HiRe-definition: the Ars A/V Club weighs in on the future of TV
Excellent article about how TV technology will allow us to alter our viewing habits and deliver content tailored to individuals.
Showing posts with label HDTV. Show all posts
Showing posts with label HDTV. Show all posts
Thursday, January 20, 2011
Tuesday, December 14, 2010
HDTV: A guide for the perplexed
Another excellent article about high-definition TV, HDTV: A guide for the perplexed. Some of the latest models come with widgets that will allow you to stream Netflix or other content to the TV, a few of those models will do this wirelessly. If you're in the market for a new TV, with the money you're saving on cable I hope, this article is a great place to start.
Thursday, December 2, 2010
What You Need to Know When Buying a Web-Connected TV | Product Reviews | Wired.com
What You Need to Know When Buying a Web-Connected TV | Product Reviews | Wired.com
Here's another great article from Wired that gives great tips on purchasing a Smart TV also known as a Web-Connected TV. Many of the models listed are available at your local electronics store or online via Amazon: TVs at Amazon
Here's another great article from Wired that gives great tips on purchasing a Smart TV also known as a Web-Connected TV. Many of the models listed are available at your local electronics store or online via Amazon: TVs at Amazon
Wednesday, December 1, 2010
What You Need to Know When Buying an HDTV | Product Reviews | Wired.com
What You Need to Know When Buying an HDTV | Product Reviews | Wired.com
Wired Magazine has a great article that will help you decipher the technical-speak when it comes to HDTVs. Make sure you take the article with you when you're shopping this holiday season!
Wired Magazine has a great article that will help you decipher the technical-speak when it comes to HDTVs. Make sure you take the article with you when you're shopping this holiday season!
Monday, November 29, 2010
Inexpensive HDMI cables are a right, not a privilege
Inexpensive HDMI cables are a right, not a privilege
For the best picture quality on your HDTV you will need a HDMI cable. You may see these cables in stores this holiday season for as much as $99. Don't be taken in! I made the mistake of spending $20 for a cable because I was impatient. A friend told me about a site called monoprice.com that has six foot cables for $3. I took advantage of a sale and bought three cables for $7.99 and free shipping.
For the best picture quality on your HDTV you will need a HDMI cable. You may see these cables in stores this holiday season for as much as $99. Don't be taken in! I made the mistake of spending $20 for a cable because I was impatient. A friend told me about a site called monoprice.com that has six foot cables for $3. I took advantage of a sale and bought three cables for $7.99 and free shipping.
Thursday, November 18, 2010
Saving money is great, but how do I connect my PC to my TV?
In order to access almost all the streaming content available to you on the internet to replace your premium cable TV programming, you will need a way to connect your PC to your TV.
If you still have a standard definition television, you're going to run into trouble getting content to your TV. There is no easy way to get the output of your PC to your TV without converter equipment. But, if you're dropping two or three premium channels to basic cable level of service, you can make the investment in a new HDTV and use the money you save to pay for it. At this time of year you'll probably get a great deal on a TV at Best Buy: This week's TV and home theater offers at BestBuy.com
To connect your PC to your HDTV you will need a VGA cable and a stereo audio patch cord. The audio cord would connect to the audio output of the PC to the stereo input which is normally located next to the VGA connector on the TV. If your PC supports HDMI output, all you would need is a single HDMI cable. HDMI provides digital video and audio so you won't need additional cable.
If your home network is wireless, you should be all set to connect to the internet and start streaming content. Be aware that you may run into video quality issues streaming content this way. To avoid that you should use a wired connection into your PC. If your modem or router is in another part of the house, you don't have to run cable. Netgear makes a device that allows you to use the wiring in your home as a network. Powerline ethernet is very effective in extending your internet connection. I use an older version from Netgear several years ago and it works very well with my game consoles and computers. You can purchase adapters at Amazon: NETGEAR Powerline AV 200 Adapter Kit
Now that you have your PC hooked up to your TV, my next post will tell you how you can access video podcasts on just about any subject. Food, Politics, Sports and even online college courses are just a click away!
If you still have a standard definition television, you're going to run into trouble getting content to your TV. There is no easy way to get the output of your PC to your TV without converter equipment. But, if you're dropping two or three premium channels to basic cable level of service, you can make the investment in a new HDTV and use the money you save to pay for it. At this time of year you'll probably get a great deal on a TV at Best Buy: This week's TV and home theater offers at BestBuy.com
To connect your PC to your HDTV you will need a VGA cable and a stereo audio patch cord. The audio cord would connect to the audio output of the PC to the stereo input which is normally located next to the VGA connector on the TV. If your PC supports HDMI output, all you would need is a single HDMI cable. HDMI provides digital video and audio so you won't need additional cable.
