Secrets To Buying A Crt Lcd Or Plasma Television

Writen by Larry A. Johnson

Each type of TV has positives and negatives. Before purchasing a possibly expensive piece of furniture for you home it would be wise to learn a little about each technology. This may prevent you from making a big mistake when you are ready to buy. Once you understand which type of television is right for you it's a lot easier to take the plunge.

If you are more than 10 years old you probably grew up watching television on a CRT type of TV. CRT stands for cathode ray tube. These televisions are still very popular due to a few advantages they still hold over the newer plasma televisions and other newer types.

If you've ever watched a plasma or LCD TV from the side you have probably noticed that the picture is darker from that angle. One of the great things about CRT televisions is that they are still bright even when viewed from the side. Sure, the LCD or plasma television has a great quality picture from the front, but if you plan on placing your TV in an area that will be viewed often from the side you should be testing out all of the different models in that regard. It would be very disappointing to see the great plasma picture quality at the dealer and then get it home and have a darker picture from your viewing point of view.

Another positive with regard to CRT displays is their price. They are more inexpensive than the more modern types of televisions while still producing a very clear and bright picture. They also show the color black truer than most newer models and have no danger of burn-in. On some of the newer models it's possible to have a bright picture burn into the screen and be faintly visible for the life of the TV.

With all of these positives why are the CRT displays diminishing in popularity? There are two main reasons. One, these television sets are usually bigger, bulkier and heavier. And two, if you want a large wide screen TV that is 42 inches, 50 inches, 60 inches or larger you just cannot find a CRT display that big. So if you have a big wide screen TV in mind you won't be able to go with the older CRT units.

The last deciding factor about CRT televisions concerns whether you should buy a flat screen or curved screen model. The flat screen versions can be viewed from the side better than the curved screens. The curved screens can distort the picture while the flat screens let you see the picture as it was intended to be seen. The difference may not be apparent when viewed alone, but put them side to side and you will certainly see the difference.

The next type of technology we will look at is the flat panel LCD displays. These come in HDTV (high definition television) or wide screen. If you want to see your DVD movies as you saw them in the movie theater you need to purchase a widescreen TV. LCD is a liquid crystal display and is not only used in televisions, but in computer monitors as well.

LCD displays have a flat screen and are relatively thin in width and lightweight. They have an exceptional picture viewing quality and as with the CRT displays will not produce burn-in. These TVs have high resolution that creates a superior picture.

The biggest problem with LCD flat screens is the fact that their viewing angles are lessened when compared with traditional CRT models. If you get too far off to the side the picture becomes extremely dark. They are also incapable of creating true blacks, another disadvantage when compared to older CRT models. Plus, the larger models can become rather expensive. However, if money is not your major concern and you plan on viewing the TV from directly in front you may decide that this is the best choice for you.

Plasma television sets, also known as plasma HDTV displays, have come way down in price over the last two years. Their prices used to exclude people from buying them, but their prices are now comparable to LCD models.

These TVs have become popular because not only can you get it in a very large screen size, perfect for your favorite movie or sporting event, but it has an excellent picture quality that is also viewable from wide angles. This is a plus over the LCD technology. This TV will give you the perfect "movie experience" at home in your own theater room.

Plasma television displays are great when it comes to picture quality and viewing angles, but their prices may still be slightly higher than other types. They also have a small potential for burn-in. But the big negative is their life span. They are basically not repairable when their bulb burns out. Depending on how much you watch TV you could end up with an expensive unit that will only last a few years. Once the bulb has burned out the TV is generally history. This is not the case with an LCD display where the bulb may cost in the neighborhood of $200, but it can be changed.

Rear projection models also have their positives and negatives. Rear projection CRT HDTV's are cheaper than the larger plasma and LCD displays, plus they have a flat screen and great picture. The negatives are their size and weight and smaller viewing angles. They are too heavy to hang on a wall and are much wider than the more narrow plasma and LCD units. Also, in a well lit room their picture can seem a little less bright than what is considered ideal.

There are other types of rear projection HDTV units too. The most popular are the LCD and DLP models. Both have flat screens with wide viewing angles, are thin and lightweight which means they can be wall mounted, will not produce burn-in and have terrific picture resolution and quality. Also, when the bulb burns out they can be replaced, unlike the plasma television models. However, they can both be a bit on the expensive side.

Now that you know the differences it's time to go down to your local electronics store and try them out. A little bit of viewing can go a long way in your determination of what's best and what's not. One more piece of advice: when looking at the varied assortment of models at you local store you'll notice that some have bright pictures and some do not. Do not base your opinion solely on that one thing. The store models will not have their brightness controls all set the same and it's possible that a dim picture on one of their televisions could easily be adjusted into a magnificent picture.

This article is brought to you by Best Plasma Television, an online source for quality plasma television sets. For more information please visit Best Plasma Television.

What To Look For In The Best Rated Mp3 Players

Writen by Thad Pickering

Mp3 players are quickly taking over the portable music category. First it was 8 track tapes, then cassette tapes, then CDs, and now mp3 players. Of course, CD players are still used by many, but mp3 players have so many advantages that they are gaining ground fast, especially among younger music listeners. There are plenty of portable mp3 player reviews available now and they all emphasize certain features that count the most, and here they are:

* You will need to have software to help you manage and convert your song files into a file format that your particular mp3 player can recognize and play, and as your song portfolio grows, you will need to be able to keep track of songs and keep them organized too. So the software that comes with your mp3 player should help you do all of that easily and quickly.

* Look for a portable mp3 player that lets you enhance and control the sound to your liking too. The best rated mp3 players are coming with sound equalizers built right into the unit to let you customize the listening experience for each song, or just find the general settings that helps you enjoy the music most.

* The controls you will find on even cheap portable mp3 players include volume settings, forward and reverse, play and pause. These are all pretty standard, but you should also look for the ability to repeat songs, either one at a time or the entire song set. A randomizing feature is also good to have to mix up the song order and keep the music fresh.

* Make sure that your mp3 player can be upgraded too. The best rated mp3 players have the ability to upgrade the firmware, or the player's operating system, to keep it up to date. This is pretty important as the mp3 player world is still fairly new and changes are being made all the time requiring upgrades. If you have a player that lacks an upgrade path, you could very quickly be left behind and with an obsolete player.

* The best rated mp3 players also conserve power well. There is a wide variance between portable mp3 players in this area, so check the stats in advance to see what you can expect. Some run out of battery power in just a few hours while others can go days on the same set of batteries, and the longer battery life you have the less hassle you should experience with having to unexpectedly change the batteries at an inopportune time.

There are many portable mp3 player reviews on the web that will help you find the model that will best fit your needs, but in most mp3 player comparisons the features mentioned above were important to those who regularly use their player.

Thad Pickering writes on many consumer related topics including audio and video. You can find out more about best portable mp3 players and best rated mp3 players by visiting our Home Theater website.

Lcd Tv Wall Mounts

Writen by Jimmy Sturo

LCD TVs provide high resolution images that can be seen from almost all angles. Even overhead TVs can provide very good picture quality. This has made it possible for LCD TVs to be mounted on walls, or even ceilings. Mounting LCD TVs is an ideal solution in places where more floor area is required, like restaurants, discotheques, airports and metro terminals and also in homes where the rooms are small.

LCD TVs are mounted by special wall mounts. These are ideally made of metal. Ordinary mounts allow the TV to be fixed on the wall. But there are more sophisticated types that have several rotation angles to make it possible to turn the TV if required. They also have hinge joints on their arms which makes it possible to either pull the TV farther from the wall, or to push it back in. Wall mounts with swivels can even provide rotation of the TV around a horizontal axis.

The first consideration when buying a wall mount must be its sturdiness. LCD TVs, being flat and sleek are not that heavy. But they are fragile. Hence, it must be checked if the metal would be able to bear the weight of the TV. Weight capacities of mounts are often inscribed on their packages. Also, the area where the mount would clamp the TV should be thoroughly inspected. A loose clamp would become looser with time and may cause an accident. It is better to go for mounts that allow the TV to stand in grooves rather than clamps.

If your wall mount can be rotated and twisted, then all the joints must be sturdy enough to bear such movements. They are also available with locking mechanisms, where you can lock the position of the mount once it is adjusted.

The beauty of a LCD TV mount lies in its subtlety. If you are hunting for a good wall mount, settle for one that's not too big and is barely visible. It is also a good idea to select a wall mount in the same color as the wall in order to camouflage its presence.

