Decide what to buy | the Reevoo.com blog, featuring news on TVs, cameras, laptops, mp3 players & other gadgets, shopping tips and deals, reviews and more

Apple has just released their most recent set of earnings figures, detailing how the MP3 player, phone and computer manufacturer performed over the Christmas season. The answer? Strikingly well. In the middle of a global financial meltdown, Apple managed to turn in record breaking revenues ($10bn) and profits ($1.6bn).

Reevoo’s own figures back up Apple’s success story. Reevoo measured traffic to all Apple products across 61 British retailers’ websites, and saw Apple’s share of the market increase dramatically during the Christmas peak, from 1.3% in September to 3.0% in December.

This has everyone wondering whether Apple can continue to thrive selling high-end electronics while lesser manufacturers fight to survive in a race to the bottom of falling margins and lower sales. Of course, what’s driven Apple’s success over the past few years has been its continuing innovation - think of the iPhone, the iMac or the iPod Nano. So some pundits are asking whether this pace of innovation can continue or whether Apple will soon be running out of ideas.

A closer look at Reevoo’s numbers suggests that it might not be wise to bank on Apple performing as well in future. For one thing, the company’s market share has been pretty flat throughout the year, slipping back through the summer after popularity increased in the spring with the release of new iMac models.

This time around, it looks like Apple has gained most of its increase from the one area where it is truely king: MP3 players.

No-one needs to be told that by far the most popular range of MP3 players is Apple’s distinctive iPods, but amazingly Apple has managed to increase iPod popularity from 60% of MP3 players through the year to 80% during November and December, leaving all other manufacturers to share just 20% of the market over the Christmas peak. Apple released a highly-praised refresh of its bestselling Nano during September and a smaller update of the iPod Touch. Shoppers responded with a thumbs up, giving the new Nano a rating of 9.1 out of 10. But popularity only really rocketed in November, perhaps highlighting their appeal as Christmas gifts.

In addition to their overwhelming popularity, Apple also manage to sell iPods at a premium - only Portable Media Player specialist Archos has a higher average cost per MP3 player sold.

Putting this together suggests that Apple has benefited from a strong run on its impressive MP3 players this Christmas, putting it in position to report those eye-popping revenue revenue figures.

So why the caution? There are two worries about iPods for 2009.

The first is that other manufacturers are improving their products. Samsung and Creative, in particular, saw much-increased ratings from shoppers over Christmas. So if you’re looking for a new MP3 player, it would be a good idea to keep your eye on what these two brands have to offer.

The second worry is that the number of people looking for a new MP3 player seems certain to decrease as smartphones improve and start to reproduce more and more features of MP3 players. With only 4.4m iPhones sold in the last quarter compared to 23m iPods, Apple will have to do a lot of work to make sure iPod fans stick with the brand.

Hi, I came across your site and your video explained alot, I have two questions:
1) What are the best three, value for money (up to £600) easy setup, standard definition, HD ready 37″ LCD televisions?
2) Is 1080p and 33,000 - 1 ratio as important for a 37″ TV as it is for a larger screen TV?

John, 51, NHS worker from Whitley Bay

I’ll tackle your second question first. People debate how important 1080p is for medium size screens like 37″. It partly depends on how close you are sitting to the TV and how good your eyesight is. If you don’t think you’ll be watching a lot of HD content I’d suggest that it’s probably not worth the extra outlay.

Contrast ratio on the other hand is important for all screen sizes, but as I said in the video it’s not the be-all-and-end-all of screen quality, and it’s often an unreliable number, so I would suggest using the ‘image quality’ ratings.

To answer your first question, here’s a link to the top rated TVs in your price range.

I’d suggest taking a look at the Panasonic Th-37PX80B.

It has one of the highest ratings for screen quality in this group, and a couple of the reviews mention good SD quality. You might want to watch out for a relatively low sound quality rating with that model however.

For all round performance at a good price, this Samsung 4 Series also looks like a good choice. One reviewer mentions that the Freeview picture is good.

For a Full HD (1080p) option, take a look at the LG 37LG6000. Not as many reviews, but several of the TVs ranked above it get poor reviews for their SD quality, and this model has a very good picture quality rating so far.

A summary of views from around the web of the Pioneer BDP-LX70.

CNet
Pros: outstanding picture quality, 1080p/24fps output, upscales non-1080p content
Cons: not HDMI 1.3, won’t play some discs with Blu-ray Profile 1.1 features

On the one hand, the LX70 deserves to have praise showered upon it for showing just what exceptional picture quality Blu-ray is capable of producing. But on the other, it’s practically impossible to recommend that anyone but the filthy rich consider spending the best part of a grand on it. It not only caters for just one side in an unresolved format war, but it’s also about to go out of date.

Read the review.

