A Brief History Of Television

One of the most frequently asked questions related to television is, `Where`s the remote?` When the first simple television (televisores) was built in 1928, it did not come with a remote. The entire wonder consisted of a disk, a light (which tended to make the images orange in appearance) and a moderate need for electricity.

By the 1930`s, televisions (televisores) had evolved to all electrical components. The typical screen was about 6X8 inches and generally was mounted in a much larger cabinet. By the late 1930`s televisions were made by several manufacturers in the United States and throughout Europe and the Soviet Union.

World War II slowed recreational television progress while turning that technology to the necessary military communications. Many communication devices were made accessible using television cable. Unlike the Viet Nam War, civilians were not able to watch the battles that had been fought and radio was still highly sought for news and entertainment.

By 1945, many American families believed they had suffered enough hardship from the war and rewarded themselves with televisions (televisores). The pictures were of a better quality than in earlier televisions and only in black and white. Programming other than news had caught on and gradually, game shows, sports and other programs of interest were available.

Technically, the ability to produce programs in color occurred in the late 1940`s, however it was in the mid 1960`s that major broadcasters began to produce their programming in color. Early colored televisions did not provide exact color replication. One often noticed unnatural tint which was correctable by manipulating the `tint` dial on the television.

For those of us old enough to remember the assignation of John F. Kennedy, we will also remember his lying in state and his funeral and burial all shown on major broadcast stations. This was the first major event in American history that could be viewed by people all across the United States on television (televisores). Despite miles of separation, people in the USA felt more connected to one another because of this new technology.

The 1970`s brought about the greatest surge of television purchases. Major appliance stores (Sears and others) had banks of televisions on display. Daytime television and `Soap Operas` became favorites of many stay at home mothers. Game shows became more plentiful as did movies which introduced us to favorites such as John Waynne, Robert Young, `Beaver Cleaver` and many, many more. These were idyllic families, devoid of abuse, less than charitable language, arguments, and other behaviors evidenced in today`s homes and societies. Television commercials changed the `tools` of childhood which previously had been invented and make believe to Barbie and Ken dolls, talking bears, more sophisticated bicycles and wagons and the like.

Satellites influenced further changes in television (televisores) in the mid 1980`s. Pay for view programming became possible through the encryption of programming and transmitting via cable and only to viewers who had the additional equipment to view such programs.

Today, digital and satellite television (televisores) deliver the clearest images to the viewer and provide several hundred channels from which to choose. Televisions have grown from 6x8 picture tubes in huge cabinets to slim instruments sitting atop pedestals. Large screen television gives the appearance of football players kicking off in one`s living room and monster trucks driving directly at the viewer. Television today may be accessed from one`s computer as well as by cell phone.

The Advantages Of Digital Camera

The digital camera has totally changed the way we take photographs; it has made the greatest impact in the world of photography since the Polaroid Instamatic camera. It is a great accessory to the present day computer; photographs can be taken in an instant and loaded on to the computer, and emailed to a friend or a relative in the space of a few minutes. If you add a photo quality ink jet printer to your computer, you will not need to develop a roll of film ever again.

The digital camera started out from a single 1 mega pixel quality photo; now they come in over 10 mega pixels with huge print sizes, with amazing photo quality.

You may find it tough to decide which digital camera will fulfill your needs the best. You will have to undertake a bit of research, to help you to find the best camera, with the proper lenses, filters, external flash, tripods - everything you need so that you can start taking photographs, like a professional! Just spend a little time and figure out how you will be really using your digital camera, before you purchase one. Will it be for daily use, for special occasions like birthdays, family reunions? Will the price of the digital camera make a lot of difference?

The digital camera is also part of a new field of photography, in which you use a green or a blue background, and with special software like Corel Paint or PhotoShop, you can do wonders and create a new imaginative background. You can edit out the background and put in its place any of thousands of prepared indoors or outdoors backgrounds. There are multifunctional digital cameras that can take not only photographs but also video and sound. Digital cameras can be categorized as still cameras, video cameras and professional modular digital camera.