LCD TVs on wall mounts have become an omnipresent feature today in public places like theatres, shopping malls, hotels, hospitals, and other facilities with large viewing audiences.

LCD TVs provides detailed information about LCD TVs, LCD TV reviews, LCD TV monitors, LCD TV wall mounts and more. LCD TVs is the sister site of Industrial LCD Monitors.

What Is A Digital Camera

Writen by Ian Brookes

A digital camera is an electronic device used to capture and store photographs electronically instead of using photographic film like conventional cameras. It uses a digital sensor to capture the light instead of traditional film. The LCD on the back of a digital camera is your on screen guide to altering the settings before a shoot and reviewing the results afterwards.

The big advantage of digital cameras is that, unlike film, you can reuse the storage media over and over again at no extra cost.

Bearing this in mind you can quickly delete unwanted images and take more photographs as you go along. Also making photos is both inexpensive and fast because there is no film processing needed for obtaining prints.

The range of digital cameras is immense, and provides an equally large span of capabilities and functionalities. The main tip for using digital cameras is don't be afraid, read the manual and just experiment.

One of the main ways that manufacturers categorize their digital cameras is in terms of pixel count, ranging from low end consumer cameras around 3.1mp (mega pixels) up to 10mp or more in professional cameras. If you plan on printing 8 x 10-inch prints, a 5 megapixel digital camera is more than enough.

When you've had a digital camera for a long time, you'll learn enough to experiment with your digital photos online. Almost any digital camera is capable of taking pictures for display on the internet, or for sending across the internet as email and uploading to online galleries such as Webshots and Flickr.

One thing to be aware of is how many many pictures the camera can take with one set of batteries. Can the batteries be recharged, can I use normal AAs or does it need a lithium battery with its own charger?

Digital photos and advice at: http://www.roundtheworldtrips.info

Free Vouchers Save Money

Writen by Jakob Breiting

Young people never have enough money for buying CDs, video DVDs, games and a lot of other essentials for an entertaining life. I have had it the same way so I started searching for free vouchers to reduce what I had to pay for CDs and DVDs. Since then I have saved hundreds of US dollars and English pounds by knowing where to find the right kind of free vouchers.

How it works with free vouchers
The internet shops use incentives to attract new costumers to order CDs and DVDs so they use free vouchers as bait to draw your attention. To make use of such incentives is a legal and ethical acceptable way of saving money. – In fact you make use of the free vouchers as the bargain they were intended to be seen as.

You are crazy after getting the newest CD with Madonna or Robbie Williams or Shakira or who else is your super music idol. Find a good offer of free vouchers and click the proper link, and suddenly your money will be of much more value at some internet shops.

For the purchase of a single DVD you might get a reduction of 1-3 English pounds or 2-5 USD by the voucher on the already discounted price. If you buy more DVDs or CDs your voucher might be of much higher value.

In general your best bet is to buy the items separately and benefit from the voucher reduction for each item with each purchase. This is especially a well-paid strategy if the shop is offering free mailing. Some shops are offering free delivery worldwide of CDs, DVDs and the newest games.

With the right free voucher you might be able to get the very best DVDs or highest valued music CDs as bargains.

Free vouchers for schools, college and higher education
The later years free vouchers to reduce the fee for schools and education has taken a big jump. As education and schools can be very expensive such vouchers can literally pay your way to a much higher life-long income.

Free vouchers are here to stay and if you are not making use of these valuable offers you are loosing money in the short as well as in the long run.

Jakob Breiting is now an engineer with a longstanding interest in music, games and film. Save money with this indispensable collection of free vouchers to online CDs, DVDs and Games at http://www.vouchers.3jb.com/

Surround Sound Installation Tips For Your Home Theater

Writen by Thad Pickering

With the increasing popularity of HDTV, watching a DVD movie at home is a great entertainment experience. The picture is sharp, clear, and vibrant. But what about the sound? After all, that is one of the real attractions of going to a movie theater, the wraparound sound that lets you hear every detail. So is there a way to bring that kind of audio into our homes too? Absolutely!

Actually surround sound has been around for a while now in one form or another, but it just never had a platform to bring it into the mainstream before HDTV and digital media like the DVD became so prevalent. But now by combining the right equipment, a person can actually very closely simulate the movie theater experience right in the comfort of their home whenever they want.

For surround sound, you will need three things, (1) a digital source that has surround sound already encoded into it such as a DVD or a HDTV broadcast, (2) equipment to decode that surround sound signal, and (3) at least 6 speakers including a subwoofer to take full advantage of the most popular 5.1 surround sound format. It's called 5.1 because it use 5 channels of sound to drive 5 separate speakers, and the .1 stands for the low-frequency subwoofer.

Once you have the equipment you need to establish a surround sound setup that will be right for your home. Much of the seating area will be determined by the size and type of TV that you have. If it is a 40" HDTV, which is a very common size, you can probably sit about 5-8 feet away and not notice any degradation in the picture quality. Just experiment with the seating distance until it seems comfortable though. Then the two front speakers usually flank the TV, but make sure that they are wide enough to form a triangle with the seating area so everyone will be in the sound sweet spot.

The two back speakers are often placed somewhere around the seating area and faced either to a side or rear wall. The middle speaker needs to be situated somewhere close to the TV, and the subwoofer can be put anywhere in the room that you like, since it puts out such low frequency bass that seems to come from everywhere.

Every room has different listening characteristics though due to it's configuration and furnishings, so feel free to experiment around until you find the combination that works best for you. A surround sound installation may seem challenging, but it's just simply getting the right equipment and placing the speakers where they produce the best overall sound.

Thad Pickering writes on many consumer related topics including audio and video. You can find out more about surround sound setup and surround sound installation by visiting our Home Theater website.

A Digital Camcorders Review What You Should Know Before You Buy

Writen by Thad Pickering

There has been such rapid changes and improvements in the field of camcorders over the last ten years or so that it may be confusing when you start looking to buy one today. There are a handful of competing formats that you should be aware of and know what they mean before you buy. So here is a digital camcorders review on what you should know before you buy:

* First of all the old bulky VHS camcorders of yesteryear are gone. They have given way to much improved versions that are lighter, smaller and produce much better video. However, you can still use VHS tapes for playback if you choose a VHS-C type of camcorder. This is an analog camcorder that records to tape that can be used in a VCR but the tape itself is small and compact to eliminate the big bulk of the old VHS camcorders, Once you record the video, you just place it into an adapter that lets you pop it into the VCR just as you would with any movie and view your video. Although they are small and compact, these are some of the most inexpensive camcorders that are available today and can be had for just a couple hundred dollars at many places both online and offline.

* 8mm camcorders also record to tape but the tapes are even smaller than those used by VHS-C camcorders. The disadvantage is that you can not play them through the VCR, but you can connect the camcorder straight to the TV and play it that way. Hi8 camcorders are just more advanced, better quality versions of an 8mm camcorder that produces the very best picture and sound that you can get this side of digital itself.

* Digital camcorders - These are currently the most expensive camcorders available but they are also becoming surprisingly more affordable too as time goes on. They record video images in digital format which allows them to be much more vivid and sharp, and the sound is vastly improved over the old analog camcorders. Because everything is recorded digitally there is no loss of detail when copies are made and this is a big advantage for some. Of course digital files themselves would take up huge amounts of disk space, so most digital camcorders still record to tape for the extra storage space capacity that tapes offer. The miniDV category of digital camcorders is extremely small and records to tapes that are even smaller than 8mm, while still recording hours worth of video at a time.

So many people think that all camcorders they find are now digital camcorders, but as this digital camcorders review indicates, you can still run across a lot of analog camcorders out there as well, and they are usually easily spotted by their lower price. If they will do the job for you, that may be all you need. But if you want the best audio and video possible consider either the miniDV or the 8mm digital camcorder instead.

Thad Pickering writes on many consumer related topics including audio and video. You can find out more about digital camcorders review and cannon camcorders by visiting our Home Theater website.

Small Ipod Small Headphones

Writen by Ronald Rougeaux

Ipods are the next wave in portable listening devices. Once, people listened to music on battery powered portable radios. Then came the convenience of choosing your own music by carrying about the bulky Walkmans that played cassette tapes. Then those Walkmans slimmed down to something a little more portable. Then CD players became the must-have item. Those, too, started out rather bulky but then became small and portable.

