Sky+ HD is one of the most popular packages but how does it compare to similar set-ups from a Freeview HD or a Freesat HD box?

Remember it is only worth subscribing to Sky HD if you have already invested in a HD ready LED or LCD TV, otherwise the picture will still be shown in standard definition, even if it is from a HD signal.

The basic Sky+HD package comes in at just under £30 a month and gives you a whole range of entertainment, news and music channels to choose from.

The picture quality is fantastic and you have the ability to pause, rewind and record live TV programmes, an excellent feature that means missing your favourite shows is now a thing of the past.

However, you are tied into a contract, where 12 months is usually the minimum length you can sign up for. So in total a year with Sky+ HD would cost you around £360 for the basic package – far more than the other two options.

A Freeview HD box costs a one-off fee of £140 to buy and allows you to receive a smaller range of channels but still all the essentials. Likewise a Freesat HD box would cost you around £70 – though this can increase depending on what model you buy.

From this evidence it would seem that if you are after just the basic set of channels the Freesat and Freeview packages would be the best buys in terms of what you get for your money.

However, Sky has an advantage if you are looking to subscribe to more than just the standard package. Specialist channels such as sports and movies can be bought on top of your basic subscription with Sky+HD, which gives you almost everything you would want from your television subscription.

Any sports fan or movie buff would benefit from these add-ons, though it comes at a cost – the basic subscription plus the sports package with a Sky+ HD box currently costs £51 a month.

Don’t forget though that the picture quality on LCD or LED TVs varies greatly depending on the model purchased. So your choice of TV is just as important as your choice of HD signal.

If you really value your 25 hours a week in front of the box and want the best choice available then the Sky+ HD box is the package for you. However, if you are only really interested in the basic set of channels and can live without the ability to pause and record live TV, then the Freeview and Freesat alternatives fit the bill perfectly.

The 3D film phenomena has been around for decades but only recently has this technology been available in our very own living rooms.

But how practical is this technology and will 3D TVs be around to stay or just another fad that will be soon forgotten?

There are three major downfalls of this technology, which has led many to believe that the 3D TVs’ time in the spotlight will be short lived.

Many viewers have found that watching a TV programme or film in this format can bring about headaches after viewing for approximately 20 minutes.

This is mainly due to the fact our brains and eyes have never had to deal with looking at these types of graphics before.

The way our eyes are able to focus on objects near and far away is neglected by 3D technology. 3D is still able to work as our brains work harder to make sense of the image in front of us, which is the reason this leads to a head ache quicker.

Another issue is due to the darkness of the picture and the poor definition the picture can look worse than an ordinary 2D programme. 3D glasses ‘gather in’ the image which also causes the picture to look dark.

While directors are now eager to include 3D technology in their films, recent productions have been criticised for having poor story lines but excellent 3D scenes. The quality of storyline and delivery seems to be the cost to watch a film where you have to wear glasses for it to take effect.

While seeing some 3D productions in the cinema can be impressive, by the time that level of quality reaches an affordable price to buy a 3D television in your local electrical store the technology will be dated. With hologram technology developing at an impressive rate and already mind blowing results, the 3D fad definitely looks like a 3D flop.

I’ve watched Avatar in 3D and loved it, to a point, then I got bored of the 3D effect, realised the story-line was pretty poor and wanted to walk out the cinema. Zebra Imaging is much more interesting as a product to me, they’ve got some very good 3D products available now but they’re static and as such no use for movies or games but it’s still worth watching the YouTube clip below so you can see just how amazing their technology already is.

Click here to view the video on YouTube.

Would I watch a new movie in 3D at the cinema? Probably if it’s a big blockbuster that will benefit or amaze me in 3D (think Transformers type movies).

Along with my local “Computer” speakers and Airport Express “Lounge” speakers that I used to have in iTunes

the AppleTV now appeared in the drop down list of available speakers to stream music to:

I hit play in iTunes and selected the AppleTV speakers from the selection box, after a few seconds pause to connect with the AppleTV, my song started streaming through the TV speakers and surround system in my lounge.

This is great news for me as I only purchased my Airport Express to stream music to the Lounge since the AppleTV didn’t have Airtunes functionality. Now I can remove the Airport Express and put that into the kitchen, and I was about to buy another Airport Express just for that so I’ve saved £70 thanks to Apple’s free update.

There is an new option page in the AppleTV settings for Airtunes allowing you to turn the feature on/off and also set an Airtunes password:

UPDATE:
If you have your TV turned on and showing the AppleTV source, when you change tracks on your computer/laptop and stream to the Apple TV Airtunes speakers the corresonding track name and album art are shown on the TV as if you were selecting and playing the music from the Apple TV.