Antennas are a simple thing, but they cause no end of trouble. At its most basic, you can make a working antenna from nothing more than a wire coathanger or some other piece of metal. In fact, if you stick your finger where the antenna goes, you can even act as an antenna yourself!
If you want a good picture on your TV, though (or good reception for your radio, as the case may be), you need a good quality antenna. The best antennas for home use are generally ones that are mounted on the roof, as it is much easier for them to get a good signal from up there.
If you can’t get an antenna onto the roof for some reason, don’t worry – there are a few more alternatives to endlessly fiddling with which way the thing points. One good thing to try is a booster antenna. This is a special kind of antenna that plugs into the mains electricity, and uses the extra power to boost the signal strength that reaches your TV. Boosters are cheap and easy to use, yet can often yield a surprising leap in quality.
Another thing you might try is to use a long antenna (usually made from a long piece of wire), and put it out of a window. While hardly very nice to look at, this also tends to improve your reception.
If you want your TV to be able to receive digital transmissions over the airwaves, then you may find that you need to upgrade your antenna. This is because some older antennas simply do not have enough bandwidth to handle digital transmissions. However, plenty of antennas are compatible with digital TV, meaning that all you need to do is add a set top box or get a TV that is capable of decoding digital transmissions out of the box.
Showing posts with label television. Show all posts
Showing posts with label television. Show all posts
Saturday, January 3, 2009
Analog vs Digital Satellite Tv Receivers
In today's world, communications are of utmost importance, there is absolutely no doubt about that. Satellite tv is one of the technological breakthroughs of the 20th century. Made possible because of the massive satellite fleets deployed by different companies and with different purposes, satellite tv has in a way revolutionized communications.
The communications satellites of different companies relay on an increasingly diverse range of TV programming. And when it comes to the options you have for your satellite tv receiver, this will greatly depend on the very nature of the satellite tv service you desire to view. There are satellite tv programs which are (FTA). FTA is an abbreviation from "free to air". However, there are other satellite tv services which are encrypted, and are only available to subscribers of various satellite tv companies.
Another important distinction must also be made between satellite tv services which are analog and those which are digital. The analog services are based on electromagnetic waves that vary in their frequency. I am sure you have heard of the term FM, which is short for frequency modulation. Also, analogue transmissions can vary in intensity. In the latter case, the process is called amplitude modulation, or AM.
But digital signals are a different story entirely. And yes, we have entered in the digital age, where everything is made up from many 0s and 1s. This is also how a digital signal is broadcast, in a series of binary digits called bits. 1 means on, 0 means off, and this is how information is actually transmitted to the computer circuitry.
When speaking about the costs of an analog satellite tv receiver, it depends on the number of features offered (as every other electronic product). There are some low cost receivers which equal the high priced items in quality. However, there is a downside. And the downside is the fact that the operator must remember all the adjustments that need to be made and execute them, with each satellite tv broadcast.
However, since we are in the digital era, there are dozens of digital satellite tv services which are emerging all over the place. And their number will only increase in the following years, there is absolutely no doubt about that. The question of MPEG compliancy is a very debatable issue though.
And another difference from the analogue services is the fact that digital services are usually a part of a big package, which consists in a wide array of channel options. This is because digital compression makes combining more channels in a single digital stream possible. This is how "bouquets" are created, and these packages have a great appeal to people who always want "all in one". Having multiple channels in a single package is very convenient, as more and more types of tv stations emerge all over the world. These stations are very specialized. If you want to want sports, entertainment, or everything else and from over the world, there never has been a better time for that with the help of digital satellite tv.
The communications satellites of different companies relay on an increasingly diverse range of TV programming. And when it comes to the options you have for your satellite tv receiver, this will greatly depend on the very nature of the satellite tv service you desire to view. There are satellite tv programs which are (FTA). FTA is an abbreviation from "free to air". However, there are other satellite tv services which are encrypted, and are only available to subscribers of various satellite tv companies.
Another important distinction must also be made between satellite tv services which are analog and those which are digital. The analog services are based on electromagnetic waves that vary in their frequency. I am sure you have heard of the term FM, which is short for frequency modulation. Also, analogue transmissions can vary in intensity. In the latter case, the process is called amplitude modulation, or AM.