Since the market is so full of different models of digital cameras, you have to select a digital camera that will suit your needs. They come in different price ranges, so you will not have any difficulty selecting one that will fit into your budget. Before buying a digital camera, your first consideration has to be the resolution. A digital camera with a higher resolution than what you require can prove to be a waste of money, processing power and storage. A large number of pixels do not necessarily mean a superior image, so be cautious. A lower resolution digital camera is the best for posting images to the web, to view images on your computer, or to email files. You don`t always need a high capacity memory card, a small capacity memory card can also give high quality performance.

A digital camera can use its own battery and charger, or it can use double A size batteries. A digital camera may connect to a computer for data transmission. The most usual method of connectivity is USB, but Fire wire port or Blue Tooth are also used. Some digital cameras can connect to computer networks wirelessly.

One of the good things about a digital camera is that you do not have to spend anything on developing the film at a local store, nor do you have to drive to the store and back. A digital camera gives you an instant feeling of gratification when you view the pictures you have taken on the viewfinder or on your personal computer. You also have the full freedom of editing your photographs until you are fully satisfied with them!

You can select, save or delete photographs without any cost involved. The photos are stored hundreds of media cards, so you can take as many pictures as you wish before you run out of space.

LCD TV - The Latest In Viewing

Liquid Crystal Display is all about flat panel television technology. The technology of liquid crystal display has penetrated our everyday life in everyday things like wristwatches, mobile phones, calculators, computer monitors and high definition television. The use is growing rapidly and sales of LCD TV are expected to exceed 4 million in America alone.

There are some distinct advantages of LCD panels over other kinds of display technologies. They are slimmer and hardly go beyond 3.5`` in depth. These are lighter also and best of all they draw less power - only about 60% of the power consumed by plasma displays. LCD televisions do not spew electromagnetic waves that are harmful.

There are drawbacks of course - viewing angle is restricted, contrast ratio is limited and time of display response may cause concern. The biggest frown of all is caused by the price. Although it is falling but still it is considerably higher than its plasma counterpart.

LCD displays comprises mainly of sheets of polarized glass sheets - two in number. A liquid crystal solution is sandwiched between these. These liquid crystals are very specific that causes them to act as shutters that open or shut out entry of light as the need arises depending upon flow of electric current. This current passing through the liquid crystals is regulated by voltage that is applied between the glass sheets through the electrodes that are transparent. These form a network having rows on one direction of the panel and columns on the other side representing the pixels or picture elements.

What are these liquid crystals? Matter can be found in three states - solid, liquid and gas. Nevertheless there are substances that exist in a state that is neither liquid nor solid at any one point of time. The behaviour of these molecules is also peculiar. They keep to their orientation like those in a solid and yet they shuffle around taking up various positions like the molecules of a liquid. Thus these liquid crystals can be termed neither solid nor liquid though they have more of an affinity for the latter - that is the liquid state.

There are various types of liquid crystals with each having its distinct properties. Those used in LCD panels are termed nematic-phase liquid crystals. The molecules are arranged in a particular fashion having distinctive pattern.

LCD display systems are of two types - passive and active matrix. The former is more complicated, produces the best pictures and consequently the price also goes up. During the manufacturing stage bad-pixels pose a serious problem. Innumerable controlling transistors are required on the glass substrata to control each sub-pixel. A typical wide screen panel will require 3.1 million transistors. Any one faulty transistor cannot be replaced and are known as dead or stuck pixels. If one is permanently off then a black spot will show and if it is on then a white spot will show. If it crosses a certain number the whole unit will have to be discarded.

It was during the early 2000`s that LCD flat panels took over the television market from the typical CRT`s. The basis of the technology is founded on the characteristics of polarized light. The thin semi liquid crystal gel trapped between two slim polarized sheets is divided into pixels.

There is hectic activity to overcome the technological difficulties to make the set affordable. So the LCD TV has to be made affordable to hit the headlines of success.

Mp3 Player, Mp4 Player And Ipod

The invention of the MP3 player, with MP4 player and iPod following it, has revolutionized the music industry. These lightweight, reasonably priced, portable music gadgets are almost everywhere you look. Earlier they used to be the obsession of the geeks, nerds and the electronic enthusiasts but today these players are a must have consumer electronic item for almost everyone whether it is the stay at house mom, working business executive, fitness freak joggers, teenagers or even the bored granddad.

