flush with the panel it sits in.
When you're not sure if your press has been registered, it's all too easy to press the power button too hard and switch the handset off.
What makes that even more annoying is that the Sony Ericsson Vivaz takes its time closing down, and starting up again isn't exactly lightning fast.
The other danger was forgetting to choose any option from the menu and leaving the keys and screen active in your pocket or bag, from which anything can be tapped and accessed thanks to a resistive screen.
Even after several days of use, this was still grating on us.
Speed of use is an area where the Vivaz also lets itself down. Aside from being slow to start up, the temperamental auto-rotate takes a second or two too long to kick in.
We also had issues with the handset's multi-tasking – although we definitely welcome it as a feature and had no problem switching between applications, it's a little too tricky to close things down entirely.
Simply using the menu or end buttons keeps them open in the background, so you end up with several unnecessary things running, slowing the handset right down and taking away all the advantages of the Vivaz's fast processor.
It is possible to download new apps for the home screen via the PlayNow app store.
This provides music, game and wallpaper downloads as well as apps, but they're generally not cheap and there are very few free options, unlike the wildly successful Apple App Store and Android Market.
Searching through the store is a bit of a chore as it isn't hugely intuitive, but downloading is fairly straightforward direct to the handset - perhaps we're just spoilt by the plethora of much better portals on offer.
One of the things we really like about the Vivaz is the quick and easy access to the dial pad – something that is often hidden away on touchscreen phones.
On the Sony Ericsson Vivaz it sits at the front of the home screen as a grid - you won't know what it is the first time you take the phone out the box, but it's handily placed.
There are also various simple ways to access the contacts book - through the menu, dial pad or by hitting the call button.
Sound quality when making and taking calls with the Sony Ericsson Vivaz is fair, we didn't experience any major issues.
Both the caller and the recipient's voices were clear and comfortable to hear, although there was some occasional buzzing on the Vivaz's end.
The contacts book is pretty basic, just an alphabetical list of names, but there is the option to segment them into groups.
The individual contact entries are a bit more exciting, with room for multiple numbers and email addresses as well as company information, job title and photo to help you remember who's who.
Favourite contacts can be saved to one of the five homescreen tabs for quick and easy access. But unlike the INQ Chat 3G and other phones of this calibre, there is no option to synchronise your phone book with your social networking profiles.
The messaging menu features a dazzling array of options, from regular SMS, to an email inbox, an SMS conversations view (which shows your messages in threaded conversation format) and a range of granular message settings.
It may seem like a bit much at first, but once you are used to the layout, it's really convenient to have all that messaging paraphernalia in one obvious place.
We can't fathom why the standard SMS inbox does not just use the conversations layout, though - instead it makes you look at the 'normal' inbox and then scroll through the menus to view the conversation in the threaded view.
Setting up email on the Sony Ericsson Vivaz is basically painless. We set up a Gmail account and, after inputting the account name and password, the handset did most of the hard work for us, with the email list presented simply.
Setting up Exchange email was relatively easy too and didn't take long to sync with the server, but does require you to input the settings manually.
Push email isn't configured by default (although you can schedule the phone to update at specified times) so the inbox only refreshes when it is physically opened – not ideal if you expect instant real-time email.
Typing isn't too heinous a task, despite the resistive touchscreen which we've struggled with on handsets like the Sony Ericsson Satio.
The screen is quite slim, so it's easier to opt for the landscape QWERTY layout - although the number pad layout coupled with predictive text does a passable job too.
There is no autocorrect function, which is a real annoyance for minor mistakes. Of course, you can opt to use the stylus - but sorry, we're not in 1995 any more and this isn't a PDA.
If you MUST use the stylus, there is a mini-QWERTY option which squeezes the whole keyboard into the width of the vertical screen position – really too small to use unless you're blessed with 20:20 vision or a really good magnifying glass (and third hand).
