HDTV: Buying Guide Part Two

In my last article I wrote how there's never been a better time to buy a high definition (HD) television, and I had just preordered the Samsung HLS-5087W 50 inch rear projection DLP unit. The Samsung was delivered last Thursday and here's a summary of my initial reaction.

First let me give some background on preparing for the new HD television. I'm a satellite TV subscriber and needed to upgrade my DirecTV hardware to be HD-compatible. So last month I logged on to www.directv.com and ordered the HD upgrade package. For $200 DirecTV came out and replaced my old satellite dish with a new 5-LNB oval HD dish. The HD package included the lease of DirecTV's new H20 HD receiver, and also included installing a new UHF antenna on my roof to receive other-the-air (OTA) HD local broadcasts. The new dish and receiver were required for HD reception since DirecTV is transmitting local HD broadcasts in the new MPEG-4 compression format instead of the older MPEG-2 standard. Since HD material requires much more bandwidth than standard definition video, satellite and cable providers will be migrating to the new MPEG-4 standard over time and DirecTV is leading the way for now.

I was now all set to receive HD programming as soon as Samsung HLS-5087W arrived with one exception - an HDMI cable to output the digital video/audio signal from the H20 to the Samsung. I'm a big believer in investing in high quality cables for analog connections between audio/video components. But HDMI is a digital interface that transmits a stream of 0's and 1's. So either it works or it doesn't. I therefore bought a $20 HDMI cable on the Web instead of investing $90 or more for a Monster cable that I thought would yield exactly the same audio and video quality. One great thing about HDMI is that it carries both video and audio signals (in uncompressed, digital form) so you can easily reduce the cable clutter behind your home theater system.

Now everything was all set - I just needed the new Samsung to be delivered. I ordered the television from Crutchfield, which has a great reputation for customer service, is an authorized Samsung online retailer, and offered the television with no tax or shipping charges. The delivery guys brought the television into my living room, took it out of the box and placed it on my home theater stand. I connected the power cable, connected the HDMI cable form the H20 to the Samsung, turned on the power, modified the TV display type on the H20 from 4:3 to 16:9 and amazingly the new television just worked, right out of the box!

I was quickly in HD nirvana - watching local broadcasts in full 1080i and Dolby Digital 5.1, as well as premium services such as HBOHD and the various HD channels that are part of DirecTV's HD package. But how would the 150 DVDs I own (most of which I trade via Peerflix) look on the new HD Samsung? I first had to bring up the menu on my Panasonic DVD recorder/player and activate 480p output over the component cables that I connected to the Samsung. Most DVD players sold in the last three years can output a progressive signal (the p in 480p) over component cables instead of the normal interlaced picture transmitted on composite and S-video connections. 480p is a big visible improvement over 480i and you'll want to make sure you are watching all of you DVDs on a HD television using 480p.

I chose Shrek as the first DVD to showcase on the Samsung. Dreamworks did an amazing job with the animation quality of Shrek and thought the DVD would be a good test of the picture quality of a standard definition DVD on a HD television. So how did it look? One word sums it up - amazing! I don't expect I'll be going out to the movies much any more - I'll just wait for the DVD to come out.

On Saturday night I watched a broadcast of Steve Winwood in HD and Dolby Digital 5.1 on KQED, the local PBS affiliate. Being a huge Steve Winwood fan, and having seen Winwood on this tour at a local venue in 2005, I was eager to see what kind of audio/video experience the new HD unit could deliver via a local, OTA HD broadcast. Once again, I was just stunned by the picture quality and quickly went to KQED's web site to see what future Soundstage broadcasts are scheduled. I'm now eagerly awaiting Garbage's performance premiering next month.

There was one more thing left to do though before I could experience the maximum picture quality from the new Samsung - I needed to calibrate the picture for maximum video quality. Virtually all televisions sold today ship from the factory with video settings that are far from optimal. Colors are typically oversaturated, with too warm a tone, and sharpness, brightness and contrast controls that are far from optimal as well. So I dug out my copy of Video Essentials: Optimizing Your Audio/Video System DVD and spent a half hour adjusting the color, brightness, contrast and sharpness controls. The HLS-5087W has numeric display of each of these settings, which is a nice touch for those of us who go through the trouble of tweaking every setting possible for maximum picture quality. It was hard to believe that I could improve upon the quality of the Samsung's picture out of the box, but fine-tuning the picture settings resulted in a much more film-like appearance of movies from both my DVD player and H20 receiver.

