We've given HD DVD's bastard child China Blue HD its due for a good start in its native land, but now that U.K. Importer GBAX has made a few units available it's time for English language buyers to at least consider this Blu-ray alternative. Of course, with a £259.99 ($413.22 U.S.) pricetag for this plain TCL player, AV and HD cables, plus 14 CBHD movies (The Aviator, Blood Diamond, The Invasion, The Island, Flood, Poseidon & 8 Chinese-only flicks) to get you started the barrier to entry is high, but as shown in the unboxing / preview video -- embedded after the break, watch for ninjas -- the experience is very familiar. As Format War Central points out, the 220/240Hz power cord makes things complicated for the U.S. and other places outside Europe, but hardcore HD DVD holdouts are used to a world filled with only Warner and Universal movies already, so why not give the other blue laser flavor a try?

[Via Format War Central]

The market that gave "Euro-chic" its name is getting treated to a new soundbar from Teufel. The £630 ($1,035) Cinebar 50 packs six drivers (2 tweeters, 2 mids, and 2 mid-woofers) and 200-Watts into the soundbar and then adds in a CB 50 SW subwoofer with its own 150-Watt amp for good measure. This bit of kit is audio-only -- it can accept DTS, Dolby Digital, MP3, WMA, or analog signals through it arrangement of SPDIF (coax and optical), USB, and analog inputs. There is a virtual surround function that promises to do something creative to your audio without relying on reflected sound, so we're assuming something akin to the ZVOX PhaseCue is in play here. Color-conscious soundbar shoppers take note -- there's no red (cinnabar) in play here -- befitting the "Teufel" brand, this setup paints it black.

We'll go ahead and hurt the feelings of those in Asia, North America and the Cook Islands: this here set is bound for the European market only (for now, anyway), but hey, at least we know the technology is here. Over in the UK, one Cello Electronics has issued the first HDTV that records OTA (Freeview) content directly to an SD card, giving users an easy option for shuffling recorded content to portable players. The set itself boasts twin TV tuners, a built-in EPG, split-screen functionality and an integrated DVD player; as for sizes, you'll find it in 22-, 26- and 32-inch flavors. Sadly, you'll be stuck with "just" 1,440 x 900 pixels and no HDMI socket, but those who couldn't care less can take ownership starting next month for TBD, £399.99 ($661) or £469.99 ($777) in order of mention.

Update: Cello pinged us to say that all three models do indeed have HDMI sockets. The larger two have a pair, while the 22-incher has one.

Pioneer has introduced a familiar trio of Blu-ray players to the British market -- entry-level, midrange and a high-end LX model. The company is going to kick things off in the middle in June when the BDP-320 (pictured) shows up on shelves wearing a £400 MSRP, followed in July by the appearance of the £550 BDP-LX52 and £270 BDP-120 for those who need more luxury or cash, respectively. All models are Profile 2.0 and lossless codec support, but it doesn't look like the UK-spec models of the BDP-120 and 320 don't seem to carry the 7.1-channel analog output thats the US models do, so it's either pony up for the LX52 or go the Bitstream route, friends. Persistent storage is handled by an 2GB USB flash drive for BDP-120 buyers, the other two models have onboard storage.

And the hits just keep on comin'. Shortly after Sony introduced its connected BRAVIA W-Series to the world, in flies yet another trio: the Z5500 line. Arriving in 40-inch, 46-inch and 52-inch models, the set boasts Motionflow 200Hz technology, DLNA certification, the outfit's BRAVIA Engine 3, its own 'draw the LINE' design concept, a 1080p panel and a CI Plus interface, which only those parked overseas will truly understand. Furthermore, there's an integrated MPEG-4/AVC HD tuner, BRAVIA Sync (HDMI-CEC), an auto shut-off function, a dedicated 'Energy Saving Switch' and -- for the first time -- AppliCast. If you're curious, the latter feature enables users to access a range of online services (RSS feeds and all sorts of other widgets) via the built-in Ethernet jack. Sony didn't bother to share a price, release date or any hope of a US debut, but we'll be keeping our eyes peeled.

[Via TrustedReviews]

Hey, wait just a cotton-pickin' minute here! Last April, we caught Samsung asserting that it figured affordable medium-to-large size OLED TVs would be available in 2009 / 2010. Now, we've got Samsung Europe's new President and CEO telling us that "mainstream" OLED sets are still five years out. Believe it or not, said bigwig was quoted as saying that "when it comes to OLED, we have several issues to overcome in terms of technology and production cost," and that it would be "at least four to five years before we see OLED in the market place." Of course, such a quip is to be expected given the quantity of dollars Sammy has poured into LCD, but we're still a bit dismayed by the news. Hear that, entrepreneurs of the world? The time's about right for an OLED-only startup to beat every last one of these traditional powerhouses to the punch.