As with all stylus-bearing phones, we find it a fiddle to rummage around for another piece of equipment when all we want to do is send a quick message - we're not sure why Sony Ericsson is persisting down this route on a high end phone.
As the Sony Ericsson Vivaz isn't a smartphone to rival the likes of the iPhone 3GS or HTC Hero, it is fairly conscientious about its internet use and only connects when you open an application requiring the internet.
Great if you're on a budget or don't have an unlimited data plan, but quite annoying if you do.
The Vivaz asked what connection we wanted to use every single time we accessed any internet application, despite the fact that we had set post-pay internet as the default connection.
This got very frustrating very quickly, and the three dialogue boxes to go through made even a quick glance at Twitter a chore.
The plus side is that switching between 3G and Wi-Fi is really very easy.
Browsing web pages over the SIM card data connection was changeable – at times it was very speedy to load image-intensive web pages, but at other times it took up to a minute to download all the images with seemingly the same levels of reception.
Wi-Fi, though a little slower, was much more constant.
To avoid using the stylus while browsing the internet, the zoom function (denoted by two magnifying glasses) is great.
It allows you to zoom right in on web pages, but not onto specific bits so you have to scroll around to get to the part you want to see.
Another helpful addition is the 'find' function so you can locate the relevant bit of the web page once you have zoomed in.
The Sony Ericsson Vivaz isn't Flash compatible, so Flash-based sites will just render as plain text.
We were really impressed with the mobile version of YouTube, however – as a widget option in the Vivaz's video player, clicking through to YouTube was quick and the videos loaded without much delay.
We also applaud the in-menu BBC iPlayer web shortcut, although this requires a Wi-Fi connection to let you download content to your mobile.
Social networking apps generally work without a hitch, although having set Twitter as a tab on the homescreen we were disappointed to have to repeatedly enter log in information - in fact, it was a terrible way to work with a phone that offers 'native Twitter'.
It also lacks access to DMs, @replies or anything else other than the last 20 or so updates in your timeline, so you tend to be better off using the mobile site.
The camera is where Sony Ericsson intends the Vivaz to shine, with 8.1-megapixels to play with on still shots and the ability to shoot 720p HD video.
There are separate buttons to launch the video and still-shot camera functions, as well as the on-screen option to swap between the two.
Despite the one-button process, the camera is a little slow to get up to speed.
Using the camera functions was a breeze, with on-screen icons showing the current setup at a glance and housing menus for swapping between different features.
There is a whole range of shooting options available on the Vivaz, on a par with a number of mid-range compact digital cameras.
Although there's no manual focus you can choose between full autofocus, or specialist options for specific types of shots; macro for close-ups, infinite mode for landscape shots and portrait mode.
TEST SHOT: Infinite focus for landscape shots – the colours here have come out slightly washed out
TEST SHOT: The panorama function is really nice to use, with instructive on-screen motion detection helping you get a seamless shot
TEST SHOT: The camera didn't fare so well on moving objects, even in sports mode, with images coming out fuzzy and, in some cases, pixelated
TEST SHOT: Direct light was not handled brilliantly, with the whole image coming out much darker than it should have
TEST SHOT: Macro focus is useful for close-up shots, although we found on other shots that it tended to focus on the wrong things – like objects further from the lens
TEST SHOT: Using the camera's light in low light was very effective, although the 'low-light' mode came out slightly grainy
The Sony Ericsson Vivaz 8.1MP camera also has built-in effects. These are the solarise and sepia effects - although the latter is not as rusty as we'd like it to be.
The camera also handled colours well, even in incandescent light.
Sony Ericsson Vivaz HD Video
Click here to see the full resolution video
Sony Ericsson Vivaz SD Video
The sound quality is better in the HD recording here, as is the image which is much crisper and doesn't suffer from the visual noise in the SD clip (QVGA 320 x 240). While the SD clip looks like it was taken with a camera phone, the HD clip does not.