But digital signals are a different story entirely. And yes, we have entered in the digital age, where everything is made up from many 0s and 1s. This is also how a digital signal is broadcast, in a series of binary digits called bits. 1 means on, 0 means off, and this is how information is actually transmitted to the computer circuitry.
When speaking about the costs of an analog satellite tv receiver, it depends on the number of features offered (as every other electronic product). There are some low cost receivers which equal the high priced items in quality. However, there is a downside. And the downside is the fact that the operator must remember all the adjustments that need to be made and execute them, with each satellite tv broadcast.
However, since we are in the digital era, there are dozens of digital satellite tv services which are emerging all over the place. And their number will only increase in the following years, there is absolutely no doubt about that. The question of MPEG compliancy is a very debatable issue though.
And another difference from the analogue services is the fact that digital services are usually a part of a big package, which consists in a wide array of channel options. This is because digital compression makes combining more channels in a single digital stream possible. This is how "bouquets" are created, and these packages have a great appeal to people who always want "all in one". Having multiple channels in a single package is very convenient, as more and more types of tv stations emerge all over the world. These stations are very specialized. If you want to want sports, entertainment, or everything else and from over the world, there never has been a better time for that with the help of digital satellite tv.
An Introduction to Internet TV
You use the Internet and, of course, you watch television, but have you ever tried Internet television?
Most people are unaware of one of the more recent developments in interactive Internet use. This new technology brings all the benefits of the Internet and television together to create your own personalised viewing experience. In simple terms Internet television means that you can watch TV straight from your laptop or desktop PC.
Internet TV allows you to you maximize the use of your computer and your Internet connection. I expect you have probably thought that there must be more you could do with your personal computer or laptop. You know that typing the occasional letter, transferring your MP3 collection to your iPod or playing the odd game or two online is hardly making use of its full potential. Now you can explore a trusted method of entertainment with access to unlimited viewing and you don't even have to stop your usual computer activities.
If you are someone who can’t get enough of watching programs on television, think about how Internet television will open up new options for free viewing. You can catch up with current news stories, watch real time sports action, keep up to date with stock market movements or enjoy a little light comedy. You are provided with a wide variety of entertainment possibilities that continues to grow, gaining in popularity every day.
At the time of writing, FIFA World Cup 2006 is just around the corner and, for many, Internet TV will provide access to free live football streams. Viewers will be able to keep up with the latest action from all the international football games involving teams including Brazil, Argentina, France, England and many more. Japan's third largest TV broadcaster, Tokyo Broadcasting System, has recently announced plans to air World Cup programmes over the Internet and on mobile phones.
If you use the Internet for any kind of research (even if it's only helping the kids with their homework), you no longer have to view what you find in the usual format of text and pictures. Now you can see this information through streams of live or pre-recorded video enabling you to see details that simply wouldn't be visible in a series of pictures.
5 Features of Internet Television:
1. Stations are available internationally. Currently over 150 countries have Internet access so you can rest assured that your country has at least one Internet TV station you can watch.
2. No additional hardware is required. In the past, watching television on your computer would require the fitting of a PC TV card but this is no longer necessary. Improvements in the telecommunications industry have made broadband connections more widely available and cheaper than ever before allowing more and more people to view high quality streaming media on their computer.
3. Anyone with an Internet connection can watch. A minimum connection speed of 56K is recommended and watching at this speed should give you a reasonable picture. Higher connection speeds will improve the picture quality (dependant on the server capabilities) and the fastest connections can enable you to view programmes in DVD quality.
4. New channels are added all the time. Major players in the Internet industry have recently started showing significant interest in this rapidly expanding market. Google is developing Google TV and has signed up American channel UPN and is in talks with the BBC in the UK to provide content. AOL is launching IN2TV which will show thousands of hours of programmes from Warner Brothers across 6 different channels and Yahoo has plans to show Internet TV in Japan which could lead to a worldwide service if successful.
