Excited about 3D? Us, too. But we’re still a little way off buying stock 3DTVs in the shop, plugging them in and gorging ourselves on three-dimensional broadcasts.
Cheer up, though, because it doesn’t mean you can’t milk a bit of extra shine out of your existing goggle box while you wait for James Cameron to get his cheque book out again.
Sort your screen
If you need a new TV anyway, plump for 46 inches of LCD. We like the Samsung UE46B8000 (pictured above), though if you don’t feel the slim profile, deep blacks and great picture are worth £1,500 you’d do well to check out the UE40B7020 for around £500 less. Plus, it’ll go online. Facebook, meet television.
Get with Blu-ray
Now it’s time to plug some goodies into the back of it. If you really want to exploit that big screen and sweet picture, your first thought should be Blu-ray. If we’re being realistic about the budget, Sony’s BDP-S360 (£240) is a good bet for the price. But for the same price you could pick up a PS3 Slim and add gaming prowess, media centre skills and future-proofing for the 3D discs of the future.
Plug in a PVR
If you’re on a tight budget, and you’re after a quick fix upgrade to your old TV, grab a Western Digital WDTV HD media player. At under £100 (you can get it for around £70), it’ll let you browse digital movie files on up to two USB hard drives and pipe them to your screen via HDMI at full 1080p resolution.
Get free HD
If you want or need Sky+, you probably have it already. But it’s worth looking at Freeview HD boxes as a commitment-free alternative. If you live in London, Glasgow, Newcastle, Leeds, Bradford, Birmingham, Manchester, Cardiff or Swansea, you’ll have Freeview HD broadcasts by the end of March. For £120, Humax’s HD Freesat receiver will do the honours, but expect prices to drop nearer the time.
Boost your sound
Most TV speakers are made out of leftover tin foil from the factory cafeteria's kitchen. Give your sonic set-up a lift with Sony’s HT-IS100. Despite the miniature dimensions of the five satellites, it sounds as chunky as its blocky sub unit. At under £400, it’s also a few sheets cheaper than comparable sounding systems, though it lacks the built-in Blu-ray player of some of its peers.
Take (remote) control
By now your coffee table probably looks like a museum for remote controls. Bin them in favour of a universal wand like Logitech’s touchscreen Harmony 1100. With support for nearly a quarter of a million devices and radio wireless (so you don’t need line-of-sight contact), it almost justifies its £300 street price. If it made the tea as well, you’d never need to move again. Come on, Logitech, sort it out.
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