Bought yourself a widescreen TV to watch Euro 2004? Well, the bad news is that you have been sold a pup. For, in spite of the popularity of widescreen (16:9) in the UK, and not to mention a huge amount of advertising selling widescreen sets, the images seen on British TVs over the next few weeks will be in good old 4:3. So, if you own a widescreen TV, expect to see black bars flanking the footage or a picture where the top and bottom of the action is missing.
In spite of the lack of widescreen footage, Euro 2004 is something of a tech-fest. Almost every consumer electronics manufacturer is using the tournament as a platform to highlight their wares. Sadly, we are still waiting for the one that could really help - a robot Thierry Henry wearing an England shirt.
The timing of the games - there are more than a few at 5pm, including England's vital game against Switzerland - means you could be on the train or rushing to the pub after work. So here are a few gadgety suggestions to ensure you don't miss a kick.
On the move
Euro 2004 is the first football tournament where keeping up with the action on your mobile isn't just about receiving the odd text message. T-Mobile will send videos of the goals from each England game to your phone minutes after they have been scored. The downside is that it is only compatible with a few handsets such as the Sharp TM100. T-Mobile is also offering to turn your phone into a news ticker with the latest updates from Portugal pushed directly to its screen. For more details, see www.tmobile.co.uk
If you are on another network, Mobile Lounge has a similar service that checks for new stories every minute. Sadly, it only works with high-end Nokia handsets. For more, see www.mobilelounge.co.uk/news_tickers/adidas_match_centre/index.shtml.
TV on the move
If you are on the move, you may want to invest in a mini portable TV. Casio has the best model - the £200 EV-4500 - which has the advantage of built-in speakers. Should you find yourself on a train, fellow passengers will be able to hear the commentary, even if they can't see the 4in screen.
Arguably a better choice is a tuner for your laptop. You can then watch the games on a much larger screen without tinny sound. Add-on palm-sized USB-based TV tuners, such as the Lifeview Walker from Peripheral Corner at just under £100, or the AVerMedia AVerTV USB2.0 at £75, and Hauppauge WinTV USB External TV/FM tuner at £100 are a good investment - especially as they work outside the UK, too.
If you want to be hugely flash, then the £2,300 Toshiba Satellite P-20 504 laptop comes equipped with a TV tuner, Microsoft's Media Center operating system and hard disk video recording software. So you can not only watch the game on the move, you can also pause live action, jump back to watch contro versial incidents and re-live the goals seconds after they have been scored.
At home
As anyone who watched the Japan game already knows, the tournament is sure to be an anxious time for England fans. What better way to ease the stresses brought about by Gary Neville's unorthodox approach to defending by having jets of water massaging your back.
For just £13,000, the Aegean Spas LSX 1050 FST jacuzzi not only comes with 84 hydro jets, but also an integrated 15in LCD screen that can be hooked up to any source.
If your stamina begins to sap as the tournament progresses, then you'd best move to the bedroom. The £11,000 RUF cinema bed from Chaplins comes with a projector built into the headboard and a home cinema screen that pops up at the foot of the bed. As the beds are made to order, they take a few weeks to be delivered. Still, you might be able to grab one for watching England's inevitable penalty shoot-out disaster in the final.
If you fancy watching the games in the garden, how about the Sharp Aquos LC-15L1E wireless LCD TV set, which costs £1,100? The 15in screen works within 100 metres of its base station, making it ideal for a trip outside.
To ensure you never miss any of the action indoors, you need a hard disk video recorder with live pause and instant rewind. So it has to be Sky+ or the Humax PVR 8000T at £200 and the upcoming Digifusion FVRT100, both of which combine digital terrestrial TV decoders with hard disk recorders.
If you do have to pop out to the kitchen to refill your glass, the LG GR-G217BTBA, is the answer, as this upright American fridge comes with a 13in LCD screen. Price is yet to be finalised.
Finally, for bandwagon-jumping naffness, the England remote control from Boys Stuff is hard to beat at £24.95 Essentially a TV zapper the shape of a football, it magically changes channels for you. Good if you need something to throw at the telly when a dodgy refereeing decision sends England home in the group stage.
