Think inside the Boxee

Boxee is a cross-platform free HTPC software program with a ten foot user interface and social networking features designed for the living room TV. In normal you and I speak, basically, the interface is usable up to 10 feet from source (ie: Your HDTV) making this one of the best Home Theater PC applications currently out there, and not only that, if you already have a PC lying about and you are interested in the software, the lovely people over at Boxee let you download it for free on the following systems: Windows, OSX, Linux and Apple TV - cant ask for more than that can you!

Now, before I carry on with this post / review, I need to let you know that I love this software and use it literally everyday, whether it be for Films, Tv shows or something as simple as checking up with my friends and family on Facebook and Twitter, therefore, this may come across as a biased review BUT I will give the downsides where needed.

The guys responsible for Boxee started way back in the early part of 2004 where they joined the XBMC (another HTPC application) open source program and decided to break away and start their own application. Seven years on, they have not only started, they are well on their way to being a booming company, with offices in New York and Tel Aviv.

Now enough background....onto the review.

When you first turn on Boxee you are greeted with a user friendly 'Homescreen' (see below) where you can navigate straight to the section you need, whether it be Movies, TV Show, Music etc..This is what I would call the main hub of the software as it gives you, the user access to wherever you need to go.

When navigating through each section, ie: TV Shows or Movies section, it will scan all your hard drives, SD cards and network sources and put the files into the associated libraries. When accessing the Movies or TV Shows, Boxee will look up every single file and access the IMDB database and pull down the associated artwork AND Film / TV Show information - it even drills down to episode level and gives you a detailed description of what each episode is about as well as a brief overview of the 'show'. It will also search the internet for 'subtitles', so if you are watching a foreign film OR are hard of hearing, then you can ask Boxee to get get you the appropriate language subtitle for your Film / Show. It really is a very clever piece of kit.

You can see above and below the artwork that Boxee automatically adds to the users content and also the description of what the 'selected' data file is on the right hand side.

The next area that is very much worth a mention is the App screen. Here you will find apps relating to Youtube, Facebook, Twitter, NHL Game Center etc... the list goes on and on and you can also add to them from your own personal collection. Boxee really feels that it isn't just a 'media' piece of software, it feels more like a 'Sociall' 'Family' piece of software that when stuck in the Living Room, the whole family can very much enjoy, whether it be, Music, Tv, Youtube or simply browsing the web on Boxee's built in web browser.

Last but very much not least, is the settings page. Why am I reviewing a settings page you may ask? I'll tell you why, its because from here, you can control EVERYTHING from here, what folders you want Boxee to scan and when. You can also setup your network, the 'look' of your software and most importantly, audio settings (if you listen very carefully right now, you can hear all the audiophiles ears prick up), you can select the type of audio being played, whether its digital or High Definition audio etc..

Before I finish my post, you will notice I have only discussed this as literally a piece of 'software'. Boxee is very much more than this. Boxee is an entertainment system and the Boxee developers realised this and also realised that non tech savvy people were missing out on the experience. They therefore hooked up with the guys over at D-Link (more commonly known for bringing us network solutions) and offered up the well thought out clever name -'Boxee Box'. This box is literally the size of a small box...(without my technical notes next to me, this is all you are getting on a dimensions level), it plugs directly into your TV via HDMI or Composite and offers up exactly what the software I have reviewed above does. What's more, the Stand alone version comes with an IR remote which doubles up as a qwerty keyboard on the flip side of the remote (Handy for online browsing etc...). I have personally not used the standalone Boxee, but if it is half as good as the software mixed with Media PC, then Boxee / D-Link are onto a real winner. You can pick up the Boxee Box for as little as £190 here.

Here are a few promotional shots of the Boxee Box and remote

So, to finish off, I will give you a break down out of 10 on what I think of the Boxee software

• Look / Feel - 8 / 10
• Value for money - 10 / 10 (Standalone Boxee 7 / 10)
• Ease of Use - 7 / 10
• Features - 9 / 10

Overall, I would strongly give Boxee 8.5 / 10

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Lima Charlie 1-9 - We're Oscar Mike

It’s not the soldier with the most expensive gun or the biggest heart who wins on the battlefield.  It’s the smartest.  Semper Fi, Marine.