Click here to see the full resolution video
This was shot indoors in low light using the camera light which washes the van out a little as it's close to the lamp. You can also see the camera trying to auto-focus throughout; this is a nice touch in the right circumstances, but can get a little annoying.
On a number of separate occasions, recording would begin but get stuck on a single frame – sound would continue to record but the images wouldn't.
This was frustrating when filming one-off occurrences like a couple of randy squirrels frolicking through the park, and happened more than three times rendering it really quite unreliable.
On other occasions however, the video function would work without a hitch.
Comparison to Samsung i8910HD
It's hard to work out which of these phones is better - on the one hand, the price of the Sony Ericsson Vivaz is around £70 cheaper than the older Samsung i8910HD - but the latter offers a lot of extra features.
On the media front, both can capture 720p video, and both can do so at 24fps. We're tempted to say that the Vivaz looks slightly better on the PC screen, but once you run them both through a TV there's very little to choose from.
Add in the fact that the 8MP camera on the i8190HD is, we think, a touch better than the Vivaz's, and the fact it has a massive OLED screen to watch media on, and we still believe Samsung's media behemoth is the better option.
With a heritage in music-playback devices like the Walkman, we always expect Sony-branded products to have an advantage over other handset manufacturers on the media side of things.
Usually we're a little disappointed, with previous Sony Ericsson handsets using the proprietary Fast Port headphone connector, last seen on the Sony Ericsson Satio.
We're glad to say that Sony Ericsson has done away with the Fast Port connection on the Vivaz, which houses a 3.5mm headphone connector flush to the left-hand side of the handset, bringing the brand squarely into 2010.
The music player interface on the Vivaz is also much more user friendly than older Sony Ericsson offerings like the clunky W205.
With a slick interface complete with animated background, the monochrome player plays host to all the traditional options – artists, albums, playlists, audiobooks and podcasts, as well as your own voice recording files.
Artists are arranged alphabetically, and while it's a shame that artwork doesn't appear in this list to give it a bit more colour, the artwork is available in the album list view and during playback.
Creating playlists on the fly is also very simple if you fancy a compilation approach. We did find the music a little bass-heavy at times – sadly there is no equaliser function to try and remedy this.
A handy widget on the homescreen keeps you up to date with track names and offers easy access to skipping tracks when you have music playing in the background.
The media player makes switching to video playback or the photo library very easy as it's all part of the same application. Going to a video simply pauses the music playback, so you can return to the same place later.
Sound quality when playing music through the handset itself is less tinny than we've come to expect from phones at this level, although it is still a little crackly and no substitute for headphones.
Using a pair of Sennheiser in-ear headphones gave audio playback more depth and less audible noise.
The Sony Ericsson Vivaz also has an FM radio player located in the Apps folder. You can set this to play either through the headphones or the phone's loudspeaker but you have to have headphones plugged in throughout as they act as the antenna.
It's not the most intuitive radio player we've used, with radios on even very basic handsets like the LG Brio proving easier to use.
You can leave the radio playing in the background while using other functions on the Vivaz, but it's not possible to record the sound, as is offered on the Samsung Jet.
The onboard memory is around 75MB, but that won't store much alongside an HD video file, so the Vivaz can support up to a 16GB microSD card and comes with an 8GB card in the box.
Sony Ericsson states that the Vivaz can delivery up to 5 hours 20 minutes of 3G talktime, 2hours 30 minutes video call time and up to 430 hours of standby life.
We reckon that talktime estimation is probably a little optimistic but not way out. After an intensive day of use, including watching and filming HD videos, the Vivaz was about ready to give up the ghost.
But we also managed to get a good two to three days of more casual everyday use out of it before it needed recharging.
Organiser
The Sony Ericsson Vivaz has a whole folder dedicated to organisational apps and functions, but don't look for the calendar here – that has its own menu option.
It's nothing to write home about, but allows you to set reminders and tasks with alerts and deadlines as you'd expect.
In the organiser folder you'll find the clock and alarms function where you can set recurring alarms, like a weekday alarm that doesn't go off at weekends.
