Connect - Legend

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Connect
Budget $500
PUB: ADV 7-DAYS
Money may be tight, but you can still
upgrade your World Cup experience
while keeping your existing television.
If you’re haven’t yet gone digital,
you’ll be pleasantly surprised at the
improved picture you get with a set-top
box and some better-quality cables.
A digital set-top box will also let you tune
in to a second SBS channel which will be
entirely devoted to World Cup news and highlights
during the tournament.
If your TV doesn’t have component video sockets but does have
an S-video connection, you can replace the $55 cables suggested
here with a $30 Crest S-Video cable.
The DVD recorder will allow you to record late-night matches to
watch the next day – or provide a permanent record of the Socceroos’
moments of glory.
The beautiful game
What better time to upgrade your home cinema than with the World Cup around the
corner? MICHAEL OWEN-BROWN visited Harvey Norman’s city store and
assembled five different audio-visual configurations to suit a range of budgets.
Budget $6000
Nothing compares to watching sport on a
really big screen – and projectors provide
the biggest image of them all. Panasonic’s
flagship projector is a five-star choice – turn off
the lights, aim it at a wall and enjoy a real homecinema experience.
However, a set-top box is needed to transfer the
TV signal to the projector. Choosing a combined settop box and hard-disk recorder kills two birds with
one stone.
Let’s go for the LG LST-5402P, which can record
in high definition. It has a twin tuner and all sorts of
cool features, such as the ability to pause or rewind
live broadcasts.
Projectors can’t transfer a program’s sound, so we
also need speakers. A ‘‘home cinema in a box’’
package such as the stylish and eye-catching
Samsung HTDS1000 – which combines a tall, elegant
5.1 speaker configuration with an eye-catching vertical
DVD player – fits the bill.
We’ll need two HDMI cables to hook the recorder/
set-top box to the projector and speaker system.
We’ve got some money left, so
let’s protect our new gear with
a Belkin Pure AV surge protector, which has a lifetime
guarantee covering $75,000
worth of equipment.
Finally, a lot of World Cup
matches are in the middle
Conia standard-definition set-top box (model CST-B12) – $99
Crest 3m component video cables – $55
Panasonic DVD recorder (model DMR-ES15) – $349.
Total price: $503
31/5/06 D-16 STATE
Budget $1000
Budget $3000
COL: C M Y K
With just $1000 to burn, we can’t afford a new
TV (well, certainly not a decent-quality flat-panel
LCD, at any rate).
In this case, the smart way to use the money
is to spend most of it on a topnotch hard-disk
recorder/digital set-top box.
I’ve gone for a Topfield model with a 120GB
hard-disk and integrated twin tuners. The latter
is a crucial feature because it allows us to
simultaneously record two channels – so we can
record both the World Cup on SBS and Lost on
Channel 7.
One curiosity of this model is that it has SCART
connections, which are fairly rare in Australia. So
assuming your existing TV doesn’t have a SCART
socket, a SCART to component or composite video
adaptor is needed. It will cost less than $100.
WORLD CUP GUIDE
W
Size doesn’t necessarily matter – but clarity does. The
BenQ 81cm LCD provides a vibrant image that’s as
sharp as a pin, especially when teamed with a Legend
Digital high definition set-top box.
Even though the World Cup isn’t being broadcast
in high definition, buying a high-def set-top box is a
logical choice for future-proofing your new TV.
Budget $10,000
of the night so we’ll spend $350 on some ultracomfortable Philips headphones so the rest of the
family aren’t disturbed – apart from by our cheering.
There’s even enough money left over to buy a proper
screen for the projector (or a stockpile of beer,
probably imported as this is the World
Cup, you know).
Panasonic high-definition projector
(model PT-AE900) – $2999
LG 160GB high-def hard-disk
recorder (model LST-5402P) – $999
Samsung home cinema in a box
kit (model HT-DS1000) – $1128
Two Crest 3m HDMI cables ($100
each) – $200
Belkin Pure AV surge protector –
$90
Philips HP1000 headphones – $350
Total: $5766
Hey, big spender. You want the best? Let’s start
with a Pioneer 127cm (50 inch) plasma television.
Why plasma rather than LCD? Most importantly,
Pioneer’s high-definition picture is absolutely stunning. Its colours are very true-to-life, it has lovely
deep blacks and it handles fast movement (such
as frantic goal-mouth scrambles) better than any
LCD I’ve seen. Plasma is also more affordable in
sizes over 107cm.
