Sony serves up its second virtual reality headset, though this time it's for PS5 owners only. It costs more than the console itself but is packed with high end features for a premium out-of-body experience. Is the PSVR2 the shot in the arm the VR industry needs?
A powerhouse cast led by the magnificent Viola Davis take us on a thoroughly entertaining historical epic that whilst being thunderously average as an action spectacle nevertheless does exactly what it sets out to do…
Sony announces five new 8K AVRs featuring Spatial Sound Mapping
by Ian Collen
The good news is the new multi-channel line-up offers 4K/120 support, plus Dolby Atmos, DTS:X, and Sony’s 360 Spatial Sound Mapping. The bad news is that they only seem to be confirmed for North America right now…
With confusion surrounding Mediatek’s original listing of 4x HDMI 2.1 ports for its new System-on-Chip (SoC), it seems that a change in HDMI certification might see some of your future TV inputs offering only a fraction of the features…
Sony unveils two new low-cost BH and CH Crystal LED display series
by Ian Collen
With one eye on corporate, retail, and screening environments, the four new scalable BH and CH models promise high quality with increased flexibility and reduced power consumption.
A blisteringly energetic coming of age frolic through the punk scene in Salt Lake City, James Merendino’s bolt of high-octane energy also brings unsuspecting smarts and hearts on another winner of a 4K disc from Grandmasters Sony.
Call Me by Your Name (Sony Classics) 4K Blu-ray Review
by Cas Harlow
Luca "Bones and All" Guadagnino's first collaboration with Timothée "Dune" Chalamet marked the actor's breakthrough role, and completed the director's thematic Desire Trilogy, following the preceding I Am Love and A Bigger Splash.
The Devil's Backbone (Sony Classics) 4K Blu-ray Review
by Mark Costello
Guillermo Del Toro’s sublime Spanish Civil War-set chiller now dazzles even more on this ravishing 4K release as part of the Sony Classics 30th Anniversary 4K Collection from Sony in the US.
A month of truly eclectic renowned international film makers – from John Hughes to Terry Gilliam to Lukas Moodysson – and some young up starts making their cinematic debuts give us our January release blu-ray schedule and as ever, there’s some wonderful films and releases coming our way that are worthy of your consideration… UPDATED WITH NINE COMPETITIONS
Movies & TV Shows
Synecdoche, New York (Sony Classics) 4K Blu-ray Review
by Cas Harlow
Charlie "Eternal Sunshine" Kaufman's ambitious directorial debut is a magnum opus within a magnum opus, with Philip Seymour Hoffman never better.
Samsung QD-OLED TVs outsell those from Sony in 2022
by Andy Bassett
Released with barely a whisper in 2022, Samsung’s S95B QD-OLED TV made a quiet debut to the market before a price drop in the second half of the year accelerated sales. Now the company appears to be adopting a more conventional strategy for 2023.
Sony showcases PS VR2 and Project Leonardo PS5 controller at CES 2023
by Andy Bassett
Sony confirms the PS VR2 launch date and there are some exciting games being lined up for the system, plus Project Leonardo aims for better gaming inclusivity.
Richard Glatzer and Wash Westmoreland's heartbreaking 2014 drama draws a painfully poignant portrait of early onset Alzheimer's, with an Oscar winning powerhouse performance from Julianne Moore.
Tom Tykwer's Run Lola Run is a propulsively scored experimental thriller, with a blistering lead performance by Franka Potente, earning pride of place in the Sony Pictures Classics 11-film 30th Anniversary 4K Collection.
The Sony Pictures Classics 11-film 30th Anniversary 4K Collection kick-starts with Sally Potter's lavish period fantasy Orlando, starring a marvellously dynamic Tilda Swinton.
CES 2023: What AV can we expect at the world's premiere tech show?
by Ian Collen
The biggest event in the AV calendar is sure to get the New Year off to an exciting start, but just what’s in store at the 2023 Consumer Electronics Show?
Not everyone wants the faff of audio separates for their TV setup and a premium soundbar can really add to the cost of the TV set up. With Philips, Panasonic and Sony all taking slightly different approaches to TV sound at the premium end, what do TV enthusiasts recommend as the TV with the best on board sound?
As the year draws to a close, what do gamers think of 2022? Does it rank as a classic? We've had the last FIFA from EA, God of War: Ragnarok and Elden Ring plus Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2. Or has something darker such as Martha is Dead or As Dusk Falls taken your fancy? Let others know in the thread what your favourite game of 2022 was.
