High Definition TV

The thought of a HDTV came from wide-screen movies. As soon as the wide-screen was introduced, It was seen, that individuals who were seated in the first few rows enjoyed the effect much more, having a level of participation in the action. This was not seen in case of the conventional movies. A greater feeling of 'being there' is felt with the wide-screen occupying a greater field of view, especially peripherally.

High-Definition Television (HDTV) was launched in the market in the year 1998. If stating the reference of HDTV to a common man, it is all about a superior resolution and digital surround sound quality in the new state-of-art television95 ? HDTV. It refers to the broadcasting of signals with much higher resolution than before. Today around 80 other devices are sold in the market as HD but in actual they are not HD ready products. They may be good quality TVs, but they lack one necessary condition of being High Definition This is a High Definition Multimedia Interface adaptor which automatically lets the TV set handle the high resolution images all by itself.

Until now, the working of a TV involved some analog signal and a Cathode Ray Tube (CRT) unit. The incoming signals were electronically processed into a picture and sound, displaying the picture on the TV screen. This conventional CRT set has a display of about 480 lines of pixels and all the signals worked well for years till the idea of higher resolution evolved. A higher resolution signal for better quality and more clarity could not have worked on this old model of CRT. Also, the conversion of the signals lowered the quality leading to more degradation in the class of the display and sound, in the traditional model of CRT. The new HDTV is almost incomparable to the Standard Definition Television (SDTV) in many terms, like, HDTV has twice the resolution in comparison to that of the SDTV, providing higher picture clarity.

Further, the range of broadcasting signal for HDTV can also handle higher ?aspect ratio? pictures of higher resolution, without the use of ?letter boxing,? thus further increasing the over all resolution for such signals. An aspect ratio is the measurement of the image displayed. It is the width of the image divided by the height. A traditional SDTV uses an aspect ratio of 4:3, while a HDTV has a much higher aspect ratio of 16:9 which helps the HDTV to handle bigger pictures and there is no need to compress them as well. HDTV also avoids the use of letter boxing; therefore, one can view the images in their original for wide form. Letter boxing is the technique of compressing the widescreen images to video formats.

The highest resolution of a SDTV is the lowest resolution of HDTV. For the reader?s information, the highest resolution for SDTV is just 704 x 480 pixels, while the highest resolution for HDTV is 1920 x 1080 pixels. Thus a High Definition TV can display 10 times more pixels than an analog SDTV set. The frame rate in seconds, which is best described as the frames per second, or the number of frames required to form a complete picture per second. The technology in a HDTV has a frame rate of 60 per second.

To express the advantages of HDTV purely in non-technical terms here are some of the points listed below:

1.Since High definition TV is digital in nature, it receives the transmitted digital signals. Either there is a signal or none signal at all. There will no blurred signals or weak signals, or signs of signal interferences. An HDTV will either deliver an excellent picture, a still picture or no picture at all. You would never get a snowy or washed out image from a weak signal, effects from signal interference, such as herringbone patterns, or vertical rolling.

2.Most HD programming TVs are presented in the 16:9 proportioned aspect ratios, with wide screens. These screens have some amount of empty space left out at its margins which can be used up easily in case of wide images. This displays the full width of the image.

3.There is also an option of enlarging the screen if the user wants to. In addition to this facility, the images can also be enlarged to fill up the whole screen; however this option will display a distorted, stretched-out picture.

4.A larger bandwidth is used for transferring signals for HDTV, so a very realistic image is formed with true colors. The reason behind this is that, the different colours lie in different ranges of the bandwidth. Therefore, if the bandwidth is increased, so will be the definition of the colours, and naturally better picture quality will be achieved.

5.Since the number of scanning lines are much more in a HDTV, providing a higher resolution, overall visual information is about 2-5 times more detailed in comparison to the normal SDTV. The spaces between scanning lines are smaller or invisible so a better quality is obtained.

6.The increased clarity and detail make larger screen sizes more comfortable and pleasing to watch for the user.