I'm looking forward to watching the season premiere of HBO's Entourage series in full HD glory tonight. It's also going to be difficult holding off purchasing a HD DVD source with HD-DVD and Blu-ray players and titles now starting to appear. But we'll talk about that in our next posting on Tech Talk.

James Ambras is a consumer technology enthusiast of the highest degree, and his 'Tech Talk' series appears each month at http://blog.peerflix.com. Jim's day job is as the VP of Engineering for Peerflix, the leading online destination to trade DVDs. For more information, visit http://www.peerflix.com.

Regionfree DVD Players in France

DVD Region Lock System

For curbing piracy and misuse of movies, from the U.S. in DVDs, the Region Lock System was established. The whole world has been divided into six area codes, with Region 1 being U.S., Canada, and US Territories, Region 2 having Japan, Europe, South Africa, and the Middle East. France is also part of this region. The Region 3 comprises Southeast Asia and East Asia, while Region 4 has Australia, Central America, South America and Mexico. Region 5 encompasses Eastern Europe, Indian subcontinent, Africa, and North Korea, while Region 6 has China. As per this system, DVDs produced in certain regions are coded with their respective number and are able to play only on the DVD players sold in that region. This Region Lock System ensured that movies from countries belonging to other region codes were incompatible on the local DVD players.

DVD Standards in France

France has the SECAM standard for DVDs and televisions. The SECAM (Sequential Couleur Avec Memoire or Sequential Color with Memory) standard was introduced and took affect in France in the early 1960s. SECAM runs with 625 lines/frame, same as PAL, but PAL transmits the color information sequentially. The other standard is the NTSC, which is used by many countries in America and some Asian countries, even Japan. Most of the European countries have the PAL standard, which is very similar to the SECAM standard. The televisions and DVDs having the PAL and SECAM standards are compatible with one another. However, they are incompatible with the NTSC standard. Thus, implying that any DVD purchased from the U.S. would be incompatible with a DVD player in France, and vice versa.

Similarly, the voltage inputs of the two regions also vary, since France uses 220 volts and the U.S. uses 110 volts. This would also be a hindrance for playing DVD players from these two countries interchangeably.

Regionfree for France and around the World

The newer versions of DVD players were then designed to override the region codes and to be able to play DVDs from any part of the world, whether in France or another country. These are called region free DVD players. The region free DVD players have a provision for interchanging the NTSC to PAL, and PAL to NTSC standards built into them for greater reach to customers. They are also provided with a dual voltage facility that permits a customer to use the DVD player anywhere in the world without fear of equipment damage. It is permissible by law to own and use a regionfree DVD player if it is not being misused for piracy or illegal activities.

A Wide Range of Features

The DVD players have been greatly improved since their inception and come with a wide range of features. They can be used for playing a wide range of devices like the CD-R, CD-RW, DVD-A, DVD-R, DVD-RW, WMA, MP3, JPEG, MPEG 4, and SACD. The other feature available is language choice for audio tracks, subtitles and menus. They provide for special effects like freeze, slow, fast, step, and scan. One can avail random play and repeat play, ease of programmability and a digital audio output. The DVD players are also available in portable and wall mounted forms.

The price range can vary tremendously from $85 to $750, depending on the brands, types of features provided and utility factor. The major brands of region free DVD players available in France are Toshiba, Samsung, Denon, LG, Sony and many others.

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

Plasma Television Pixel Problems What are Black Dots Sunburst and Shadows?

Plasma Televisions are delicate and pixel problems are not uncommon. Here's a possible scenario:

You spent months anticipating your plasma television purchase, weeks working out the details of instillation and connections and will spend years paying for it. When you finally collapse down on the couch, you see little black dots on your screen. What is happening? Have you finally lost your mind?

A plasma television, like your digital watch from the 1980?s, is made up of lots of pixels, tiny dots of color.

Sometimes millions of them make up a large screen television. Everyone is aware of the phenomenon of pixilation when they increase the size of a low-resolution image. But what you probably are not aware of is that most screens that you look at these days are made up of pixels. These pixels are so small that they make curved lines look natural.

Broken Pixels Do Happen

Sometimes, though, in manufacturing a screen of pixels, the manufacturer makes a mistake and one of the pixels gets broken. If this happens, you will see it as a tiny dot on your screen. If your screen has a rainbow colored dot; that is dust. You should dust your screen on a regular basis.