Trusted Reviews
Pros: Performance, LAN connection for viewing content from a computer
Cons: not HDMI 1.3, won’t play some discs with Blu-ray Profile 1.1 features, expensive

Overall the LX70 makes us sad. For while a big part of us wants to jump up and down and shout from the rooftops about how unprecedentedly great its HD pictures are, another big part of us tragically has no choice but to accept that unless you’ve got enough money to upgrade from this deck in just a few months time, when more fully specified Blu-ray models start to come along, you’re probably better off leaving the LX70 on the shelf.

Read the review.

TechRadar
Pros: Best performing Blu-ray player at time of release, 1080p/24fps output
Cons: Not cheap, not HDMI 1.3, won’t play some discs with Blu-ray Profile 1.1 features, expensive

In one sense £1,000 doesn’t seem a crazy amount to pay for the best-performing Blu-ray player yet - especially if you already own a recent Pioneer plasma TV and so can get the most from its 1080/24p talents. But it does seem a lot for a deck that lacks an HDMI 1.3 jack and won’t, therefore, play all the features of future Blu-ray discs.

Read the review.

HDTVorg
Pros: Excellent HD performance, build quality
Cons: Ordinary DVD performance, price

Combined with one of Pioneer’s plasma flat panel offerings, the BDP-LX70 is a compelling option, and possibly the finest HD picture you will achieve. The BDB-LX70 is a good player in any context, but at around £1000 it is just too expensive.

Read the review.

Time for another question from a reader:

I am looking to buy a new tv of around 37 to 40in and I am considering the Panasonic TH-37PX80B or Sony’s KDL 40V4000.

I will be watching standard defintion via Sky+ and DVDs. I do not intend to move to HD for some time.

I watch a lot of sport and I am concerned that the Sony could be subject to motion blur.

The awards in What HiFi have the Panasonic as the best 37in and the Sony as the best 40in.

My problem is which to chose between the tv?

- Paul, 51, Nottinghamshire. (’Man Utd fan’)

The main difference between these TVs, apart from the screen size, is that for ~£100 extra, the Sony is Full HD and has a higher reported contrast - but neither feature is particularly important if you’re planning to watch a lot of sport.

The Sony is also more highly rated than the Panasonic by confirmed purchasers on Reevoo.

A couple of the Sony reviewers did mention that this TV might not be great for watching football, but several of the reviews of the Panasonic mention positively that it doesn’s suffer from motion blur.

For me it would be the Panasonic of those two, but you should also consider the other highly rated 37 inch TV options.

For example this LG 37LG510 gets a good rating for image quality, with no-one reporting motion blur problems, and its even cheaper than the Pana.

You might not have heard of Blu:sens yet, but the chances are that you soon will. Blu:sens is the top-selling MP3 player manufacturer in Spain, and it now has its eye on the large UK portable player market.

First up to be released in the UK is the Blu:sens KEIA, a dinky sporty player for people after music on a shoestring. Comparisions to the Apple Shuffle are obvious.

Similarly to the Shuffle, the KEIA features a clip so you can attach the player to whatever funky clothing you happen to be wearing. Also included is a standard mini-USB port, a microphone, and a tiny 3-tone LCD display. Hidden somewhere inside is a radio tuner. The casing is a some what tacky-looking plastic, available in a range of colours. Storage capacity on this model is 2GB.

Transfering music to the KEIA is simple enough, a case of dragging and dropping MP3s into the external drive that appears when you plug the KEIA into your computer’s USB port. Mac users should note that M4A files aren’t supported.

When first turned on, the KEIA presents you with music symbol. Pressing left or right presents symbols for the radio, microphone, the folder system, and settings. Pressing the middle button selects the option you’ve highlighted. Working out how to use the KEIA wasn’t the easiest thing in the world, and I’m still not quite sure how to pause it! However, I didn’t have access to a manual for this review, which may well have helped. Once I’d learned how to use it the interface was reasonably efficient.

One big advantage the KEIA has over the Shuffle is the presence of a screen. The KEIA’s OLED screen certainly isn’t going to set the world alight, with a display reminicent of a 90s arcade game, but there’s no denying that it does help a lot with navigating your way around your playlist.

Music quality seemed reasonable, although I wasn’t able to test the headphones that will be supplied with the KEIA. The radio tuner seemed to lack power indoors, with static interupting the signal if I moved across the room.

In summary, the KEIA appeals to the trade-off that dominates most of the MP3 player market today: do you go with Apple, who offer style and useability, or with the competitiors, who offer more features (here radio, a mic and primative screen) and flexibilty (without tying you into iTunes) at a cheaper price?

Apart from the Shuffle, the KEIA is competing with models from Philips and Creative. At £30 from Amazon, the KEIA will face some stiff compeition as it lands on British shores.

Updated 23rd july 2009

At first glance, TV model names are generally pretty complicated, unmemorable and unpronounceable combinations of letters and numbers. To the uninitiated this doesn’t help when you’re trying to find your way around the large television market.

However, closer inspection does often reveal some logic behind the names manufacturers give to their latest gift to the world. Today I’m going to walk through Samsung’s naming conventions.

