Five other Premier League matches will be shown in 3D this season as well as the Coca-Cola football league play-off finals from Wembley, with a range of other content expected to be rolled out later this year. The new Sky 3D channel will appear on Sky’s EPG, so anyone lucky enough to have a 3D-ready television can watch the content, which, at the moment is scarce and only features the odd sporting event and promotional adverts.

The higher demand for Sky HD has meant that BSkyB has created an extra 750 customer service and installation jobs, with another 250 jobs planned.  As well as lowering its HD service charges, BSkyB also cut the price of its Sky Plus HD boxes to £49, in a bid to capitalise on the estimated 7 million households who have already got High Definition Televisions.

The company’s report also shows that its operating profits were up by 13% since the start of its financial year last July, and 15% of its customers now have the whole package including TV, Broadband and telephony.

Although the figures are promising for the beginning of the year, chief executive Jeremy Darroch stated that he believes that the rest of the year would be a challenge, adding that: “In this environment, and at a time when people are spending more time at home, we will continue to provide our customers great entertainment and money-saving broadband and telephony.”

About one in ten HD customers will be affected by the fault, which affects the first batch of HD boxes made by Pace; the model numbers are: 9F3001, 9F3002, 9F3003 and 9F3004. Anyone with one of the model numbers shown should contact Sky for a free replacement box; Sky has also said that anyone affected by the fault will be given 3 months free subscription to Sky’s HD pack.

The replacement program is expected to take around three months and in a statement Sky said: “The assembly flaw does not involve a faulty component, such as a hard drive, or a software problem”.

The broadcaster added that: “Importantly, Pace has confirmed that the assembly flaw does not pose a safety risk”.

Sky also said that the HD boxes can still be used as usual, until a Sky engineer comes and replaces it.

Combining a massive 56 inch screen and Phillips Ambilight technology, the Phillips Cinema 21:9 is the first TV to deliver a genuine cinematic viewing experience. Televisions that have an aspect ratio of 16:9 either distort the picture to get it to display on the full screen or display the film in a letterbox format.

Phillips also say that the Cinema 21:9 will use advanced formatting technology, so that standard 16:9 images from TV broadcasts and games consoles can be adapted to fill the 21:9 screen with no loss of quality.

Phillips will be releasing more detailed specifications and pricing at the end of February; the Cinema 21:9 is expected to be available this spring.

3D TV programs are still way off for the domestic viewer though, as these broadcasts will require a 3D Television, which is currently not available in the UK and viewers would still need to wear special 3D glasses to see the benefits of the system.

At the beginning of 2008, the BBC broadcast Six Nations Rugby games in 3D to audiences in a London theatre, but Sky has shown that it is possible to deliver 3D programs to domestic homes through existing set-top boxes.

In a statement released by Sky, Gerry O’Sullivan, head of strategic product development told the BBC, “We have shown it is a technical reality,” and added: “Now we have to find a way to bring it to viewers.”

Best of all, the AQUOS DX range will have built-in Blu-ray recorders, capable of playing Blu-ray movies and recording high definition TV programs at the click of a button. Both the 26 inch and the 32 inch versions are only available in 720p, but all of the other TVs in the range have full HD.

Contrast ratio is a healthy 2000:1, and the 30W integrated speakers will be loud enough for everyone. A range of connections are also available on the back including 2 HDMI sockets monitor output.

The Sharp AQUOS DX range will hit Japan in November, with the UK expected to ship in early 2009. Prices are not confirmed at present.

Play TV will also allow you to watch recorded programs on your PSP wherever you are, via a Wi-Fi connection. The box will connect to your PS3 through a USB slot, which also powers the device and means you do not need an external power source.

Play TV has dual TV tuners so you can record one channel whilst watching another and you can also play games or Blu-ray discs while recording as well. The usual EPG and program guides are also included so you can view TV listings and set recordings up to a week in advance.

As mentioned above, you can also access recorded content through your PSP via the Remote Play application, that turns your PS3 on through the internet and streams recorded programs straight to your PSP.

The amount of programs you can record will depend on the size of your PS3’s hard drive, with an hour of recording time taking up around 1GB of space. Available on the 19th September, Play TV will retail for around £69.99.

Both adapters feature Ixos’ patented 4 layer PC board that minimises FEXT (Far End Cross Talk)by stabilising the impedance at the plug, TRU-HD for an official high definition performance of up to 1080p and gold plated connectors to provide a long life and a maximum signal.

Unlike the XS118, the XS218 features Ixos’ iVEC passive circuitry. The iVEC circuitry equalises the digital signal and allows a cable to be up to 4 meters longer, whilst still producing the best 1080p signal. This is especially good for home cinema systems that exceed the normal 7.5 meter cable.

Both the XS118 and XS218 are available now for £14.99 and £29.99 respectively and are ideal for anyone who has those annoying side mounted HDMI slots on their home entertainment system.

The TH-42PX80 also features an advanced 3D colour management system that processes colour, luminosity and brightness separately, which means you will always see a crisp and sharp picture.

The TV is HD ready and is capable of displaying in 1080p; currently the best a TV can display. This give a smoother more realistic picture and is ideal for watching sports and movies.

Combining an integrated freeview tuner and a contrast ratio of 15000:1, the TH-42PX80 also boasts 3 HDMI sockets, 2 Scarts, PC socket, audio in and out, component and Ariel connections as well as a headphone jack, S-video, composite and SD card slot. Meaning that you can connect everything you will ever need in your home entertainment system.

Prices start from just over £600, and for that amount of money it’s a great buy.