Today, the must have music device are Ipods. They hold a small hard disk drive inside of them that stores many songs (sometimes hundreds). Depending on the unit that you own, it likely has many of the popular features of most music playing devices, including play, random, and repeat. Many Ipods are coming with additional features now, too, that include photos, video, cameras, and cell phones.

Of course owning an Ipod means that you HAVE the music in the palm of your hand (after all, Ipods are extremely light and portable) but now you need to get it from your Ipod to your ears. Ipods can store high quality music so you shouldn't be tempted to save your money by spending a dollar on cheap headphones at the dollar store. Instead, if you like the music you're listening to, you should be willing to spend a little extra to actually hear the music and enjoy it. You need Ipod headphones.

Makers of Ipod headphones and other portable listening devices include Maxell, Sennheiser, Shure, Sony, Phillips, and Koss. Each of these companies, and the many others that make Ipod headphones, offer a variety of equipment: it varies in comfort level, affordability, durability, and ability to accurately transmit the sound. As well, there are other features you'll want to consider. Let's look at comfort level:

Ipod headphones are most frequently the earbud style, meaning they are small, semi-circular speakers that fit right into the end of your ear canal and point the speaker into your ear canal. They can produce a fairly good sound, however, if the earbuds are too big for your ears, you will experience discomfort. Supra-aural headphones (which are the second most common type for portable listening devices) are simply speakers surrounded by pads that just sit on your ears, usually with a band that goes over your head. There are other kinds, as well, include canalbuds (which are more comfortable and go right into your ear canal) as well as circumaural which don't just sit on your ears but encompass them entirely - like you've seen professional musicians listening to while they record.

Canalbuds are extremely comfortable because they are encased in a soft housing, unlike earbuds which often tend to be mass produced in a plastic housing. Supra-aural Ipod headphones can be comfortable but they can mess up your hair, which isn't nice. Circumaural headphones are great for transmitting sound but they can be heavy so if they are too tight, they'll cause a headache. Comfort level is an important consideration when looking to buy Ipod headphones for your portable listening enjoyment.

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The Features And Benefits Of The Multisystem Plasma Tv

Writen by John Dulaney

In addition, the prices of plasma screen television technology has fallen quite a bit since they first hit the market a number of years ago. When the first flat panel and plasma televisions first hit the market, they were too expensive for any but the wealthiest consumers to afford, but the prices of these televisions have dropped into the realm where they can be affordable to the average consumer.

There are many things to consider when shopping for a plasma TV, but one of the most important things to look for is the ability of the TV to play a number of different formats, including PAL, SECAM and NTSC. These multisystem plasma televisions have a number of advantages over single format systems, and it is important to shop around for the best combination of quality and value.

What are Plasma Televisions?

Plasma televisions are the latest technology, and they are known for their excellent high quality displays and large screen viewing sizes. Plasma screen televisions use an array of cells, called pixels to display their picture. Each pixel consists of three sub-pixels, which correspond to the colors of red, blue and green. The television uses gas in a plasma state to produce the picture, and this gas reacts with the phosphors within the sub-pixels to produce the high quality color these televisions are known for.

The phosphors contained in the plasma TV are the same as those in a traditional television or monitor, but since each of the sub-pixels is individually controlled using advanced electronics. These advanced electronics are capable of producing more than 16 million colors, providing for a richer color depth in a very slender package. The screen of the traditional plasma TV is less than six inches thick, making it perfect for any room of the house.

The plasma TV is the perfect choice for home theatres, and as the prices have become more and more affordable many homeowners are building home theatres to enhance their enjoyment of the latest movies and the latest television programs. These plasma displays are rapidly turning into the center of home entertainment, and a number of other devices, such as DVD players, hard drive recorders, HDTV receivers, computers and video games, can be connected to a plasma screen TV to make it even more entertaining.

What makes a Multisystem Plasma TV so Important?

The multisystem plasma TV is capable of playing a number of different formats, and connecting to a number of different broadcast signals. Digital TV, and high definition digital TV (HDTV), have been making major inroads into the world of broadcasting, and it is important for all television buyers to purchase a TV that is HDTV ready. Digital television provides a dramatic improvement in terms of both picture and sound quality compared to normal NTSC analog programming.

This digital programming comes in two distinct flavors – standard analog definition television (SDTV) or high definition television (HDTV).

HDTV provides the highest quality in digital entertainment, providing up to 1,080 scan lines, and HDTV is rapidly becoming the favored format for entertainment enthusiasts everywhere. SDTV as well is also a big improvement over the standard television signal of today, and the SDTV signal also allows television stations to broadcasts several different programs using the same bandwidth as the HDTV signal.

The Benefits of Plasma TVs

This plasma TV technology has a number of important benefits for consumers, including the large size of the displays. The thinness of the plasma TV has allowed these TVs to provide a combination of large size and convenience that was impossible with the traditional CRT television technology.

In addition to the traditional floor mounting options, plasma TVs can be mounted on the wall, providing a great deal more flexibility and convenience than traditional TVs. The thinnest plasma TVs on the market are barely more than three inches thick, and they can provide very large viewing areas as well. Some of the most popular plasma TV sizes include 37", 42" and 50", but some can exceed 60" in size.

Plasma television technology also provides a higher resolution than traditional forms of television, and that is one of the primary benefits of this new technology Plasma TVs are capable of displaying a wide variety of signals, including HDTV, DTV and traditional television signals. In addition, they are capable of capturing signals from VGA, SVGA and XGA signals form computers, making them even more versatile.

The absence of scan lines is another important feature of plasma television technology. Traditional CRT screens use an electron beam which scans the picture tube from top to bottom on a repeated basis. When playing a traditional NTSC signal these scan lines can be visible to the naked eye. Plasma TVs, on the other hand, include built in line doubling, and this line doubling serves to further enhance the quality of the picture and provide for a viewing experience free of visible scan lines.

Unlike traditional televisions, plasma screen televisions provide a perfectly flat viewing surface, with no curvature at all. This true flat screen serves to eliminate the distortion that can occur around the edges of a traditional TV.

Considerations for the Plasma TV Buyer

There are a number of important considerations to be made when shopping for a plasma TV, including the fact that these TVs generally do not come with built in tuners. Buyers must therefore be prepared to supply a signal from either a cable box or a satellite box. Other signal sources could include a DVD player, a computer or and HDTV tuner and receiver. It is also important to buy upgraded video cables in order to get the most from your plasma TV. A plasma screen TV is a major purchase, and it is important to purchase the highest quality cables to go with it. The use of inferior cables and other items will be much more apparent on a plasma TV than on a traditional CRT screen. It is important to use the highest quality cables when connecting the plasma TV to DVD players, VCRs and other video devices.

It is also important to make sure that the plasma TV you are considering is fully HDTV ready, and that it is capable of playing a variety of different formats, including PAL, NTSC, SECAM and the like, and that it be capable of accepting video signals from a variety of devices, including computers, DVD players, VCRs and Laser Disc players.

The brand can be an important consideration as well, and it is important for those in search of a great plasma TV to carefully read the reviews of each TV they are considering. Some of the most popular makers of Plasma TVs include such household names as Toshiba, Hitachi, Phillips, Sharp, Samsung, Panasonic and Sony. Even though the prices of plasma screen televisions have fallen quite a bit in recent years, these TVs are still major purchases, and it pays to give a purchase of this nature the consideration it deserves.

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110-220 Volt Electronics - A multisystem TV is a TV capable of receiving and displaying different video systems like PAL, SECAM and NTSC. You'll be able to operate a multisystem TV in 99% of the world. Their dual voltage design allows them to be plugged into either a 110 voltage source or a 220 voltage source. In some cases, the plug on the television will not fit your country's outlet, so an inexpensive plug-adapter will be needed. They can generally be picked up at an electronics store such as http://www.planetomni.com for $1.95. With a multisystem TV, such as a plasma, CRT tube type, LCD or DLP, you'll likely need a codefree (sometimes called region free) DVD player. These exist in many forms. When used with a PAL-NTSC TV you'll be able to see the full 625 lines of resolution available in the PAL system and the full 525 lines used in the USA NTSC system. There exists a converting type of DVD player which is codefree in that it can read all of the world's 6 regions and both standards, PAL and NTSC. 140,000 other products are available here: http://www.planetomni.com Tel. # 800-514-2984

Plasma Part 2 Lcd Plasma

Writen by John Dulaney

What do you mean by an LCD Display?