You cannot read about Operation Flashpoint - Red River without feeling a surge of adrenaline surging through  your veins. The anticipation for this military sim is far exceeding any game that is currently out right now. Forget the let down that was 'Homefront', Red River is panning out to be one of the best military simulators out there - past and present.

Between Afghanistan and China, the worlds next 'Flashpoint' is about to erupt. The valleys, towns and mountains of Tajikistan will become bloody frontlines for the might of the People's Liberation Army, insurgent guerilla fighters and the United States Marine Corps. You and your fireteam CAN make a difference in the game and what level of difference you make depends on how you operate on the battlefield.

Thanks to the boys and girls over at Codemasters, you can recruit up to 3 of your most battle hardened friends to join you in the foot hills of the Tajikistan mountains. Another nice feature is that if these battle hardened friends of yours have to be medevaced out of the 'hot zone' (aka - their network connection drops, they have to go eat etc...) the session does not get affected and the 'human' player is automatically replaced with a friendly 'green' AI counterpart.

Now, lets think back to Operation Flashpoint Cold War Rising and us PC gamers will remember a truly great game that was also a truly awful game...The story was ok, the bugs, well, the game was made up of bugs with a sprinkling of decent code thrown into the mix, however, when it worked, it was terrific and it managed to win over my heart and many others and went onto become GOTY. Jump forward 8 years and Codemasters released Operation Flashpoint: Dragon Rising, this time, the console got a look in and was released on all platforms apart from the Wii. Again, this came with a few bugs, however, thanks to the Co-op element of the game, Dragon Rising had a massive fan base (past and present) and enabled Code Masters to push forwards and release Red River.

Codemasters listened to the criticism and niggles that their gamer base had regarding Dragon Rising, the long ass checkpoints, the 'ultra' realism and they have changed Red River to reflect this. Do not be alarmed, Red River is not a Battlefield or Call of Duty rip off and it is still very much a military Sim, however, they have toned it down to please all types of gamers.

I do really hope that Red River will come with a polished finished feel that many other military shooters or just general 'modern games' come with, Flashpoint has a huge following, whether it has bugs or not but I would really LOVE Red River to stand on its own and have people love this game without finishing their sentences with 'even with the bugs'

The achievements for this game can be accomplished via either the SP or Co-Op SP and thankfully there are no 'hardcore' achievements as this setting on Flashpoint is SO stupidly hard, I would actually rather just go and fight for real in Afghanistan.

Operation Flashpoint is released April 21st throughout Europe and very strangely, has been pushed back to 7th June 2011 in North America.

Grab your equipment and put a bullet in the chamber - it's going to be a long day.  

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It's a Geek World...

Welcome to Sgt Talbert's Headquarters....

So guys and girls, I've made a few blogs surrounding games I have played and games I am looking forward to and a couple movie reviews thrown into the mix...

What I have not done is show you or talk about the equipment I use to get the most out of my gaming experience, so how about I do just that?

Here we have the 50LG5000, HTPC (Custom build), Sky+ HD, Xbox 360 Elite, Sony PS3 and Sony HT-SS100 5.1 system. My first 'LCD' TV was a 32" 'monster' that suited my needs perfectly, however, as many a geek can confirm, my needs grew and I upgraded to a 37" TV and Full HD glory. This purchase satisfied my thirst for new gadgets, however, that time did come around one sunny morning when I sold my current TV and purchased the 50LG5000. Thankfully, this has fulfilled my need for 'bigger' and 'better' for the past two years so hopefully I am good to go for now.....That and I dont think a bigger TV would fit!

Here you can see the Sony Playstation 3 120gb Slim. I don't really play games on the Sony system, I use it more for the playback of BluRay films and streaming of certain content. The bottom shelf of my entertainment center is dedicated to my lovely Sony HT-SS100 amp - 1000watts of pure sound!

Another close up of the Sony Amp / Receiver. I have my HTPC, XBox and PS3 plugged directly into the Amp / Receiver which means I get full High Definition graphics and sound at a flick of a 'auto switch'.  

