HDTV Antennas

Sony Brings Julia Roberts Double-Header to Blu-ray
Marking the first appearance of a Julia Roberts romantic comedy on Blu-ray, Sony will release a pair of the star's top hits this Fall. Due in stores on September 30 are the Roberts' blockbuster 'My Best... ...

The Wonderful and Sometimes Confusing World of HDMI Connections

HDMI (which stands for High Definition Multimedia Interface) was developed to accommodate the emerging HD digital technologies which have now entered the mainstream of home entertainment. It was planned as a "one wire" digital solution to both audio and video requirements. It is also one of the most confusing connection technologies available to the general public - especially when people hdmi(3)are used to more traditional interconnectivity. As HDMI attempts to do what it was designed to do, part of the process involves the pieces of the puzzle communicating with each other (sometimes referred to as "handshaking"). This two way communication causes...

2008 HDTV Buyers Guide, Part 3

The third in a four-part series of articles on buying an HDTV. The following topics are covered in this segment:

Viewing Factors
The Aspect Ratios
The Viewing Experience at the Store

George Carlin's 'It's Bad For Ya' Coming to Blu-ray
The late George Carlin will make his high-def debut with the November Blu-ray release of his concert film 'It's Bad For Ya.' Marking the legendary comedian's final stand-up concert special, 'George Carlin:... ...

CRT Rear Projection and Direct View Service and Repair

The infamous CRT rear projector, whether NTSC or HDTV, remains one of the greatest display products to have hit the consumer market. They lasted over two decades until the flat panel display phenomenon wiped them out. The same can be said of CRT direct view, the TVs we all grew up on. While big, bulky and heavy, these displays could deliver some great imaging, producing bright dynamic pictures and inky blacks in medium to dark ambient light environments. For rear projection, smaller sizes (below 50") could even perform well in brighter environments. CRT rear projection and direct view technology was used to drive the HDTV revolution out of the gate and along the way there were some really stellar videophile performers meeting most of the imaging science aspects of video standards. These products have a typical 10-15 year life span based on normal usage and CRT wear and tear. Before deciding to throw out this technology, you should reflect on the imaging performance you will be losing, the less expensive service costs and how you use a display in your application.

Gigabit Communication Challenges Cable Technology: Semiconductors to the Rescue

Multi-gigabit communications present many challenges to cable manufacturers. How can bandwidths higher than 10Gbps required by new standards such as HDMI™ and DisplayPort be achieved over low cost cables? What are the core technical problems with achieving these high data rates and what technologies can be used to address them? How can manufacturers achieve solutions which are less dependent on copper pricing? How can reliability issues be resolved without the need to use thicker cables? Cable manufacturing techniques have evolved to try to meet the challenge, but semiconductor solutions are emerging as promising alternatives and can be expected to play a significant role in solving these issues.

This article explains the physical problems faced by cable manufacturers, in particular...

Blu-ray Wins: A Bittersweet Celebration

I suppose I should be jubilant with Toshiba's announcement saying the end of the high def DVD format war has come. If you have not yet heard, Toshiba has tossed in the towel on their HD DVD format.

Oddly enough, I am not all that thrilled. It's not that I miss the fist pounding, name calling, and back biting from the combatants, for I don't. My sadness, if it is that, is because both contenders were so well suited for the job they were vying for. It is just unfortunate to me that one had to fail in the public eye. It is, after all, a bit of a public humiliation. Neither candidate deserved that fate, but, then again, the consumers didn't deserve an industry knock down, drag out street fight either! Both formats had elegant-enough technology to support their candidacy. In the end, only the belief that...

Samsung gets official with LED-backlit 9 Series LCD HDTVs
Filed under: Displays, HDTV, Home Entertainment Can't say we're surprised to see 'em, but Sammy has done its due diligence by pumping out the official verbiage for the 9 Series LCD HDTVs that were leaked late last week. These second-generation LED-backlit sets feature 1080p Ultra Clear panels, Auto Motion Plus 120Hz technology, 1,000,000:1 dynamic contrast ratios, the familiar Touch of Color de ...

Will Internet Video Replace Blu-ray?

With one war over and Blu-ray taking victory, there is yet another war brewing in the background ... or is there? The new question being asked by the rank and file is whether or not there is even a future for packaged media. Can you imagine a day where nobody physically rents a movie? Some are.

Historically, this battle has been ongoing via your local cable system or satellite service; it is called Pay Per View (PPV) and Video On Demand (VOD). While the providers have found great profits in this service and their customers have enjoyed the convenience, it didn't ...

Batman, 21, Iron Man top Blu-ray best-sellers
Batman Begins, Iron Man, and 21 topped the Blu-ray sales charts at Amazon.com on Tues. in the latest data from the retailer. ...