7.Dolby Digital 5.1 sounds are broadcasted along with standard HDTV video signals thus allowing full surround sound capabilities, where-as the broadcasted signals for SDTV are just the basic audio signals.

This new invention of HDTV is surely a noticeable leap in the technology, giving a higher standard to visual as well as sound quality. The true high-definition standard, in contrast, has brought in significantly greater resolution for everybody to enjoy. The up coming new models of HDTV- 720p and 1080i formats, which are very common in today's HD television sets, brings in image clarity several times higher than the standard definition TV model. For the time being, 1080p, the most highly developed and sophisticated HD standard model, is claiming to have images of higher clarity details than anything else out there in the market. All of the HD set-ups are designed for 16x9 widescreen televisions, just like today's movies. So just get out there and enjoy!

In short, HDTV has been termed as the technology of the future. In comparison to a standard analog TV, it features a much higher resolution, clarity and over twice the resolution of DVDs.

Fifty percent of the consumers in U.S. intend to buy a HDTV for their next television. Among the HDTV owners, more than 66% indicate HDTV as their next TV purchase. it is interesting to note that, by law, as from 17 February, 2009, U.S. TV stations will stop analog broadcasting. People continuing with their standard analog TV, will have to procure digital-to-analog converters.

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

DVD Rental Stores

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.

Ceiling Mount a Home Theater Front Projector Metalcraft Mounting System

After I fainted from sticker shock at the pricing of the official Sanyo PLV-Z3 projector ceiling mount ($200), I found a much cheaper solution. For $36.95 I could buy a Metalcraft all metal adjustable ceiling mount off ebay.

Mounting a projector to my ceiling was easier than I thought. Here?s how I did it.

Tools you?ll need:

* Philips Hand Screw Driver

* Circular Level

* EZ Anchor Stud Solvers

* Tape Measure

* Step Ladder

Size up the mounting hardware: The Metalcraft mount?s ceiling plate is large measuring five by five inches square with six pre-drilled holes for ceiling screws. A post descends to the projector mount plate.

How I measured my room for optimum mount placement: Bisecting the width of the room, considering the airduct, and measuring eleven and a half feet from the front projector screen?s surface plus the half the length of the mounting plate, I placed the plate on the ceiling and marked each screw hole.

Anchored to ceiling: Wear safety goggles to avoid getting ceiling board dust in your eyes. I removed the plate and drove the metal EZ Anchor Stud Solver anchors until they were flush with the ceiling. The EZ Anchors are great because you never have to drill a pilot hole for the self-tapping anchors. I replaced the plate over the anchors and drove each #8 screw into its anchor. You may need an extra hand to hold the plate in place while you tighten the first two to four screws.

Attach the projector plate before attaching to ceiling plate: Since the mount assembly breaks into two parts, one attaching to the ceiling with a post that screws into the adjustment plate for the projector, you can screw and tighten the hex screws and plastic bushings to the projector body.

Secure the projector plate to the ceiling mount: The Metalcraft ceiling mount?s post accepts a adjustable knob screw. You will need someone to help you get the screw started while they lift up the projector. With the screw tight you can rotate the projector from left to right on the ceiling post.

Fine-tuning: The Metalcraft mount allows yaw, pitch and rotation. With the hand tightening of knobs on the projector mount plate you can canter your projector perfectly on your projection screen. With the aid of a circular bubble level you can level the projector from front to back and left to right using the corresponding thumb knobs. With projector level you can then adjust your lense up and down and to the side for a perfect screen fill with no keystone distortion correction.

Caveat: The Metalcraft mount is wobbly because of the thinness of the metal used on the metal band that holds the projector mount to the ceiling mount post. When you need to change interconnects or adjust manual focus and zoom the projector rocks slightly as the metal gives. This does not cause the projector to fall out of register, though. Hey?$36.95?what do you expect?

The Metalcraft Mounting System for the Sanyo PLV-Z3 LCD projector (and many other projector brands and models) is a great bargain and very reliable. Highly recommended.

