Following on from the Xbox 360 movie options Sony have followed suit with a download/streaming service via the PS3. Yet another reason to select a distributed video system from Install Automation, you could use and control the PS3 from any connected room in the property.

High quality movies, to rent or to own, at the click of a button on PS3 and PSP.

The PlayStation entertainment experience continues to grow with the arrival of the PlayStation Network Video Store for Europe and the PAL territories. Launched in November 2009 in France, Germany, Spain and the UK, with other markets to follow in 2010, the service allows movie fans to download all the latest releases straight to their PlayStation 3 and PSP for viewing at home or on the move.

Movies at your fingertips

The service features a wealth of major movie studios including 20th Century Fox, Disney-ABC-ESPN Television, Lionsgate, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc. (MGM), Paramount Pictures, Sony Pictures, Starz Media, Universal, and Warner Bros., in addition to local market studios including Universum Film (Germany) and Constantin Film (Germany).

Hundreds of titles are available including Angels and Demons; Bruno; Crank 2; The Dark Knight; Dead Space: Downfall; Gran Torino; Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix; National Treasure; Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl; Public Enemies; Star Trek; Terminator Salvation; Transformers 2: Revenge of the Fallen, and X-Men Origins: Wolverine.

Rent or buy

PlayStation users who choose to rent have up to 14 days to watch their movie, and, once playback is started, have a maximum of 48 hours to watch each film. Movie lovers who purchase their favourite films can store them on the PS3 Hard Disk Drive which can be accessed at home via PS3 or transferred to PSP for movies on the go.

The number of mortgages granted to house buyers hit a 22-month high in October, according to the Council of Mortgage Lenders (CML).

It said 55,300 mortgages were granted to buyers, the highest number since December 2007.

This was a 9% increase from September, and up 43% from October last year.

The CML said mortgage lending to buyers had now doubled since its low point in January this year, but remortgaging was still very subdued.

“It appears that low interest rates for those with substantial deposits, coupled with this year’s sustained increases in house prices, are encouraging more people to buy or move home,” said the CML’s director general Michael Coogan.

“But the same low interest rates that are driving house purchase activity provide little incentive for borrowers to refinance their loans.”

First-time buyers are still having to put down average deposits of 25%, the CML’s figures show, despite a gentle easing of the industry’s mortgage rationing in the past few months.

 BBC News: Domestic UK energy bills could rise by 60% by 2016 in a worst-case scenario identified by the energy regulator.

The review also said that up to £200bn of investment was needed to secure supplies and to meet carbon targets.

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Homeowners looking to switch energy firms in pursuit of cheaper bills could also consider installing a smart meter as they could save up to 40 per cent on their annual bills.

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Britons who invest in energy automation technology for their homes could see their utility bills fall by around a third as they will have a better idea of where they can reduce their consumption, one sector commentator has claimed.

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Sky says it will launch its dedicated 3D TV channel for Sky+HD subscribers in 2010.

The service will be available through the current generation of Sky+HD boxes and of course, consumers will need a 3D ready TV which are promised for launch next year.

Sky has also announced it will introduce a ‘pull’ Video On Demand service in 2010 to partner its Sky Anytime ‘push’ VOD service.  The Ethernet port on the back of the Sky+HD box become active, with VOD delivered over a broadband connection.

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Here is the details on our fully automated demonstration house located in South Birmingham.

The Demonstration House Factsheet

Install Automation have a solution for those who want the ease of an automated home but do not want the hassle of installing new cables and risking damage to the property. Often, people associate home automation with new builds and complete renovation, but this is changing as retrofitting is now possible and very simple to implement.

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