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LCD TV Review – Get the Best for Less

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What is an LCD TV

An LCD (light crystal display) screen consist of a thin layer of liquid crystals sandwiched between two plates of glass. When an electric current is sent through these crystals an array of tiny multi-colored pixels light up and produce a TV picture.

Because they’re so thin and light, LCD screens are now the most popular screens for computers, and as prices come down, are becoming the most popular screens for TVs.

LCD TV screens are 1/4″ to 4″ thick, and are 2″ to 65″ wide. LCD TVs can cost anywhere from $50 for a hand held model to $15,000 for a 65″ widescreen TV.

LCD TV Features

* LCD TVs utilize digital technology which gives you a much sharper and clearer picture than a standard tube TV.

* LCD TV screens are thin and lightweight so they can be placed almost anywhere in a home or office, even hung on a wall.

* Most LCD TV screens are manufactured in widescreen format and are compatible with widescreen DVD’S and HD programming.

* LCD TVs have a flat screen so there’s no picture distortion as there is with curved tube TVs.

* LCD TV screens have a life span of 50,000 to 80,000 hours, depending on the make and model of the LCD TV.

* LCD TVs don’t suffer from screen “burn in” like tube TVs.

Getting the Best Price on an LCD TV

If you’re in the market for an LCD TV, keep in mind that prices can vary widely between retailers. That’s why I recommend checking out LCD TV models at a local electronics store, then checking prices online before you buy one.

Take a trip to our local Best Buy, Circuit City, or Wal-Mart to test various HD TV models. Watch the picture, test the controls, and ask the salesperson any questions you may have.

Then, when you’ve picked out a model you like, go online to see where you can get it at the best price.

I recently checked prices on a comparison shopping website for a Panasonic LCD TV and the price difference between retailers varied by more than $1,000. It’s amazing what bargains you can find online.

The website I used to check prices also included buyer reviews so I also got honest feedback from people who had actually purchased the LCD TV model I was interested in (can click on the link below to visit this website).

Prices for LCD TVs start at $300 for a 19″ TV, $900 for a 32″ TV, and $2,000 for a 40″ TV.

Conclusion

If you spend most of your evening hours watching television like I do, and you want a picture with near lifelike quality, then an HD TV set is what you’re after.

Click on this link for more information on LCD TVs and to check out LCD TV models and prices. Click on this link for information and prices on  home theater systems. Click on this link for information on free satellite TV systems and service.

LCD Televisions – Technology uncovered

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LCD is one of the biggest technologies in television at the moment, set to go head-to-head against plasma screens for the future of TVs.

But what do LCD televisions mean to you? Well, to begin with, the picture you get is a lot sharper. By now you’ve probably replaced your old bulky computer monitor with a flat, LCD one, and you’ve no doubt noticed the difference in picture quality and clarity. Now the companies behind LCD want it to do the same for televisions, making them flatter, clearer and altogether better.

Another thing to note is that the rise of HDTV (high-definition television) is linked to the rise of LCD televisions. HDTV allows the original TV signal to be broadcast in even better quality than a DVD, and digital LCD TVs can then display the signal perfectly.

It really makes TV as we know it today look ridiculously primitive by comparison – and if you’re willing to splash out on an LCD TV and an HDTV subscription, you can have it today. Every year, LCD screens are decreasing in price and increasing in size, making them an ever-better competitor against other screen technologies.

When you buy an LCD television, the main things to look for are size and price, although there are also more technical features you might be interested in, like colour depth (the number of colours the screen can display). Response time is one that is often considered important, as LCDs with a long response time can produce a blurring effect when showing pictures of something that is moving quickly. There is also a measurement called dot pitch, which roughly indicates how sharp the picture produced by the TV will be (lower numbers are better).