LCD is the acronym for liquid crystal display, and this technology was available for several years before new development in the last two years lent it applicable for the excellent quality flat panel television and computer monitor displays available today. LCD displays stand out for a remarkable feature, which is the slimness of the unit and the resultant sleek look this affords, but of course a considerable amount of power is required for proper function within the confines of the thin design.

An LCD display consists of picture elements or pixels, and the quality of resolution on an LCD panel partially owes to the number of pixels carried by the display. The higher the number of pixels, the better the resolution. For different models the number of pixels can range from hundreds of thousands of pixels to millions of pixels. LCD panels are available in several categories of shapes and sizes, but they are usually geared to provide for a 16 to 9 display ratio, which enables end users to enjoy a perfect viewing experience of widescreen displays such as DVDs or television shows.

How are LCDs and traditional televisions different?

LCD displays, flat panel computer screens and several such devices have quite a few built-in benefits which give them an edge over competing technologies in the eyes of consumers worldwide. The advantages of LCD televisions include but are not limited to the following:

Brighter display: Displays on LCD televisions tend to be brighter than the ones on traditional CRT television because the LCD uses pixels while a CRT television or monitor employs a tube to produce the display. So while CRTs are flexible with a range of resolutions, there is nothing to beat the performance of an LCD at its native fixed resolution.

Flicker free performance: LCD displays would be flicker-free, since it would have the benefit of an unchanging light source throughout the entire screen because once a pixel is switched on, it remains on. In comparison, the CRT display needs to refresh the screen with a ray of light glancing down the monitor at fixed time periods, leading to flickers onscreen.

High energy efficiency: LCD televisions consume up to 65% less energy than their traditional cousins, thus bringing you a lower bill and conserving the environment at the same time.

Sleek look: LCD displays boast an ultra-thin design and can be as slim as almost 5cm, or nearly 2 inches, which enables them to grace any part of the home with almost contemptuous ease. They can be lugged around pretty easily too, and look totally hip and futuristic in the eyes of consumers.

Wall mountable designs: A lot of end users prefer to hang up their televisions just like putting up a simple picture, and the lightness and slimness of an LCD unit allows them to do just that. A bracket strong enough to handle the weight of the set, and one can enjoy a wall-mounted television.

Useful LCD television terminology In the world of television, it is important to be familiar with a few terms, and their significance for the end users and their preferences, especially in the context of LCD television.

Aspect Ratio – Aspect ratio of a television is a term that relates to its capabilities to suitably display movies and television programs in the true widescreen format. LCD televisions are better suited for widescreen pictures such as DVD and VHS movies along with traditional television programs because it has an aspect ratio of 16:9, that is 16" in width and 9" in height as against the traditional CRT models which use an aspect ratio of 4:3.

Candela – Candela is actually a unit of brightness, it defines a particular intensity of brightness in terms of the number of candles that would be required to produce the same intensity: for instance, a reading such as 450 cd/m2 indicates that it would require a gathering of 450 candles in an area of one square meter area to show up the intensity of light under measurement.

Contrast Ratio – The contrast ratio is a term used to signify the difference in intensity of luminosity between the darkest shade of black and the brightest shade of white on the display. The picture on display will be of a better quality in terms of sharpness if the contrast ratio is high.

HDTV – HDTV stands for high definition television, and is today becoming a widespread standard for broadcasting signal technology. Any prospective LCD purchase should be HDTV compliant, in order to be able to receive HDTV signals.

Inputs – Input connections allow the end user to connect various devices like DVD players, VCRs, game consoles, computers and so on to the display panel by providing various options for the reception of signals into the device. The greater the number and type of inputs allowed, the better value the display will provide to the consumer. It is thus important to check out the possibility of inputs on a particular television keeping in mind the devices planned for subsequent connection.

Other points to check out before a purchase decision:

Before a purchase it is important to understand the type of signal that would be available to you, and check its compatibility with the television you are planning to purchase. The LCD television you have chosen should have a tuner that accepts the signal available to you. Alternatively, since many televisions today do not come with a built-in tuner you must consider buying a compatible tuner, because televisions usually do require a cable box, satellite TV box, DirecTV signal or other similar device in order to pick up the signal. All required accessories should be bought along with the purchase of the television.

As far as accessories are concerned, it is advisable to purchase the best quality component cabling on the market to hook up your LCD display to a DVD player, VCR, Laser Disk player, computer or any other such device. Quality cables would produce exceptional picture and sound quality, which would be an added enhancement for the LCD of your choice.

The price tag is important too, because it is ideal to get the best goods in the market for the price range in your budget. A typical LCD would vary in price according to size, thinness, and brand name, so a prospective buyer needs to do a proper survey on the televisions available on the market, read up all available reviews from experts as well as current owners, do a comparative study of prices and features, and then pick up the one best suited to personal preferences. Last, but not the least, if the end user travels often and has to live in different countries in a limited span of time, it makes sense to consider the multi-system option. A multi-system television can play signals from broadcasting stations as well as devices like DVD players in different formats prevalent in various countries, such as PAL, NTSC and SECAM. This way the television is a better value for money as it does not have to be discarded or exchanged when one has to shift to a different country.

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Characteristics and Pros and Cons of the multi-system plasma television

Technological breakthroughs in the world of television are common enough, but with their slender, futuristic design, plasma screens are here to stay as one of the most popular displays. They are sleek enough to be put up on any wall in any room, have excellent display capabilities and can come in a large variety of screen sizes, all of which explains their appeal for homeowners. These screens entered the market with a hefty price tag far beyond the grasp of all but a wealthy few, but with technological advancements these have now become affordable enough for a large portion of end users.

Of the many important considerations while buying a plasma screen television, the most significant is its capability to receive and display several different formats such as PAL, SECAM and NTSC, which make it a multi-system television. Multi-system plasma televisions feature a number of benefits absent from single format systems, and it is thus important to figure out the perfectly suitable multi-system in order to get the best value plasma at the best price.

What do you mean by a plasma television and what are its plus points?

Plasma televisions are televisions with plasma screens which are a maze of red, green and blue phosphors (each triad forms a single pixel or picture element) placed between two thin layers of glass, which when activated with small electrical pulses, emit color information and light to produce a display of high quality. Since all the excited pixels react simultaneously the viewer does not see any flickering.

The viewer is instead able to feast on a bright display with a predominance of rich color, because the advanced electronics controlling the red, green and blue sub-pixels is able to produce more than 16 million colors. This comes along with a wide viewing angle going up to 160 degrees in a sleek package a bare 4" thick (some are even as thin as 3 inches), weighing in under 67 pounds for a 40" display, which makes these televisions the ideal choice for home theaters. It helps that the sizes of the screens can be considerably larger along with the thin build, popular sizes include 37", 42" and 50", but some models can be more than 60" in size.

The technology behind traditional CRT screens requires an electron beam to be used to scan the picture tube from top to bottom at regular intervals. In the course of playing a traditional NTSC signal the viewer may be able to actually see these lines, but since a plasma television comes with built-in line doubling, this increases picture quality and the viewer is not distracted by visible scan lines. The plasma screen is also totally flat, free of any curvature whatsoever and therefore free of edge-distortion, which makes plasma televisions a combination of large size, convenience, and high performance seldom seen before in the era of traditional CRT television technology. Plasma technology also ensures a better resolution than older models of television, which is an indisputably significant environment.

Special home theaters are now being created in a lot of discerning homes in order to enjoy not only the sleek, big-screen viewing of television programs but also to enjoy DVD players, hard drive recorders, HDTV receivers, computers and video games, to name but a few, because a plasma screen can be easily connected to a lot of devices. Home entertaining never had it so good, because the prices of plasma screens are on the way down, and this, along with the features it possesses, makes it the best bet for a weekend home, or for an evening's enjoyment.

Importance of multi-system plasma television

A multi-system plasma television is able to receive signals and display images from several different formats and read various broadcast signals, and this capability is very important in a world where technologies like digital television are becoming increasingly relevant in terms of broadcasting.