If your home network is wireless, you should be all set to connect to the internet and start streaming content. Be aware that you may run into video quality issues streaming content this way. To avoid that you should use a wired connection into your PC. If your modem or router is in another part of the house, you don't have to run cable. Netgear makes a device that allows you to use the wiring in your home as a network. Powerline ethernet is very effective in extending your internet connection. I use an older version from Netgear several years ago and it works very well with my game consoles and computers. You can purchase adapters at Amazon: NETGEAR Powerline AV 200 Adapter Kit
Now that you have your PC hooked up to your TV, my next post will tell you how you can access video podcasts on just about any subject. Food, Politics, Sports and even online college courses are just a click away!
Wednesday, November 10, 2010
What do I need to get started?
Streaming television shows or other programming (also known as content) to your TV requires two things usually; a high speed internet connection and a device to bring the content to your TV.
Even if you have a standard definition TV, you can take advantage of streaming content from the internet to help save money on your cable bill.
There are a wide variety of devices available to bring content to your TV, each with their own pros and cons. Roku makes set top boxes that deliver content to your TV. These devices support standard and HD televisions. You can add them to your wireless network or plug them in via ethernet. Dozens of 'channels' of audio and video content are available with about half of those channels providing free content. The premium channel subscriptions are somewhat cheaper than cable. These are a easy way to bring content to your TV. However, they will not let you stream content from your home computers.
Many video game consoles such as the Microsoft Xbox 360, Sony PlayStation 3 and Nintendo Wii will stream content to your TV. The Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 will allow you to stream content from your PC to the TV but not just any content. Any content that is free of digital rights management (DRM) and compatible with the system can be streamed. If you have a TV show you have purchased from Apple via iTunes you will not be able to stream that to any device that is not manufactured by Apple. If you have any of the devices you're halfway there to saving money on your cable bill. Congratulations!
If you're looking to purchase a device, you may want to consider a Roku set top box since it is very inexpensive and highly reviewed. Game consoles have the added benefit of playing DVDs, in the case of the PlayStation 3 Blu Ray discs and of course compelling video games. At a starting point of $200, this could be a pricey way to get started.
Other ways to get content streamed to your TV include Apple TV and internet enabled Blu Ray players. Apple TVs currently run $99 and stream content from iTunes and Netflix. Some internet enabled blu ray players also will stream content from Netflix and other sources. They can be found for as low as $150.
If you're in the market for a new TV, there are some HDTVs that will allow you to stream content directly to the TV itself. Sony's line of internet TVs powered by Google TV will allow you to take advantage of all the content available on the web plus support streaming content from Netflix and other providers. The first wave of these televisions are pricey but with the money you'll save on your cable bill, it is well worth the investment.
In my next post I will let you know what kind of content is available for you to stream to your TV.
Even if you have a standard definition TV, you can take advantage of streaming content from the internet to help save money on your cable bill.
There are a wide variety of devices available to bring content to your TV, each with their own pros and cons. Roku makes set top boxes that deliver content to your TV. These devices support standard and HD televisions. You can add them to your wireless network or plug them in via ethernet. Dozens of 'channels' of audio and video content are available with about half of those channels providing free content. The premium channel subscriptions are somewhat cheaper than cable. These are a easy way to bring content to your TV. However, they will not let you stream content from your home computers.
Many video game consoles such as the Microsoft Xbox 360, Sony PlayStation 3 and Nintendo Wii will stream content to your TV. The Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 will allow you to stream content from your PC to the TV but not just any content. Any content that is free of digital rights management (DRM) and compatible with the system can be streamed. If you have a TV show you have purchased from Apple via iTunes you will not be able to stream that to any device that is not manufactured by Apple. If you have any of the devices you're halfway there to saving money on your cable bill. Congratulations!
If you're looking to purchase a device, you may want to consider a Roku set top box since it is very inexpensive and highly reviewed. Game consoles have the added benefit of playing DVDs, in the case of the PlayStation 3 Blu Ray discs and of course compelling video games. At a starting point of $200, this could be a pricey way to get started.
Other ways to get content streamed to your TV include Apple TV and internet enabled Blu Ray players. Apple TVs currently run $99 and stream content from iTunes and Netflix. Some internet enabled blu ray players also will stream content from Netflix and other sources. They can be found for as low as $150.
If you're in the market for a new TV, there are some HDTVs that will allow you to stream content directly to the TV itself. Sony's line of internet TVs powered by Google TV will allow you to take advantage of all the content available on the web plus support streaming content from Netflix and other providers. The first wave of these televisions are pricey but with the money you'll save on your cable bill, it is well worth the investment.
In my next post I will let you know what kind of content is available for you to stream to your TV.
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