As a final word of advice, if you do decide to buy an LCD TV, make sure you see it in use in the shop first. You should watch to see how it handles different kinds of pictures, and what the display is like compared to other LCDs, as well as compared to plasma screens.

iPods- which rock the world

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Wondering why people are becoming crazy about this miniature audio device? iPods offer excellent quality of digital music. The success of iPod is due to its features like:

•iPod is able to deliver extremely rich quality of digital music.
•It comes in attractive small sizes and thus tends to be very handy and compact.
•They come with in-built media library software, called as the iTunes media library software. This feature enables the user to manage the music files efficiently.
•The most attractive feature which made iPod the best seller is the attribute which allows the device to be connected to the user’s computer.
•Thus by enabling connection with the user’s computer, the iPod prove to serve as efficient storage devices.
•iPods sport a display, which makes the gadget more user friendly.
•Improvised iPods also had PDA’s( Personal Digital Assitants).
•Apple, the creators of iPod kept on improvising it, and thus many models of iPod have rocked the market.

The models of iPod categorized according to the chronological order.

First Generation iPods:

Initially the iPods were released with 5GB hard drive, but then later Apple increased their hard drive capacity to 10GB. These iPods have a scroll wheel with a select button in the middle. This device was a huge hit in the commercial market, but now they rarely exist due to the release of new models.

Second generation iPods:

These devices had a thicker body and they supported 20 GB hard drive. They were the first gadgets, which were compatible with the windows. They also sported cases and wired remotes.

Third generation iPods:

These iPods were thinner than the original versions, the 30 pin dock connector was introduced with this series. They also had touch sensitive buttons this attracted the masses to a great extent. And it did not have buttons surrounding the wheels and hanging parts.

Fourth generation iPods:

The only difference, the fourth generation iPods had over the others is the introduction of click wheels. They also sported the same monochrome screen. But it enabled the battery to be charged through the USB connection.

Color iPods:

As the name suggests these devices had a color screen and the ability to store and display JPEG, BMP, GIF, TIFF, and PNG images. They supported 65,536 colors. They possessed the photo library and released accessories like iPod camera connector.

Fifth generation iPods:

They were developed to reduce minor audio effects so that the head phone does not deliver hard drive noise. They came in a wide variety of sizes, colors and hard drive capacities. They also supported features like the World Clock, Stopwatch, and Screen Lock applications. In addition, the earphones plug were smaller.

iPod mini:

The mini had a smaller structure and it resembled the earlier versions in its features. but it did not support third party accessories. They introduced micro-drive hard drive as the storage medium. The minis were futher improvised as the first generation and second generation devices. It had rich case colors and was a big hit in the market.

iPod shuffle:

Flash memory was introduced through these gadgets, but they did not have a screen so navigation of music files were a little difficult. But it has been reviewed as the best sounding audio device in comparison with the other models.

iPod nano:

iPod nano also had the flash memory but it came with a color display. It also included a number of features like world clock, stop watch and screen lock options.

How to repair the E18 error on Canon digital cameras

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There seems to be a relatively large population of Canon owners who are affected by the E18 error. In this article I will teach you a few simple methods you can try to repair the error yourself.

This article is intended for people whose cameras are out of warranty. If your camera is still under warranty, go to your nearest Canon repair shop and let them fix it. If it’s not, you can either choose to pay around 150$ for the repair or try one of these simple techniques.

First I should explain what exactly an E18 is. According to Canon’s web site, it is an error that involves the lens unit or lens cover. The lens gets stuck in the extended position, and refuses to move either to focus the lens or to retract when powered off. It can happen if you apply pressure to the area surrounding the lens while it is in the recording mode (this includes dropping the camera), or if sand or dirt get into the lens area. The lens gets stuck, you get a black screen with a small “E18” sign in the lower-left corner, the camera beeps a few times and turns off.

Lately, I noticed a number of people online who are having troubles with this error. It happened to my Power Shot A520 as well a couple of weeks ago, but fortunately, the camera was still under warranty so Canon fixed it free of charge. In order to help the unlucky ones whose cameras are out of warranty, I decided to write this article.

Basically, there are a couple of simple things you can try. I can’t guarantee they will work for you, but I know these methods have helped some people get rid of their E18 problems:

1) One method is to tap the padded USB cover part on a hard surface, for example, a desk. I know it sounds to simple to work, but this can get some of the dirt out of the lens.