Digital television is finding wider acceptance because of the dramatic improvement it brings to both sound and picture quality as against traditional NTSC analog programming. Digital programming is available in two distinct categories: standard analog definition television (SDTV) or high definition television (HDTV). HDTV is known to provide the best levels of performance in digital entertainment, serving up to 1,080 scan lines, and is thus fast becoming popular with entertainment enthusiasts across the globe. SDTV is not far behind, being in itself a significant improvement over the standard television signal prevalent today. The SDTV signal allows television stations to broadcast several disparate programs employing the same bandwidth as the HDTV signal. With the growing prevalence of HDTV in the world of broadcasting, it is important for all television buyers to purchase a TV that is HDTV ready, which is where plasma televisions come in.

Plasma televisions can display a wide variety of signals, including HDTV, DTV and traditional television signals. Moreover they can capture signals from VGA, SVGA and XGA from computers, making them very good value for money indeed. Multi-system plasma televisions are thus an added advantage because they accept signals from various formats as well, making the plasma capable of functioning almost anywhere with a number of devices, using different broadcasting signals.

Considerations before buying a plasma television

Several things need to be considered before the purchase of a plasma television, because despite falling purchase prices, plasma is still a significant investment. These televisions do not usually come with built-in tuners, so the end user needs to provide a signal from either a cable box or a satellite box. Also important are the connecting cables: these needs to be of the highest quality because they have a significant effect on the quality of performance of plasma, as compared to their effect on a CRT model. Not only the video cables which connect to the tuner but also those that connect to other devices like DVD players, VCRs and other video devices should be the best available in the market.

The crucial thing is to ensure that the plasma television under consideration for purchase is completely HDTV ready, and can play several formats, including PAL, NTSC, SECAM and so on. It should also be able to accept video signals from different devices, including computers, DVD players, VCRs and Laser Disc players.

Last, but not the least, is definitely the reputation of the brand of television to be bought. This can be decided based on various reviews, and could include names like Toshiba, Hitachi, Phillips, Sharp, Samsung, Panasonic and Sony. A plasma television is a major purchase and the discerning buyer needs to give it the time and consideration it deserves.

110-220 Volt Electronics - A multisystem TV is a TV capable of receiving and displaying different video systems like PAL, SECAM and NTSC. You'll be able to operate a multisystem TV in 99% of the world. Their dual voltage design allows them to be plugged into either a 110 voltage source or a 220 voltage source. In some cases, the plug on the television will not fit your country's outlet, so an inexpensive plug-adapter will be needed. They can generally be picked up at an electronics store such as http://www.planetomni.com for $1.95. With a multisystem TV, such as a plasma, CRT tube type, LCD or DLP, you'll likely need a codefree (sometimes called region free) DVD player. These exist in many forms. When used with a PAL-NTSC TV you'll be able to see the full 625 lines of resolution available in the PAL system and the full 525 lines used in the USA NTSC system. There exists a converting type of DVD player which is codefree in that it can read all of the world's 6 regions and both standards, PAL and NTSC. 140,000 other products are available here: http://www.planetomni.com Tel. # 800-514-2984

Media Extenders And The Wired Or Wireless Home

Writen by Zed Hayden

If you've been online reading lately about digital home entertainment equipment, a phrase that you may be seeing more frequently is "media extender". This refers to a device that essentially "extends" the reach of another media source such as a DVD player.

The more common usage of this term is describing a Media Center Extender, which refers to a device that lets you stream features from a PC that is running Windows Media Center 2005 to other devices such as televisions, radios, and personal audio players.

These "Media Center Extender" boxes essentially serve to let you make use of some Media Center PC functions directly on your television rather than having to run to a different room in order to set a video playing on a display screen downstairs as previous, more primitive "media throwers" or other makeshift solutions permitted.

The most famous Media Center Extender that is presently available is certainly the highly touted Xbox 360. Microsoft's latest foray into the world of console gaming systems is now capable of interfacing with a Media Center PC to provide room-to-room entertainment via either a 100 Megabit wired home network or a wireless one, such as 802.11b or other standards. It cannot send media in reverse, however (from the Xbox 360 to the Media Center PC), which is still a very rare feature among media extenders of any kind due to copyright and other concerns.

Summarily, if you have a Media Center PC with an extensive library of legally-obtained music, video, and other media on this computer, you certainly may have a use for the Xbox 360's Media Center Extender capabilities, or for one of the other media extenders on the market (offered by LinkSys and other tech manufacturers).

If you've been looking for an effective way to bring digital media to each room of your house without having to burn and re-burn CDs and DVDs, media extenders may be the brand new technology for your wired (or wireless) home!

Zed Hayden held the all-time high score for Tetris at his junior high school. Nobody ever came close to beating him, except for that kid in the chess club. When he is not playing video games or working on his 1984 Trans Am, he writes for GizmoCafe.com – an online consumer electronics guide that is the home of the Gizmo Guy, with the latest buzz in consumer electronics, retro video game systems and more.

Karaoke Microphones

Writen by Eric Morris

Karaoke Microphones use the technique of altering the original voice into a slightly varied voice. Karaoke was originated in Japan. It was invented by Mistushti Karaoke in the year 1978. Karaoke is a term or a method used to imitate other people. This system is mainly used in Japan's music industry. With the invention of the karaoke microphone system, even people with a regular, normal voice are able to substitute their voices in the place of great singers. Normally, people prefer to imitate the singers whom they admire the most.

Karaoke microphones are available in a huge variety of designs. The major karaoke brands are Magic Sing, RJ Tech, VocoPro and LeadSinger. The price range varies from each model and its features. The VocoPro wired karaoke microphone ranges around $25. Wireless karaoke microphones usually range around $69 and they can exceed over $300 depending on the features and capabilities. Before the invention of these karaoke microphones, the quality of songs produced were considered good, but now the quality has become much better. Karaoke microphones were specially designed to suit the needs of such people. Karaoke lovers not only were interested in singing, but also in recording it. They could do this only with the help of karaoke microphones. These microphones produce high quality recordings as they pick up high quality audio frequencies.

Today, the music industry is greatly benefiting as karaoke technology is used for recording songs. Music composers and singers may be at various locations or may not be able to meet at a place due to some unavoidable reasons. In such cases, music is composed and recorded separately in compact discs, cassette recorders, or in analog machines and the singers will just have to fill in the gaps. Recently, there are many universities offering special courses in mastering these arts and undoubtedly it is becoming a rewarding career.

Karaoke software programs are available in abundance now. This helps the karaoke lovers in creating their own karaoke songs library. Previously, cassettes were used for recordings and only very few songs could be recorded. But now with the advent of computers, compact discs and DVDs, innumerable songs can be recorded. Karaoke songs can be downloaded from Internet or it can be copied using CD-writers. All sorts of karaoke systems are available enabling one to choose from wide varieties like pop, country, rock, gospel, jazz, etc.

Karaoke machines are manufactured by many companies and are easily available in the market. It resembles DVD players and the microphones are in built in it. They are available at various price ranges.

Microphones provides detailed information on Computer Microphones, Karaoke Microphones, Microphone Stands, Microphones and more. Microphones is affiliated with Discount Computer Accessories.

High Definition Dvd Players In Italy

Writen by John Dulaney

Several companies produce good quality DVD players in Italy. Samsung, Toshiba, and Buffalo are some of the famous manufacturers of high resolution DVD players and they have exclusive showrooms in Italy. They not only play high resolution DVDs, but also CDs and MP3s. The demand for HD-DVD players in Italy is growing rapidly because the players come up with many features like parent controls and on-screen functions on the menu incorporated within them. To make the viewing experience of the people a memorable one, the high resolution DVD players available in Italy deliver crystal clear sound, thanks to the Dolby Digital sound system they use.

While checking the stores in Italy for high definition DVD players, ensure that they have necessary accessories like digital virtual interface jacks attached to them. These new age players have user-friendly features like instant replay and skip facility, progressive scan system, and digital photo viewer capability.

One look at the various electronics stores in Italy brings forward a variety of qualities that high definition DVD players have. There are plenty of high definition wireless media players available in Italy that have various features like progressive scan and parent control system. They cost only around $200, which is quite a bargain. The HD-DVD players from Buffalo are quite famous all over Italy and are priced around $160. Sony also comes up with its DVD players in Italy with a plethora of features like HDMI exit and the players have an upper scale function of 720p/1080i. They are priced a little over $170. Another famous brand in Italy that provides high definition DVD players is Samsung. Samsung players provide almost the same video output as Sony HD-DVD players, and are priced unbelievably around $100. One can check out the details of various DVD players by visiting their outlets or through the Internet.

