September 28th, 2012
Toshiba fans have had a chance to get a hands-on experience with the brand's latest AV technology, thanks to a pop-up lounge in Sydney. All this week, consumers have being dropping by Martin Place to see Toshiba's two new LED 3D televisions, as well as a 3D Blu-ray player. The 55-inch VL Series LED 3D TV is Toshiba's hero product and focuses on enhancing the entertainment experience for ... Read more
September 7th, 2012
The following is another in our “what-the-…” series of guides where we cut to the chase and provide all there is to know in a fun, intelligent and informative way. Well, a fun and informative way. Uh, well, an informative way, at least. We've so far brought you everything from an explanation of PVRs to a devastating and probing account of Powerline Internet Kits. This week, we’ll be ... Read more
August 13th, 2012
Father's Day is just around the corner and it seems like everyone in the Big Brown Box office understand how tough it is to find the right gift for Dad. So this week we're going to offer the best advice we can to help you find the perfect audio visual product for the old man in your life. Today, we focus on Retro Dad - the one who ... Read more
August 10th, 2012
This is another in our back to basics “what the hell” series that tells it like it is in a no-holds-barred, take-no-prisoners, this-is-it and there’s-no-going-back adrenaline-charged fashion. Strap your knees in, adjust your eyeballs, and prepare to have your life changed. As the subtle genius of the headline implies, this one is about PVRs. That stands for Personal Video Recorder, peeps. They are also sometimes known as ... Read more
July 30th, 2012
With Splendour in the Grass taking place over the weekend, music fans got a taste of what the upcoming summer music festival season has in store. The likes of The Shins, Jack White, the newly reformed At The Drive-In and the Smashing Pumpkins entertained a 17,000-strong crowd, as the three-day event returned to its spiritual home at Belongil Fields on the NSW north coast. After a soggy start ... Read more
July 20th, 2012
Rock out with your co...mfortable sofa and sweet new sound system! Yeah! Didn't make it to the concert? Weren't born yet? Ah well, it's just as well the Big Brown Box sells some sick AV set ups so that kicking it on your couch is only the next best thing to actually being there. Here are our top three must-have concert DVDs/Blu-rays that when watched and listened to ... Read more
July 19th, 2012
The leap from DVD to Blu-ray isn't as vast as switching from analogue (VHS) to digital but in every other respect Blu-ray supersedes DVD hands down. The difference in image resolution is the biggest drawcard for Blu-ray. Blu-ray offers full high definition 1080p image quality where DVD is restricted to 480p standard definition. This difference is easily seen on-screen. A Blu-ray picture has much greater detail for viewing ... Read more
July 19th, 2012
Only a few months ago we blogged about what 4K is and how there wasn't really much reason to invest quite yet in the new ultra-definition technology. Turns out, we may have underestimated 4K. Things happen fast in the world of consumer electronics. New technologies that are pushed to market either sink or swim. HD-DVD sunk, Blu-ray swam and it looks 4K is learning to float, fast. 4K, ... Read more
July 5th, 2012
Australians may be quick to pick up on new tech but it turns out we're slow to ditch our old devices, according to a new study by Optus. The survey suggests that we can't seem to pry our fingers from prized gadgets and almost three quarters admit to holding onto old TVs, VCRs and mobiles for up to 11 years. The combination of being quick adopters and hoarding ... Read more
April 17th, 2012
You're going to need a big TV and a solid sound system for this one. John Williams' unforgettably haunting soundtrack has been remastered alongside digitally refined razor-sharp teeth for August's re-release of Jaws on Blu-ray. Steven Spielberg's legendary film from 1975 has undergone a frame-by-frame restoration where scratches and dirt have been digitally removed and colours re-balanced to match. This means pristine sun-sparkles on the ocean's surface, perceptible ripples ... Read more