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CNet AU Reviews Foxtel iQ2, Verdict: Worth the $200
Posted by Nick Broughall at 2:04 PM on June 6, 2008
Ty over at CNet AU got his hands on the new Foxtel iQ2 box a little bit before everybody else, and was kind enough to post his thoughts on the CNet site.
Overall, he was impressed by the new Foxtel offering, rating its performance in presenting both SD and HD channels, although the HD was where most of the love was projected, especially with the programs that offered 5.1 surround sound.
There are some advanced options in the setup menu that allow you to cater for lip-sync issues, and the On Demand service worked a treat.
It wasn't all smooth sailing - the system did lock up a few times and require hard resets, but he was playing with a pre-release version, and Ty wasn't a big fan of not knowing the start and end times of programs he was recording.
But for the most part, the HD offerings of the iQ2 were enough to convince him that the $200 installation fee was worth the money. Hit the jump for the full review, and stay tuned for Giz AU's own opinions in the coming weeks.
[CNet AU]
Overall, he was impressed by the new Foxtel offering, rating its performance in presenting both SD and HD channels, although the HD was where most of the love was projected, especially with the programs that offered 5.1 surround sound.
There are some advanced options in the setup menu that allow you to cater for lip-sync issues, and the On Demand service worked a treat.
It wasn't all smooth sailing - the system did lock up a few times and require hard resets, but he was playing with a pre-release version, and Ty wasn't a big fan of not knowing the start and end times of programs he was recording.
But for the most part, the HD offerings of the iQ2 were enough to convince him that the $200 installation fee was worth the money. Hit the jump for the full review, and stay tuned for Giz AU's own opinions in the coming weeks.
[CNet AU]
I've always teased friends at CNet about their rating system, which appears to always rate products between 7 and 8, meaning everything is more or less "very good" in score. Ecoustics has done the job of analysing 1,325 reviews from 2007 (all of them?) and figured out the exact math: 96% of all ratings from last year fell between 5.0 and 8.9; about 70% fall between 6 and 7.9. Maybe CNet should make anything a "CNet 6 or below" a "1", and anything that scores a "CNet 10" a "5". After all, anything below a 6 means DO NOT BUY to me.
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Scary factoid: on my recent vacation, I combed my hair funny as a joke. My wife freaked out a bit, saying that I looked like Murray Hewitt. She was right, so I called her "Brit" for the remainder of the trip. (Unfortunately, she looks nothing like Bret McClegnie.) On the plus side, today you can download Flight of the Conchords' "Ladies of the World" MP3 for 100% free on CNET. You don't remember that song from the series? Then you're fired, reader. Hit the jump for a reminder and reapply to Gizmodo through the tips line. 
