Archive for November, 2009
Way back in 2006, the tiny grand duchy of Luxembourg was the first country in the world to complete a full-scale digital TV conversion. Several other Western European countries followed suit, and then, in June of this year, the United States ended all analog broadcasts. Canada, Australia and several other industrialized nations are currently in the process of making the switch as well.
Americans with old TV sets can no longer get by with rabbit ears alone – they need a digital converter box to see channels that could once be picked up with an analog antenna. Digital TV is characterized by a better picture quality, high-definition capabilities better sound fidelity. After making the switch to digital viewers also have access to subchannels.
My wife and I have always been dedicated cinema patrons; we like seeing critically acclaimed movies on the weekend they hit theaters whenever possible. But lately the numerous distractions and inconveniences associated with the Cineplex have tested our patience. I can’t even count all the times our viewing experience has been interrupted by a ringing cell phone or a blissfully unaware “texter.”
We decided to look into home theater systems online. Watching movies at home allows us to view them at our own pace, pausing the action whenever we want to grab some food or take a bathroom break. Best of all, we don’t have to deal with the rude, inconsiderate hordes of people who seem so intent to ruin things. Waiting a few months for a DVD or blu-ray release is well worth it.
LCD or Liquid crystal display, is a type of technology that has been used and around for several years. It is a popular technology with a number of advantages over other technologies and has been used in just about everything from televisions to personal calculators to computers.
The popularity of the LCD TV is shown by the increasing sales of the sets. In 2007, for the first time, LCD televisions surpassed sales of CRT-based televisions worldwide. LCD TVs are, by far, the most widely produced and sold television technology today, and will soon surpass the large-screen format market as well - the plasma display panel and rear-projection television.
Do you remember going to the movies as a kid and wondering about those tiny scratches and imperfections on the screen. These blemishes would flicker and disappear only to be replaced by new ones. Once you became engrossed in the movie, you managed to easily overlook them. By now you probably realize that those little blotches and scratches were actually part of the film frames.
Today, more and more films are being shot in digital video. Such influential directors as David Lynch, Steven Soderbergh and Michael Mann have embraced the digital format. While the cameras they use for motion picture cinematography are a bit more advanced than consumer-grade HD camcorders, the basic principles are the same. Part of the reason for this digital revolution has to do with storage issues. Digital films can be compressed and stored on disks whereas film reels are bulky and vulnerable.