2) Try compressed air. With a fine tip blow off gun and dry compressed air set the tip between the lens turret and the camera body and turn on the air while moving the tip around the lens. It should remove all of the dust and sand. Turn the camera on and it should function fine.

3) Another solution is to try and push the lens back into place. This is the least preferable method. Try it only if the camera is out of warranty and DON’T apply too much pressure! If the lens can be set back into place with a light push, great! If not, don’t force it!

4) If nothing else works, there are a couple of online guides in different languages for dismantling the camera and cleaning the lens thoroughly. Try this only if your camera is out of warranty! Some of them are:

– http://www.ixus-world.de/tips/repair_guide/e18_01en.htm – a guide in English
– http://menthol.hit.bg/E18.html – a guide in Bulgarian
– http://www.artecdesign.ee/~jan/Kaamerad/PowerShotA70/index.html – Estonian guide

The last two are not in English, but they have a lot of pictures which should help with the whole process.

So you’ve learned how you can try and rescue your camera. Try out the methods for yourself, and contact me with good news.

If you want more information about the E18 error, or would like to read other people’s experiences with it, stop by my site at http://www.e18error.com. Feel free to drop me an email.

How To IPod Your Car

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If you like to ipod your car – pump music on your ipod through your car stereo system – apart from changing to a brand new car that has ipod integration such as BMW, Mercedes-Benz, Nissan and Volvo – there are other options available to you.

If your car does not have the ipod connectivity, the solution to ipod your car is to install an ipod adaptor.

An ipod adaptor retailed by companies such as Peripheral and Monster can be installed within the cavern of wires behind your car dashboard, with one prong from adaptor going to the back of your stereo while another prong goes to a ipod holder near the front seats of the car.

The ipod adaptor works like an emulator and tricks the stereo to think it is a CD changer, so that you can use the track buttons on the stereo faceplate to select songs of your choice.

Installing an ipod changer might be difficult for the non-mechanical inclined, and the services of a trained mechanic might be easier.

If your car is too old, the factory installed stereo might not be suitable for ipod integration. For such cars, it is advisable to install a new player from manufacturers such as Alpine, Kenwood and Pioneer.

If sound quality is important to you, the use of ipod cassete adaptors is not recommended as the sound quality is not good enough, and more importantly they do not recharge the ipod’s battery.

Yet another solution is to use a FM modulator that can produce better sound, and can recharge the batteries, but cannot be directly controlled from the radio.

With these drawbacks, the ipod cassete adaptor and the FM modulator are not the best options, and it is still the ipod adaptor that is recommended.

To facilitate your personal research and to find out what ipod integration is necessary for the model of your car, there are online catalogues from car audio online websites such as that from Crutchfield.com

So your first step is to determine the ipod integration requirements for your car and get the suitable adaptor. Before long, you can be pumping your ipod tracks through your car stereo and enjoying your favorite songs.

How To Install A Wall Mounted LCD TV

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Once you have your LCD TV home, you now have to concern yourself with how to install a wall mounted LCD TV. Wall mounting, because of the space saving factor of it and the way it prevents your television from dominating the room, is a very popular way of displaying it.

One way to get it installed is to use a professional. Obviously, someone from the store or an electronics store is going to be able to install the TV efficiently and correctly. However, that will cost you a great deal of money, and since you just spent all that money on an LCD TV, it may be a good idea to install it yourself. It is not that hard, so you may as take advantage.

First Things First

Once you have an idea of where you would like to mount your LCD TV, you need to get a stud finder. How to install a wall mounted LCD TV doesn’t matter if you don’t put it in the right place. User your stud finder to make sure the wall mount is put into a stud. This is the only way you will be able to make the television safely stable on your wall.

Anchors Away

Once you find the studs and have marked the mounting location, you are ready to put up the wall mount. The wall mount will need to be screwed into the wall at as many points as possible. The more points of anchor, the less weight is on each individual mounting spot. Once you have the wall mount anchored to the studs in the wall, you are almost done with how to install a wall mounted LCD TV.