Father, Husband and Geek. My geeky interests have not changed since I was a kid. I still love comic books, anime, role-playing games, console video games, indie rock, imported toys and mecha models, bad American and great British sitcoms, and all the tech that let?s me experience these hobbies to their fullest. Now that I?m married with children, I?ve had to strike a balance between supporting and pleasing my family and feeding my geekery hunger. Lucky for me, my wife is very accomodating and even geeks out with me on occasion (the ladies love Joss Whedon?s Firefly). My two year old likes anything that moves on the front projection screen and makes noise, so far she is easy to please. Geekwithfamily.com exists to enrich the lives of fellow geeks and the friends and family who put up with them.

1080p HDTV Sets have Started to Emerge Should You Opt for One?

It is all an issue of Image Resolution

There are currently a number of different HDTV formats as adopted by the Advanced Television Systems Committee (ATSC), based on 720p, 1080i, and 1080p - using refresh rates that vary between 24 Hz and 60 Hz.

The main difference between these HDTV formats is one of image resolution.

The 720p is on the lower-end of the scale with an image resolution of 1280 pixels by 720 lines. The other two formats both support 1920 pixels by 1080 lines. In other words, both support the same image resolution but there is a significant difference in the way the 1080i (interlaced) and the 1080p (progressive) formats build up the image.

Surely, image resolution in fixed-pixel displays is a very HOT topic with many HDTV buyers. For many, the obvious choice is to opt for the latest 1080p HDTV - also referred to as ultra-HD or full-HD by some manufacturers ...but there is a price to pay to get the latest in HDTV technology.

On the other hand, the way the 1080i and the 720p formats build up the image may render the lower resolution 720p format more suitable to display certain image content.

In other words, do not simply jump to conclusions as to which HD format is best. As we will see in this article, each of these different HDTV formats has got its strengths and weaknesses.

1080i: Up to a few years ago, this was considered as the reference standard in HDTV. Nearly all first-generation HDTVs were rear-projection sets that supported this standard.

This format boasts a picture resolution of 1920 pixels by 1080 horizontal lines that are painted on the screen in two interlaced halves (hence the 'i' in the '1080i' format) - by first painting all 540 even-numbered lines on the screen (also referred to as the even-field), and then proceed with the painting of the odd-numbered lines (odd-field). These two fields together form a single frame of 1080 lines.

In the process, the screen is painted 60 times per second (50 times in a PAL signal) - each time painting only half of the lines per frame, with the entire screen being painted in two passes 30 times every second.

Because of the way the interlaced process paints the screen, all picture information contained in adjacent odd and even lines in an interlaced image is 1/60th of a second out-of-synch with the next or previous line. This difference between the two halves of the picture would show up in what are referred to as 'interlaced artifact'. This in itself will impact on the type of image content that is best displayed on an interlaced display.

720p and 1080p HDTV: In contrast, in all progressive-scan formats - 480p (EDTV), and 720p and the 1080p HDTV displays - all scanning lines in a single frame are displayed sequentially in a single pass. This means that a progressive scan image is complete in itself. This also explains why progressive images look better when objects in the pictures are in motion.

The Bottom Line

The 1080i format is more widely supported by manufacturers and broadcasters; broadcasters however would normally broadcast only in either 720p or 1080i but not both. This should not be much of an issue in that any HDTV set you buy should be able to display pictures in any HDTV format by up-converting or down-converting to its native format, i.e. the one in which it's designed to produce a picture.

Theoretically, from a pixel-count perspective, 1080i supports better spatial resolution than a 720p HDTV. In theory, 1080i supports a pixel count of over 2 million pixels as against the 0.92 million pixels supported by 720p HDTV, but due to limitations associated with interlacing, the actual difference in effective resolution between 720p and 1080i is almost negligible. What's more, a 720p display is capable of a better flicker-free picture when it comes to fast moving action movie scenes and sports.