5. Personalize your experience. Normal televisions have fixed channels which depend on the local stations or the cable operators. Internet television gives you the opportunity to bookmark your favorite stations so you can get back to them quickly without having to flick through everything else available. There is usually the option of viewing in either full screen mode or in a smaller window enabling you to get on with other things on your computer while watching.
You too can enjoy all the benefits of Internet television. The world really is at your fingertips now you have discovered this new, hassle-free way of watching TV.
Most people are unaware of one of the more recent developments in interactive Internet use. This new technology brings all the benefits of the Internet and television together to create your own personalised viewing experience. In simple terms Internet television means that you can watch TV straight from your laptop or desktop PC.
Internet TV allows you to you maximize the use of your computer and your Internet connection. I expect you have probably thought that there must be more you could do with your personal computer or laptop. You know that typing the occasional letter, transferring your MP3 collection to your iPod or playing the odd game or two online is hardly making use of its full potential. Now you can explore a trusted method of entertainment with access to unlimited viewing and you don't even have to stop your usual computer activities.
If you are someone who can’t get enough of watching programs on television, think about how Internet television will open up new options for free viewing. You can catch up with current news stories, watch real time sports action, keep up to date with stock market movements or enjoy a little light comedy. You are provided with a wide variety of entertainment possibilities that continues to grow, gaining in popularity every day.
At the time of writing, FIFA World Cup 2006 is just around the corner and, for many, Internet TV will provide access to free live football streams. Viewers will be able to keep up with the latest action from all the international football games involving teams including Brazil, Argentina, France, England and many more. Japan's third largest TV broadcaster, Tokyo Broadcasting System, has recently announced plans to air World Cup programmes over the Internet and on mobile phones.
If you use the Internet for any kind of research (even if it's only helping the kids with their homework), you no longer have to view what you find in the usual format of text and pictures. Now you can see this information through streams of live or pre-recorded video enabling you to see details that simply wouldn't be visible in a series of pictures.
5 Features of Internet Television:
1. Stations are available internationally. Currently over 150 countries have Internet access so you can rest assured that your country has at least one Internet TV station you can watch.
2. No additional hardware is required. In the past, watching television on your computer would require the fitting of a PC TV card but this is no longer necessary. Improvements in the telecommunications industry have made broadband connections more widely available and cheaper than ever before allowing more and more people to view high quality streaming media on their computer.
3. Anyone with an Internet connection can watch. A minimum connection speed of 56K is recommended and watching at this speed should give you a reasonable picture. Higher connection speeds will improve the picture quality (dependant on the server capabilities) and the fastest connections can enable you to view programmes in DVD quality.
4. New channels are added all the time. Major players in the Internet industry have recently started showing significant interest in this rapidly expanding market. Google is developing Google TV and has signed up American channel UPN and is in talks with the BBC in the UK to provide content. AOL is launching IN2TV which will show thousands of hours of programmes from Warner Brothers across 6 different channels and Yahoo has plans to show Internet TV in Japan which could lead to a worldwide service if successful.
5. Personalize your experience. Normal televisions have fixed channels which depend on the local stations or the cable operators. Internet television gives you the opportunity to bookmark your favorite stations so you can get back to them quickly without having to flick through everything else available. There is usually the option of viewing in either full screen mode or in a smaller window enabling you to get on with other things on your computer while watching.
You too can enjoy all the benefits of Internet television. The world really is at your fingertips now you have discovered this new, hassle-free way of watching TV.
Tuesday, December 30, 2008
A Comparison Of Dish Network And Cable Television
It's a very competitive business world out there, and the situation is not different in the home entertainment sector.
At the moment cable television operators are fighting the battle of their lives with their satellite counterparts. What is at stake is a big crown and whoever comes out on top will go home with the hearts and wallets of millions of subscribers.
But midway into this war of attrition, all discerning observers knew where the pendulum will swing in the end. And you the reader will also realize this because by the time you are through with this you will be wondering why anyone still maintains subscription with a cable television company.
Dish Network is unarguably the biggest satellite TV operator in the U.S, and with its quality service and cutting edge technology, there is no way any cable television firm can compete with it for business, and that is a fact.