If you do see little dots on your screen, call the maker of your plasma television. They will probably have to replace your plasma television. There is nothing that you could have done to make the pixels go bad. Quality control is supposed to catch these things before they leave the factory, but mistakes do happen. (Lower end plasma television manufacturers sometimes have lower standards.)

No matter what the factor standards, if it is noticeable, complain until it is fixed. You paid a lot of money for your plasma television, and deserve a superior picture for that money.

Sunburst Pattern is A Common Problem

Another display problem with plasma television that is less often discussed is a sunburst pattern or a ring on your display. This is a common problem with laptop displays. Plasma televisions are much less durable than ordinary televisions.

Never Touch Your Screen

If the installer grabbed your plasma television wrong when installing it, he may have damaged the screen. Or if someone fell against the screen, it may damage your picture. Or your toddler pressing against the screen can damage the picture. Never, ever touch your plasma television. That is what a remote is for. If you are wise, you will encase it in glass. No, I am not joking. These things are delicate.

Phantom Shadows and Flickering

Other display problems like phantom shadows and flickering can also interfere with your picture. Phantom shadows and flickering you can probably fix using accessories. Your plasma television manufacturer will help you trouble shoot these issues. If nothing works, insist that it is not your fault. They will fix it if you are persistent enough.

Conclusion

Standard televisions have had over half a century to get all the bugs worked out of them. Even still, they are not always perfect. Plasma televisions offer many benefits over traditional televisions, but they are still new technology. If you have persistent problems with your set, call your television?s manufacturer.

Ready for plasma? Louis Zhang provides jargon-free, relevant information on plasma televison technology, selection and installation as well as a guide to consumer reviews. For more on plasma television technology tips, go to Plasma TV Pixel Problems

Plasma vs LCD Televisions

Plasma versus LCD ? a fascinating, complex battle indeed! LCD and plasma TVs each have their own characteristics. And the decision about which one you prefer has a lot to do with your personal taste, much like preferring a peanut butter sandwich to a jelly sandwich, or vice versa.

Let us proceed point by point.

Each pixel in a plasma TV is made up of three phosphors ? one red, one blue, and one green. They emit light when struck by beams of electrons. The quantity of light emitted depends on the intensity of the electron beam. It is the phosphors themselves that create the light one can see on a plasma screen.

On the other hand, LCD TVs use millions of crystal, which are suspended in a liquid that is sandwiched between transparent panels. A bright florescent light is in place behind this liquid crystal sandwich. The crystals are instructed to either let the light pass or block its passage. Color filters are used to determine color.

As far as size is concerned, both TVs were always thin, and so that question is something of a stalemate. For example, the difference between 3 and 5 seems to matter in case of certain models, but becomes almost immaterial when it comes to a large-screen TV.

In terms of the viewing area, however, plasma TVs have always been known for their larger sizes. And that holds true in general. Put in a different way, one will have a greater variety of plasma TVs to choose from when he/she is looking at the big models. But it should be kept in mind that LCD TVs, too, are steadily gaining ground.

Now comes the question of price. For a large-screen plasma TV and a large-screen LCD TV of the same size, the plasma TV would normally cost less. LCD TVs are, however, dropping in price, and it is highly likely that the two will be on equal footing in the price department quite soon. All else being equal, in the plasma vs. LCD TV battle, plasma tends to win on this one for the time being. But the battle goes on.

Plasma Televisions provides detailed information on Plasma Televisions, Discount Plasma Televisions, Wholesale Plasma Televisions, Plasma Vs Lcd Televisions and more. Plasma Televisions is affiliated with LCD Televisions.

HDTV CableCard

Look thorough the specifications list of many of the current crop of HDTVs and you will see the term CableCard listed on many of them, but what is HDTV CableCard?

Quite simply, it's a very elegant method of receiving HDTV from a cable provider. Instead of supplying you with a set-top box to receive and decode its HDTV transmission, the cable supplier gives you an HDTV CableCard which simply slots into your TV. The card decodes the channels that your subscription allows your receiver or integrated HDTV does the rest.

The advantage is that an HDTV CableCard takes up much less room than a set-top box, doesn't need its own power supply, and reduces the number of cables you need for cable HDTV. Another advantage is that if you move house and have to switch providers, you don't need to learn how to use a brand new set-top box. You just relinquish your existing card and get a new one from your new provider, everything else stays the same.