Sony's STR-DA6400ES, which casually streams high-def content over CAT5e, has finally nailed down a date to mingle with crowds in Europe. Just today, Sony has announced that the aforementioned model will be available this May along with three other new STR-DH receivers: the STR-DH500, STR-DH700 and the STR-DH800. The flagship model boasts 7.1-channel audio, DLNA compatibility, six HDMI inputs (alongside two outputs) and Digital Cinema Auto-Calibration. The rest of the crew ranges from 5.1- to 7.1-channel and are generally stripped down versions of the big papa. For more details on each (price notwithstanding), give that read link a look.

We can't say for sure what exactly the model number is (strange, we know), but LG Electronics is apparently pretty awestruck and excited about moving a million 32-inch LCD TVs over in Europe. Reportedly, the set -- which was introduced last April -- is sold in 26 European countries, and with it reaching the one million mark, it sets the LG record for the most of a single set sold since it entered the sector in 1999. A company official was quoted as saying that since its debut, it has sold 100,000 per month, and that the "key was to design a luxurious model specially to meet the refined tastes of European consumers." Hear that, Europeans? Y'all are refined!

Toshiba's SV series, which was introduced alongside a smattering of other new HDTVs at CES this year, is headed to the UK. Arriving in both 46- and 55-inch sizes, the sets utilize Tosh's Deep Lagoon design, a LED-backlit panel, 10-bit video processing, Resolution+ upscaling technology, DLNA support, four HDMI sockets and PC / USB connectors for good measure. As of now, no price tags have been handed down, but Britons can start saving for an August 2009 release.

[Via Pocket-lint]

While we're not totally in agreement with Sony Optiarc Europe's claim that its AD-7240S DVD burner (AD-7220 A/S pictured) is the first on the planet to achieve a 24x burn rate, we won't deny the awesomeness. Inappropriately hailed as a "speed miracle," the drive features the company's Auto Strategy Technology in order to ensure perfect burns every time. You should also know that it'll toast blank CDs at up to 48x and dual-layer DVD-Rs at 12x. Nah, it's no Blu-ray burner, but it's not like you can even afford that kind of optical media, anyway.

[Via TG Daily]

After popping up across the Pacific, our European brothers have gotten a peek at LG's next generation Netcast-enabled Blu-ray player, the BD370. Confirmed for April, they got a look at the YouTube frontend, but we're still waiting for more eyes-on time Stateside to check out the Netflix and CinemaNow capabilities for this followup to the well-received BD300. Additional pics are after the read link.

Given just how few Europeans are actually biting on pay-HDTV, we suppose we're not too surprised to see the results from Parks Associates Research's latest study. In looking at a number of European nations, the firm found that some 80 percent of broadband households "prefer a more traditional option for viewing video, including going to the cinema or watching a DVD." John Barrett, director of research at the company, noted that it "will be difficult for companies to sell video streams and downloads to consumers in Europe when there is this undercurrent of reluctance." Of course, we're not sure we believe all this doom and gloom -- surely it's just a matter of time before Euro cable companies are pulling the same trick as Comcast and TWC are looking to do. Or, so we hope.

SIM2 already shocked and awed in December when it introduced the $36,495 C3X LUMIS HOST 1080p projector in America, but now the elite in Europe can look forward to procuring one without paying those import prices. Announced this week in Amsterdam at the Integrated Systems Europe expo, the 3-chip DLP-based beamer is now shipping across the pond for those who can afford it. Speaking of which, SIM2 doesn't actually state the European MSRP, but let's just put it this way: you'll be choosing between a new Benz, or this.

[Via AboutProjectors]

Oh, bollocks! If one particular spokesman who opened up to ZDnet today is accurate, Philips' totally sweet 56-inch Cinema 21:9 HDTV won't ever be sold on American soil. Quite frankly, we're wondering what's up with Philips and its apparent disdain for the US market. It farmed out its Blu-ray / DVD and TV operations in North America to Funai, it didn't even bother showing up in Vegas for CES, and anything even remotely swank that it produces seems to be reserved for those overseas. What happened to the worldwide love, Philips? Did someone give you the impression that Yanks wouldn't buy one of these completely mesmerizing new panels? Sigh.

[Thanks, Sean]

Philips' groundbreaking Cinema 21:9 HDTV looked so curious when it launched a fortnight ago that we actually questioned its authenticity. Clearly, this beauty is for real. Pocket-lint was lucky enough to be on-hand for its unveiling in London, and it hosted up a nice video showing off the 56-inch beast in action. The black bars you've grown used to detesting were indeed gone, and while Philips wouldn't dole out any hard specifications, we are told that it boasts five HDMI sockets, a Spring release date and an estimated £3,000 ($4,276) price tag. Vid's after the break, per usual.