The situation with 1080p HDTV is totally different than that of 1080i. 1080p supports the full 1920 x 1080 pixels (2.07 million pixels) while at the same time, enjoys the added benefit that all 1080 lines are displayed in a single pass.

In other words, 1080p HDTV combines the superior resolution of the 1080 format with the smooth stable image of a progressive scan format.

N.B: It is worth mentioning here that interlaced formats aren't really an option in fixed-pixel displays (DLP and LCD rear-projection as well as plasma and LCD flat-panel). This also explains why display manufacturers are shifting away from the 1080i and instead moving directly from 720p to 1080p HDTV.

And What about 1080p HDTV Sets?

Surely, 1080p HDTV represents the latest developments in HD Television technology. A few of these sets have already started to hit the market.

Not surprisingly, there is a premium one has to pay to get the latest and best in the HDTV world. 1080p HDTV sets do not come cheap but the price gap between a 720p and a 1080p has already fallen below the $500 mark from an average of $1,000 to $2,000 a year ago.

Should you opt for a 1080p HDTV Set, and are these sets worth the extra expense?

Well, there is no straight answer here. It all depends on what are your requirements, yet there are a few facts you should know before making any decision:

• Surely, these sets are capable of producing spectacular results with ultra sharp images. But whether you will be able to see the difference in image quality between a 720p display and a 1080i signal displayed on a 1080p HDTV display depends on your TV viewing distance and screen size, more than on the screen native resolution. (It is not the scope of this article to discuss the TV viewing distance but more info in this respect is available at our site at http://www.practical-home-theater-guide.com/Tv-viewing-distance.html)

• In reality, it would be very difficult to detect any difference in image detail between 720p and 1080i/p HDTV material on the smaller sets from 10-feet away. Sit closer and feed your 1080p HDTV set with a good quality HD source, and you will start to see the difference.

• Further more, with most of today HD broadcasts, you will be hard pressed to see a difference in picture quality when you compare the image on current 720p sets versus the latest 1080p HDTV models. Surely, if you are thinking of going really big, then the extra image resolution would make the difference. But keep in mind that at present, true 1080p HDTV material is almost non-existent. What's more, none of the major networks has announced 1080p broadcasts - and it is unlikely that they will make such a move in the near future considering the bandwidth requirements.

Nevertheless, one cannot but remark that the whole equation in favor of 1080p HDTV sets has started to change. There are a number of factors that are pointing towards the latest in HDTV - and it is not just the marginal difference in price between 720p and 1080p HDTV sets. In particular, there is the advent of high definition movie players; these will be taking a dominate role in the distribution of off-air HDTV content. It is true that present day first generation HD-DVD do not output in 1080p but first generation Blu-ray will offer it, so HD-DVD will surely have to follow suit at some point in the near future. Meanwhile, 1080p is quickly becoming the new de-facto gold standard for HDTVs, and while - ironically - most pre-2006 1080p HDTV sets did not support a 1080p connection, 1080p inputs are set to become among the basic common supported features in nearly all 2006 HDTVs.

(c) 2004/2005 www.practical-home-theater-guide.com. All rights reserved.

Andrew Ghigo ? A Telecoms/Electronics engineer by profession, with specialization in digital switching and telecoms fraud management systems.

Editor and publisher of http://www.practical-home-theater-guide.com - a site dedicated to all home theater enthusiasts with the scope of serving as a comprehensive home theater guide to home theater systems, product reviews and home theater design.

This article is an excerpt from a series of guides appearing under the Rear Projection TV Reviews section of the site.

Offair Indoor HDTV Antennas

More and more individuals outfit their homes with high definition TVs. Many of them subscribe for a paid HDTV programming delivered by their cables or satellite television provider. Due to cables and satellite TV bandwidth limitations very strong video compression is often used and, as a result, the video quality is degraded. Surprisingly, an alternative option of over the air (OTA) HDTV broadcasts reception is not only free of charge, but also frequently offers better video quality. OTA HDTV broadcasts can be received with a simple off-air TV antenna.

