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Cello iViewer 32 inch HD TV Overview

The iViewer 32inch television from Cello provides music video and movie enthusiasts with a unique viewing experience, as this high definition television allows one to watch internet content on a TV. The Cello iViewer is the first of its kind and has merged IPTV with the BBC iPlayer. This device eliminates the need for a satellite dish, set top box or special plug-ins, by bringing together IPTV and television and makes for very convenient and cutting edge home entertainment.

Which channels can you get with the iViewer?

Using the iViewer, viewers in the UK will be able to access a host of internet channels on their iViewer television sets. These include popular channels like YouTube, Movie Rush, Delicious TV Veg, Sky Sports Boots and All, Jamie's Ministry of Food, Larry King podcasts, Revision 3 Diggnation, Autocar Magazine, BBC iPlayer and Disney Movies Preview. You will be able to access the mentioned channels directly through an internet connection with the help of a simple wi-fi dongle or an Ethernet cable providing broadband access. You can of course hook up your games console with the iViewer to an iPlayer, we tried the iViewer with the Wii (Check out our review of the Nintendo Wii here) and it worked perfectly well.

iViewer models: 32-inch and 26-inch

Those interested in purchasing Cello’s iViewer 32inch TV can do so at Marks and Spencer’s outlets. The 32 inch screen TV set is priced at £499, which is a relatively expensive versus competing 32 inch HD TVs. That said, the iViewer is full HD ready with the core differentiator being the fact it can stream online TV such as the BBC iPlayer and can also access computer files through home networks.

The Cello iViewer is also available as a 26-inch television, for those who do not want to have a huge TV screen, at a price of £399. This model, like the 32inch TV comes equipped with Freeview, a seven day EPG and two HDMI ports.

Streaming YouTube with the iViewer

In addition to connecting to the BBC iPlayer, users can also connect to YouTube with the Cello iViewer and watch videos directly through YouTube. This can be done using the Ethernet cable provided with the device on purchase or through using a WiFi dongle. Once you have connected the iViewer to your broadband internet connection, you will be able to watch videos on YouTube. When testing the 32-inch iViewer, we found the quality of the YouTube videos on the iViewer to be very poor quality because the YouTube videos at 320 x 240 pixels are blown up to 1920 x 1080. While the quality of the low definition videos on YouTube is poor, the higher definition videos on YouTube were certainly watchable.

Other uses of the Cello iViewer

This 32inch iViewer HDTV can also work as a digital photo-frame, which is a great way of making use of the television when you do not want to watch videos or movies. The device’s exterior has been designed with a glossy black finish and has an LCD screen, making it look like the ultimate in home entertainment. This device can also be used to link to a home computer via a PC jack, with the resolution of the television when being used as a monitor being 1920 x 1080 pixels. When using the 32inch iViewer as a television we found the colours on the screen to be outstanding and the image was extremely sharp.

Setting up the Cello iViewer is seamless

The Cello iViewer is simple to use and set up, as it has been made with an easy-to-understand interface. If you do get confused when setting up the iViewer, there is full technical support available over the phone for free.

Conclusion

Overall, we would certainly say that the Cello iViewer lived up to expectations, and this is one of the most exciting TVs to be launched in the back-end of 2009. Cello has outfitted its latest television offering with excellent audio and visual quality as the 32 inch iViewer has full HD resolution and uses Nicam Stereo. While the usefulness of all the internet channels is limited, we consider the fact that the iViewer can connect to the iPlayer as being a real selling point for this television which distinguishes itself versus competing televisions. If you are looking for a new television and use the BBC iPlayer, Cello's 32 inch or 26 inch iViewer would be a great choice of television which you are unlikely to regret.

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Pros:

• Large 32-inch screen with HD
• Direct access to IP-TV channels
• Integration of the BBC iPlayer
• Simple User Interface
• Access multimedia on the network

Cons:

• Currently only available for purchase only in Marks and Spencer outlets
• WiFi dongle has to be purchased as an extra
• More expensive than competing televisions

Technical Specifications

Download the Cello iViewer technical specifications sheet

Photos of the Cello iViewer