It seems the food campaign of choice for celebrity chefs in 2011 is not battery hens or general healthier eating but saving our fish! Channel 4 is airing a spate of programmes set on educating the British public on the truth about our diminishing fish stocks, with the help of few familiar faces.

Channel 4’s Fish Season features shows hosted by a number of celebrity chefs and Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall – famous food campaigner - is the first batter up to plate with his three-part special Hugh’s Fish Fight.

The special, which runs at 9pm on Tuesday 11th, Wednesday 12th and Thursday 13th January, sees Hugh working to find a solution to the global issue of diminishing fish stocks. Hugh focuses on some of Britain’s favourites – cod, salmon and tuna - and tries to uncover what is happening to these increasing depleted species.

The results are shocking, as Hugh discovers that up to half the fish caught in the North Sea are thrown back dead. He also goes up against an old supermarket rival to find out exactly what ‘protecting the marine environment’ means.

In addition to Hugh’s very honourable crusade, Channel 4 is broadcasting a number of other fishy programmes, all set out to encourage the public to take notice of this important environmental and ethical issue.

Jamie’s Fish Supper, a series starting Wednesday 12th January at 5.55pm, shows Jamie Oliver cooking up different types of fish and introducing viewers to other menu options. This week in the first episode he cooks pan-seared trout with beets and horseradish sauce.

Arthur Potts Dawson is an eco-friendly chef who shows his passion for sustainable food in Arthur’s Hell on High Water on Wednesday 12th January at 8pm. In this show Arthur becomes a seaman for a week in order to find out about the ethics of trawler fishing and to see the daily struggles that commercial fishermen endure.

Now, if anyone can find an alternative to the over sources fish in Britain, it’s Heston Blumenthal. In Heston’s Fishy Feast you will see a group of celebrites sit down to a main course of “Heston’s Day Out at the Seaside” with wolffish cheeks and saucy seagull, and a dessert of edible coral reef complete with chocolate starfish. This show airs Friday 14th January at 9pm.

Dispatches also takes on the fish issue with Fish Unwrapped a show that sees presenter Alex Thomson discover the truth about the sustainability of cod using DNA testing. Thomson also investigates the prawn industry in Bangladesh – one that is dangerously unregulated. Tune in on Saturday 15th January at 7.05pm.

Gordon Ramsay: Shark Bait starts Sunday 16th January at 9pm, and sees Gordon investigating the controversial dish, shark fin soup. Gordon has a love for sharks and after hearing that an estimated 100 million sharks are killed worldwide each year he strives wants to find out if the slaughter is really necessary.

Image credit: Michael Malz

Tags: Digital TV, News, Politics // Add Comment »

iPhones, HD televisions and complex webbery: just what does our digital future hold for us?

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Digital televisions sets, high-speed Internet, smart phones and virtual communities, you could forgive some of the more pedestrian members of society for finding this digital revolution a touch bewildering.

It’s easy to forget that a mere decade ago we would quite happily invest half an hour boosting up a sluggish Altavista page whilst the sound of mechanical beeps danced in the background; that mobile telephones would come with extendable aerials and, to the majority of us, Channel Five represented the zenith of choice.

Today, the digital landscape is unrecognisable. Jobs and revenue created by digital businesses are at the heart of the government’s scheme to drag the country out of the recession, and yesterday Lord Stephen Carter, the communications minister, announced that every home in Briton should expect the have access to a broadband system by 2012.

‘There is no sector with the possible exception of energy that the rest of the economy relies upon more than this one,’ Carter claimed as he published his interim Digital Britain report.

But what does this mean? What is digital Britain going to look like? Probably one of the most noticeable changes for the majority of Britons is going to be taking place on their television screens.

Firstly, Sky appears to be in the midst of a determined push on their Sky HD packages. High Definition television (or HD, for short) means that the visual quality of programming is improved by around four times. Sky aren’t stopping at this, however, and have hinted recently that within 24 months UK viewers could be treated to something as exotic as 3D broadcasts.