Center speaker along with the Microsoft Scene IT IR receiver

My Custom built HTPC

Case: NZXT Rogue (Black with Blue LED lighting)

Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-G33M-DS2R

RAM: 4GB DDR2 Corsair MXS2 800

Graphics: ATI HD3850 eXtreme 512 DDR3

Sound: Auzentech HDA X-Plosion 7.1

Storage: 4 Terabytes / 320Gb External

Drive: LG GGW-H20L BluRay / HD-Dvd Rom

OS: Windows 7 Ultimate x64

Here we have my baby, the Xbox 360 Elite 120Gb. Oh you may be a loud and temperamental old soul, but much like grandparents, we still love them dearly. This Xbox may not have seen me start my journey on LIVE but boy has it seen me break the 5,000 and 10,000 Gamerscore barriers and hopefully will see me hit a few more mile stones yet before the old girl internally com busts and melts onto the wool carpet and forces me down the route of its younger, sexier, more obedient younger sister

My sub, really helps immerse you into your games, especially when flying at tree top level in Battlefield Vietnam and you can hear the whack whack whack of the rotor blades. Nothing beats it....

My two trusty black wireless Xbox controllers, even though they do guzzle battery juice quicker than a Chevy V8 engine, I would not go into battle or step onto the track without them. I purchased a Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 'Shell' from Play.com for £1.99 and it was very much worth it - great build quality. My lovely girlfriend also purchased me the official 'Plug and Play' charge kits to help appease my controllers addiction to the acidic juice. 

My Turtle Beach X41's, much like my wireless controllers, wouldn't be without these babies and the battery life is VERY good on them, along with build quality and most importantly, the 5.1 sound is second to none.

You can see the wireless decoder box that runs an optical cable from the transmitter to the Sony amp. A nice angled shot of my headphone cans and the fabric ear cups. The microphone boom is detachable

My Bluetooth keyboard with built in track pad - couldn't be without this when navigating my Media PC from the comfort of my bed or technically, the comfort of anywhere within a 10 meter radius... The next gadget you can see is the Logitech Harmony Remote (525 Model) this is probably the cleverest bit of kit I have ever purchased. You can set your devices up and when I press 'XBox' on the screen, the TV, Xbox, Sony Amp all turn on and any other device that is turned on and unneeded is turned off - brilliant!

Now the above and below pictures are of what I like to call 'The Geek Shelf' We have above...The Stig bust, a lovely framed collage of me and the lovely girlfriend, Rios from Army of Two and the Inception Limited Edition briefcase. Scroll on down for part two of 'The Geek Shelf'

So as I was saying, from right to left, we have Big Daddy from Bio Shock, the Prestige Edition RC car from the Call of Duty: Black Ops game (Yes, I also have the NVG's from the MW2 package) and the Black Ops medal (You weren't there man, you weren't there!!) and for when Big Daddy and Rios are on a break from defending ones shelf, you have Super Spoon Man...

So there we have it, a whistle stop tour of my gaming setup and indulgences I have accumulated over the years. I hope you enjoyed seeing my humble setup and hope I have inspired you to start or add to your own! (I take no responsibility for the amount of money you spend however!)

So stick around, have a nosy or if you must leave, please do come back soon and see what new exciting content awaits. 

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Make every second count

Source Code

We all love good old fashioned Action / Sci-Fi / Thrillers don't we? 

Last year we got the very good and heart pumping "Unstoppable" - in which our two heroes stationed themselves inside a moving train in an attempt to stop an unmanned freight train heading toward a city. However, Unstoppable is nothing like Source Code.

Source Code is along the lines of Inner Space, Ground Hog Day with a twist of Die Hard / Speed esc action.

Source Code is heart stopping, brain twisting and emotion wrenching fun.

Source Code begins with our lead character, Captain Colter Stevens (U.S Army) (Jake Gyllenhall), waking up on a Chicago commuter train, opposite Christina (Michelle Monaghan) a woman whom we sense he's never met, talking to him as if they've known each other some time. Immediately after, we learn that he's a Helicopter pilot for the US Army, and that he in fact has never met this woman before. He has no clue how he's gotten to where he is, or why. All he knows is that this woman apparently knows him well, and thinks his name is 'Sean'. Confused by all of this, he goes to the bathroom, only to find that the person in the mirror isn't him, it's someone else. 

As we, the audience, try to process all of this information in our mind, the train abruptly explodes into flames, killing everyone on board. 