Which HDTV antenna to choose? Most of all it depends on the area you live in. Depending on the broadcasts available in your location and a distance from the transmitting towers, you will have to decide on the frequency band you need, antenna directivity, amplification and placement.

In most cases an outdoor antenna is the way to go. Indoor antenna reception quality is always inferior to the quality obtained with an outdoor antenna, especially in remote areas. However, of you live in a HD signal saturated area in the immediate proximity to the towers, then an indoor HDTV antenna may work great for you.

There are many reasons for using indoors antennas, most of which have to do with the inability of installing an outdoor television antenna. Indoor HDTV antennas are especially popular with individuals living in apartments. Your home may simply not have the space to mount an outdoor antenna, and there are several indoor models that serve as space savers while providing you with reception.

Another reason for indoor television antenna selection has to do with aesthetics. Some neighborhoods forbid installation of outdoor rooftop antennas. In principle, according to FCC regulations you have the right to install a rooftop antenna and nobody can stop you from doing this.

Indoor television antennas are also encouraged for anyone who may not feel comfortable with accessing their roof and installing the actual antenna. Furthermore, indoor antennas do not take the environmental punishments that outdoor antennas take, so the indoor versions generally last longer.

The main disadvantage of an indoor HDTV antenna is of course the reception quality. For an indoor antenna the line of sight is almost always blocked and the incoming wall-bounced signals are weak. Physical location with respect to the broadcasting towers is the key to success. The impact of construction materials of your house is also significant. The less metal is there, the better.

Although the reception quality of outdoor antennas is usually far superior to that of the indoor antennas, the other factors - including size, cost, ease of installation, and appearance - may be the deciding factor in your choice between the two.

Audiovox, RCA, Samsung these are just a few of many indoor HDTV antenna manufacturers. All of them offer similar products. For VHF TV channels 2 to 13 all you have is the well known rabbit ears antenna. Anything more sophisticated than that in VHF band would be simply too large to place indoors. UHF antennas are smaller and a consumer has many antenna types to choose from. The most basic (and poorly performing) is the UHF loop antenna. More sophisticated UHF antenna types are directional log-periodic and scatter plane antennas.

There are numerous pros and cons with the particular antenna types and brands, so be sure to research a specific model before you buy. Consider looking at customer reviews, to see how owners of the model in question rate the antenna in a variety of arenas.

Eric Gov is a contributing author in RF related topics. He has co-founded HDTvAntennaLabs.com offering HDTV antenna reviews at http://www.HDTvAntennaLabs.com/hd-antenna.php

Multisystem TVs

The first ever colour broadcast came to USA in 1953. This was based on NTSC - National Television System Committee standard. NTSC is being used by many countries in the American continent and as well as in Asia too, in countries including Japan. NTSC runs on 525 lines/frame. The Phase Alternating Line (PAL) system was introduced in early 1960s and was available in most European countries except France. PAL utilises a wider channel-bandwidth than NTSC, which provides a better picture quality. This system runs on 625 lines/frame. Sequential Couleur Avec Memoire or Sequential Colour with Memory (SECAM) standard was introduced in early 1960s and was implemented in France. SECAM transmits colour information sequentially but uses the same bandwidth as PAL. The standard runs on 625 lines/frame.

The reason for using these different standards is based on that the TV receivers require a source of field tinning reference signals to receive the images. At first it was thought that the Mains power supply frequency will be a good source for this field timing. This divided the world in two frequency zones, 50Hz and 60 Hz, which are the ones widely used in different countries. So, the TV standard was divided into 25 frames/second (50 Hz) and 30 frames/second (60 Hz). The designers slightly modified the 60 Hz category and converted it to 59.9 Hz, when they added colour to the signals. The main compatibility between the two categories of TVs remain related to be the field rate and this has not been solved as yet.

A solution had to be found to enable the TV to work on any of the standards available in the world.