The first two letters refer to the type of screen - LE for LCD as in this example, UE for LED, or PS for plasma.

The second part of Samsung names is fairly obvious - the two digit number indicates the screen size in inches.

The next letter tells you what ye\r the model was re;eased: B models were released in 2009, A models in 2008.

The first number that comes after this represents the product series.  Here is an outline of the difference between each series:

The next numbers tell you when the model was released.  To use a made-up example, the 600 would be released a few months before the 650, but the 651 mightonly be released a week after the 650.  There can be slight differences in the appearances of models with different numbers in these positions - look at the product features section (on the left hand side of the product page) to check.  These differences tend to be superficial and not affect the performance of the TV.

Sometimes you’ll see a letter at the end of the model number.  This may just refer to the retailer who is selling the TV, but sometimes it can indicate a very small difference in the appearance of the TV, for example, whether the stand is oval or rectangular.

Robert from Cardiff recently got in touch with me to ask the following question:

Can you recommend a 32ins general allrounder? I need good picture quality and a screen that does not give a juddery football. I can spend up to £550.

Great question!

If you wanted to spend right up to your budget, £550 will get you a very nice 32″ TV. For example, this Panasonic TX32LZD80, rated 9.1 out of 10 on Reevoo.

However, you can get a very solid 32″ TV for considerably less, like this Samsung LE32A436T, also rated 9.1/10.

It does get a lower rating for image quality, but ought to be fine for watching sport.

What do you think is the best 32″ TV? Is it worth spending £550 or can you get a good telly for less?

If you’ve got any questions you want answered about anything to do with Home Entertainment, leave a comment below.

We recently had another request for a replacement manual, this time for a Daewoo DRVT-43 VCR/DVD Recorder.

We got in touch with Daewoo, who kindly sent along the manual for us to pass on. The manual is for both the Daewoo DRVT-40 and DRVT-43 models:

Daewoo DRVT-40 and DRVT-43 manual

Let me know in comments if you’re trying to track down a specific manual!

Sony’s X4500 and W4500 series TVs were first announced back in August, and have been on general sale for a month or so now. I thought it would be good to round up thoughts from around the web on how these models shape up. If these are helpful I’ll turn this into a regular series of posts.

First up, the W4500 series.

My summary of the reviews:

Pros: SD picture, sound quality, contrast, motion handling, design

Cons: Time to download EPG settings, possible clouding issues, value for money

Definately a mixed bag, as you’ll see below!

What HiFi: Sound and Vision:

The 40W4500 is one of the finest TVs we’ve seen all year. And, if you want a screen that can make the most of high-definition content, you’d be bonkers not to give it an audition.
Read more

Bobby J on AV Forums:

The KDL-40W4500 is absolutely brilliant - it produces a clarity of picture in SD digital which is quite mind blowing whilst in analogue the picture is very acceptable - I now can’t wait for my 1st HD viewing.
Read more

BruceWayneIII on AV Forums:

Got my 46″ W4500. Watched a Blu-ray yesterday - Kung-fu Hustle - and although the movie’s image quality isn’t the best Blu-ray has to offer, I was however very, very impressed by the TV’s way of handling it. Deep black, no judder, smooth and colorful. Just excellent.
Read more

Trusted Reviews:

After the ‘warning shot’ of the 52W4500, the smaller 46W4500 seems to suffer even more distractingly with the picture-ruining light pooling problem that troubled us on the large model. Seriously, the problem is so aggravating this time out that it’s hard to believe these TVs are getting through Sony’s quality control systems. In fact, if I hadn’t now seen the problem on two separate W4500 TVs I might have suspected the 46W4500 was faulty.

Basically, someone at Sony needs to get to the bottom of what’s gone wrong with the W4500 range fast, or the brand’s already dwindling profits this year could be in for even more of a hammering.
Read more

Freesat - the free to air satellite TV service that allows you to get HD programming without shelling out for Sky’s premium service - has gained a small but significant following.

If you’ve been investigating getting Freesat (you’ll need a dish), then you might be interested to know that two of the big names in personal video recorders, Panasonic and Humax, are preparing to release hard drive recorders with Freesat tuners installed.

Humax have recently annouced their forthcoming FOXSAT-HDR which will feature twin Freesat tuners alongside a stonking 320GB of hard drive storage. The PVR will be compatible with the new Freesat+ recording platform, with both due for release next month. More information is available from Hummy.org.uk

Meanwhile, it looks like Panasonic won’t be far behind. The folks at PVR Junction have done some digging, and it looks like Pana will be releasing a Blu-ray recorder and Freesat PVR combo, the Panasonic DMR-BW500, sometime in 2009.

But I think it will take a little more than Freesat PVRs, or even Freesat+, to get Freesat competing seriously in the Sky/Freeview dual - dish installation needs to be cheap and really pushed by someone who cares.

In the meantime, you can check out the latest PVR reviews at Reevoo.