 

Let the Source Code sequence commence...

The opening immediately attaches you to the story, with the great score, unsettling tone, and disorienting editing. It also leaves us with tons of questions: What the hell just happened? Who is Christina? Who is this 'Sean' Character? Why is Colter in this situation?

Colter wakes up again, but now in a dimly lit cement capsule, alone, talking to fellow soldier Goodwin. We discover that the commuter train he was just on was destroyed by a terrorist bomb earlier that day, and that there may be an even larger attack that could destroy Chicago (wouldn’t be a story without that little twist). We also learn that he's a participant in an experimental Army intelligence program that allows him to continually relive the last eight minutes of one of the train's passengers life (Sean), in order to find the bomb and the terrorist who has threatened the larger attack in the heart of Chicago. 

 
And like Groundhog Day, he experiences the same events over and over again, remembering each and every one, giving him the chance to inspect every suspicious passenger, as well as getting to know Christina a bit more along the way. Eventually beginning to care for her safety but unfortunately, all of these people are already dead, they only exist within the 'Source Code' (Bummer huh). Every eight minutes he's warped back to the capsule, where he is debriefed by Jeffery Wright and Vera Farmiga's characters, then sent back into the Source Code to try and save the day…..again. 

 
The science behind the film is very far-fetched (although I like to think very possible!), so it's up to you, the viewer, to let go and let Duncan Jones (Moon) and his crew take over your mind for an hour and a half. Duncan promises a very intense thrill ride that will definitely be memorable in the future as a very intelligent and unique take on the contained thriller and in my opinion he delivers this promise solidly throughout. Nevertheless, there definitely are plot-holes in the film, and the ending is maybe too subtle for the everyday sci-fi fanatic.

I believe it's safe to say that this film succeeds in almost every category, with the constant suspense and mystery, great action sequences, and the amazing soundtrack throughout. Source Code keeps you guessing throughout, anticipating who the bomber could be and how Captain Stevens can stop him before it’s too late for downtown Chicago and his parallel love interest.

Source Code deserves your hard earned cash and is defiantly a film you should experience at the cinema and one that hopefully will become a box office success worldwide.

I for one will be logging back onto the Source Code when this is released in high definition later this year.

So sit back, plug yourself in and let your mind be transported into the Source Code.

Let me leave you with this - What would you do if you had less than a minute to live?

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And the Winner is...

Another year gone and another year to look forward to in the world of gaming, however, let’s take a few moments to look back on 2010's best games and also which games won the privilege of walking away with the all-important Bafta award.

I will be covering some of the more ‘mainstream’ awards but you can access the full list of nominees at the end of my post.

ACTION

WINNER: Assassin’s Creed Brotherhood
Gaëlec Simard
Ubisoft Entertainment/Ubisoft Montreal

There is no denying that Assassin’s Creed has a huge following and I am sure that the panel of judges are more competent than I, but the last time I played Assassin’s Creed, there was action…but nothing along the lines of Battlefield: Bad Company 2 or Call of Duty etc… So for this to win in a category that includes those two said titles, baffles me…however, kudos to Ubisoft.

BEST GAME

WINNER: Mass Effect 2
Development Team
Electronic Arts/BioWare

There is absolutely no denying that EA deserved to win Best Game for Mass Effect 2, the action is slick and well-engineered, the story is compelling and actually makes this game what it is – FANTASTIC.

GAMEPLAY

WINNER: Super Mario Galaxy 2
Koichi Hayashida, Yoshiaki Koizumi, Takashi Tezuka
Nintendo/Nintendo

Common, who hasn’t enjoyed controlling Mario, and his Brother Luigi around the colour world that they live in. Whether it be the 80’s, 90’s or 00’s – Mario has been in the lives of every true gamer for the past 26years and not only does the game look better and play better BUT the fun is still very much there whether you are 5 or 55 – Super Mario brings a smile to every ones faces. Well done Nintendo, well done.

HANDHELD

WINNER: Cut the Rope
Efim Voinov, Semyon Voinov
Chillingo/Zeptolab

To be honest, with the main character in the game being called Om Nom, how could this not win ‘Handheld’ game of the year – considering this game is ‘outside’ the bracket of the PSP, DS etc…and is more aimed at smartphone users, I am surprised Angry Birds didn’t win. However, considering this game was up against ‘hand held consoles’ they did well.