Sony's second-from-the-top 2022 OLED TV uses an LGD WRGB panel, with the XR Cognitive processor, XR OLED Contrast Pro and Acoustic Surface Audio+ technology, added to two HDMI 2.1 inputs and Google Smart TV. So, is this the mid-range OLED TV to buy right now?
2022 has seen the launch of a new display technology, brightness increases in OLED panels and general improvements across image processing, features and smart TV operating systems. Which manufacturers and models have made the best of all of this?
As Good as It Gets (Columbia Classics Vol.3) 4K Blu-ray Review
by Cas Harlow
James L. Brooks' 1997 Best Actor / Best Actress winner is the last great Jack Nicholson movie, and one of those rare romantic comedy-drama masterpieces, rounding out an eclectic 4K Columbia Classics Collection Volume 3
The Last Picture Show (Columbia Classics Vol.3) 4K Blu-ray Review
by Cas Harlow
The late Peter Bogdanovich's breakthrough directorial effort was a multi-Oscar-nominated 1971 coming of age drama and a worthy entry in Volume 3 of the 4K Columbia Classics Collection.
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Movies & TV Shows
From Here to Eternity (Columbia Classics Vol.3) 4K Blu-ray Review
by Cas Harlow
Winning 8 of its 13 Oscar nominations, including Best Picture, Best Director and Best Adapted Screenplay, Fred Zinnemann's 1953 adaptation of James Jones' classic novel is a stark early reflection of messy military mayhem on the eve of war, and a worthy entry in Volume 3 of the 4K Columbia Classics Collection.
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Movies & TV Shows
To Sir, with Love (Columbia Classics Vol.3) 4K Blu-ray Review
by Cas Harlow
The first - and arguably least - of three successive social race & relations features the legendary Sidney Poitier embarked upon, this role-reversal to his earlier Blackboard Jungle, and precursor to Dangerous Minds is a quaint and well-meaning fairy tale that only Poitier could steer, included in Volume 3 of the 4K Columbia Classics Collection.
It Happened One Night (Columbia Classics Vol.3) 4K Blu-ray Review
by Cas Harlow
The first film to ever win all five major Academy Awards (Picture, Director, Actor, Actress, Screenplay), Capra’s 1934 classic still stands the test of time, landing in 4K as part of the Columbia Classics Collection Volume 3.
Getting the jump on the Black Friday sales, Sony’s highly regarded Bravia XR A80J OLED TV has shed some pounds with the 55-inch model dropping a whopping £400 taking it to a smidge under £1,000.
David "John Wick" Leitch's Brad Pitt-starring smash-up of Joe Carnahan's Smokin' Aces, Quentin Tarantino's Kill Bill, Guy Ritchie's anything, and every cheesy style-over-substance witty action romp from the nineties/noughties, is dangerously scattershot and gleefully over-the-top - UPDATED WITH 4K COMPETITION
From the sublime – a century old silent classic – to the ridiculous – another Jeepers Creepers? Really? – and everywhere in between, it can only be a genre fans favourite release month of the year! UPDATED - 10 COMPETITIONS NOW ADDED
Bram Stoker's Dracula 30th Anniversary 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray Review
by Cas Harlow
Lavish and luxurious, Coppola's magnificent ode to Bram Stoker's epistolary novel is the auteur's last great feature, a flawed but fabulous fable that earns a curiously convenient 30th Anniversary 4K reissue with added Dolby Vision.
Sony VPL-XW7000ES Native 4K SXRD Laser Projector Review
by Phil Hinton
The Sony XW7000ES is a native 4K SXRD laser projector featuring the world’s smallest 0.61” panel (3840 x 2160) and powered by Sony’s 'X1 Ultimate for projector' processor which enables Dynamic HDR Enhancer and Object-based Super Resolution. So, can this high-end model mix it with the best? Let's find out...
Sony's latest Xperia handset keeps a surprising number of features from its flagship sibling and sports impressive display and camera capabilities, even at this premium level. While not cheap, has Sony managed to squeeze in a decent balance of features and value?
New consumer TV display technologies don’t come around very often, so the arrival of QD-OLED as the latest development in TV display technology - and with a price tag that is more within reach than expected - is potentially a big deal for home viewers.
The Sony A95K is a possible game changer for movie fans looking for accurate image quality to view films and TV as mastered and intended to be seen. Is this the movie Master Series we have been waiting for? Let's find out...