ANALYSIS: HOME CINEMA Home Entertainment
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Future-proof functionality For movie lovers seeking a more traditional home cinema system, albeit one with a modern twist, there’s JBL and Modern Audio line. The entry level JBL MA310 AV receiver boasts a clean, contemporary design and no-fuss setup. Selling for £499, this 5.2-channel Bluetooth-enabled AV amplifier offers 5 x 60W and has four HDMI inputs. To keep things simple, we suggest selling it with a pair of JBL 240B Stage 2 bookshelf speakers, for crisp stereo. The system can then be upgraded with additional JBL Stage 2 speakers to give full surround sound. Alternatively, the Marantz Cinema 30 (pictured below) is an impressive high end amplifier which could well persuade existing home cinema fans to upgrade. Enthusiasts will appreciate its 11-channel audiophile-grade amplification and 8K video support.
Built and tuned in Shirakawa, Japan, the Cinema 30 bristles with leading edge functionality. It offers 11 140W channels of audiophile grade amplification (expandable to 13 if additional power amps are added), and can decode Dolby Atmos, DTS:X Pro and Auro 3D. It’s also IMAX Enhanced certified, and works with HEOS multiroom components for whole home audio.
ERT has had an early demo of the technology at Samsung’s HQ in Seoul, South Korea, and was blown away by the immersion that it offered. A spokesman suggested that Eclipsa Audio could be used by news reporters to deliver fully immersive sound when newsgathering, without time- consuming post processing.
Gaming: The new frontier for AV Of course, home cinema isn’t just about movies. Gaming has become a pivotal driver of AV upgrades, due to the demand for smoother visuals and faster response times. The 42-inch LG C4 TV with its 4K 120Hz and 144Hz refresh rate capabilities, caters to these needs by providing ultra-smooth motion and reduced input lag for console and PC gamers alike, making it both an excellent TV and a top-tier gaming monitor. For those after a unique gaming audio solution, the Panasonic Sound Slayer GN01 offers a personal Dolby Atmos experience without headphones, making it ideal for gamers wanting immersion without isolation. Sporting two up- firing drivers on each shoulder, the player can be surrounded by sound, without disturbing those
December 2024 / January 2025
ertonline.co.uk
LG’s C4 4K TV
The buyer can place a Freely set pretty much anywhere they want, as long as it has a Wi-Fi connection. Suddenly that spare room can become a second telly den, and the kids can get the bedroom big-screen they’ve always wanted. The most immediate viewing difference between Freely and regular Freeview sets is channel choice. The Freely selection looks a little sparse in comparison. Still, all the main public broadcasters are available, and 2025 will see the platform bolstered by the arrival
Samsung hopes to give its 2025 TV and soundbar range a bump, by including support for a new 3D technology developed with Google. Eclipsa Audio will be available on all models from Crystal UHD upwards. The technology allows YouTube creators large and small to create dynamic, immersive audio content, without having to buy into Dolby Atmos. Audio data records the location and intensity of sounds, along with spatial reflections, to create an immersive three- dimensional sound experience.
around. There are three gaming sound modes, tuned for role playing games, shooters and dialogue, as well as sound presets optimised for cinema and music listening.
The Freely revolution The freedom to stream movies into any room in the house is another potent angle to target home cinema buffs. Freely-enabled TVs, developed by Everyone TV (formerly Digital UK), mark a significant shift in how linear channels are delivered, eliminating the need for aerials.
of AMC Networks, PBS America, and others. More importantly, there’s some 74,000 hours of on-demand content from 11 different players built into the platform, alongside all the major streaming apps. The screen choice is wide too. TV manufacturers with Freely models in their range include Toshiba, Hisense, Bush, TCL, Amazon and Panasonic. While the first great home cinema boom may be a distant memory, 2025 should yet provide a great sequel for CE retailers, as technology continues to evolve.
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