Perhaps the biggest advantage of HDTV CableCard is in the picture quality. Cable companies are not known for the high quality of the components they put into set- top boxes. Most consumers can't tell the difference between a decent picture and a very good one. So cable companies tend to go for features rather than quality. With CableCard your equipment - the HDTV tuner or integrated HDTV does the scaling and display, so you choose how good the image quality is. If it matters to you, you can buy a good tuner or integrated TV and benefit from better scaling and display.

The disadvantage of HDTv CableCard is that it is currently one-way, so cable services which require interaction, such as pay-per-view, on-demand services, sports season tickets and program guides don't work. For those you'll still need a set-top box.

A two-way version of CableCard is currently in development.

Kenny Hemphill is the editor and publisher of The HDTV Tuner - a guide to the kit, the technology and the programming on HDTV.

Plasma TV Be Aware When Buying Online

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.

Home Theater Room Design ? Get Professional Help

Do you want to design a home theater, but have no clue on where to start? If this sounds like you, you are definitely not alone. There are hundreds of people that want to have a home theater, but are at a loss when it comes to the proper design features. This is where professional interior designers come into play. Home theater room design professionals have seen a boom in business over the past couple of years. Today more than ever before, there are a large number of people that are interested in updating their home.

The room design for your home theater or media room is a lot more important than you may think. Sure, you want it to look good, but in order to take full advantage of the investment you have made in home theater equipment, you need to design it to sound good too.

The placement of your speakers, television and furniture all add to your home theater experience. Sure you want comfy chairs and sofas, but if they are too big to situate them properly, your media experience will suffer. You also need to take into consideration where the speakers will be placed. It is ideal to have a center speaker located in front center of where the ?audience? will be sitting, a speaker on the front right and front left as well as speakers behind the seating area. As far as visuals go, you want all the seats in the house to have a great view of your TV so you should design the room with these things in mind.

Even though you do not need a professional to help you design your home theater, you may be better off getting their help; at least during the beginning stages. Many people that try to design their own home theater end up wasting a lot of money on things that they do not need, or things that they could have found somewhere else for less money. When you are working with a professional interior designer, they will supply you with a couple of different ideas, and then you can work with them in order to ensure that you get exactly what you want. The only downside to hiring a professional is that you have to pay for their services. But even though you may have to put out a bit of extra money, you will be ensured of getting a room that is professionally designed.

If you are in need of a top notch home theater room design, you will definitely want to consider hiring a professional. There are hundreds of these professionals just waiting for your business. All you have to do is locate one in your area, and then tell them what you need. In no time at all, you will have a customized home theater that all of your guests will envy.

Lee Dobbins writes for http://www.home-theater.home-webzone.com where you can learn more about home theater design.

Plasma Televisions and Displays What to Know When Buying

So you want the amazing quality of a plasma television or plasma display, but you don't really know what to look for when it comes to features? After all, it's a pretty big investment, you want to know what you're buying right? No problem, here are few terms and features to remember when you are ready to purchase your plasma television or display. But first, lets talk about the difference between Plasma Television and Plasma Displays.

Plasma Televisions have TV tuners, and sometimes speakers, etc.

Plasma Displays are basically big computer screens, with no TV tuner or speakers.

Plasma Television and Plasma Display Terms

Contrast Ratio - The brightness of a display at full white over the brightness of a display at full black. Because the black value is greatly affected by ambient light, some TV technologies calculate contrast ratio in darkened rooms. Basically, the larger the contrast ratio the greater the ability of a television to show subtle color details and tolerate various room light

Pixel Pitch - The distance, typically in inches or millimeters, from the center of one pixel to the center of an adjacent pixel. The more pixels, the higher quality the picture, and the less blocky the picture looks.

Resolution - The size and quality of the images the unit can display. Typically, the higher the better, especially on larger screens.

Panel Life - Plasma screens have a life span, once the panel life is reached the screen will typically fail and need to be replaced. This is not really to be of alarm though, most of today's plasma screens have such a long panel life, you most likely won't own the unit long enough for it to go bad. For example, one popular unit has a panel life of 60,000 hours. If you left it on all day every day, it wouldn't go bad for almost 8 years.

Aspect Ratio - The height and width of the screen. Regular TV's were traditionally 4:3 (full screen) and most new big screens and plasma televisions and displays are 16:9 (wide screen)

Viewing Angle - At what angle you can view the unit before it starts to get distorted or blurry. The wider the viewing angle, the more places you can see the screen from in your room.

Plasma Television and Plasma Display Features

Does it come with a Warranty, or is one available for purchase?

