External TV Tuner
For TV goers, an external TV tuner would be one of the most useful PC peripherals that have been made. An internal TV tuner would be great, but if you’re using desktop computers, you could only use it in your computer in a single place, unless you’re willing to carry that bone-breaking weight of your computer.
External TV tuner enables you to bring it and plug it in any available computer whereever you are, so you could watch your favorite TV shows. The problem is, what if you’re using an antenna? Then you would also need to bring the antenna, anywhere you bring your external TV tuner. Not so portable at all, right?
Are TV Ads Effective?
You would think why products would make these expensive TV advertisements that would cost millions for just seconds of air time. Some of us don’t even care watching these commercials because these are just the times that you can have a break after this exciting show you are hooked up into. So I’d rather go to the kitchen and have a drink than watch these commercials.
But for businessmen, other than newspaper ads, TV ads would be one of the most effective way on promoting your product. The best way to have the exposure for people to be aware of your thing. But its not all about exposure. Some TV ads, especially boring ones, would be destructive of a products reputation. There are times when I watch a not-so-good TV ad, I would think that their product is not so good either.
TV ads main purpose is to get your attention. So the cooler the commercial, a better profit for your product. So it would be reasonable to put a lot of money on it. And I would say, yes, TV Ads are effective.
Yahoo! TV
I was just browsing the web and tried to check out Yahoo! TV. It offers certain features such as TV Listings, News and Gossips, lets you play videos, and browse photos.
It also has certain portions such as TONIGHT’S PICKS that has the shows that are recommended to be watched for the night, and additional sections like ‘Lost’ Most Wanted which features certain clips involving stars from the TV series ‘LOST’. There are also sections that features certain TV shows of a certain topic like Hollywood AutHot Girls Who Fight and Hollywood Auto Show.
It also lets you write reviews on certain movies or shows. I find it useful and might be looking for other sites like this, like Google TV perhaps? =)
Addictive Television Shows
Emergence of television series makes most people stop what they are doing just to watch the next episode the series. Prison Break, Grey’s Anatomy, Heroes, Smallville, and Lost are just some of the many television series that you would hear being talked about by a lot of people, at home, at the office, school, etc. So you would be curious what they’re talking about and you won’t want to be left out.
Some would say that it would be a waste of time, but for others, it’s a stress reliever. Imagine working everyday, sometimes it would take the whole week. Man! You need a break.
But yeah, watching is not bad, but being addicted to it is not good. I do have some friends who compile all the episodes in a DVD and watch it all in a single session. It would take almost 24hours straight to finish a season of a series. So hey, take it easy. There might be other important things to be done, so like other vices, its not bad if you can control it, but being addicted could do some harm.
Does Television Shows Influence Children?
Does television shows really influence the mind of children? Why warnings such as ‘parental guidance is concerned’ or ‘rated-18’? As for my own opinion, yes, I do think that television shows could influence the innocent minds of children. They don’t have the ability to distinguish what is right from wrong. All they think is play and have fun.
Watching certain shows that have themes such as violence, these children sometimes think it’s cool on what these characters do and try to imitate it in the real world. For instance, I do have this cousin who loves to watch wrestling, and other shows containing violence (influenced by his father). At such a young age, I’m surprised hearing words such as F*CK YOU. You can’t blame the kid, he doesn’t know its wrong, all he knows is it’s just and expression.
Even adults sometimes are influenced by this shows, so definitely, children can be influenced by the things they watch. So I’m quite worried on how cartoons turn out today. A lot of these cartoons, which are originally intended for children, explicitly show violence and sexual theme. These warning by regulatory board won’t be enough, there must be a guardian overlooking on what the children are watching. Its our job to look after their innocent minds.
Do It Yourself…
Don’t have the money to buy your own LCD or Plasma TV? Tired of being left out by your techie friends? Why not Do It Yourself? Be creative.
That’s what I know on how an anonymous DIY-er impressed a lot of people. These photos had been circulating the web with the caption “First Irish flat screen TV”. You would think that he was able to purchase one of those expensive LCD TVs, but think again.
Take a look at the pictures on how he managed to make it look like an LCD TV. Creating a hole at the wall to hide the bulky back of the TV. Now, that’s creative.
Flat Panel TVs are Power Hogs…So What To Do?
Well, in a nutshell, minimize your power consumption! Of course we can’t just shut off the TV and stop watching anything. We don’t have to not enjoy our home theater systems. We just have to watch out for the little things that, when added up, saves a lot of power (and money).
For example, avoiding standby mode saves a lot by itself. When you leave your TV on standby mode while you’re sleeping or out of the house, it’s still devouring power from your sockets. Also, try to buy TVs with the Energy Star sticker — if a model has one, then you’re sure it consumes less power than other equivalent sets.
The article Power Saving Tips for Flat Panel TVs lists a slew of great tips, as well as breaking down the power consumption of different types of flat panel TV. Check it out.
Lifespan of Flat Panel TVs
I’m sure you’ve been asking this question for some time now. Which type of flat panel TV will last longer, which is the most durable of ‘em all?
Basically, when the match-up is narrowed down to the two giants (plasma and LCD), the latter will win. LCD flat panel TVs have a lifespan of 30,000 to 60,000 hours, while plasma TVs go for 20,000 to 30,000 hours. But when the battle’s expanded to other, less-popular players, DLP wins out, with an estimated lifespan of 80,000 to 100,000 hours.
Check out the article entitled The Lifespan of Plasma, LCD, and Other Flat Panel TVs, which explains the basics of TV lifespan, as well as some great life-extending tips for your flat panel sets.
Confused About HDTV? Here’s a Guide!
Presently, every American household seems to be talking about HDTV — if a family doesn’t own an HDTV model yet, you can expect them to have one soon!
But let’s face it. Setting up your HDTV and grasping the concepts behind those acronyms are not stroll-in-the-park tasks. Most HDTV owners need help, and we’ve found a helpful guide entitled Confused about HDTV? A Guide to Clear Things Up. As the guide says:
With the holiday season rush over and thousands of new HDTVs in the hands of proud owners, we’re betting many of them will have difficulties setting up their TV sets. The bottom line is, it’s not a simple task to hook up your HDTV. Its not just plug-and-play.
There are quite a lot of HDTV guides on the web today, but this one does quite a job of covering a good breadth of topics, from the basic concepts to the sources of HDTV, from A/V connections to calibration tips. And yes, it’s not technicalese and jargon, you’ll be able to understand it — we did.
Watch TV on your Computer
Some people choose to spend their whole day on their computer. I’m one. Play games? Watch DVD movies? I can do that in my PC. Watch TV? Yeah, you can do that as well. You just need a TV Tuner Card.
A TV Tuner Card is a computer component that allows you to watch television shows right in your computer. Imagine working double time to finish documents and reports. Without walking away from your computer, you could have at least a bit of rest by watching TV on your computer. A little time to relax to relieve you from stress. Commonly, it is plugged into a PCI slot on your motherboard. But there are also external TV Tuners that can be plugged through the USB.
Another use of this card is that it can record television programs. So with it, you could record your favorite shows and watch it all over again. You can’t do that with a normal television set!