This saw the introduction of a multi-system TV capable of working in a variety of video standards, such as PAL, NTSC and SECAM. This TV will work in almost all the countries in the world, with certain exceptions. Some parts of the world use a very rare video system which requires a special type of TV. These countries are - France Uruguay, Brazil and Paraguay. France broadcasts in SECAM-L, which is the only country doing so, while Brazil, Uruguay and Paraguay broadcast in PAL-M and N, which are not found in any other part of the world.

The question often arises whether my NTSC TV can be modified to PAL standard or other way round. The horizontal scan rates for both the standars are nearly identical - 15,734 Hz for NTSC and 15,625 Hz for PAL. Therefore this is not likely to be a problem. If these differed significantly, there would have been large cost issues coming into the design. The problem remains with the vertical scan, with 525 line/60 Hz NTSC and 625 line/50 Hz PAL. But its easier to modify the vertical deflection to accommodate a modest variation in rates.

As far as commercial multi-system TVs are concerned, there are not too many seen in U.S. because of lack of demand. These TVs are mainly manufactured for the international markets and are available in abundance in such places.

On the other hand, you can view all the standards of video inputs, viz., PAL / SECAM / NTSC, automatically. These are based on auto voltage sensors, switching from one main power of 240 volts, 50 Hz to 100 volts, 60 Hz, or vice-versa, automatically. Most of these TVs allow you to tune with cable or antenna channels in most countries in the world.

Different concept is followed in measurement specifications for multi-system TVs. In North America, the measurement is done only on the exposed screen of the TV, while in case of a multi-system TV, the encasing, covering the small edge of the screen, is taken into account. Although an American TV will be of the same size as a multi-system TV, the specifications would differ in the sizes of the two TVs as far as the screen is concerned. The screen measurement in a standard TV is done from the upper left corner to the bottom right corner of the screen.

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

The Fun of Making your Own Home Video

Home videos are a great way to spend quality time with family and friends. You can build unforgettable memories that you can share with others, or you can just make people laugh. (or both) There are several different approaches to this, but here are a few ideas.

One of the funniest things to do with your home video is to make it like a movie or TV show. You can act like your favorite characters from well known movies or shows to generate laughter. The more things you do exactly like the professional version, the better your home video will be. You should also give it a title that is similar to what you are making fun of. You can mimic reality shows, sitcoms, or horror films. Be creative, I'm sure there is something you can copy.

When your video is all filmed you can edit out the parts that you don't want and put the other clips in order. If you are using a digital camcorder, you can plug in your camera to the computer and load the video for easy editing. Adding music can set the mood of the film. You can play a song that has lyrics that describe what is going on, slow music for a sweet memory, or music that with add humor to the situation. You can even record your voice over it, and make a funny dubbed scene.

If you want to be original, you can record special talents, have your children act like you, and of course just record special occasions just as they are. You can also film your pets or children on a regular day. They both do funny things on their own. It is still possible to add music or you own voice to the video, to add humor or you thoughts and feelings about what is taking place.

Some tips on filming are:

Make sure that whatever you are filming is in the center of the screen. Be sure that the microphone is on. Try to have as much light as possible so that the film is not dark. Use a tripod for a stable picture. Make relatively slow camera movements, so the viewers don't get dizzy. There are many more pointers I can give, like depending on the tone of the movie, you may want to change the angle of the camera for effect. These are not rules that apply to every video, but they are good suggestions.

Once your home video is all finished, burn the DVD or tape the video to a VHS so you can watch it when you are upset, save it for a rainy day, or show it to family and friends. You can also post the video to a website like myspace.com or youtube.com. If you have your own website, you can publish it there. If you don't have one, you can create one. Enjoy yourself, you never know, you could be the next Alfred Hitchcock or Steven Spielberg!

Lee Harkins is a professional film maker. He resides in Manchester, United Kingdom. Being a widow, his only passion is making films. This year, he was nominated for the best film editor by his local council for a film showcase festival. Realising that a lot of people do not know how to make simple home video, he set up a website http://www.videohome.info/ sharing his 17 years professional ideas and tips. Check out the website today.