MP3 player has personalized music like never before. The MP3 craze has reached its peak with people wanting more and more features in their players. What they want is to download their complete collection of music in their player. You can download and store more than thousands of songs inexpensively into your device and listen to it whenever you want; whether at office or at home or tolerating a boring lecture or even struggling past a heavy traffic jam. A music player seems to be in every hand nowadays. These are wireless, portable, wonders of music and entertainment that can store, systematize and play music on demand.

The three main types of digital audio players are MP3 CD Players that can play both data CDs and audio CDs with MP3 format files, Flash-based Players that are solid state devices with internal media or memory cards type external media and Digital Jukeboxes like the apple iPod and Creative Zen which can read digital audio files from a hard drive. These types of players are the most advanced in technology and have high memory ranging from 1.5 GigaByte to 100 GigaByte.

There is a myth regarding MP3 and MP4 player as Mp4 being a successor of Mp3 player, but these two are different things. Fundamentally, Mp3 is a specific category of audio format while Mp4 is actually a container format. But an Mp4 player can also play Mp3 files besides MP4 format files with complete clarity just like the original player.

The iPod was introduced by Apple Inc. and was launched in October 2001. The varieties of iPod available today include video fifth generation iPod, the small iPod nano and the display free iPod shuffle. You can use Apple`s iTunes software to transfer music of your choice to the devices. An iPod supports and plays MP3, AAC, AIFF, Protected AAC, WAV and some other audio file formats. The Apple iPod also has some additional features like displaying text files, viewing contacts and synchronizing it with the host computer, gaming facilities like the Brick, solitaire, Parachute and Music Quiz. A lot of accessories have been made for the iPod such as sound recorders, wired remote control, FM radio tuners, and cables for enabling TV connections.

iPods have often been criticized due to their short life-span, delicate hard drives.There are also some health risks associated with frequent use of these players which can lead to loss in audio capacity and can also lead to absent mindedness.

All of these music players are portable and use either a semi-permanent rechargeable battery or conventional batteries that can be disposed or recharged. Some MP3 / MP4 players also have additional features like playing FM stations, games, microphone for voice recording, address storage book and etc.

The MP3 player have created a huge mass hysteria amongst some age groups leading to many companies joining the bandwagon to design and market different types of MP3, MP4 players and iPods. It has also given rise to an entirely new industry of downloading sites. This heavy competition has forced companies to find new and innovative use of these players like incorporating features like camera, mobile and etc.

Important Facts About Mp3 And Mp4 Players

Mpeg-1 Audio Layer 3, more commonly referred to as mp3, is a popular digital audio encoding format. A device that is designed to greatly reduce the amount of data required to represent the audio recording, by retaining the sound from the original uncompressed state. Mp3 is an audio-specific compression format. By compressing, certain sounds that cannot be heard by the listener outside the normal human hearing range, are removed. This makes the sound clearly audible to the listener.

The mp3 players have changed the evolution of music. The good old records, eight-track tapes, cassette tapes and CDs no doubt gave the music lovers a good time but none of these earlier music formats provided the convenience and control that mp3 players provide. It is as convenient as keeping it in your hand or pocketing it. You can create personalized music lists and carry thousands of songs wherever you go. Mp3 players are offered in different shapes and sizes.

For those who want to be with the time by possessing the latest gadgets or be the first ones to have them, here is a list of some popular mp3 player brands: Apple, Archos, Creative, Olympus, RCA, Rio, Samsung, SanDisk, Sony and iRiver. Most of these have good amount of storage capacity, screen size, compatable to Apple MacOS X 10.3.4 or later, Microsoft Windows XP SP2 or later, Microsoft Windows 2000 SP4 or later.

Mpeg-4 Part 14, a multimedia container format commonly known as Mpeg-4. It is a device that stores digital audio and digital video streams, especially those defined by mpeg. Subtitles and still images are also stored. Mpeg-4 Part 14 allows streaming over the Internet. The filename extension for Mpeg-4 Part 14 files is .mp4, thus the name mp4. Devices that play .mp4 files are referred to as mp4 players.

