The new kid on the block in terms of storage capacity is the Terabyte or TB and the latest box from SKY has 1 terrabyte of storage which is 4 times more than their latest box. In terms of actual use this is equivalent to 240 hours of high definition TV (or 740 hours of regular TV) and the increased memory size for Sky Anytime offers up to 100 hours of on demand HD viewing.

The Sky+HD 1TB box is compatible with all current and future services including Video on Demand and 3D broadcasting as well as offering:

• Super Colour – 5 times more picture detail and vibrant colour
• Super Channels – 37 High Definition TV channels to choose from
• Super Sound – superb quality digital sound
• Super Sky+ – pause and rewind live TV, rcord programs remotely from anywhere plus Sky Anytime on demand and the latest Sky Guide.

The Sky+HD 1TB box costs from £249 and is available with a range of subscription packages direct from Sky

The idea was solution was obvious, in hindsight – just combine a hard disc storage unit with a media player, add some clever software, a few connections and voilà, a storage centre and media player that just plugs into your TV and, errm, plays – what could be simpler?

Now Lacie have gone one step further and introduced the the LaCinema, a rugged, compact and portable media unit that you can take with you wherever you go, whether it be round your mates house or on holiday and, what’s more, you don’t have to worry about it get damaged because the Lacie LaCinema, with its scratch resistant aluminium case protected with a thick, shock resistant rubber is as tough as old boots.

The LaCinema is a doddle to use, with a simple interface – just connect to your PC via the USB, upload your media and then connect to a TV as and when you like.

Buy the LaCinema

The 500Gb LaCie LaCinaema is available from:

• Misco – £184.74
• Micro Warehouse – £181.43
• PC World Business – £185.13
• Pixmania – £189.90

Specification

• Model No: 301461EK
• Capacity: 500 GB
• Interface: Hi-Speed USB 2.0
• Supported File Systems: NTFS, FAT32, MPEG-1, MPEG-2 (AVI, VOB, IFO, ISO), MPEG-4 (AVI, XviD), MP3, WMA, AC3, Ogg Vorbis, AAC, JPEG, GIF, PNG, BMP, SRT, SSA, SUB
• Size: 90 x 145 x 25 mm
• Weight: 250 g
• Cables: HDMI, composite video + stereo audio, USB 2.0 cable

Lacie.com

What makes this device especially remarkable is not just the simplicity of operation, or the long list of media file types it can handle but that it can even handle Full High Definition 1080p movie files.

This is quite a remarkable achievement for a product in this price range and a feature that has obvious advantages. At present there are several ways to watch and enjoy High Definition movies but each have their drawbacks and limitations not least of which is the cost.

Although the media player is designed for use with the My Passport storage device it will also work with almost any other USB storage device so you can plug and play files direct from your digital camera, camcorder or MP3 player. you can even connect two separate devices at the same time – the media player will sort the content into one easy to manage menu list.

Stockists

• Amazon.co.uk
  
• Pixmania – Pixmania Discount Codes

Main Features

• Connect to any USB device and play the media contents
• Connect to HD Multi-Media via HDMI or Composite RCA Video Connections
• Additional Composite RCA outputs ensure compatibility with virtually all TVs, both conventional or HD
• Compact design and clutter free

File Formats Supported

Music files

• AAC · AIF/AIFF · Dolby Digital · FLAC · MKA · MP3 · OGG · WAV · WMA

Image files

• BMP · GIF · JPEG · PNG · TIF

Movie Files

• AVC · AVI · H.264 · M3U · MKV · MOV · MPEG1/2/4 · PLS · WMV9 · WPL · Xvid

Subtitle

• SRT (UTF-8)

Dimensions

• 40 mm x 100 mm x 125.5 mm

Contents

• HD Media Player
• Stand for My Passport Storage Drive
• Remote Control Unit (batteries included)
• Media Conversion Software
• Composite AV cable
• AC adapter
• Quick Installation Guide

www.westerndigital.com