There's also a fairly standard note-writing app, calculator, file manager and document readers – although the document readers require licences and therefore payment.
Other handy features to keep you ticking over are the converter app which can tell you plenty about how many kilocalories are in a kilojoule, but only has 'Home' and 'Foreign' options when it comes to currency.
This means you have to set your own rates – we'd have liked this to sync with current conversion rates online, but you can't have everything.
You can, of course, download more apps from the PlayNow store, offering apps from web-publishing through to weather forecasting, although as we said earlier there's not a huge amount of choice there.
Location-based services include Google Maps and GPS positioning. Symbian-based Google Maps is pretty good (although not up to the speed and feature-base of the Android range) and the GPS found us fairly quickly.
Directionally it wasn't too bad either - we navigated between tube stops in the outer reaches of London without getting lost, which is something that still happens far too often due to our rather addled brains.
Media-wise there is an onboard music identification programme called TrackID which works in a similar way to Shazam, as well as a sound recording app for vocal notes-to-self or for recording interviews and so on.
Finally, for the DIY enthusiast, there is an onboard spirit level - good luck getting an accurate reading using either edge of the phone though, there are too many protruding buttons on each.
The Sony Ericsson Vivaz connects to a computer via USB cable. Installing drivers onto a PC is very easy as the necessary software is stored on the handset.
This means no messing about with CDs or going to websites to download executable files. The PC companion suite lets you move files quickly and easily between your phone and computer, but it's not essential.
The software doesn't work on Mac computers, but transferring files between the phone and computer is still possible using the handset as a mass storage device and if you know your way around a computer file then you shouldn't find it too taxing.
Setting up the Wi-Fi connection was easy enough, but assigning a default connection proved difficult. In the end we were forced to select a connection option manually each time we connected.
We also had trouble maintaining a data connection while out and about, even around central London. We often had to just abandon attempts and seek out Wi-Fi.
The phone's GPS fared a little better on-the-go, with the onboard compass proving handy when our feeble sense of direction let us down.
Comparison
Like the Sony Ericsson Satio, this phone puts all its eggs in the camera basket; but the Vivaz manages to keep its other functions up to scratch somewhat better than the Satio, thanks in part to its faster processor.
We were sorely disappointed that the Satio didn't have a 3.5mm headphone socket, so it's a very welcome addition on the Vivaz, and the touchscreen has certainly improved.
It's a shame Sony Ericsson didn't opt for a capacitive screen, but it does keep the costs down.
The ergonomic design of the Vivaz also puts it ahead of the Satio and will feature on all of Sony Ericsson's upcoming handsets.
Given the Vivaz's superior camera, sleek design, ergonomic build and user-friendly music player, it wipes the floor with Nokia's X6, despite the X6's capacitive screen.
The resistive screens of the HTC Tattoo and LG InTouch Max GW620 don't quite measure up to the Vivaz's screen which is surprisingly responsive.
Despite this we'd have welcomed a physical QWERTY keyboard in the style of the GW620, although we can cope without. It's the range and quality of apps we miss most though, with the Tattoo and GW620 both privy to Android's superior marketplace.
This is Sony Ericsson's second effort at a touchscreen phone after the disappointment of the Sony Ericsson Satio, so there's a lot of pressure riding on it.
HD video recording is the headline grabber, but the rest of the phone needs to impress as well in this smartphone-heavy age.
We liked:
The Sony Ericsson Vivaz is lovely to hold – that ergonomic design really does pay off and the near-HD screen also plays a part in making it look and feel like a quality phone.
The touchscreen does a great job considering it is resistive, and the camera quality is high – not solely for recording HD video; still shots using the 8.1-megapixel camera come out very nicely too.
The clean and tidy homescreen pleased us, and the tabbed functions were handy for quick access to our favourite apps and media.