The evolution of mp4 player devices has lead to providing more features such as fm tuner, voice recorder, email, and Internet browser capability. As it is capable of delivering audio and video at the same time, mp4 devices can offer a wide range of interesting features, such as web browsing, email, instant messaging, video and music download, Bluetooth wireless technology, digital camera and others. Not to forget the game capability, voice recording and multiple language options. The storage capacity is amazing which can start from 256 mega bites up to 40, 60 and up giga bites.

Mp4 is the next step in the evolution of music after mp3. The difference between mp4 and mp3 formats is that, mp4 devices hold both audio and video files. As for the mp3 it only holds the audio type file.

iPod is a brand of portable media players designed and marketed by Apple. The iPod name has become synonymous with mp3 or mp4 players as it is the most popular brand and holds the biggest share of the market. Devices in the iPod range are primarily digital audio players. These devices can be used to store an entire music library. This is not all, it can also be used to view and transfer photos, videos, games, and calendars to the models that support them.

With PDA-like functionality, text files can be displayed, while contacts and schedules can be viewed and synchronized with the host computer. It comes with built-in games like Brick, Parachute, Solitaire, and Music Quiz. It is condensed, brawny and frivolous, and is easy enough to carry along in your palm, in your pocket, or purse.

The storage capacity varies from 512 mb to 80+ gb. It has a powerful 60 mw amplifier so it can deliver audio as loud as you want. It also has a 20 MZ to 20 khz frequency responses. This means, you can hear distortion free music at the least pitches. iPod is a very handy mp3 mp4 player indeed!

Understanding Mp4 Players

Mp3 audio format became available back in 1993. Shortly after it became the standard internet audio format, and it is still very much used world wide. Recently another format has been introduced, the mp4 audio-video format which allows video capability, so that users can watch movies, TV shows, music videos along with mp3 songs.

As the industry of mp4 player devices evolved, more features such as fm tuner, voice recorder, email, internet browser capability and others were added to mp4 devices, making them a desired product among electronic users.

Differences between mp4 and mp3 format, relies basically that mp4 devices holds both audio and video files. As for the mp3 it only holds the audio type file. So, one could think of mp4 as being the next step in this evolution file format that started with mp3.

Due to the capability of delivering audio and video at the same time, mp4 devices can offer a wide range of interesting features, such as web browsing, email, instant messaging, video and music download, bluetooth wireless technology, digital camera and others. Also game capability and multiple language options are features that made mp4 devices so popular. Other features, such as voice recording, enabled mp4 devices to be used for professional purposes, besides entertainment.

Another important mp4 feature is the storage capacity, that can start from 256 mega bites up to 40, 60 and up giga bites. Usually a small hard disk unit is used to hold several giga bites of data. For smaller storages, an internal electronic flash memory may be used.

As a music player device, mp4 may offer a 7-band equalizer which will allow the user to change the sound category according to the music style. These sound categories are Pop, Jazz, Rock, Soft, Classic and DBB. Also mp4 player device will support various format files such as Mp3, AMV, ASF, WAV, WMA, WMV and others. As far as the supporting video formats are concerned this device proves to be able to convert file in the AVI, MPEG, Windows media format into the AMV thru the use of software.

Since mp4 devices is compact, it is safe to say that its small size, light weight and good user interface menu, make this device portable, easy to control and access no matter where one can be.

As mp4 format became more popular, several internet audio-video download sites started to offer services, so that mp4 users can download their favorite music or video at affordable prices. There are sites that offer music file download for only 99 cents each, and one has to only pick his favorite song, not the entire album.

Also available in these internet sites are files called Podcasts, which includes information programs, news broadcasts, comedy and entertainment programs. Podcasting is quickly becoming a buzz word among the techie crowd. So what is podcasting, anyway? Podcasting is online audio and video content that is delivered via an RSS feed. Although Podcasting is new, it should become a mainstream communication medium in the near future.

Being basically a container, mp4 player devices are able to provide multimedia solutions with its audio-video file format. Because of that mp4 players became very popular and as it becomes more sophisticated with new features being added in new models, people become more eager to own these device players. After all most electronic consumers do have a wish to keep up with modern time.

DVD Players and DVD Recorders

The choice of models and brands for DVD players and recorders is overwhelming, whether you are on a shoestring budget or a generous one. The prices of models range from below £40 to over £300 with major brands including Toshiba, Samsung, Yamaha, and Xoro. Are you looking for a High Definition (HD) DVD home theatre system; a digital video recorder to record or burn home movies; a DVD VHS home theatre system combined with a DVD player; or simply a standard, single disc DVD player?