Even though they've dropped substantially in price over the last few years, they're still a pretty decent investment, and it's usually best to protect that investment. It's usually best when your plasma television or plasma display comes with a warranty, but even if you have to purchase an extended warranty, it's generally a good idea. If you think about it, would you rather pay a little extra now, or pay half the initial cost a year later if the screen goes out? Warranties are usually worth the cost, even if it's only for peace of mind.

Does it come with speakers?

I don't know of any plasma displays that come with speakers attached, but a few plasma televisions do. They generally cost a little more, so if you already have a surround sound system, you might not need them.

Is it HDTV ready?

If you have HDTV service, you'll need a display or television that is compatible with HDTV. Most newer televisions, especially plasma displays and televisions, but if you want it, it's always best to check for it.

Does it come with a wall mount or stand?

Sometimes they don't come with either, so you would have to pay extra for one or the other. This is one important aspect to think about when you're comparing price, because these can get rather expensive if you have to purchase them separately.

What type of inputs does it have?

Most plasma televisions should have the standard inputs, like RCA (your typical red, yellow, white wires), S-Video, DVI, Component, but if there is one in particular that you need, you should always check and make sure that it is available on that unit.

This article taken from Computer Discounts Guide - Plasma Televisions & Displays. View the website for more helpful guides.

Donny Duncan, the author of Computer Discounts Guide has been in the computer field for over thirteen years.

Learn All About Proper Projector Mount

After purchasing a home theater projector, unless it is a portable projector and a portable screen, it is necessary to mount the projector and screen so that the picture can be properly transposed onto the theater projector screen.

Hopefully, by this point in time, the relevant factors for setting up a home theater system have been well planned but that is not always the case.

Maybe the home theater was received as a gift, or maybe a spouse or friend purchased the projector without considering how it was going to be used.

The projector mounts and the theater projector setup for both the screen and the projector unit are as important as any factor in order to get the optimal performance quality from a home theater projection system.

Screen Mount

Many screens for home theater systems are portable, meaning they can be easily stored away when they are not in use. Some of the projector screens will have to be mounted to either a wall mount, a floor mount or in some cases, to a ceiling mount.

What factors should be considered when deciding where to mount the projection screen?

Like any home furnishing, the home theater projector screen is part of the interior design or d?cor of the home, or at least of one particular room. If there are children in the home, or perhaps pets, it may be advisable install the projector screen mounts on the ceiling. This can often be done quickly and easily as there is usually no wiring needed for the screen. The projector mount has different needs which must be considered before mounting.

The home theater projector must be setup at a certain distance to get the best quality from a home theater system, whether at the minimum distance, the maximum distance or somewhere in between. Keeping the distance constant will insure better consistency and better quality experiences from the home theater projection unit.

The Projector Unit

Mounting options for a home projector vary, but the most common types are wall mounts, ceiling mounts and recessed mounts.

The wall mount is perhaps the most common mount used for the screen and projector. It is important to consider the wiring needs when deciding which mount to use. For a wall mount, wires are frequently exposed along the wall. They can sometimes be hidden or fished through the wall to be more aesthetically appealing.

The ceiling mount is also very popular for the home theater projector. The two major factors to be considered for a ceiling mount are the clearance from the home theater projection unit as well as the swivel capabilities of the ceiling mount itself. If there is not sufficient clearance to mount the projector under the ceiling mount while allowing it to be moved, it will be difficult to properly lineup and adjust your home theater system. Wiring can also be a factor here, but usually there is enough room in the ceiling to allow for easy access to wire the unit.

If it can be accomplished, the recessed mount is a favorite among many home theater owners. The recessed mount is a recession (Like a shelf) built into an existing wall. This alleviates unsightly wires and offers perhaps the best protection for your home theater projector.

Note: This article may be republish for use in websites as long as the author bio and active hyperlinks are kept intact.

Clifford Tan, a Home Theater enthusiast and owner of the website Home Projector Advisor offering projector reviews, advice and many useful tips and hints to business and home consumers looking to purchase a home projectors. To find out alot more information about home projection system, visit the site http://www.home-projector-advisor.com.

DVD Copy Software Review

Of the vast number of DVD copying software available on the market, here are some of the very best ones:

The DVD Cloner II is arguably the best DVD copying software currently on the market. The software is a user?s delight, easy to install, uncomplicated and has the ability to produce high quality DVD duplicates. Perhaps the one feature that separates it from the rest of the competing software is that it comes with an integrated CSS decryptor, meaning it can copy DVDs that are copy-protected. Its market price is $39.99.

