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Occasionally, there are no words to tell a story. You just need to watch this "PSA" on YouTube. If anyone you know has ever asked your advice on how to set the clock on their VCR, how to wire their speakers, or how to install Windows, you need to watch this. Anyone with a grandmother, anyone who ever had a grandmother needs to watch this.
The folks at the FCC need to watch this. —Leslie Shapiro
If digital's so good, why does it take so freakin' long to change channels? It's become painfully obvious that all this new technology has slowed down the one thing people take for granted: clicking the clicker and getting instantaneous results.
It's so bad, the French have actually done a scientific analysis. The analysts at Witbe have determined that it takes an average of 1.9 seconds using the up or down buttons on a remote. Worse, it takes 3.4 seconds if you directly punch in a channel number.
The study found that Microsoft Mediaroom-based systems topped out as the fastest at 0.6 seconds, and satellite systems were the slowest.
Analog TV wasn't this slow.
LG had quite the interesting display to show off at the International Meeting on Information Display in Korea. Looking at the specs, it's certainly nothing to write home about. Pixel count is 512 x 384, reflectance ratio is 20%, color gamut is 12%, and the contrast ratio is a paltry 14:1.
Why would LG be bragging about this 15" display?
Continue reading "LG Shows Off Double-sided Reflective LCD" »
Just days after Steve Jobs called Blu-ray a "bag of hurt," Amex Digital has announced a Blu-ray solution for Macs. Not some schlocky-looking external drive, this sleek, slim beauty is designed to complement Apple MacBooks, but it will work just fine with a Windows PC.
Available as a player or player/recorder, the portable drive connects and gets powered through the USB 2.0 port.
What about Blu-ray being a bag of hurt?
High-end home theater owners might not be the only ones who'll get to experience D-Box motion-simulation chairs. Some commercial theater owners are considering adding these electromechanical rides to their theaters. For most folks, they were way too expensive to consider for personal use. However, they're known for being quite convincing.
The Canadian company will be unveiling a new version of the chairs, designed specifically for commercial theaters.
How does it work?
No goofy glasses required! This HD screen (SVGA with 800 x 600 pixels) uses a special alignment of pixels to display 3D without needing specs.
Right now, this is a prototype, and the press release is in Japanese, but from what the Google translation indicates, that production will be in fiscal 2009.
Is this just for entertainment purposes?
Flexing its muscles, the FCC has slapped a fine on Time Warner Cable and Cox communications for introducing switched digital video signals into cable systems still utilizing CableCards.
This is a direct violation of federal rules that requires cable companies to have all of their programming available to third-party equipment that uses CableCards. What devices would that be? Things like your TiVo DVR, for example.
How hard did they get slapped?
Continue reading "Time Warner Cable and Cox Slapped on Wrist by FCC" »
Apple is celebrating, and with good reason. According to Apple, the iTunes Store is the world's most popular online TV store. How popular? They've sold over 200 million TV episodes, which includes the 1 million HD shows sold since launching the HD option just last month.
That's a lot of TV, especially considering that the vast majority of the shows from NBC, CBS, Fox, and ABC are available over the air, free, or as part of your basic cable or satellite options.
Why so popular?
While the transition is coming, ready or not, a member of the FCC has said that it "will be messy . . . but we'll get through it."
This quote is from Robert McDowell (R), just a few weeks after FCC Chairman Daniel Inouye said that the winner of November's presidential election could be inheriting a communications crisis.
Who will suffer most in the transition, and what does the FCC suggest to ease the transitional pain?
It seems like yet another battle in the CE world. Everyone is trying to come out with bigger OLED screens to compete with Sony's 11-inch mini OLED. Samsung was showing a 14-inch and a 31-inch Full HD panel, and LG showed off a 19-inch OLED, powered by amorphous Si TRT technology at a recent conference in S. Korea.
Why is this news?
