Face it, we're not normal. Most consumers don't want to convert their home PCs into media centers. That doesn't stop them from wanting a single device serving as both their TV and PC, however. That's where the 22- and 32-inch Bristol ViewSurfer PC/TVs carve out their niche. Each set features a FreeView tuner and an integrated, netbook-like, Atom-based Windows XP computer with 160GB of storage, 1GB of memory, 4x USB, and Ethernet. The PC lacks integrated WiFi, oddly enough, and the TV seems to function in complete isolation from the computer processing -- so no integrated DVR, for example. The £500 (about $814) 22-inch model does feature a 1680 x 1050 pixel resolution, well above the 1024 x 600 display found in most netbooks. Not that you'll be pushing Flash-based video from YouTube or BBC's iPlayer full-screen as these ViewSurfers are undoubtedly saddled with Intel's integrated 945GSE netbook graphics. Bristol remains mum about the specs on the 32 incher. Available in October if you're still game.

Finally, after much delay, we have a date to expect Freeview HD service in the UK, at least for those in range of the Winter Hill transmitter (Manchester & Liverpool for sure,) it will go live December 2. elsewhere, you'll be waiting until at least 2010 to experience the joys of OTA HD as has been promised, but keep an eye out and the Beeb, ITV and Channel 4 should be coming your way. Anyone know if those New Zealand PlayTV Freeview HD adaptations will be back-compatible to the UK?

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.

Here at Engadget HD, we'd prefer not to just focus on high-def happenings in the US of A. Thus, we round up the best of the best from the international front each week and present it here, bundled together in a single, easy to digest list. If something went down in your corner of the globe over the past seven days, let the rest of the world know it in comments. 'Til next week, Auf Wiedersehen!

Read - Five to launch HD TV on Freeview
Read - Bell TV Adds New Channels to HD service
Read - Canadian over-the-air TV following U.S. down digital path
Read - Rogers SportsNet Now Offers More High Definition Programming With 4 HD Channels
Read - Astra wins kudos for HD plan
Read - Canal+ brings HD channels to CI Plus receivers
Read - Pace to launch new HD set-top box to Viasat across Scandinavia

Here at Engadget HD, we'd prefer not to just focus on high-def happenings in the US of A. Thus, we round up the best of the best from the international front each week and present it here, bundled together in a single, easy to digest list. If something went down in your corner of the globe over the past seven days, let the rest of the world know it in comments. 'Til next week, Vi ses!

Read - Czech Prima trials HD
Read - Eurovision Song Contest broadcasts in high definition
Read - 5 linear HD channels 'to join Virgin'
Read - ITV content attracts 4m views on Virgin Media catch-up in first month
Read - Freesat celebrates first birthday, 400,000 strong
Read - ZON doubles HD take-up (Portugal)
Read - History HD Expands Korean Footprint
Read - Freeview rolls out high definition for World Cup
Read - YouSee adds Canal HD

Here at Engadget HD, we'd prefer not to just focus on high-def happenings in the US of A. Thus, we round up the best of the best from the international front each week and present it here, bundled together in a single, easy to digest list. If something went down in your corner of the globe over the past seven days, let the rest of the world know it in comments. 'Til next week, Allez ciao!

Read - Canal Digital launches HD over IP
Read - Freeview picks up marketing push
Read - Freesat: How we'll compete with Freeview HD
Read - iBAHN Launches High Definition with Hilton Hotels
Read - Virgin adds new 'Dexter' in HD
Read - Du goes HD IPTV in Dubai
Read - Free HD From FRANSAT Finds ATLANTIC BIRD 3 Highly Beamable
Read - Fox International to simulcast FXHD channel

How close is Sony's PlayTV DVR to working with New Zealand broadcasts? Very, or so it would seem, one reader wrote in to let us know the UK PlayTV unit he brought down to NZ in '08 has, since the 2.10 firmware update, put its DVB-T compatibility to work and started picking up some broadcasts. So far he's able to catch TV3 in 1080i and AC3 surround and even pause and buffer video, but no program scheduling support. On the other 7 Freeview channels? Video, but no audio so far. Sony hasn't documented any New Zealand compatibility in its upgrades, but at least judging by one users experience everything is being "worked in" in good time.

[Thanks, Jim]

Bret? Present. Jemaine? Present. Murray? Present. PlayTV? ... Sony's PlayTV DVR add-on for the PlayStation 3 suffered through more than one delay before going on sale in Europe, and it appears thing will be no different in New Zealand, but at least with good reason - they're getting HD working this time. As it stands, the original version's dual HD DVB-T tuners are pretty useless since there aren't any Freeview stations broadcasting in that format in the UK and FreeSat HD support is still up in the air. David Hine from Sony revealed on the ButtonMasher podcast that a push back 'til the end of the year is related to the spread of high definition on the island, so that they can "work in" HD support before it launches, unleashing Remote Play and XMB powered HDTV watching upon the populace so they can catch season two of Flight of the Conchords as it was meant to be seen.

