If you think that you have access to a large range of bigscreens TV’s then think again as a drive by the Energy Saving Trust and DEFRA (Dept of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs to you or me) could change all that.  Even though the scheme is voluntary major retailers like Comet, Currys, PC World, Argo’s, Sainbury’s and others have put their name to it.  DEFRA claim that 42-47in screens are bad offenders when it comes to power comsumption but have not “named names”.  This may cause retailers to promote edge-lit LED TV’s at the expense of CCFL LCD and Plasma screens.  Phil Sellwood of the EST said “we’re delighted to see such commitment from the UK retailers.  Their decision to prioritise the best performing TV’s in their stock will help buyers reduce thier household carbon emissions and save themselves money”.  DEFRA also say that the UK’s worst performing 42inch TV’s can cost around £75 a year to run when compared to £33 over the same period by an energy efficient screen.  Whilst everyone applaudes attempts at saving both energy and money and thus hopefully saving the environment would this scheem be in the best interest of consumers??  This scheme has the potential to remove better performing and more feature-rich TVs from the shelves of UK retailers.  Its also worth saying that all manufacturers are already legally bound to introduce sets that comply with EU efficiency standards in 2012.  Are makers of power-guzzling flatscreen TV’s not going to invest and develop feature-rich TV’s which the public may demand in the future and instead invest heavily in LED technology which have more eco-freindly credentials?  This is good news if they can offer edge-lit TV’s that have the same level of features as LCD/Plasma screens whilst offering reduced levels of power consumption.  Again only time will tell as both makers and retailers embrace further reductions in “juice guzzling”??

This summer, footie will not be the only thing to get excited about.  Whether you are going to be thrilling at England’s lifting of the World Cup or despairing at them being knocked out on penalties, a revolution will be happening before your eyes.  It’s the 1^st tournament to be shown in HD to free-to-air channels and with a large percentage of flatscreens which have the HD brains built in then you will be able to enjoy the competition even more.  Its also anticipated that the 2012 tournament will kick off (sorry for the pun) three-dimensional entertainment off in a very big way with both FIFA and Sony committed to broadcasting 25 of the games to selected venues in 3D in order to show what 3D is capable to doing.  3D looks like it’s on the tip of a roll with now free-to-view satcaster Freesat actively looking at it and talking to broadcast partners about the possibility of introducing the technology.  Also satellite operator Astra (which delivers both Freesat and Sky to dishes across the country) has launched a demo 3D channel, which is mainly aimed at systems installers/retailers and gives them 3D material like music/entertainment/sports to test and also promote.  Its not only broadcasters and television manufacturers who are gearing up for 3D.  NEC has announced that it will introduce a 3D desktop PC in September.  Costing about £150 more that a standard PC it will be able to convert any 2D content into “pseudo 3D”.  A spokesman for the company believes it will stimulate a growth in PC sales – if the talk of what TV makers have planned then he could be really onto something.

Well not long now till kick off of the first match of the World Cup! With a few friendly matches being played in the run-up to the competition its looking like it will be a World Cup to remember.  Firstly there are the venues dotted about South Africa which hosts its first ever World Cup – fingers crossed that it will be friendly and safe atmosphere at the tip of Africa with none of the violence that some people predict.  I think even if you are not a footie fan the World Cup brings out that spirit that allows you cheer on whatever team you want even if their chances of getting past the first round of the tournament is nil.  Of course we all hope that England can do us proud and advance as far as possible even to the final and hopefully lifting the trophy.  I remember in old World Cups watching some of the lesser teams and really enjoying seeing them play and this year will be no different.  Teams like Honduras, Switzerland and New Zealand may get knocked out at the first hurdle but some of the most entertaining footie will be from the lesser-known squads.  I want to watch North Korea’s games, which haven’t been in a World Cup in 44 years mainly because they are an unknown quantity but also because their manager accused the South Koreans of poisoning them the last time they played (they must of lost then!!)  The clock is ticking for the first kick off so relax in your favourite chair with a cold beer (there’s only one drink to watch football with) and try not to get too stressed!!

