September, 2010 | HD TV PROFESSOR

Month: September 2010

Is 2D to 3D Good Enough?

September 30, 2010 | Author: Muneeb Mannan

Controversy continues to dominate discussions of 3DTV. Is it worth it? Are the glasses a deal-breaker? Do you lose too much brightness? Is autostereoscopic technology better than the technologies that require glasses, and is it practical? One fact that just about everyone can agree on, however, is that there just isn't enough 3D content available to convince most people to get a 3DTV. A recent article in TV Technology addresses...

Home Network Sales Slow Down

September 29, 2010 | Author: Muneeb Mannan

Ah, the brave new world of home entertainment. Streaming video across high-speed broadband connections will cause legions of viewers to cut their cable cords (and satellite cords, except that satellites don't have cords). HDTVs, Blu-ray players, video game consoles, and even digital picture frames have wired and wireless connections to home networks, opening up a world of opportunities and possibilities. Soon we will all be watching and listening to whatever...

Comcast to Take Reigns at NBCU

September 28, 2010 | Author: Muneeb Mannan

It looks as though Comcast is actually going to take over NBC Universal, or at least the company is acting as though it is going to. At the end of last week, Comcast announced that COO Steve Burke is going to take over as CEO of NBCU when the final deal goes through. The current NBCU CEO Jeffrey Zucker announced that he'd leave the company when the sale is finalized....

Maybe They Should Name It “3DIA”

September 27, 2010 | Author: Muneeb Mannan

CEDIA Expo is the annual show for the high-end home theater industry. (CEDIA is easier to say than "Custom Electronic Design and Installation Association".) It was held last week, and while many of the products are well out of range for the average home owner's budget (such as the new Runco D-73d DLP front projector that uses an LED light source and supports 3D content for a mere $50,000), there...

The Right Stuff

September 24, 2010 | Author: Muneeb Mannan

Have you ever thought about where broadcast television signals come from? I'm not talking about the studio, I'm talking about the actual transmission tower. You know, the thing you aim your rooftop antenna at to get the best signal. In parts of the country where it's really flat, a single tower can reach a circle with a 55 mile radius or more. You could drive for two hours and not...

Blockbuster Rolls “11”

September 23, 2010 | Author: Muneeb Mannan

Is anyone surprised by this morning's news that Blockbuster has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection? It has been rumored and discussed for months (years?). Squeezed hard by Netflix's mail service and the Redbox kiosks, it has become increasingly difficult for Blockbuster to compete in the movie rental business with their traditional brick-and-mortar approach. As I've discussed here repeatedly, the company is working to make forays into both the online...

Another Battery LCD TV

September 22, 2010 | Author: Muneeb Mannan

Along the Atlantic Coast of the U.S., this is the time of year when residents have a heightened interest in the weather off the Cape Verde islands, which is where hurricanes are born. In addition to fresh water and flashlights, a good hurricane kit also includes a way to keep up on the news and weather. But the old battery-powered TVs no longer work since the transition to digital broadcasts....

Digital TV Transition: It’s Not Over Yet

September 21, 2010 | Author: Muneeb Mannan

On June 19, 2009, all major terrestrial television broadcasters were required to switch from analog to digital transmissions (though many had already made the switch by that point). People scrambled to get their rebate coupons from the FCC for digital conversion boxes, and there was more than a bit of grumbling when people discovered that they no longer could get a signal strong enough to show a picture. (Cable and...

Costco HDTV Deal

September 20, 2010 | Author: Muneeb Mannan

I just can't help it. Sometimes, I hear about HDTV deals that just are too good to let go by without a mention. I recently received an email from the PR firm that works for Westinghouse Digital, which is known for its low-priced LCD HDTV offerings. So let's play "The Price is Right" and see if you can get the price right on this one. First, the retailer in question...

Epson HD Projector with DVD

September 17, 2010 | Author: Muneeb Mannan

Epson has announced the new MovieMate 85HD, a 720p high definition projector that also includes a DVD player. This gives you a complete home entertainment system in a single unit. The projector uses three LCD panels, and is rated at 2,500 lumens for a bright image. The projector does not have a tuner, but you can easily connect it to a cable or satellite set-top box. It will ship later...