Here at Engadget HD, we'd prefer not to just focus on high-def happenings in the US of A. Thus, we round up the best of the best from the international front each week and present it here, bundled together in a single, easy to digest list. If something went down in your corner of the globe over the past seven days, let the rest of the world know it in comments. 'Til next week, sampai jumpa!

Read - Sohu, Haier Partner for HDTV Channel
Read - HDTV a burden to Chinese digital cable TV operators
Read - Swisscable digital take-up grows
Read - CNN comes to Freesat
Read - Cable Operator Guangzhou Digital Media Group Uses Envivio Convergence Headend for New Interactive TV Service
Read - Over 47 Million Homes Now Receive Digital Satellite Signals
Read - Virgin: 150Mbps fibre optic by 2012
Read - Mirics and CyberLink Join Forces to Deliver HDTV to Notebooks
Read - Europe's HDTVs "Starved of HD Content"
Read - Sky Link to boost HD offer
Read - Sky TV agrees to run all TVNZ channels from July
Read - Ten launches dedicated sports channel
Read - Panasonic Debuts High-End Plasma Monitors
Read - Half of Europe signed up to satellite TV
Read - TVNZ brings TiVo to the nation
Read - Sky gives users a glance at its future networked set-top box
Read - Singapore's StarHub to go fully digital by mid-year
Read - ONE kicks off HD sports bonanza
Read - Singapore heats up with high-def biz

Far be it from the personality of Blu-ray (or the BDA, we should say) to reach for notoriety in any way possible, but Blu-ray has just gained one more modicum of staying power over in the UK. For the first time, the existing high-def movie format has been placed gently between the likes of fruit and kitty litter in the theoretical consumer "basket," which supposedly looks to best reflect UK consumer spending habits. We're also told that Freeview set-top-boxes have joined the fray, right along with DVD rentals and portable media players. Maybe that 396 percent surge in UK-based BD sales had a little something to do with it?

Details are frustratingly sparse at the moment, but Smarthouse has it that Sharp is gearing up to offer HDTVs in Australia with a unique Freeview tuning system. Specifically, these sets will boast MPEG4 and MPEG2 tuners which will allow consumers to continue receiving their digital TV signals "without the threat of their TV recording being restricted." You see, the MPEG4 tuners would be used to restrict recording and limit ad skipping, but apparently no such strings can be attached to MPEG2 processors. It's said that the sets should be available "soon," but details like size, features and price have yet to be revealed. Patience, mates.

Our lucky friends in the UK market just got a couple of new toys from JVC in the form of Freeview+ recording LCD TVs. The LT-26DE9 and LT-32DE9 pack dual tuners and a 160GB drive on the DVR side. The Freeview+ DVR section packs some nice features, most notably Accurate recording that adjusts the recording start and stop times based on data buried in the broadcast (something we'd like to see on our TiVos). Sadly, though, neither model is a 1080p panel -- not that you need all those pixels on a 32-inch display, but if spec bragging is a pastime of yours, consider yourself warned.

We'll warn you -- if you venture down to the full story on this one, you'll be wading knee-deep in some fairly technical hoopla. That said, those interested in exactly how Ofcom plans to get Freeview HD up and rolling when the 2012 digital switchover occurs in the UK will certainly find it of interest. As the story goes, the first three Freeview HD channels (BBC, ITV and Channel 4) are expected to go live in late 2009 when the Winter Hill transmitter is switched to digital-only. There are a grand total of six multiplexes to work with, and Ofcom has it planned to shuffle things around and use the now-empty PSB3 for high-def content. Sadly, the story ends with you needing a new set-top-box to digest the new signals, but hey, at least you can keep the same antenna. More technobabble awaits you in the read link.

Don't ever say Sharp ignored you, UK, because the AQUOS LC-46D65E is a fine, fine offering. The 46-inch addition to the outfit's D65 family arrives with a 20,000:1 dynamic contrast ratio, 450 nits of brightness, a six-millisecond response time, 176-degree viewing angles and a full 1080p panel. You'll also find a DVB (Freeview) tuner, three HDMI inputs and two SCART sockets, not to mention a USB terminal for loading up pictures and tunes. Best of all, it's available as we speak in pound country for around £714.99 ($1,067) on the street.

Barely a week after the MyFreeview HD emerges, in swoops some competition to keep things level. Hailed as New Zealand's first combo satellite / terrestrial HD personal video recorder, the Hyundai AH-3110 enables users to record Freeview or Freeview HD (sat or OTA) content with full EIT EPG support. Oddly, the box doesn't come with an HDD within, so you'll be required to connect your own hard drive via USB 2.0. You'll find an HDMI port, seven-day EPG, MPEG-2/4 compatibility and component / S-Video / S/PDIF sockets. The good news? It's slated to ship on December 15th. The bad? It's NZ$579 ($319 in US bucks), and remember, that's without an internal hard drive.

[Via DTVForum]