MULTIPLAYER

WINNER: Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit
Development Team
Electronic Arts/Criterion Games

I am so happy this game won, not only is it a VERY fun game to play, whether you are playing for fun or competitively, but it actually beat Call of Duty: Black Op’s to the top spot for multiplayer – proves that even with the following of the COD series, you need to switch up your Multiplayer action. Hot Pursuit was released in November and ever since, has raced itself to the top with brilliant single player and multiplayer action, excellent soundtrack that gets the blood pumping as you drift a corner on the Californian ocean highway and tops it off with superb high definition graphics. Well Done EA and let us all hope Shift 2 can keep up with its fuel injected Cousin.

SOCIAL NETWORK GAME

WINNER: My Empire
Development Team
Playfish/Playfish

Social networking has definitely come a long way, no longer is it seen by society as greasy fat men in their bedrooms chatting to women out of their league, no, it now embraced by men, women, children all over the globe and with the dominant network site FACEBOOK leading the way, no wonder BAFTA have included a category for ‘Best Social Network’ game and surprise, surprise, it’s a Facebook game – My Empire. Move over Farmville, there’s a new kid on the block and this kid is POPULAR. You cannot help but compare this game to Sid Meier’s Civilisation because, well, it’s pretty much that – Sid Meire’s for the socialite’s. This area of gaming I believe is one to very much keep the electronic eye on as with social networking growing by the day, the games will evolve to a whole other level – watch this space. 

STORY

WINNER: Heavy Rain
David Cage, Guillaume de Fondaumiere, Scott Johnson
Sony Computer Entertainment/Quantic Dream & XDev Studio Europe

Heavy Rain was fresh, exciting and compelling. The graphics were superb, the flow of the game kept the audience interested and the storyline was that worth of an Oscar, or in this case, a BAFTA. My girlfriend played this game from start to finish and she is normally a PC Sims player (sigh) and she could not put this down, literally. This game was created by Sony and surprisingly was an exclusive title for Playstation 3. It was one of a kind – it was more like a movie than a game, jumping from character to character and each playing their part in telling the story. There was little to no action, but the game was not about that, it was making the audience think like a detective, question people, find clues in their answers or surroundings. This whole heartedly deserved to win best Story and well done Sony for doing so. Let’s just hope that Rockstars version L.A Noire can match up.

GAME Award of 2010

(The only award to be voted for by the public)

WINNER:Call of Duty: Black Ops
Activision Blizzard UK Ltd/Treyarch

We all knew without even waiting to read the list of winners that Call of Duty: Black Op’s was going to win. The only way this game could not have won ‘GAME Award of 2010’ was if the next game in the COD series was released. You cannot take away that the Single player, story, gameplay is brilliant, however, it is very much the same thing different setting every time. The Multiplayer is even worse, with amount of abuse players get from people on Live or PSN is unbelievable. Call of Duty has a big enough following to win this year in year out, however, hardened gamers will start to walk away unless Activision / Treyarch mix things up. Especially with Battlefield 3 on its way.

So that is it folks, 2010's winners and the games that put their respective companies into BAFTA history. Lets hope 2011 brings the same golden smile to those games that are worthy.

You can access the list of winners (and losers) by clicking here.

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Ooh-Rah Marines!

As the world’s great cities fall, there remains one place that becomes the last stand for mankind in a battle no one expected

Battle: Los Angeles

We have all seen trailers and TV teasers that had made our mouths water in expectance of a great film - Skyline is one such film...and we all know how that turned out.

However, rarely does a film of this genre (Sci-Fi, Action, Thriller) live up to the hype of the trailers and 'pre-release' media. I can, however, safely say that Battle: Los Angeles, delivers and delivers very, very well. 

Now, I mentioned Skyline and Skyline this is NOT...

Battle: Los Angeles is set in present day (2011) and is a cross between ‘Cloverfield’ (hand-held camera) and ‘Independence Day’ (aliens landing on earth) with a realistic ‘Black Hawk Down’ twist.