Another dawn, another day of sun and high temperatures.  I wanted to resist using that old saying “Phew wot a scorcher” but “Phew wot a scorcher”.  With temperatures yesterday (Sun the 23rd) reaching 28 degrees todays forecast could even beat yesterdays “hottest day of the year so far” tag.  A trip to London yesterday for various activities just brought home how hot it can get especially in confined areas.  Inside at a camera fair with the place packed with people looking (and sometimes pushing +shoving) is not fun, especially if it is an old building with a glass roof!!  Having spent 2 hours browsing the various stalls I had to call it a day - fingers crossed next year is a tad bit coller.  Then on to the Underground where even in cooler days the temperature can rise with the heat of the masses - I like the announcement “to always carry a bottle of water with you in this warm weather”.  We seem to be a nation that is obcessed with the weather, be it when its hot or cold.  We never seem to be able to have the temperature just right for us.  Don’t get me wrong sunny weather and longer days are known to improve moods and general well being but I think there is part of the make-up of the English to find fault with whatever the weather.  Also it seems to effect older people more - “its too hot/cold (delete as appropiate)” is a byword of many an elderly person.  If you listen or read the reports we are in for a really hot summer (due to El Nino apparently) so stock up on food and beer for the BBQ and with the World Cup only weeks away you can bet that many people with be taking days off work, getting sunburnt in the back garden (I never seem to get a tan - only bright red like a partly cooked lobster) and generally saying “its too damn hot”.  ENJOY!!!

I am going to go back to a subject of one of my very early blogs – so apologies if you’ve heard it all before. I know black and silver are the tried and tested finishes for screens (seemingly since the year dot) but no one seems to want to take the plunge and bring out a TV in a more exotic colour. Whilst manufacturers of products like digital cameras, laptops, mobile phones etc bring out products in a variety of colours the makers of LCD’s and Plasma’s don’t seem that adventurous when it comes to TV’s.    Even flicking through a magazine I have come across at least 5 colours that I think would look really nice – manufacturers and the public will probably disagree with me.  I know it will boil down to personal taste I just wish at least someone would make that leap and bring something more colourful out.  Its not just TV screens that need a change but also things like Blu-ray/DVD/Hi-Fi equipment that’s may benefit from a splash of appropriate colour.  Again nothing too in your face just something other than black or silver (or combination of both!)

With the wealth of features being built into TVs nowadays, buying that new set can seem like a minefield even for seasoned tech watchers, but don’t be put off by the seemingly endless choice out there.  Here’s a brief A2000 Systems guide to the 3 contenders:

LED – Just like fashion, the tech we buy represents who we are plus how other perceive us.  New slimline flatscreens that use the latest technology are idea for the style conscience.  LED TV’s have a super high contrast ration meaning crystal-clear image, deeper blacks and realistic colours.  These features along with their reduced power consumption all add up to an attractive package.

LCD – Their wide size range allows for a wide price range and technology that is great for all round viewing in your living room.  Since LCD screens use adjustable backlight technology the picture don’t wash out in brighter rooms or environments where light conditions cannot be controlled.  Overall LCDs are good for general viewing and an all-round performer.

PLASMA – Sport is all about fast moving, non-stop action which older sets were uncapeable of delivering a smooth flowing image.  By using Plasma you can banish ghosting and enjoy crisp and clear pictures.  With superior greyscale subtleties this means more details in those hard to see dark areas.  Also plasma tends to be used for screens starting at 42inch so good for the home cinema.

Couple any of the above screens with a stylish and practical Cable Management System from www.a2000systems.co.uk you can guarantee a great viewing experience whatever the make / model/ size of TV.