It doesn’t have an inbuilt digital tuner, so we’ll
need a high-definition set-top box. Might as well bite
the bullet and get the brand new Sony hard-disk
recorder, which has twin high-def tuners so you can
record both SBS and its secondary ‘‘enhanced’’
World Cup news channel at the same time.
A receiver and speaker system with real grunt is
needed to bring the atmosphere of the stadium into
your lounge room. The $1997 bundled pack I chose
combines a mid-range Marantz receiver with a
chunky 7.1 set of Jamo speakers.
An HDMI cable from
the TV to the hard-disk
recorder and an optical
audio cable from the recorder to the receiver,
together with a surge protector, rounds out the package.
And don’t forget that vital surge
protector to guard your hefty investment.
Pioneer 127cm high-definition
plasma (model PDP506HD) – $5988
Sony 160Gb high-definition hard-disk recorder
with twin tuners (model SVRHD700) – $1399
Marantz/Jamo 7.1 home cinema pack (Marantz
receiver model SR4500 plus seven Jamo floor
speakers and a subwoofer) – $1997
Crest 3m HDMI cable – $100
Crest 3m optical audio
cable – $45
Belkin Pure AV four-powerpoint
surge protector – $90
Total: $9619
The World Cup’s unique atmosphere is created by
the chanting of fanatical supporters as well as the
action on the pitch.
The JVC ‘‘home cinema in a box’’ kit pumps up
the volume and makes an eye-catching addition to
your lounge room without busting the budget.
BenQ 81cm high-definition LCD
television (model DV3250) –
$1876
Legend Digital high definition
set-top box (model LHD2) –
$399
JVC ‘‘home cinema in a box kit’’
(five-disc DVD player model XVTHC6, 5.1 speaker system SPTHC6) – $599
Crest 3m component video
cables – $55
Total: $2929
Topfield 120GB hard-disk recorder (model TF5000PVR) – $799
Monster SCART adaptor – $99
Total: $898
REPLACE
… PENTAX HAVE A CAMERA TO SUIT EVERY PHOTOGRAPHIC NEED
Optio T10 makes taking great photos a touch easier…
W
• The impressive 230,000 pixel 3.0 inch touch panel
LCD makes capturing, editing, and sharing your
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• Intuitive touch-panel provides simple, trouble-free
operation. Use the included stylus for logical
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• Exceptional image quality thanks to a 6.0
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• Have fun! Decorate your images with the creative
Drawing Function, Stamp Modes, Image cut-out
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• Ultra-slim and stylish, the simple, elegant design
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$499
Impressive 3” touch panel LCD
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• High quality extended movie captures QuickTime
motion JPEG (640 x 480) at 30fps with a range of
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2.5”
MEGAPIXEL
OPTICAL ZOOM
LCD SCREEN
STORAGE MEDIA
BUILT-IN STORAGE
BATTERIES
SIZE
WEIGHT LOADED
6.0
3X
2.5” Non Glare
SD CARD
10.5 Mb
Lithium
107 x 54.5 x 23mm
155 g
$469
The Optio W10 is sleek, stylish
and loaded with features. With
waterproof and dustproof
capabilities, it will go just about
anywhere life takes you.
MEGAPIXEL
OPTICAL ZOOM
LCD SCREEN
STORAGE MEDIA
BUILT-IN STORAGE
BATTERIES
SIZE
WEIGHT LOADED
6.0
3X
2.4”
SD CARD
10 Mb
2 x AA Batteries
87 x 60 x 32mm
180 g
$299
MEGAPIXEL
LCD SCREEN
STORAGE MEDIA
FORMAT
BATTERIES
SIZE
WEIGHT LOADED
Novice digital photographers
will enjoy the slim, light
weight body and simple mode
selection dial of the Optio E10
6.1
2.5”
SD CARD
Jpeg / RAW
4 x AA Batteries
125 x 92.5 x 67mm
565 g
$899
Includes
Sigma 18-50 lens
DIAMONDS31-5
Available at: Photoco Camera House, 8231 5632 – Rapid Photo, 8235 9474 – Diamonds Camera and Video, 8224 0665 – James Place Cameras, 8231 2464 – Twin City Camera House, 8232 1050 – City Cross Camera House, 8221 6500 – Camera Discounters, 8267 1802
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The Advertiser
www.theadvertiser.com.au
Wednesday, May 31, 2006
The Advertiser
www.theadvertiser.com.au
Wednesday, May 31, 2006
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