It stars Aaron Eckhart (The Dark Knight, Rabbit Hole) as Staff Sergeant Michael Nantz who, having lost his platoon on a previous engagement in Iraq, files paperwork to leave the USMC. His plans are somewhat ‘put on hold’ when a call comes into the military explaining that meteors are landing all around the globe - these meteors actually turn out to be aliens.

The aliens want to eradicate the human colony for the resources of water as there is no liquid anywhere else in the solar system – clearly they did not hear about the discovery of water on Jupiter! They need the water to power their ships and mechanical bodies and Earth fits the bill on this front.

Nantz becomes part of a new platoon who includes second lieutenant William Martinez (Ramon Rodrigeuz), Cpl. Jason Lockett (Cory Hardict), Cpl. Nick Stavrou (Gino Anthony Pesci), Cpl. Kevin Harris (Ne-Yo surprisingly, whom I didn't recognise until my girlfriend kindly pointed him out to me!) and TSgt Elena Santos (Michelle Rodriguez - Fast and Furious franchise).

 Their mission is simple: Rescue any civilians in and around Santa Monica police station and escort them to the ‘Safe Zone’. 

That in a nutshell is the story, however, as you could probably tell, that mission quickly evolves into much more but I won’t ruin the story for you. All I will say is – prepare yourselves for a rollercoaster of a movie.

Now, I have read many reviews both independent and professional and a few of them criticise the storyline or lack thereof and also lack of character development. My personal opinion – this was done on purpose, firstly, war, whether it be human V human or human V ET, is fast paced, unrehearsed, confusing and downright un-followable until some historian 5-10 years from now writes about it from the safety of his own leather clad study. This film, I feel is rather realistic (and I mean that in the loosest sense), it is more like ‘Black Hawk Down’ meets ‘Aliens’ - the weaponry and setting and personnel  are all very detailed BUT the storyline and character development isn’t there to the extent of other films because you are thrown right into the deep end with the marines – there is literally no time for ‘nicey nicey’ thoughts about home or back story on each marine – this is War; roll with it.

 Now, with the ‘negatives’ if you see them that like that out the way, there are many positives about this film. The action was exciting and well choreographed, the actors actually trained with the US Marines based outside of L.A (the best action sequence being on a freeway whilst the platoon try to save the civilians), there was enough suspense and tension throughout added by the great music and general pace of the film, the special effects of the aliens and their ships was impressive, the acting was surprisingly good even with the apparent “awful script” critics are moaning about.

Aaron Erckart plays a very convincing Marine Staff Sergeant with Michelle Rodriguez and Cory Hardict delivering solid supporting performances along the way. The biggest strength I would say though is that it was shot and edited very well. The hand-held camera added to the authenticity of the situation and like so many films, the ‘shaky camera’ work wasn’t over the top, though there were a few scenes where it was hard to make sense of what was happening, but again, this adds to the film in my opinion.

Not everyone will like this film; those expecting anything more than what I have portrayed above will indeed be disappointed, but hell, what do you except from a SCI-FI action film? It will NEVER be the next ‘Schindler's list’ and even the hand-held camera as pointed out by certain reviewers will irritate some people (probably the same people who moaned about the camera work in ‘The Green Zone’.

Battle: Los Angeles wasn't perfect (but what film is?) with a story we've all seen so many times before, however, if you’re looking for good action, special effects and solid acting, it does very much deliver.

For me I would normally have given this film type a five or six out of ten, but the acting and camera-work and ‘realistic’ feeling was a bonus to this genre and enough to give this a solid 8 out of 10. Also there were more positives for this movie than negatives, which worked in the film's favour.

Very enjoyable science fiction / action adventure that delivers solidly on all areas. A great effort. 

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Live Life on the Razer's Edge

For anyone who has ever dabbled in the PC gaming scene, unless you have stuck to the likes of 'My Little Pony' or indeed 'My Little Pony 2' you would have heard of a company called 'Razer'.


They pride themselves in making high end gaming peripherals for the everyday gamer and professional alike. Their Mices, Mats, Keyboards and Headsets have always been given high reviews from critics and gamers and now Razer have taken a leap of faith and gone where no man has gone before...apart from maybe every other gaming company out there. Razer are going CONSOLE.