Then, with the soaring speeds of broadband Internet, we could well see more and more households adopting video streaming sites in place of traditional broadcasters. YouTube is the obvious frontrunner with a surge in the number of different channels, but other sites such as Vimeo have been causing a lasting stir online and are tipped to grow strongly this year.

Most people don’t know much about Vimeo. Currently it is the technological playground of individual users and small businesses, but there is every chance that over the next few years broadcasters such as the BBC and Sky will begin to invest more and more of their resources in online technology, dragging more viewers online, and exposing them more and more to sites like Vimeo and YouTube.

Whether it’s Sky, Vimeo, YouTube or the good old BBC, the digital juggernaut is already off down the hill, and where it ends up is probably going to surprise us all. For 2009, however, there is one thing of which Sky are certain, that High Definition TV isn’t just for the privileged, but for everyone.

Tags: BBC, Digital TV, Sky, Switchover // 1 Comment »

HeadDonistic: Has HD’s moment arrived?

Britain’s now awash with chatter about the digital switchover and Sky, it appears, are attempting to seize the moment by offering the cheapest entry to their HD broadcast system yet.

It’s a sensible move by Sky. With the economy hobbling along, Britons are increasingly choosing to stay at home rather than venturing out to expensive meals or parties. ‘Intertainment’ is the new word that has slipped into the English dictionary, describing people’s growing desire for home-based leisure activities, from cooking to television.

The acquisition of a Sky HD Box obviously slips into this category: because intertainment Sky HD certainly is. It means unrivalled vision and sound quality across an ever growing network of channels. Sports fans can settle down before the annual Six Nations ruck or the imminent resurrection of the Champions League, all in unprecedented detail. Those who prefer films have Hollywood’s award season on the horizon, replete with the Oscars and the Baftas and movie premieres from Pineapple Express to Tropic Thunder.

‘High Definition. Now it’s for everyone’, reads a banner on the Sky website. At less than £50, they certainly have a point. With offers like these around there is always the chance that we won’t be forced off to the local gastro pub each time we want to catch the latest Premier League battle or International showdown. To find out more information about this current offer, you can visit the Sky HD Deals.

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Image Credit: RoBeE on Flickr

Tags: Digital TV, Sky // 1 Comment »

Prepare some freshly squeezed lemonade, switch off the telephone and pull up an easy chair. The greatest tennis tournament on Earth has just got underway; Wimbledon 2010 is here – how will we ever get any work during this fantastic summer of sport?

With the nation already transfixed on South Africa – where England’s performances have so far amounted to what can only be described as car crash telly – it does seem rather gluttonous to be sitting down to Wimbledon 2010.

But as spectator sports go you can’t really beat football and tennis as the two games most likely to shock and inspire a nation, so why not switch on the TV, enjoy the feast, and worry about the diet later.

This year sees Roger Federer going for his seventh Wimbledon Championship, which would equal Pete Sampras record for men’s Wimbledon titles. One time Wimbledon Champ and current world No1, Nadal, will also be there - flexing his sizeable biceps no doubt. And of course we shouldn’t forget the nation’s great hope Andy Murray (shouldn’t we?).

The Women’s tournament sees the William’s sisters going toe to toe again, while a large contingent of noisy Eastern Europeans try to dislodge them from their position of unassailable dominance.

In fact the whole thing is shaping up to be so good that even Her Majesty the Queen is putting in an appearance for the first time in 33 years.

Add to that the glorious weather and it looks like this could be the best two weeks of Sport on TV for many months to come.

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So it’s the summer and what better way to enjoy the sunshine than in front of a screen. Seriously, it’s World Cup time so let TV Packages guide you through the England group stages.

We’ve drawn a pretty good group with Algeria, Slovenia and the USA. We’re not going to tempt fate but it’s all looking good to finish top of our group.

England are playing the USA on 12th June in Rustenburg, at the Royal Bafokeng Stadium, with kick off at 19:30 our time.

Next the England team will have to slog south to Cape Town to take on Algeria on 18th June at the JEP stadium in Johannesburg, with kick off at 15:00 our time.

Finally we’re playing Slovenia on 23rd June at Port Elizabeth with kick off again at 15:OO our time.