You can also check the Internet for various HD-DVD players available in Italy. One can collect as much information about them as needed from various sites and place an order on the net. Usually a predetermined amount of delivery charges will be levied on the customers on every purchase of high resolution DVD players made through the Internet. High definition DVD players give consumers a higher quality picture and sound. This is achieved by using advanced model chips for processing. HD-DVD players work better with high definition DVDs that store up to two hours of 720p or 1080i on their discs.

VCR players that play VHS tapes display images that are 250-line interfaced. The next generation video players after VCRs were standard DVD players. They usually display a 480-line interfaced image on the screen. In the case of high definition DVD players, we find 480-line image which implements progressive scan method. This entitles the viewers to see a crystal clear picture and increases the clarity of the video as well as the audio signal. Newer and expensive models of high definition DVD players focus on enhancing the resolution and sharpness of the broadcast. For this purpose, electronic companies and manufacturers of DVD players are experimenting with a variety of technologies like lasers, complex compression techniques, and very large scale integrated circuits.

If you decide to buy a high definition DVD player in Italy, you should ensure that all the accessories that enable you to watch high definition discs on your television sets are provided with the DVD player. This is because some of the sets are not compatible and they do not play HD-DVD format discs. You need to have a digital virtual interface jack to play HD-DVD discs.

There are many electronics stores in Italy that stocks numerous models of DVD players including the advanced and expensive high definition DVD players. You can also verify the features and choose to purchase players that can play DVDs and MP3 discs apart from high definition discs. These DVD players incorporate many other functions and are capable of doing things like recording, other than just playing discs. Slim line designs and portable wide screen models are some of the famous versions that are available from this range of DVD players.

High definition DVD players can play discs that are in both MP3 format as well as JPEG format. You can also have the output in two different formats like Dolby digital and DTS digital. Few HD-DVD players have recording facilities and they record in DVD-read and DVD read/write modes. The current generation HD-DVD players are designed to play almost all kinds of discs.

High definition DVD players present the output in digital format from the data or information stored in digital format, and this makes the conversion process quite simple and smooth. If high definition discs are played in HD-DVD players, then great clarity and superb sound can be achieved. To play standard discs with the same kind of clarity, you need to have a high definition multimedia interface present in your player. This helps you get the best possible image or picture.

In other standard DVD players available in Italy that plays standard DVDs, the information or data are stored in analog format on these discs. Players have to convert data present in the analog format to the digital format and hence the picture quality is not optimum. When it comes to high definition DVD players, the data are read from discs that store them in the digital format and hence the output is clear and perfect. DVD players available in Italy not only play DVDs, but also SVCD, VCD, DIVX, CD-R, and CD-RW.

You can select high definition DVD players depending on the models, options, features, and cost. You can also check out various accessories that can be attached to HD-DVD players and their costs vary according to the company or brand you choose.

Where to get REGION FREE DVD players/recorders and High Definition, HD DVD players, Blu-ray,Advanced Optical players/recorders in Blu-Ray DVD players/recorders. A multi region (aka codefree) DVD player or recorders is capable of playing DVD discs from anywhere in the world, that is all 8 regions and both PAL and NTSC standards. That's every DVD movie on earth! Many can not only play them but convert from one standard to the other for showing movies on any TV on earth. There are also PAL-NTSC 110-220 volts DVD/VCR Combos for use worldwide. CODEFREE DVD / PAL-NTSC VCR combos and MULTISTANDARD VCRs will play 100% all known DVD discs including FRENCH DVDs. You can buy region free and region free converting DVD players and region free DVD recorders from http://www.mindlogic.com in California. They give you a LIFETIME Warranty and ship worldwide. They also carry PAL-SECAM-NTSC TVs, PAL plasma, PAL LCD and PAL DLP multisystem TVs and multisystem converting and non-converting VCRs, voltage transformers, video standards converters and more than 140,000 products. Tel.800-514-2984 or tel. 925-686-9945

Should Your Next Big Screen Tv Be A Plasma Hdtv

Writen by Kaitlin Carruth

Are you looking for a new big screen TV? There are several choices of different technologies for your next big screen TV. Right now one of the best and most popular items available is the Plasma HDTV technology. But how do you know which model is the right one for you? Here are some brief descriptions of the CRT technology, LCD screens, Plasma HDTV, and projectors so you can better understand your options for your next big screen TV.

CRT TVs

While it may not be as high-tech as a Plasma HDTV screen, you can still get a big screen TV with the Cathode Ray Tube (CRT) technology (small cathode ray tubes that produce color to create images), also known as direct-view televisions. CRT is the basic technology for televisions that everyone is familiar with and is most commonly available. While they are bulkier and do not have the same image quality as the newer technologies, CRT screens still provide good color, have a long life, can be viewed in brightly lit rooms, and are available for decent prices. CRT screens exist in wide screen and flat screen options. CRTs are built to last, with picture quality that does not fade. A CRT is a good economical choice. However, when Plasma HDTV becomes less expensive in the future the CRT TVs will probably become extinct.

LCD TVs

Liquid Crystal Display (LCD) screens consist of two polarizing transparent panels with a liquid crystal solution in the center that is in a state between solid and liquid. LCD is flat and lightweight, which makes the LCD technology popular for laptop and even some desktop computer screens. The biggest detriment of this type of TV is its limit in size (about 40 inches). The LCD screen is a good choice if you are not interested in getting a large screen.

Plasma HDTV

Plasma HDTV is one of the best and most impressive technologies in the market right now. The plasma screen consists of tiny gas plasma cells that are charged at exact electrical voltages to make a picture. It uses a digital technology that has a higher resolution than the CRT TV screens. The Plasma screens can be produced to have the resolution to watch HDTV. As of now, Plasma HDTV is still superior to LCD screens in displaying blacks which means it has better contrast and picture. They also have better viewing angles than the LCD screens.

The Plasma HDTV not only gives you superior picture quality but it is also smooth and sleek. These screens are flat and light (but not quite as light as the LCD screen) and can be hung on the wall like a picture and are not limited in screen size as the other models are. However, this new technology is still very expensive.

Projectors

Projectors, although not technically a television, are a popular way to get the big screen experience. Quality projectors will give you a good picture and they are excellent for watching movies or playing games. However, you need to have a blank wall or screen and lights have to be dimmed or off to watch it since the projector's light is dim.

With a better knowledge of the CRT technology, LCD Screens, Plasma HDTV, and projectors you can make a better decision on what type of big screen TV you want to have. With so many choices it is important to know what you are selecting from. If you are serious about your television watching experience, than you will want to get Plasma HDTV for your next big screen TV purchase. This will give you the sharpest image out of all your choices.

Kaitlin Carruth is a client account specialist with 10x Marketing. To learn more about Plasma HDTV or other big screen TVs please visit I-Satellite.

Dvd Rental Stores

Writen by Josh Riverside

Isn't renting a DVD and wathing it at home a better option than driving to a movie theater and spending a lot of money on a movie that you really didn't want to see? Certainly, there is nothing like the silver screen for the big blockbuster hits, or the expansive cinematography of some of the art flicks. But if you don't mind a small screen - or if you have a veritable home theater in your home - DVD rental stores can be your savior for movie night.

DVD rental stores have all kinds of movies from classics to the very latest releases, comedy, drama -- you name it. All you have to have is enough time to browse up and down the neatly categorized aisles of the video store and select the movie(s) of your choice. Stores can look up movies on online lists and confirm availability of a particular movie.

Customers can usually keep rented movies for a week to ten days depending on the store's policies. This allows for watching the movie at one's own leisure.

DVD rental stores have varied hours, but it is important to drop off your DVDs before the store closes to avoid late charges. Most stores have outside slots, so a customer can just drop the DVDs into the drop box and not enter the store. DVD's can usually be reserved by calling the store and will be held for a certain amount of time. DVD stores make it a point to have enough copies of the latest movies to keep customer's happy, although some of the more popular movies should always be reserved.

Many stores sell DVDs at a substantial savings. Buying is a good alternative to renting if you wish to watch the movie a number of times.

DVD Rentals provides detailed information on DVD Rentals, Online DVD Rentals, Top DVD Rentals, DVD Rental Stores and more. DVD Rentals is affiliated with Copy DVDs.

