Category Archives: Hardware

Jan 8 2012

New sound system

With the advent of Sky to my gradually growing home entertainment set-up, as well as adopting Blu-ray a while back, I felt it was well overdue that I go for a decent sound system to further compliment my (just over) year old Samsung 40″ LED television…

Here’s what I’ve gone for.  It enables me to hook up both the Sky HD box and my Panasonic Blu-ray player, for (hopefully) much improved sound.  Cambridge Audio Topaz AM10 Integrated Amplifer & Cambridge Audio S20 compact loud speakers.

Update (13/01/2012):  Well I have the system set up and connected to my LED Television, Sky HD and Blu-ray player.  Verdict?  Very nice indeed.  The Amplifier itself is of a very good build quality and weighs a fair amount, made from brushed aluminium, and the high-end workmanship is in no doubt.  The speakers are also very well made, heavy too and sound great.  The system itself is not overly bass-ey, if that’s a word, but has a nice natural feel, with depth to it that compliments viewing television well.  When viewing a movie (I tested it on an action sequence in Avatar) it impressed with a very immersive and surround-like experience, which I had trouble finding any fault with.  It’s still early days, but at the moment I am well happy.

Jan 5 2012

It will be mine, yes … it will be mine!

Guess what I have being installed on Saturay?  Yes that is right, the UK satelite service SKY in beautiful HD.  Now my world will open up to the wonders of obscure TV shows, bizarre channels, movies I’ve seen a dozen times, and repeats of old favourites.  But hey, at least I won’t be bored … hopefully.  Here in the UK we don’t quite have the luxury of cable television, at least not to the extent as in the States, although things have greatly improved in the digital age, where previously we had to just flick through (count them) five channels – we now have digital channels, cranking that number up dramtaticaly.  Yet Sky, which is a subscription service, offers even more choice.  Colour me excited!!

Jul 21 2010

New hardware

This has been long overdue.  As I have quite a small bedroom, I can’t go the whole surround sound route, but have managed to purchase some new items that will enhance my entertainment set up and make gaming, movie watching and listening to music, pure heaven – on my budget. 

Anyway here’s the details (and its a work in progress, with a CD player to be added to the set up in the near future).

Sony STR-DH100 Stereo ReceiverSony SSB1000 Stereo Speakers

I also have my eye on this…

Onkyo DX7355 CD Player

Jun 16 2010

New XBOX 360!!

This is great news.  Even though I have always liked the design of Microsoft’s XBOX 360 games console, in the advent of the redesigned Playstation 3, the old ‘box was starting to look a little ugly.  Well no more!  At the E3 video games event this week, Microsoft proudly unveiled a new, slimmer and quieter XBOX 360 – and I like it!  Boasts a 250gb Hard drive and built in Wi-fi, and looks super sleek and sexy.

Apr 30 2010

God Of War 3 – impressions

I loved God Of War #1.  It was a polished, imaginative big budget hack & slash fest that really showed off what the PS2 could do, and although the final battle was so ridiculously hard that I had to knock it down to easy, the game remains one of my all time faves.  I didn’t get the opportunity to play the follow-up, as I was a converted XBOX fan boy then, and PS2 was beginning to feel a little old hat.  Yet now with a PS3 in my possession, rediscovering this franchise afresh certainly got me excited.

First I’ll get the obvious out of the way - this is a beautiful looking game.  With Greek mythology as the backdrop, it’s not short on imagination, and every frame and every corner of the screen is a joy to the eyes.  Thinking back to when I played God Of War #1, the action feels a little less ‘connected’ and although it looks the part, I fail to find that Oomph in every attack that I remember from the first game.  Coming off the underrated Darksiders (itself a GOW clone), this feels somewhat all gloss and no substance, with an angry Kratos thirsty for revenge.  Saying that, this is VERY early days, and I haven’t really unlocked any of the power-ups or different weapons, so these nitpicks may be unfounded. 

I will of course, report more soon.

 

(UPDATE: 01/05/2010) – Well got to grips with the game now.  Have upgraded some abilities and found new weapons to slay the hordes of Hades.  Learning the controls is key, although it’s far from complicated and I have enjoyed some simple puzzles.  The action is stunning both to play and look at and the locations nice and varied.  Really enjoying this at the moment, even if the story is nothing special, and continues on from GOD #2 which I’ve yet to play.  Still as a PS3 exclusive, this is very hard not to totally recommend.