We disliked
For all its nice design and screen, we couldn't help but feel the chassis was still a bit too plastic, particularly the back panel which gives it a slightly cheap feel.
The Sony Ericsson Vivaz also has quite a few little glitches and niggles – not least the frustrating screen and key lock mechanism.
Also having to constantly reassure the handset that yes, we do want to connect using the default internet connection made our techno-hackles rise.
The Android-esque interface lends itself to apps, so we'd have liked to have seen more good quality, low-cost apps in the PlayNow app store, but these may come with time.
And, although it may have been one of the best resistive touchscreens we've seen, it's still not a patch on a capacitive screen.
Verdict:
For a mid-to-high range feature phone, we were pleasantly surprised by how much we liked the Sony Ericsson Vivaz.
As a phone it performed well and we were impressed with the music player and camera functions – the main features of the phone.
Such a shame, then, that little things let it down; we were constantly annoyed by the key lock function, the temperamental auto-rotate and the schizophrenic internet settings.
Related Links
 |  |
LG has announced it is bringing a "complete 3D package" to the UK, courtesy of its LX9900 3D TV and BX580 3D Ready Blu-ray player.
Using the company's ultra-thin Infinia design, the LX9900 (which launched at CES as the LE9500) is available in both 47-inch and 55-inch versions and will offer Full HD 3D picture quality.
This means the TV will be using 'active shutter' technology which has also been favoured by the likes of Samsung, Panasonic and Sony.
·The TV is said to be Full LED and comes complete with TruMotion 400Hz for ultra-smooth images.
The LX9900 has Freeview HD inside, offers a 10,000,000:1 Dynamic contrast ratio and 4x HDMI 1.4 ports.
And the LX9900 will be web-enabled too. Using LG's Netcast technology, you will be able to pick up apps for YouTube, Picasa and Accu Weather.
Doesn't come with glasses
Alongside the telly is the BX580 3D Ready Blu-ray player. This also uses HDMI 1.4 and means that you can spin 3D Blu-rays (when they eventually appear).
The BX580 has Wi-Fi capabilities, bringing with it the Netcast experience.
There's also a UB connection on-board and you can also hook the system up to you DLNA network.
LG is pushing for UK release date of spring for both the LX9900 and BX580, with pricing to be announced.
Annoyingly, you will not get any 3D glasses bundled in with the TV. As they are active shutter, his means that you will potentially have to fork £100 extra for each set.
| |
Sharp has told TechRadar that is keen to force its way back to the forefront of the UK public's consciousness, admitting that the brand has not been viewed as strongly since a high-profile sponsorship with Manchester United ended 10 years ago.
From 1982 to 2000 Sharp was the shirt sponsor of one of the biggest sports brands in the world in a period of explosive growth for Manchester United and huge success for the club.
However, Vodafone took over the sponsorship for the 2000-2001 season, and Sharp's long association with the Old Trafford club ended.
A brand decline
A decade on and Sharp's marketing communications manager Martin Arnold admits that the end of an era in football also marked a slide away for Sharp in the UK.
"I wouldn't say that it marked a step back from the UK market [for Sharp]," said Arnold. "I would say it was when a lot of people started to think that the brand was going into decline.
"When you say Sharp to people today many of them either bring up Manchester United or microwave ovens that have lasted for 20 years."
"Since we stepped away from Manchester United the awareness of Sharp has fallen."
New beginning
Sharp is pumping huge amounts of money into publicising its latest technology – Aquos Quattron televisions that add a yellow pixel to the familiar primary three of red green and blue – and Arnold believes that the time has come to bring the Sharp brand back to the forefront in the UK.
"We believe so much in this technology and that is why we are investing so heavily," he added.
Should Sharp want to get back on the Manchester United shirts, it may have to pump significantly more into its marketing budget.
Current Manchester United sponsors AIG spent £14 million per season for sponsorship, and will be replaced by Aon next season who are rumoured to have paid 80 million for a four-year deal.
| |
Sony showcased its latest television range in London today, but told TechRadar that it is not going to start major publicity on 3D until the UK market is ready.