Why A Compact Digital Camera Should Be In Your Future

Writen by Thad Pickering

For most of us photography is not necessarily as much about being an art form as it is a way to preserve cherished memories and moments of our lives so we can go back and visit them again later. For that kind of purpose, a multi-function digital camera that has all the bells and whistles that you could ever want is overkill. And buying one could result in serious overpaying too as those kind of digital cameras are still very expensive.

But the average person just wants to be able to get great shots that they can enjoy with no muss or fuss. And if that describes you then you need to consider getting a compact digital camera for your photo needs. Here is why:

* You could get a compact film camera if you wish but why would you want to do that these days? Digital cameras will afford you so much more flexibility and control over the shots that you take. For instance, when you take a snapshot with a film camera, you just don't klnow how it's going to look until you develop the film. With a digital camera you can see what the shot looks like immediately and decide right away if it's a keeper, or if you need to just delete it and shoot all over again. What an important option to have at those special occasions that can't be redone again later like weddings, birthdays, etc.

* Compact digital cameras let you do so much with each image that you take that you just couldn't do with film. Of course, you can get scanned images of your film photos but you have to wait until the film is processed first and you have to pay extra for the processing and scanning. With a digital camera you just store the photos on a reusable media card and then pop it into a photo printer for printing, or you can also upload the photos to your home computer where you can play around with them until they are just the way you want in a photo editing program. After printing them out you can store them on your hard drive, transfer them to CDs or whatever you like. And best of all, because they are digital, they will never fade with time or how many times you make copies from those image files. Once all your files are uploaded, just wipe the camera card clean and start over again. How's that for easy and simple?

Here are a few recommendations that show up on many compact digital camera reviews by both photo websites and consumers alike:

* Fuji FinePix F10, Canon Powershot A510 & Canon Powershot A520, Olympus Stylus 800, and the Kodak EasyShare Z700.

All of these compact digital cameras produce excellent photo results and most of them have a good mix of features and options that would please the average digital camera user. And most are inexpensive units that won't break your wallet either.

So if you have struggled about making the switch to digital from film cameras, now is the time to finally let go of the old ways, and embrace the newer, better technology of compact digital cameras instead.

Thad Pickering writes on many consumer related topics including audio and video. You can find out more about digital camera best buys and cannon digital cameras by visiting our Home Theater website.

Regionfree Dvd Players In Greece

Writen by John Dulaney

When movie studios wanted to control the time and place of video release around the world, they came up with the region codes for the world. This was because their theater releases are not simultaneous throughout the world. The movie studios also sell "rights to distribuite" to various foreign distributors for their movies and would like to ensure the market is exclusive for a certain period of time. The easy availability of movies on DVDs along with their high quality were major reasons the DVD and DVD player coding was considered essential. This way it was possible to ensure that the DVD players in one particular region would not be able to play back discs from another country.

The whole world has been divided into six area codes, with Region 1 being U.S., Canada, and U.S. Territories, Region 2 having Europe, South Africa, Japan and theMiddle East. Greece is also part of this region. Region 3 composes Southeast Asia and East Asia, while Region 4 has Australia, Central America, South America and Mexico. Region 5 encompasses Eastern Europe, India, North Korea, and Africa, while Region 6 has China.

DVD Standards in Greece

In Greece (Region 2), the DVDs and DVD players sold locally would have the code "two" or number "2" on them. The region code is usually marked on the back of the individual DVD packages as a regional coding logo of a globe with the region number superimposed over it. Or, it can also be specifically spelled out, as in "Region 2," meaning that the disc will play only in the Region 2 DVD players and not any other region player.

Greece has the PAL standard for DVDs and televisions manufactured locally. The PAL (Phase Alternating Line) standard was released during the 1960s and was put into affect in most of the European countries. The PAL standard uses a more broad channel bandwidth than NTSC, allowing for better quality of picture. PAL runs with 625 lines/frame. If a DVD player from another region, formatted in NTSC mode, was to be used with a PAL format disc, it would not play back, since the PAL and NTSC formats are mutually incompatible.

DVD Compatibility Made Possible for Greece and Other Regions

The regionfree DVD players are designed to play any DVD irrespective of its region code. The codefree DVD players were also equipped to convert the NTSC to PAL and PAL to NTSC formats for incompatible DVDs. The DVD players are modified with a chip set to override the code restriction, or else it is designed to be able to switch region codes to match that of the DVD's. The PAL and NTSC standards on the DVD player can be switched with a mere flick of the remote to the required mode.

Voltage Barriers for Greece and other Countries

In Greece, the electric current is supplied at 220 volts AC and at 50 Hz. frequency. If a DVD player from Region 1, for example the U.S., having a 110 volt specification had to be used in Greece, it would get damaged by the voltage surge. However, the new age region free DVD players are equipped to handle these voltage disparirtes by an in-built dual voltage system.

The region coded DVD players are available in the electronic shops and supermarkets in Greece, but the players might have to be specially ordered. The Internet provides a wide range of Web sites that offer attractive price ranges and a whole variety of features to choose from.

There are several leading brands in the markets of Greece, that sell both region-coded and region free DVD players. The PAL only and PAL – NTSC standard DVD players are also available in well known brands like Toshiba, Pioneer, Samsung, Philips, Denon, and many others. The pricing for these DVD players varies widely between $80 to $800, based on the type of features available, brands, and utility.

With a regionfree DVD player, travelers can now watch their favorite movies while vacationing in Greece or any country around the world!

Where to get REGION FREE DVD players/recorders. To prevent the latest movies from reaching countries where a film has not reached theaters yet, Hollywood studios imposed a block. This regional coding is a digital flag on the disc that tells the DVD player where a particular DVD comes from. This is supposed to prevent the disc from being used by an incompatible player in another country. A normal DVD player can only play discs designated for the player's own particular region. However, a codefree DVD player is a capable of playing DVD discs from anywhere around the world. A codefree DVD player can play DVD discs from all 6 regions and both standards, PAL and NTSC. That's every DVD movie on earth! PAL-NTSC 110-220 volts DVD/VCR Combos for use worldwide. CODEFREE DVD / PAL-NTSC VCR combos and MULTISTANDARD VCRs will play 100% all known DVD discs including FRENCH DVDs. You can buy region free and region free converting DVD players and region free DVD recorders from http://www.mindlogic.com in California. They give you a LIFETIME Warranty and ship worldwide. Tel.800-514-2984 or tel. 925-686-9945

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Understanding Digital Video

Writen by NamSing Then

Digital Videos (DV) capture images on CCD – Charge Coupled Devices but store them in a high-quality, endlessly reproducible, easily edited, digital format. Currently the most commonly device for capturing videos is the Digital Camcorder.

The quality of the digital video is far superior to the analog counterpart. The images are sharper and the color is richer and more accurate, at least twice as good as the older VHS and almost identical to broadcast quality video as DV uses component color sampling to hold thrice the color information as a conventional analog VHS and S-VHS video.

Time Base Correction stabilizes the picture thereby virtually eliminating video jitters. Error Correction fills in missing video data and provides seamless, professional-looking video.

In a digital camcorder one can instantly change between video capture or playback mode without disturbing any of the other elements and can instantly review the quality of the captured video.

Editing video is greatly simplified because the video can be transferred directly from the camcorder to the computer without conversion using what is called as Firewire connection. It can then be digitally edited on-line and again copied back to a digital tape. Not only it is quick and easy, there is no loss of image quality as there is in the analog world while copying and transferring. In fact, copies of digital videos and copies of copies are still as sharp as the original. Once stored on the computer, you can also easily send short clips as e-mail attachments or post them on Web sites.

Digital videos have audio that's CD quality, presently the best rated.

There is a convergence between digital still cameras and digital camcorders. Many of the new digital still cameras can capture short video segments and similarly camcorders can also capture digital stills.

DV cameras are smaller than other camera of other formats, with some even slipping into a shirt pocket. DV camcorders store upto ninety minutes of digital video on small DV cartridges, which are a bit expensive. Another feature of these DV's is that images can be stored not only on digital videocassettes but also on MultiMediaCards known as Flash Cards and the images can be transferred between the two easily.

In its digital mode it stores in excess of 700 still images at 640 x 480 resolution in JPEG format in either of two quality modes. High Resolution mode will store approximately 60 printable images and Standard mode will store 105 images appropriate for email attachments. There are also zoom facilities available, which are normally 10x optical zoom and 40x digital zoom and are backed with an image stabilization system.