In terms of value, Dish Network offers far more programming channels and with a low entry price of $20, compared to the $70 charged by cable companies and with far fewer channels to boot. Are you getting the drift now?
In reality Dish Network offers hundreds of channels, but the best cable companies can muster is just about a hundred, and for a fact can never provide more than 150. Want to know the implication of this? When you are provided with fewer program channels then your options will be very limited.
With Dish Network you can get additional channels like ESPN Gameday, NHL on the Ice, and NBA League Pass. These are packages no cable operator can provide.
But what really nailed the coffin of cable satellite television is its limited availability. Anyone that desires cable TV service must be resident in or near a mid sized town. On the contrary Dish Network signals can be received anywhere as long as the satellite dish is aimed at the southern sky.
The rather high cost of cable television subscription can be traced to the amount of data that can be sent over a medium, which is technically known as the bandwidth.
By nature, the amount of data cables can carry is very limited, but the companies are trying to get over this problem by resorting to the use of higher capacity cables, which unfortunately still fall short of the requirements.
Dish Network however transmits its signals using electromagnetic waves which are not constrained by bandwidth problems. This is the reason why operator keeps up with subscribers demand and provides better service than their cable rivals.
At the moment cable television operators are fighting the battle of their lives with their satellite counterparts. What is at stake is a big crown and whoever comes out on top will go home with the hearts and wallets of millions of subscribers.
But midway into this war of attrition, all discerning observers knew where the pendulum will swing in the end. And you the reader will also realize this because by the time you are through with this you will be wondering why anyone still maintains subscription with a cable television company.
Dish Network is unarguably the biggest satellite TV operator in the U.S, and with its quality service and cutting edge technology, there is no way any cable television firm can compete with it for business, and that is a fact.
In terms of value, Dish Network offers far more programming channels and with a low entry price of $20, compared to the $70 charged by cable companies and with far fewer channels to boot. Are you getting the drift now?
In reality Dish Network offers hundreds of channels, but the best cable companies can muster is just about a hundred, and for a fact can never provide more than 150. Want to know the implication of this? When you are provided with fewer program channels then your options will be very limited.
With Dish Network you can get additional channels like ESPN Gameday, NHL on the Ice, and NBA League Pass. These are packages no cable operator can provide.
But what really nailed the coffin of cable satellite television is its limited availability. Anyone that desires cable TV service must be resident in or near a mid sized town. On the contrary Dish Network signals can be received anywhere as long as the satellite dish is aimed at the southern sky.
The rather high cost of cable television subscription can be traced to the amount of data that can be sent over a medium, which is technically known as the bandwidth.
By nature, the amount of data cables can carry is very limited, but the companies are trying to get over this problem by resorting to the use of higher capacity cables, which unfortunately still fall short of the requirements.
Dish Network however transmits its signals using electromagnetic waves which are not constrained by bandwidth problems. This is the reason why operator keeps up with subscribers demand and provides better service than their cable rivals.
A Brief History Of Television
One of the most frequently asked questions related to television is, `Where`s the remote?` When the first simple television (televisores) was built in 1928, it did not come with a remote. The entire wonder consisted of a disk, a light (which tended to make the images orange in appearance) and a moderate need for electricity.
By the 1930`s, televisions (televisores) had evolved to all electrical components. The typical screen was about 6X8 inches and generally was mounted in a much larger cabinet. By the late 1930`s televisions were made by several manufacturers in the United States and throughout Europe and the Soviet Union.
World War II slowed recreational television progress while turning that technology to the necessary military communications. Many communication devices were made accessible using television cable. Unlike the Viet Nam War, civilians were not able to watch the battles that had been fought and radio was still highly sought for news and entertainment.
By 1945, many American families believed they had suffered enough hardship from the war and rewarded themselves with televisions (televisores). The pictures were of a better quality than in earlier televisions and only in black and white. Programming other than news had caught on and gradually, game shows, sports and other programs of interest were available.
Technically, the ability to produce programs in color occurred in the late 1940`s, however it was in the mid 1960`s that major broadcasters began to produce their programming in color. Early colored televisions did not provide exact color replication. One often noticed unnatural tint which was correctable by manipulating the `tint` dial on the television.