Speaking to TechRadar, Christian Brown, Senior Category Marketing Manager Home Entertainment for Sony, explained the company's stance on 3D noting: "Our big push for 3D will be in June.
"We are doing it then because that is when the 3D content will be in the market, so we are not going to do a major push on something that isn't currently here."
3D content creation
Sony has two ranges of TVs which will be 3D Ready - the LX and HX series, both of which will be out in the UK in June. It is only the LX which is 3D enabled, however, with the HX able to process 3D content but only with the addition of a £50 transmitter add-on.
Sony isn't fazed that some of its biggest rivals – including Samsung and Panasonic – are flooding the shops with 3D Ready TVs before the company, with Brown explaining that Sony is well prepared to offer the best 3D experience.
"Sony really wants to be the leader on 3D. The fact that we create the content and also bring it to the home is massive for us.
"Things like the Fifa World Cup will be filmed in 3D, with our technology, and we have the rights to this. In fact 3D crosses all of Sony's product ranges, except for Sony Ericsson."
As for who will be leading the 3D when it comes to content, Brown believes that it will be videogames. But this will only lead to wider appeal.
"We are very much pitching 3D at the mass market," says Brown.
"Because of this, the focus [for Sony] is on the benefits 3D brings, instead of the technology.
"It's about educating and inspiring people with 3D."
| |
Sony revealed more details of its Bravia Internet Video service today, which is available through its latest web-connected Blu-ray players.
The service is Sony's push into bringing web content to your TV, with the company trying to make it as easy as possible for you to enjoy internet content from your television set.
TechRadar were given a demo of the service and were impressed with what we saw. As it uses Sony's now-familiar XMB – well, familiar if you are a PS3 user – there's a sense of simplicity to how you access content.
All you need to do is flick to the Video section of the XMB and a number of feeds will be available to view.
Guiding us through Bravia Internet video was Ed Uzzell, Proposition Development Manager Services and Revenue Development at Sony, who explained a number of the features we can expect to find.
"One of our big partners is LoveFilm," explained Uzzell.
"While the films are only available in standard def at the moment, you can start streaming them straight away."
Streaming will be a main part of the service as there isn't actually any way to keep the content you are looking at. Unlike, say a PVR, as the service is on Blu-ray player – there's no hard drive inside for archiving.
We asked Uzzell why Sony chose LoveFilm and hadn't just gone with its own on-demand service Qirocity (which is out in the US). He noted that while Qirocity is coming to Europe ("timeline TBC"), the movies on it will be somewhat different.
"LoveFilm has a great selection of Indies. Qirocity will house all the premium movies when it comes to market."
One of the other big partners for Bravia Internet Video is Channel 5. Its Demand Five catch-up site is also included – offering shows like Home & Away and Neighbours to view whenever you want.
The quality of the stream was more than passable, something which Sony is priding itself on.
"Although the original source size picture is quite small, Sony's Bravia Engine 3 kicks in and scales it up to whatever size your TV is," explains Uzzell.
Bravia Internet Video isn't just about content you can already find on your television, though.
Sony is looking to bring in shows from which may not have mass appeal. One which we were shown was the Digital Concert Hall, which features music and visuals from the Berlin orchestra.
Some of this content will be free but there will be subscription elements to it. It seems that Sony is happy to be a provider of content for niche markets but only if it's of a good quality.
"The Bravia Internet Video service could cater for more niche content. For instance we have the TED Talks for the tech geeks. But we don't want every man and his dog on the service.
"We need to get the right content and the right strategy behind it."
One of the ways to do this is to offer subscription-based services. Something Sony is doing but keeping to a minimum.
"The Bravia Internet Service is not about erecting a massive pay-wall," notes Uzzell. "90 per cent of the content will be available for free, with some subscription deals in place.
"There will be RSS feeds you can subscribe to and unsubscribe too, so you can make the service your own."