Features

The latest DVD players and recorders come with a host of potential features:-

Multi-region support. This is essential for those who regularly buy their DVDs from other regions outside of Europe: increasingly common with so many purchases now made online.

Wall mounting. More and more living rooms are now adopting a 'minimalist' style encouraged by the flat screen, wall mountable nature of LCD and Plasma TVs.

MPEG4/DivX and other video and photo format support. For those looking to store digital home moves and photos on a DVD recorder, it is important that you check compatibility with the formats used by your video camera and digital camera. Equally, the presence of the appropriate USB and SD/MMC/MS card readers is needed when uploading photos and films to store them.

Free view tuners. These are on more and more peoples' shopping lists as digital TV gradually takes over from the old analogue network in the UK.

Surround sound. Whether its 5:1, 7:1 or even 9:1, be sure to check that surround sound output (and indeed storage in the case of DVD recorders) is compatible with your existing home theatre equipment.

High definition (HD) support. This is also increasingly important. Although the full benefits of HD can be realised only when used in association with an HD compatible TV, the costs of HD TVs are falling by the day: if you don't have one now, there is every chance you will have one in the near future.

Progressive scan. This all but eliminates image flicker during playback. Again there may be some compatibility constraints which need checking with your existing equipment but the investment should be worthwhile.

The Advantages and Disadvantages of an Automatic Garage Door

When you are deciding to buy a new garage door you certainly have a lot of choices to make. One of these choices is whether you are going to opt for an electrical door or a manual one. However before you rush ahead and decide, it is firstly essential that you set a budget. Without a budget you can not be sure of what you can afford, what will work, and what will not.

So how should you decide what budget is suitable for your new garage door? The first thing I would consider is how much you can afford to spend! An automatic door can cost around $5000, so if you do not have that kind of budget do not get too excited about the thought of an automated door, because you might not be able to afford it.

So if you can afford an automated garage, what are the advantages of having one? Well the first major advantage of one is the fact that when you drive into your drive you do not have to get out of you car, open the door, then get back in your car to drive it in. With an automatic garage door not of that isnecessary.

The advantages of automation does not stop there. It is not only great for the lazy people amongst us, it is also great for those of us who do not have the time to waste in getting in the house. With this door, we can fast-forward the the time it takes to get into the garage/out of the garage and where we want to be.

Another great benefit of this is security. Security is the most important aspect of your garage door, since it can effect whether or not your car is safe or not. With an automatic garage door you do not have to worry about security issues as much because many of these can be addressed through automation.

With an automatic garage door there are also disadvantages you have to consider. The first of these is obviously the cost that you will have to incur. Yes, ladies and gents, they do not come cheap compared to a normal manual door.

The next problem with automatic doors is when they dont work! Although this is not common it will happen. When this does occur you will have to call in an engineer which could be very expensive and you will also have to find an alternative in the mean time.These are all issues you will have to address and consider when you decide whether or not to buy an automatic garage door.

Whatever choice you make, make sure you are not just aware of what you get with the purchase, you also have to be sure you know what level of support you will attain after the sale. Remember that with garages things can go wrong, and you have to be prepared for when that day will come. Before you buy a garage I would consider reading reviews before hand.

Camcorder

If you have decided that you need a new camcorder, you will want to make sure that you choose the best one for you. Some things that you will want to consider when choosing which camcorder to purchase will include the price, what you will be using it for, the format of the camcorder, how easy it is to use, and what kind of sales support it has. Taking these things into consideration can help you choose the best camcorder for you.

Price
When you are choosing a camcorder, you will want to take a look at the price. While you may not want to pick the cheapest one, you will want to make sure that you get a good deal. Before you go shopping for your camcorder, decide on how much money you want to spend and then set out to find the best camcorder possible for that amount of money. One way to get a great price will be to check a variety of different stores or online stores to make sure you are getting a bargain.

Use for the Camcorder
What you plan to do with the camcorder will definitely come in to consideration when you are trying to find the right camcorder. Decide what you are going to use the camcorder for most and then find the one that will be best suited for these activities. If you will be using it outside, get one that is best suited for outdoor shooting. If you will be filming in low light, then choose a camcorder that will perform well in low light.