For those of us old enough to remember the assignation of John F. Kennedy, we will also remember his lying in state and his funeral and burial all shown on major broadcast stations. This was the first major event in American history that could be viewed by people all across the United States on television (televisores). Despite miles of separation, people in the USA felt more connected to one another because of this new technology.
The 1970`s brought about the greatest surge of television purchases. Major appliance stores (Sears and others) had banks of televisions on display. Daytime television and `Soap Operas` became favorites of many stay at home mothers. Game shows became more plentiful as did movies which introduced us to favorites such as John Waynne, Robert Young, `Beaver Cleaver` and many, many more. These were idyllic families, devoid of abuse, less than charitable language, arguments, and other behaviors evidenced in today`s homes and societies. Television commercials changed the `tools` of childhood which previously had been invented and make believe to Barbie and Ken dolls, talking bears, more sophisticated bicycles and wagons and the like.
Satellites influenced further changes in television (televisores) in the mid 1980`s. Pay for view programming became possible through the encryption of programming and transmitting via cable and only to viewers who had the additional equipment to view such programs.
Today, digital and satellite television (televisores) deliver the clearest images to the viewer and provide several hundred channels from which to choose. Televisions have grown from 6x8 picture tubes in huge cabinets to slim instruments sitting atop pedestals. Large screen television gives the appearance of football players kicking off in one`s living room and monster trucks driving directly at the viewer. Television today may be accessed from one`s computer as well as by cell phone.
I can`t imagine what I would see in a crystal ball if I were to search for changes in television technology, but I know that improvements and innovative concepts are explored daily.
By the 1930`s, televisions (televisores) had evolved to all electrical components. The typical screen was about 6X8 inches and generally was mounted in a much larger cabinet. By the late 1930`s televisions were made by several manufacturers in the United States and throughout Europe and the Soviet Union.
World War II slowed recreational television progress while turning that technology to the necessary military communications. Many communication devices were made accessible using television cable. Unlike the Viet Nam War, civilians were not able to watch the battles that had been fought and radio was still highly sought for news and entertainment.
By 1945, many American families believed they had suffered enough hardship from the war and rewarded themselves with televisions (televisores). The pictures were of a better quality than in earlier televisions and only in black and white. Programming other than news had caught on and gradually, game shows, sports and other programs of interest were available.
Technically, the ability to produce programs in color occurred in the late 1940`s, however it was in the mid 1960`s that major broadcasters began to produce their programming in color. Early colored televisions did not provide exact color replication. One often noticed unnatural tint which was correctable by manipulating the `tint` dial on the television.
For those of us old enough to remember the assignation of John F. Kennedy, we will also remember his lying in state and his funeral and burial all shown on major broadcast stations. This was the first major event in American history that could be viewed by people all across the United States on television (televisores). Despite miles of separation, people in the USA felt more connected to one another because of this new technology.
The 1970`s brought about the greatest surge of television purchases. Major appliance stores (Sears and others) had banks of televisions on display. Daytime television and `Soap Operas` became favorites of many stay at home mothers. Game shows became more plentiful as did movies which introduced us to favorites such as John Waynne, Robert Young, `Beaver Cleaver` and many, many more. These were idyllic families, devoid of abuse, less than charitable language, arguments, and other behaviors evidenced in today`s homes and societies. Television commercials changed the `tools` of childhood which previously had been invented and make believe to Barbie and Ken dolls, talking bears, more sophisticated bicycles and wagons and the like.
Satellites influenced further changes in television (televisores) in the mid 1980`s. Pay for view programming became possible through the encryption of programming and transmitting via cable and only to viewers who had the additional equipment to view such programs.
Today, digital and satellite television (televisores) deliver the clearest images to the viewer and provide several hundred channels from which to choose. Televisions have grown from 6x8 picture tubes in huge cabinets to slim instruments sitting atop pedestals. Large screen television gives the appearance of football players kicking off in one`s living room and monster trucks driving directly at the viewer. Television today may be accessed from one`s computer as well as by cell phone.
I can`t imagine what I would see in a crystal ball if I were to search for changes in television technology, but I know that improvements and innovative concepts are explored daily.
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