Bravia Internet Video is definitely a step in the right direction for bringing web content to TVs.
With the likes of iPlayer launching on the service at the end of the month – and you can expect more big-names to come on board soon – as long as the content keeps on coming Sony may well be on to something special.
| |
All users of Humax's Freesat Foxsat-HD and Foxsat-HDR set top boxes will now be able to use the BBC iPlayer through the red button.
Humax has successfully completed a beta trial of a red button catch-up service and has now rolled out the functionality to all users.
"After successful BETA testing, the highly anticipated BBC iPlayer service, which enables viewers to search and view a range of programmes, is now freely available to all owners of a Humax Foxsat-HD or Foxsat-HDR box, so they can play their favourite shows from the past seven days direct to their televisions," confirmed Humax.
It 'beta' work
Users will need to make sure that their Humax Freesat box is connected to both the internet and satellite dish, press the red button when on a BBC channel and then either navigate to the somewhat confusing BBC iPlayer Beta option in the list or type in 7001 on the remote control.
Graham North, Commercial Director, Humax UK comments: "We are excited about being the first to offer this fantastic new service via the set-top box.
"Our customers enjoy being in control of their TV viewing and BBC iPlayer on Freesat gives them even more freedom to watch what they want, whenever they want to."
| |
MSN Video Player has been a big enough success through a pilot scheme to be launched as a major new product, and Microsoft is not ruling out offering the service to television manufacturers, on Xbox and through the forthcoming Windows Phone 7 Series.
A million people have already used the ad-funded and free MSN Video Player in beta to watch full-length programmes, trailers and clips, enough of an audience to convince the portal that the service has the appeal to become a key asset for Microsoft.
With users staying for an average of 25 minutes – far more than major catch-up services like ITV Player and 4OD – and advertisers champing at the bit to buy up pre-roll adverts before the features, Microsoft has now sealed deals with the likes of Endemol and Shed Media to expand their offering further.
Thousand hours
"We are expanding our catalogue to over 1,000 hours," explained MSN's Rob Crossen. "We've signed a number of new deals…we've gone out there and sourced content that appeals to our audience.
"The other aspect is that we are launching a new platform and it really puts content at the centre. It's not about other brands it's really about programmes.
"The reasons we are chasing the audiences that we are is that we know there is advertiser demand for those audiences because they are very tech savvy.
"It's not a discussion around getting thousands and thousands of hours [of content] it's more about a targeted offering."
The platform is optimised for Microsoft's Silverlight - support that was notably missing from the pilot - although it also works with Flash, and some of the content is available in HD streaming at 720p on connections of 2Mbps and upwards.
Xbox, Windows Phone 7 Series and widgets
With comparisons to the iPlayer inevitable, it's clear that Microsoft could roll out the MSN Video Player to television, its Xbox console, Windows Phone 7 Series and set-top boxes – in the same way as the BBC has puched its offering on multiple platforms from Virgin Media cable to the iPhone.
"What we're doing here is taking MSN beyond what it has typically been known for," added Crossen.
"An obvious place to tale MSN Video Player – given the quality of content that you are seeing on the platform – is the TV, and there are a number of ways that we could do that and in fact the challenge is prioritising so we're looking at a number of opportunities.
"There are a number of ways… widgets on internet connected TVs, we have our own products within the Microsoft network, Xbox and Windows Media Center for instance.
"There are a number of ways that we could choose to explore."
"We have a fantastic product coming later in the year," said Crossen when asked if a mobile MSN Video Player was likely for the forthcoming Windows Phone 7 Series, "but no fixed plans that we are announcing today.
"It's a reflection of our users telling us what they want and they also express their views how they want their content and how they consume it so it's absolutely no mystery to any of us how it could grow."
Xbox users already have access to long-form content through a tie up with the Sky Player and a movie download service, but the concept of a free and ad funded channel is likely to appeal.