1Click DVD is a product of LG Software Innovations. As its name suggests, it can copy a DVD movie with a single click. With wonderful customer support and speed, the software is a highly feasible buy. However, unlike the DVD Cloner II, it lacks a CSS decryptor. It has a market price of $59.00.

Clone DVD, a product of DVD X Studios, is another DVD copying software that comes with a CSS decryptor. However, unlike the DVD Cloner II, it cannot copy to CDs and is not very perceptive. On the plus side, it takes just three steps to copy a DVD movie in its entirety - extra footage, menu, etc. It is available in the market for a price of $99.95.

DVD Wizard Pro is a great buy if the user wants to copy games or DVD movies to one DVD disc, provided the original DVD is less than 4.5 GB. It has good features and comes with the ability to copy DVDs to CDs that can be played on certain DVD players. It is one of the more adaptable DVD copying software program on the market. Its market price is $39.95.

Clone DVD, a product of Slysoft, has a decent feature. Like its namesake from the DVD X Studios, it has the ability to copy an entire DVD movie in a few uncomplicated steps. It does not, however, copy to CDs and does not possess a CSS decryptor. Also, it is relatively complicated in comparison to other DVD copying programs. It is available for $39.00.

DVDFab, a product of Fengtae Software, has a user-friendly interface with a sturdy feature. However, it does not have the ability compress large DVDs into one blank disc. It is priced at $39.95.

DVD Duplicator Pro is similar to a DVD Wizard Pro when it comes to copying games and DVD movies. Like the Wizard Pro, it can also copy to CDs, and it has a ?live chat? provision that facilitates customer support. DVD Duplicator Pro is priced at $39.95.

InterVideo DVD Copy Platinum is an excellent program for converting DVD movies to different formats like VCD, Divx, or SVCD. However, DVD Copy Platinum does not come with a CSS decryptor and cannot exclude extra material when copying a movie. It is available on the market for $79.99.

ICopyDVDs2 is competent if the user wants to back-up DVD movies to a single disc, provided there is a CSS decryptor. It gives the user the choice to omit or retain bonus material in the DVD. On the flip side, there are cheaper products available with more features. This software has a market price of $49.99.

DVD Copy provides detailed information on DVD Copy, Free DVD Copy Software, DVD Copy Software, DVD Copy Software Review and more. DVD Copy is affiliated with DVD-ROM Replication.

MP3 Players They're Not Just For Music Anymore

I?m sure that it?s not news to you that MP3 players can be used to play many different forms of music. Your MP3 players can be used as an educational tool as well, a virtual mobile university if you will.

When I bought my first MP3 player I did what people typically do with MP3 players. You take music from your computer and you load it into your MP3 player. I had a great time with it listening to my favorite tunes. What I didn?t know at the time was that I had a ton of knowledge at my fingertips that I wasn?t even using. I decided to download some motivational MP3s to my MP3 player.

I then decided that I?d love to listen to some motivational MP3s while I was in my car. At that time, my car just had a radio and cassette player, but soon I was able to find an adapter that can go right into the cassette slot and the other end plugged directly into the headphone jack of my MP3 player. Before you know it I was listening to tons of motivational and self-improvement MP3s and really, really enjoying it.

I know a lot of people listen to music while they?re in the car and as alternative the radio I could always bring some of my favorite music cassettes. But even my favorite music didn?t put me in the right mood and frame of mind for the workday. My MP3 player soon solved that problem. I was able to listen to the unique perspectives on life from a number of different speakers. While I was on my way to work in the mornings I found this particularly refreshing and it set a positive tone for the remainder of my day. I did this each and every morning. Okay. Basically I was addicted at this point. Now there is absolutely no turning back.

I?m certain that you really enjoy listening to music on your MP3 player, but you might just want to give listening to some self-improvement, educational or motivational content a try. You might find it will fill your day with a new and positive outlook.

For more information on MP3 Players as well as money saving reviews on MP3 Players, Creative MP3 players, SanDisk MP3 players, Ipods, and more visit 1StopMP3PlayerShop.com located at www.1stopmp3playershop.com

What You Should Know About Buying Projector From Ebay Or Online Auction

Many people wish to purchase a home projection theater system but still have to work within the constraints of a budget. Can a budget projector be a viable alternative? While a thousand dollars is still a lot of money, it really is not so much to pay for a good home theater projection system. A good home theater will provide years of entertainment from movies, to video and computer games to vacation picture slideshows. How though, can someone find a projector for less than one thousand dollars? How can anybody find a quality projector that also fits the category of a cheap projector? How can they make sure it is going to suit their needs?