Format
Format is also important when you are choosing a camcorder. In the past, VHS camcorders have been quite popular, but recently more people are turning to digital camcorders so they can make DVDs from the footage that they capture. If you mainly watch VHS tapes, then you may want a VHS camcorder, but for those who want the top technology, more than likely a digital camcorder will be the best.

Ease of Use
Another consideration when you are purchasing a camcorder will be how easy it is to use. If you are a technology genius, this might not be so important and you might want to choose the camcorder with all the hard to figure out buttons, but many people will want a camcorder that they find easy to use. Check out the buttons and find out how the camcorder works before you take it home and make sure that you will be able to easily operate it.

Sales Support
Sales support is another consideration that should be thought of when choosing a camcorder. You will want to make sure that your camcorder comes with sales support and replacement parts if anything should go wrong. Even if you have to spend a little extra money to purchase a service agreement, more than likely it will be worth what you spend.

Keeping these things in mind can help you find a great camcorder that is great for you. Once you decide on your budget, and what you need the camera for, the rest will come easily. Choosing a camcorder does not have to be a difficult process if you do your research before you go looking.

Video iPod Accessories

Different accessories are compatible with iPod video, fact that increases the importance and great success of the new video device. There are cases for all tastes, requirements and preferences. You may not worry about the age or special preferences of the persons you may bring as a gift the iPod and the case for it.

Other accessories are the chargers, the earphones, headphones of different models. There is also a speaker especially created for the new video. You may also find different types of skins, sticker decals, carrying cases, pouches, remote control, iPlug 3.5 splitter, backpack w/ speakers and, of course, various connection cables and adapter very useful for the new video.

There are also different available adapters video cassette adapter for 3.5 mm devices, video 3.5 mm to RCA audio cable adapter, video car charger cigarette lighter adapter for Apple mp3 players, video USB black car charger cigarette lighter adapter, video USB travel/home charger adapter, video car charger adapter, video wall-car charger 12V-AC adapter.

You may also find different transmitters for the iPod video and this is the case of the video tune-free audio FM transmitter and the video WALL-II audio FM transmitter.

Various cables are also of great use and are needed while having the iPod video - iPod video firewire 1394 data dync dable for Apple video & mini, video retractable USB 2.0 data sync cable for Apple video, video USB 2.0 extension cable, video USB 2.0 data sync cable for Apple. You may also need iPod video USB data transfer key fob, extended battery pack w/ carrying case for the video, walet carrying cases, metal cases of different colors, protector shields of various colors.

There are also some other useful accessories for the new iPod video and you may choose from different types of cases - Kroo G5 belt clip leather cases, Kroo Melrose belt clip carrying cases, video Optimum Armband carrying cases.

You may also buy an video Cellet universal PDA holder and a special holder for the iPod especially designed for the car. Other accessories are also useful and have an interesting design video Cellet Rhinestones 100, Cellet Rhinestones assorted.

Some other accessories point out the new generation style technology video creative CB2530 bluetooth digital wireless headphones, iPod video Naztech boom station N20 speaker and docking station, video fold-up amplified portable speakers for MP3 and music players. Other accessories are video desktop dock cradle, iPod video idock desktop dock cradle for Apple w/ USB and FireWire.

All these accessories denote the fact that a simple portable audio device is of a great importance taking into account all different designs for the carrying cases and skins. The video has many accessories, some of them are designed for suiting the lifestyle, the preferences and the tastes of the customers. Others are needed for transferring the information, for adapting or other useful activities in the technologic domain.

Another important aspect to mention is the fact that all the accessories are especially designed for the thinner models of the video with a larger screen and smaller dimensions. The cases, skins and sticker decals have the role of pointing out the beauty, simplicity or vivid colors. On the other hand, they have a protective role and a decorative one, pointing out the personality, the lifestyle of the user. These aspects are extremely important for the younger users of the video the teenagers.

The other accessories are more or less needed taking into account how much into the fever of the the user is and how much he uses all the other activities related with the video. Anyway, in a world in continuous movement, almost all the accessories and special devices may be of great need for a modern person with a modern lifestyle