The MSN Video Player officially launches tomorrow, go to player.uk.msn.com for more details.
| |
Vodafone is apparently planning to release its own Android phone, with a super-budget price tag to boot.
Following the T-Mobile Pulse and Pulse Mini (low-end Android handsets exclusive to the network) Vodafone clearly wants to follow suit.
To that end, word is it will be releasing the Vodafone 845 (with a better name likely to be confirmed closer to launch).
Latest Android, tiny screen
It will pack the latest Android 2.1 upgrade, but the rest of the features will be lower end - a 2.8-inch QVGA touchscreen and 3.2MP camera.
But the beauty of using Android means that the Vodafone 845 will have to have some higher end features - namely Wi-Fi, 3G and GPS all as standard.
Vodafone 360 is said to be a key part as well - that means integrated contacts and possibly social networking too.
The cost is said to be €145 according to Dutch site All About Phones - which means it could be coming for the thoroughly palatable £130 in the UK.
| |
It's criminal how utterly dependent you can become on your iPhone or iPod touch.
But it's not enough to simply rely on it for communication, entertainment and locating a decent pub... Oh no, now fiendish app developers have found even more ways to tie you to Apple's addictive device.
Read on for 10 more useful – if not immediately obvious – uses for either the iPhone or iPod touch.
1. TeamViewer - Free/£5.99
Need to access your home or work PC while on the road? Why lug a laptop around when you can gain remote control from your iPhone? The best app for the job is TeamViewer, as it's incredibly simple to use and connect, works with both Macs and PC, and is free for personal use too.
2. Touch Mouse – Free
Your iPhone can also act as a wireless touchpad and keyboard for your PC or Mac, enabling you to control it from any room in the house – so Touch Mouse is perfect if it's hooked up to your TV in another room, for example.
3. Handy iLevel – Free
Now, where did you put that spirit level? Don't worry about it – Handy iLevel turns your iPod into the perfect companion for putting up shelves. Just calibrate it on a flat surface and you're good to go. Upgrade to Handy iCarpenter for £2.39 to get four more useful tools: plumb bob, bubble level, ruler and protractor.
4. Did I Close The Door? - 59p
Did I Close The Door? may be designed for those people who keep forgetting to lock their doors, but renaming one of the presets to "Gas cooker" or "Security light" enables you to compile a checklist of important things to do before you head off to bed – or Benidorm for a week.
5. iSat – Free
Having trouble pointing your satellite dish to the correct satellite? Set your location in iSat using the "i" button, then pick your chosen satellite from the dozens listed (spanning the entire globe), and you'll be told how to align your dish accordingly.
6. PrinterShare – Free
Print photos, web pages, contacts or the contents of your iPhone's clipboard on your PC's printer with the free PrinterShare app. You'll need to sign up for a free PrinterShare account at www.printershare.com, plus download the server software for your PC or Mac. Once done, you can set up print jobs from anywhere on the internet for processing automatically or when you get home.
7. Cleartune – Chromatic Tuner - £2.39
Musicians will love Chromatic Tuner – it's designed to tune your instrument using nothing more than your iPhone's mic (it goes without saying that iPod Touch users will need an external mic), and will work with a wide variety of instruments.
8. Tree-to-Go – Free
If you're into your family history, Tree-to-Go is a must. It links in with your free online tree at Ancestry.co.uk – not only can you show off your tree to family, you can add or edit entries, plus upload photos from your iPhone too. Perfect should you find yourself in a dusty records office following a promising lead.
9. Sleep Machine - Free/£1.19
Trouble sleeping? Pop on your headphones or crank up the speakers, then launch Sleep Machine Lite or Sleep Machine Full to soothe you to sleep with a variety of sounds or chilled out tunes. Includes timer, alarm and the ability to mix and match up to three sounds.
10. Torch - Free
Torch might feel gimmicky, but you'll be glad you installed it the next time you're plunged into darkness and left scrabbling around for the trip switch or fuse box.
| |