One of the most obvious options is through auctions. This is a very difficult way to purchase a projector. The main reason is that all you can do is asking questions of someone who has already proven that they are a motivated seller, proven by the very fact that they have posted the projector on an online auction. Bidding online can be done with some level of confidence though. It is very easy to conceive of getting a very good multimedia projector for less than a thousand dollars in this manner.

Making sure you ask the questions you want answered is the first challenge in finding a home theater projector online. While this may sound easy enough, it really is not when you think about it. For example:

Buyer: Why are you selling your projector?
Seller: Because I am thinking about buying a new projection system. (Thinking, looking, considering ? all are terms to make the buyer beware)

Why would this simple question and answer dissuade someone from actively bidding on this projector? Take a moment to look at it more closely. The seller obviously wants to sell the projection unit that they currently own. But ?why do they want to sell it? is the relevant question. The answer states that they are looking, considering, thinking about, or otherwise contemplating the purchase of a new system, this is not to say that they are actively in the process of purchasing a new system. This in turn, should lead the prospective purchaser of the online auction projector to ask themselves, and the seller, a series of other questions. Why are they selling the projector without having found a new one they are sure of?

While there are literally thousands of different combinations of this simple question and answer ?red flag,? the key is the same in all of them. If the seller will not give specifics then buyer beware. It is better to lose a bid on a high quality projection theater system than it is to win even with a low bid for a damaged projection unit. The cost of repairs, while relevant in the long term of projector life is important; it should not have to be a factor when purchasing a new projector, no matter where it is bought.

Things to look for that will indicate it may in fact be a quality cheap projector usually are some type of upgrade on the part of the seller. While they may still be very happy with the unit they are selling, somehow or another they have managed to put together the money for a new home theater projector display and setup. Another factor may very well be that they were uninformed when they made the purchase.

One key to making a new projector purchase is making sure the store where it is purchased has a good return policy. Ambient lighting, (while the most common factor, is not the only one) will cause many projector displays that look great in the store display to function less than ideally in the purchaser?s home. It may well be that the seller did not ask the right questions when they bought the projector and they cannot return it. This happens more than most people want to admit ? with any number of products, not just with projection units. Asking the correct questions can make it easier to figure out if the projector will be right for your needs or not.

Ask the seller about the picture quality of the projection unit they are selling. If the seller is specific and gives you an answer saying that it is not what they expected, there could be other mitigating factors that will make this ideal for you to get a great deal on a great projection system for well under one thousand dollars.

Find out what kind of projection screen they are using. If the projection screen is not ideally suited to the home theater projector they purchased, that could be a point in favor of the buyer. Sometimes a person will spend a great deal of money on a projector and use the blank space on the wall to project the multimedia displays. If the projector shuts off or flickers. This could be an indication that the projector is fine (For the moment) but has been set up somewhere that is either too dusty for the projection unit filters to keep up or it has been set up somewhere that there is not sufficient airflow and the projection unit is overheating. Find out specific details about where the projector is. Do not be afraid to ask questions. The worst that can happen is that they will refuse your bid and save you money. Not a bad deal really, and certainly better than ending up with a home projector that will not work at all or that needs substantive repairs.

If you know that the projector is functioning well but the picture quality is not what it should be, there could well be another frequently encountered problem. This is known as the keystone effect. Most projection units come with keystone adjustment features. The concept is to allow the optic lenses to be adjusted horizontally and vertically. While this can be a great benefit in some projectors, some home theater systems will become quickly inundated with the keystone effect. To make a long story short, the screen and the projector have pixels. The pixels are little concave shaped areas where light is projected and displayed. The keystone effect occurs when the pixels on the screen are not correctly aligned with the pixels being projected from the projection unit. This will greatly detract from the viewing pleasure and often causes unpleasant sensations such as headaches to the viewer.

If a buyer is willing (And well informed enough) to ask specific questions they should get specific answers. If the seller refuses to be specific or to discuss details, than do not bid. Ever! The well-informed buyer will never end up with a seriously damaged projector, and just may, if they ask the right questions, end up with a high quality home theater projection system for well under a thousand dollars.

Note: This article may be republish for use in websites as long as the author bio and active hyperlinks are kept intact.

Clifford Tan, a Home Theater enthusiast and owner of the website Home Projector Advisor offering projector reviews, advice and many useful tips and hints to business and home consumers looking to purchase a home projectors. To find out alot more information about home projection system, visit the site http://www.home-projector-advisor.com.