We see, stretching before our very eyes, a superb unparalleled summer bonanza of sport.  The very first World Cup competition to be broadcast in “High-Def” that you can watch for free.  An Open Championship that promises golf of the highest calibre.  The continuation of the 2010 FIA Formula One World Championship as well as “The Ashes” in the summer down under.  Dare I even mention it that it will be the first Wimbledon in living memory where a British man will be favourite to lift the trophy (that comment will put a spanner in the works??)  All this great TV to watch but is your TV up for the challenge?  Now with a choice between LCD / LED / Plasma there’s no better time to splash out on a new TV.  Even better make sure it has “Freeview HD” so you don’t miss any of this years sporting action from around the world.  With a large part of the country now being able to receive Freeview HD and the rest receiving other HD coverage now’s the time to upgrade (manufacturers and suppliers should be doing some good deals to entice you to buy).  With the added benefits of 5x the picture quality of standard-def / 5.1 surround sound / no subscription charges do some research on what Freeview HD TV are about out there. But if you’ve bought a Freeview HD flatscreen, just switch on, tune in and HD out (apologies to any Timothy Leary fans out there) 

3D entertainment has been a technical Holy Grail for first Cinema and now home TV ever since way back in the fifties when Hollywood began exploring the notion (always seemed to be Monster movies like “It came from the Black Lagoon” or “Shewolves from Planet X”)  Well now its like the future has finally arrived - instead or just appearing sporadically in movie theatres or at industry events.  The South Korean giant Samsung says it will sell over 2,000,000 3D LED-backlit TV’s globally this year more than twice its leading competitor.  Samsungs president has said that “The 3DTV segment will be the main battleground for us this year with the outlook looking positive”.  With a total global 3DTV market expected to be 3.5 million sets this is still a drop in the ocean when compaired to LCD and Plasma flatscreens.  If companies like Samsung are already expecting a global explosion with the introduction of LED screens then surely other makers would be daft not to invest heavily in this new tech and some maybe are even poised to invest more than Samsung - who knows??  An interesting angle is hopefully a 3DTV that you can watch without the aid of special glasses but the man from South Korea has ruled out this as techonlogy hurdles are just too steep at the present time - “resolution of panels would need to increased 9-fold to watch 3D programs withous glasses”.  Then once you have your 3D flatscreen its a case of watching a limited schedule of 3D programmes at the moment - SKY TV have already kicked off its 3D commitment to the Premier League with an expected programme starting in October to their domestic customers of a weekly Premier football match, limited selection of movies and between 3 or 4 documentary.entertainment shows.  At the moment its still early days with picture/sound quality maybe not up to doing justice to the new format however if companies (both in the manufacturing of TVs and the service that will be provided to them) are prepared to take risks in them then it will be only a matter of time before 3DTV explodes in a big way!!!

At A2000 Systems we are constantly striving to give customers new products, which blend function as well as form.  Just as all manufacturers of LCD and Plasma TVs need to keep one step ahead of the competition, so do makers of the accessories need to constantly adapt to any ever-changing market.  When we first started selling our range of Cable Management Systems we realised we were on to a winner, but as a company we haven’t let the grass grow under our feet and constantly strive to give customers a better product.  Firstly our popular XPC and recently our SPX ranges of cable managements benefited from being slightly re-designed so now customers can install all their audio/visual accessories even easier.  Now we are pleased to announce that our other range of cable management systems has been re-designed so we can give, what we hope is an improvement on an already outstanding concept. Now that all our new Cable Management Systems have been re-launched we hope that they prove an even bigger hit with customers than the previous model. Whilst the basic idea stays the same, we think we have made this product even easier to install whilst keeping that stylish look. So check out our website www.a2000systems.co.uk for all the latest news and developments!

At A2000 Systems we are constantly striving to give customers new products, which blend function as well as form.  Just as all manufacturers of LCD and Plasma TVs need to keep one step ahead of the competition, so do makers of the accessories need to constantly adapt to any ever-changing market.  When we first started selling our range of Cable Management Systems we realised we were on to a winner, but as a company we haven’t let the grass grow under our feet and constantly strive to give customers a better product.  Firstly our popular XPC and recently our SPX ranges of cable managements benefited from being slightly re-designed so now customers can install all their audio/visual accessories even easier.  Now we are pleased to announce that our other range of cable management systems has been re-designed so we can give, what we hope is an improvement on an already outstanding concept. Now that all our new Cable Management Systems have been re-launched we hope that they prove an even bigger hit with customers than the previous model. Whilst the basic idea stays the same, we think we have made this product even easier to install whilst keeping that stylish look. So check out our website www.a2000systems.co.uk for all the latest news and developments!