Razer are releasing an Xbox 360 and Playstation 3 compatible 5.1 surround headset and an XBOX 360 controller this month. Now, as I see it, their only real competition in the headset arena are from these two well known companies:

Turtle Beach

PX5's (May release)

I actually own the Turtle Beach X41's and a couple of my gaming buddies own the X11's and we love them, sad as it may be, we wonder how we ever gamed without them. The sound clarity is excellent, you can easily pinpoint enemy gunfire or footsteps from any direction. The clarity of voice over Xbox Live is again, very good, especially when the sound of gameplay and voice auto changes to hear both at the same time (a feature I believe the Razer headset does not). A fundamental part of any good gaming headset, is not the sound quality, or build quality or what funky new features the headset has, no, the most important part of ANY headset for me personally, is the comfort factor. Any gamer has I'm sure had a 5-6 hour gaming session, now, imagine gaming for 6 hours using a uncomfy headset - not good. The Turtle Beach headset is light but still feels like a quality product to hold and the ear cups material is a 'mesh' type fabric which allows your ears to breathe and also stops the user from sweating. Turtle Beach knows how to make a good solid product for casual and professional gamers alike.

Tritton

AX PRO's (Out Now)

Now, the Tritton headset has been around since 2008 and is still regarded as a high end 5.1 gaming headset for console (Apart from Wii) and PC. That in itself is a good indicator in showing this is a good quality product as we all know how quick technology moves on, whereas with this Tritton headset, we are 3 years on and its still being compared to the new boys on the block.

Unlike the Turtle Beach headset, the Tritton is not plug and play and requires some setup, this can be seen as a good thing or, as I have found, more of an annoyance - It goes a bit too far in terms of configuration. In terms of sound quality and build quality, it is very much on par with the Turtle Beach headset and another high end gaming headset on the market right now. The only thing that lets it down for me and quite a few people I know agree with me, is the weight of the headset, after only 1hr of gaming, I took a break as I was getting neck ache. Overall, however, this easily holds it own with other headsets on the market.

Now, onto what this post is about...

The Razer Chimaera 5.1 Wireless Gaming Headset for Xbox 360 gives you a true-to-life surround sound experience. Building on their extensive gaming audio expertise from PC gaming, this wireless headset offers pinpoint tournament grade 5.1 positional audio with extra large circumaural ear cups for maximum comfort.

Clearly, the proof will be is the Razer pudding, but this headset is looking to come out fighting and if its anything like its PC brothers, I no doubt believe this will do extremely well.

The next product Razer are releasing in the Razer ONZA, which is exclusively for XBOX 360. If the controller is anything like the mice Razer produce, Microsoft are in trouble...
 

"Resistance is Futile, especially with adjustable analogue sticks"

From looking at the ONZA, there really is no difference to a normal XBOX Controller (that is not a bad thing!) What really makes this stand out from the Microsoft crowd is the adjustable analogue sticks, super sensitive 'action buttons' (A, B, X and Y) and (and this will really get the PC gamers mouths watering, Razer have added two extra buttons below the shoulder buttons that are programmable - at least now we will know why 'L33t247' on COD can outgun me with only a knife and a bootlace!

You can see on the artwork below the buttons which gamers can programme with macros to give them the extra edge on the battlefield - hell, they may even give you an advantage in 'Plants Vs Zombies'

 The only point I will say - and this is very much a personal view, is that the controller is wireless, now, if you are like me, you hate wires and much like with my Turtle Beach's I spent an extra £60 over the standard version just to get away from wires. We live in the 21st century and really the argument that wired controllers are better due to having a 'wire' is really a mute point, especially with the 5.8Ghz controllers and mice out there now.

 The Razer ONZA comes in three flavours, Casual, Tournament and the 'Dragon Age II Tournament edition (literally, the only different is the aesthetics)

Personally, Razer are not a company who do 'Casual' so to release a casual version seems ironic. If I was to buy one of these little gems, I would certainly by one of the Tournament variants.

The controller is released in March and much like its headset cousin, time will tell as to whether this cuts the mustard in the console world.

If I know Razer, using either one of these accessories will be a pleasurable experience that you will not want to end.

Up to four base stations can be connected to create a lag-free, crystal clear voice channel for dedicated team conversations - this will certainly help with lag when your team need crisp precise orders when in the heat of pixel battle.

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