NamSing Then is a regular article contributor on many topics. Visit his other websites at Digital Video Resources, Digital Disc Recorder and Digital Camcorder

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Plasma Tv Be Aware When Buying Online

Writen by Tom Ace

A plasma TV may very well be the next step in your home entertainment future and the potential sources for the purchase of a plasma TV have never been better. Because a handful of retailers have jumped on the plasma TV bandwagon and started offering these televisions as part of their home electronics line, the cost of a plasma TV has never been lower. The fact that the technology has become well-established has also helped lower the cost of the plasma TV. So where do you go to find great deals on plasma TV sets?

Any retailer or wholesaler that offers a good array of home electronics likely has plasma TV sets in stock or has a source for them. For many people, purchasing from a local retailer is literally the only option they'll consider because they want to check out the set "in person." While the cost has started dropping, a plasma TV still represents a major investment among your home entertainment components and you may be playing it safe to shop where you can actually see the set you are about to buy.

For other people, shopping online is a great way to do comparison shopping. You can find several online sources of home electronics that will allow you to conduct side-by-side comparisons of various plasma TV models. While you can do almost the same comparison by shopping retail stores in person, you might find that a side-by-side comparison makes your shopping easier.

Online shopping for the plasma TV of your dreams could net you a great deal, but don't overlook the fact that you're likely going to be paying shipping on top of the cost of the plasma TV. That cost might or might not be sufficient to kill the savings of purchasing online over that from a retailer in your area.

Tom Ace is the founder of Plasma tv Resources a website providing information on plasma televisions.

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What Your Eyes Should See With And Your Ears Should Hear With

Writen by Dale Davidson

It is not very often that competitors come together to agree on anything, so when they do it should be considered quite an event. Some interesting developments are happening in the CE industry.

The biggest names in Consumer Electronics,including Hitachi, Matsushita Electric Industrial(the Panasonic Brand) Phillips,Sony,Thomson,(Rca) Toshiba, Silicon Image have established Hi Definition Multimedia Interface as the defacto standard for High definition and the consumer electronics market.

HDMI combines uncompressed HiDef video and multi-channel audio in single digital interface, providing crystal clear digital quality over a single cable. HDMI can be thought of of a connection or interface between digital audio video sources such as DVD players,A/ V receivers,set-top boxes and compatible Digital audio/ video monitors such as digital television. The analogy is like that of similiar interface of which we should be familiar such as the

RS232C connections which are common between computers and modems, computers and printers, and between two computers. or the RJ45 which connects the computer to the telephone line.

HDMI has found support from the major motion picture producers that include Fox,Universal,Warner Bros. and Disney. The system operators DirectTV and EchoStar(Dish Network) CableLabs and Samsung are also throwing support behind HDMI. Digital Content Protection LLC (a subsidiary of Intel ) is providing High bandwidth Digital Content Protection or HDCP for HDMI, which means that your Hi Def signal can be protected when transmitted over High bandwidth such as provided by the ISP's

What this eventually may mean is that cinemas as we know may be on the way to becoming less necessary as you can now enjoy the Hi-Defintion experience from the comfort of your home,as HDMI opens the floodgate of digital content from major motion picture producers. The scenario of downloading the latest movies,direct from the studios, and viewing them on your own Hi-Def monitors, in your own home is not far-fetched.

Because HDMI is not compressed, we can now receive deeper color, higher speeds, crystal clear audio and video signal via a single cable. HDMI supports the the existing standard, enhanced or HI-def video formats (720p, 1080i, and 1080p) and is also backward compatible meaning support is also available for Digital Visual Interface (DVI) which is used on computers and graphics cards. This allows a DVI source to drive a monitor with an HDMI cable and vice versa. With the right equipment, you are able to view movies in Hi Defintion on your PC, provided the cables and converter are present.

Hdmi Licensing LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Silicon Image Inc,is responsible for licensing the Specification, educating and promoting the benefits of HDMI to consumers and retailers.

There are some exciting new capabilities under development for HDMI as efforts are geared to supporting new compressed digital audio formats such as Dolby TrueHD and HTS-HD

Higher speeds and deeper colors as support for 30-bit, 36-bit and 48-bit color depths promises to render over one billion colors in unprecedented detail.

Smaller devices, such as HD camcorders and still cameras that demand seamless HDTV connectivity can also benefit as only one connection is now required.

HDMI has made significant inroads into The Personal Computer world as PC related companies are also founders and early Adopters HDMI can be found in products from ATI, Hitachi, Intel, Nvidia, Sony and Toshiba. Most major HDTV manufacturers have incorpaorated HDMI inputs into the latest products and also media PCs, DVD players, DVD recorders, cable and satellite A/V receivers. Expect to see HDMI in game consoles and camcorders in 2006.

It has been noted , by Hdmi Licensing LLC that 300 milliuon makers of consumer electronics and PC products worldwide have adopted HDMI as more than 17 million devices featuring HDMI were shipped in 2005 and 59 million more are expected in 2006.

China accounts for 30 % of the world's household, and 45 mainland Chinese Companies have already adopted HDMI and the number is growing rapidly. China's first HDMI testing facilty was announced in Shenzen,whcih accelerates HDMI in the Chinese market. The Cable and Satellite Broadcast Association of Asia (CASBAAA) has recommended that HDMI be included in every receiver that processes uncompressed Hi-Def signals. In Europe, the European Information and Communications Technology Industry Association (EICTA) mandates that all HDTV's with the HD ready logo must include HDMI inputs.

With all present and future developments, together with the emerging onslaught of High Definition broadcast signals it should be apparent that HDMI is soon to be an essential . that will be definitely need to fully enjoy the digital home theatre experience.

Dale Davidson is the publisher of an on-line newsletter Deals_news on-line that provides free info, products and services to on-line consumers. With an extensive background in electronics, and membership in the IEEE, ASME among others, the newsletter provides regular info on from consumer electronics products. Can be reached via email or visit website: http://www.eConsumershop.com

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Things To Look For When Buying A Karaoke Microphone

Writen by Mantius Cazaubon

Karaoke microphones should be fun and high quality, while also demonstrating durability. There are many activities and locations where you can use a karaoke mic – ranging from bars and clubs and going all the way to computer karaoke software. Each of these locations might need a different type of microphone - a USB microphone won't be of much use in a bar, but it will be perfect for PlayStation or PC software titles and games. However, regardless of what you will use the karaoke microphone for, here are a few qualities that it should have. First of all, make sure the microphone has ambient noise filters, which eliminate background noise. The next step is to determine if the frequency response is right for you: an average response would be around 100-12,000 Hz. A lightweight microphone is always better than a heavier and larger one.

Uni-Directional Dynamic Microphones

These are the most popular karaoke microphones on the market. They offer good frequency responses and usually an average sensitivity of -76 dB +- dB at 1,000 Hz. In most cases, the sizes for uni-directional microphones are around 2 1/16" X 10 7/16" and the average weight should be somewhere around 10 Oz. You can get such karaoke mics in cable and wireless models. Cable microphones will work with most karaoke machines and PCs, if they have the right adaptors (although this is not a big issues, since most microphone manufacturers supply these accessories as standard). If you are thinking of getting a wireless karaoke microphone, make sure it has enough range and no connection loss between the microphone and the receiver.

Budget wireless karaoke microphones

You can get a medium to high quality karaoke microphone system for under $100. Budget wireless devices usually have a reason for being cheaper – they offer less quality. When it comes to karaoke microphones, however, "quality" is a very subjective term. While a professional singer will immediately spot a few faults in the sound emitted by budget microphones, an amateur singer is very likely to see no difference whatsoever. Budget karaoke microphones do have a series of advanced features that allow for a good sound quality. Bandwidth filters and a series of intermediate frequency selection circuits prevent background noises from becoming a nuisance. Integrated circuits and automatic loop control circuits ensure a good voice transfer and a low distortion level. Most wireless karaoke microphones come with a built in antenna that allows for uninterrupted transmission between microphone and receiver. Although they might not offer the same quality levels and even durability of semi professional and professional microphones, budget karaoke microphones might just be the perfect investment for a home user and even for a bar and club.

Mantius Cazaubon is a successful author and publisher of http://the-microphone-guide.com, a resource for information and tips on buying karaoke microphones online.

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