Digital Television: Why the UK is Sleep Walking to the Digital Switchover

Not many people seem to know this? By the end of 2012 the UK will have been the only country in the world to have totally made the switchover to all digital television. The digital switchover starts in 2008 ? less than 2 short years away.

A recent Which Report (Which is the major consumer champion in the UK) shows that in many areas the awareness of the digital switchover is less than 2 %. Even in the Borders Television region ? the first to make the change ? only about a third of the people surveyed knew what was going to happen.

It really does seem that the UK is sleepwalking in to the Digital Switchover.

Not surprisingly, the whole switchover programme is being watched with keen interest by other nations around the World. The benefits of digital television for broadcasters, manufacturers and programme makers are pretty clear. The new media is already changing programme making ? Planet Earth, currently showing on the BBC - is a prime example of what can be achieved. And of course the manufacturers are positively drooling at the thought of all the new televisions, video recorders and set-top boxes they expect to sell.

Consumers are set to benefit too - better pictures and sound, high definition television, interactivity, movies on demand? The list goes on. Governments have a keen commercial interest too. They own the air waves. And digital television takes up much less band width than conventional analogue signals. So the move to digital frees up precious broadcasting capacity that Governments are keen to sell to the highest bidders. The sale of the mobile telephone spectrum for 3G providers raised over ?20 billion. Who would bet that the sale of the television spectrum won?t raise significantly more?

The move to digital television benefits us all. So why do so few people know what is happening?

Simply being able to receive digital television is only part of the issue. Just about every television bought more than 12 months ago, and a good percentage of those being sold now, are effectively obsolete. All of them will need a separate satellite receiver or set top decoder box to receive digital signals. Every video recorder will also need an additional decoder.

The UK Government puts the average cost per household to upgrade to digital television at ?132 ($210). I feel the real figure is likely to be 4 or times this level. Most homes in the UK have upwards of 4 televisions ? each and every one will need significant investment to receive digital television signals.

In the UK 68% of homes already receive digital television in some form- satellite (which means BSkyB ? the only UK satellite television provider), cable or terrestrial freeview. In almost all cases digital television is only watched on the main television in the house. The other sets are still restricted to the main analogue, terrestrial stations. From 2008 this has all got to change.

It?s time to wake up. We are at the threshold of the biggest change in the television experience since it was first invented.

Start planning your own digital switchover now.

Keith Longmire is a great believer in the switchover to digital television. His web site, http://www.thedigitalswitchover.co.uk, is full of information, tips and guidance on planning your digital switchover.

Cheap LCD TVs

As time passes, the prices of LCD TVs are going nowhere but down. A few years back, there were only a few name brands such as Sony, LG, Philips, Samsung, etc. But there are several new entrants in the LCD TV market such as Westinghouse, Maxent, Norcent, Syntax, Olevia, etc. These new companies are pricing TVs lower than the established brands, sometimes even by as much as $1000. Naturally this is creating a furor in the market as even big names are being forced to pull their prices down to keep up with the competition.

The question always asked when buying a LCD TV is, why not go for a cheaper brand if it provides the same quality for a $1000 less? The purpose of a LCD TV is to produce high quality images. Newer brands (read cheaper brands) force themselves in the market by lowering their prices, but their quality is rarely up to snuff. They may not be able to compare with the images produced by, say, a Sharp or a Sony. There are many nuances in pictures like contrast ratios, intensities, etc., which cheaper TVs do not provide. However, cheaper sets compensate for their flaws in quality by sleeker designs and other peripheral features. If you are not too keen on image quality, but the price cut matters to you, then you may go for a cheaper TV.

Cheaper brands might also skimp on after-sales services and warranties. There are exceptions, though. Yet, a bigger brand with more experience at after-sales service may be more trustworthy.

The price of an LCD TV depends on the panel, which is the image display. The prices are drastically falling. Thirty to 32 inch panels now cost under $500. Even the prices of the most popular size, 42 inches has come down to $2500, which is significantly less than what it was last year. A complete 42-inch TV from a new brand would cost approximately $3000.

Cheap TVs are constantly being advertised extensively on online portals such as Costco and Best Buy. Sale of cheap TVs online is higher than that of bigger brands, illustrating the fact that people are opting for the technology itself rather than the quality it provides. It is expected that prices of TVs may slump more in successive years. But whatever the case, even the price of the cheapest LCD TV will remain higher than the price of other technology TVs.

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.