We’re looking in good shape finishing as top scorers in the European Zone, winning nine of ten matches. The USA are a more confident side and capable of upsetting over confident sides, that said they call it soccer so they’re going nowhere.

This is Algeria’s first World Cup in 24 years and only the second ever appearance for Slovenia, and they are definitely outsiders, so it’s fingers crossed for England.

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World Cup fever is warming up and after four years of shivering outside in the footballing wilderness England fans have finally got something to shout about.

As the skies drizzle and the barbeques sizzle, the nation will be collectively glued to its TV sets, watching anxiously as the boys try to bring the World Cup trophy back home for the first time in 54 years. Viewers in Scotland meanwhile will be enjoying repeats of Taggart (just a joke guys, just a joke…)

There’s little doubt that England make their way to the World Cup finals in the best shape for many a year. Experts across Europe are, for the first time in a long time, putting England up as one of the four big teams capable of actually winning the tournament.

And while we have all been here before, and know to take the inevitable media hype with a pinch of salt, there’s no doubting that we have a team that’s looking more solid defensively than at perhaps anytime since the days when the old Arsenal back four nearly got us to the Euro 96 finals. And you can rest assured that Fabio Capello will be practising penalties this time.

Meanwhile, in attack, we have one the most feared strikers in the world, and if Crouchy gets injured we’ve even got that Wayne Rooney fella to take his place. Yes, things are looking very good indeed.

Sky will be offering viewers full analysis from their own Cape Town studio while any of you lucky enough to have a Sky+HD box will be able to catch every pass, shot and breathtaking-act-of-suicidal-stupidity in full high definition for the first time ever. Summer has never been more welcome.

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iPlayers? Sky Players? Will we ever miss anything ever again?

What the iPlayer is to the BBC, the Sky Player is to Sky. The last few years has seen us moving towards a new digital era with a faster pace than ever before. Sky Player offers programmes and movies from 32 of the top digital channels – and what’s better is that it is available for free, on your home computer.

One of the key benefits of Sky Player is the wide array of films that it has available. Whether it’s action films, comedies, romances, thrillers, musicals or westerns – Sky Player has them all, ready and waiting to be found. There’s now no excuse for missing your favourite films:

Here’s a quick review of five films that are currently available on Sky Player:

Vantage Point - An anti-terror summit in Salamanca gets off to the worst possible start when the US president (William Hurt) is shot in a crowded plaza.

Superhero Movie - Spider-Man’s in the firing line as super-spoofer Leslie Nielsen whips out his naked guns to take a few potshots at Hollywood ’s comic-based blockbusters.

I’m Not There - Oscar nominated ruminations on the life of Bob Dylan, where six characters embody a different aspect of the musician’s life and work.

The Immortal Voyage Of Captain Drake - Four years after the English fleet defeated the Spanish Armada, Sir Francis Drake and his bitter nemesis are still at war.

Deception - Membership of an elite Manhattan sex club leads to treachery and corruption for Ewan McGregor as he falls for Michelle Williams.

To learn more about Sky and the Sky Player, visit their site today!

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image credit: brymo

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Sky report a sharp increase in sales for their high definition television service, Sky HD

In the last few days, Sky announced that they have more than doubled the number of British households that receive their High-Definition (HD) digital television service.

A sharp increase in sales during the first three months of his year were mostly responsible for the rise – with one Sky HD Box being sold ever thirty seconds in that period. This sudden rush of sales came in reaction to Sky’s decision to lower the price of their HD Box to £49 that matched a growing desire for higher quality television.

By the end of March, the total number of Sky+ HD customers had risen to over a million, which is an impressive increase from 465,000 just a year before.

The growth also mirrors that investment that Sky had poured into their flagship digital service. 33 new different HD channels are now available on Sky, and many viewers have purchased the system in anticipation of a busy summer of sport which includes The Ashes and The Lions tour of South Africa.

Sky’s director of product management, Stephen van Rooyen, spoke in response to the news: ‘The growth of HD is really starting to take off as more people discover the difference in picture and sound quality.’

The shift of people to Sky HD television is part of a wider push to switch from analogue to digital during the next few years helped by great.

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