Hide Cables

Once you have the studs located, the wall mount anchored, and the LCD TV attached to the mount, you need to plug in and hook up your television. You will need to find a way to hide the lines. That can be done either by drilling into your wall and running them through it, or by finding other methods of “hiding” them on the outside of the wall. Certain conduits and sheathes available in your local home improvement store can really help with this process.

Have Help

Finally, no matter how sure you are that you know how to install a wall mounted LCD TV, it is still a good idea to have help around. Whether it is to hold up the TV as it is mounted or to bounce ideas and suggestions off of, having a second person there will make the process safer and more efficient.

Learning how to install a wall mounted LCD TV is the last step in the long process of getting your perfect television. You did the research on the types of technology, found the place to buy, found the model you wanted, and installed it in your wall. Now, all that is left to do is sit back and enjoy your new LCD television on its newly installed wall mount.

Hot MP3 Players

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What should you consider when purchasing an MP3 player?

MP3 Player News

A portable mp3 player is the easiest way to take your favorite music with you anywhere you go and anytime. Mp3 players are more compact than a CD, and you don’t have to take with you an entire box of CDs because the memory of an mp3 player can be up to 5 GB. Even if the capacity is huge sometimes, portable mp3 players are very small, design to fit in a small pocket, and sometimes fashionable as you will see in this mp3 player review.

If you decide to purchase an mp3 player, there are many models to choose from, and you should get familiarized with their features. Using an mp3 player review can help you to make your choice, as mp3 players are grouped into main categories by their memory type in any mp3 player review. Also, there are many more features that can make the difference between mp3 players.

Mp3 compatible CD players were the first mp3 players sold in stores. At that time they were considered very useful because an mp3 player can store up 10 times the amount of songs an audio CD can. The preferred mp3 players in any mp3 player review are those with flash memory. Mp3 players with hard drives or micro drives, have the largest capacity from all mp3 players.

Categories of mp3 players

Usually, mp3 players are grouped by their capacity and their ability to read different file types. The most common file types used to store music are mp3 and wma, and the physical support for data can be flash, micro drive, hard drive, or CD.

Flash memory mp3 players are the most popular. The most recent players have flash memory between 256 MB and 4 GB. If we consider the fact that the average length of a melody is 3 MB, it results that actual flash memory players can store between 80 and 1200 melodies. Flash memories have no moving parts, so the players can be easily manipulated without the risk of damaging it.

Micro drive mp3 players have much more storage space than flash memory players, varying from 5 GB to 10 GB. Hard drive mp3 players have the largest amount of memory for multimedia files. Mp3 compatible CD players became pretty old-fashioned due to their size. The CD can easily crash if you drop the CD player from your hands and the capacity of a CD is just 700 MB. You should check also for discounts if you want to save some money.

Nowadays many of the mp3 players also have lots of other interesting functions. A newer mp3 player can also FM radio, agenda, possibility to sort and group melodies, recording and playback capabilities as well as many others.

Other Features of MP3 Players

The newest mp3 players have wide color screens where you can play DVD quality movies. We can’t finish this mp3 player review information without speaking about other important features of mp3 players, like voice recording or FM radio tuner and sometimes even TV tuner.

An mp3 player with 5 GB of memory can record up to 40 hours of high quality sound. In the last two years, mp3 players have become the most common device for listening to music. Very small, portable, and with a large storage capacity, an mp3 player can also be fashionable.

How to Buy MP3 Players

If you want to buy MP3 player devices, it’s not a difficult choice. There are players to respond to all kinds of needs. Here are a few tips on how to buy MP3 players that meet your expectations.

If you want to listen to some music while jogging, then you probably need a light-weight device, such as a flash-memory player. Get the highest-capacity player you can afford

When you want to buy MP3 players, either flash or hard drive-based, make sure you get the model with the largest storage space within your price range. Some flash MP3 players use replaceable batteries, but most hard drive players have built-in rechargeable batteries that are hard to remove. Hard-drive players can keep playing for hours and hours.

Buy MP3 players with broad file format support

While all players support the MP3 format, some also support AAC, WMA or Ogg Vorbis files. An FM tuner is usually available on flash players.

Does the player need a carrying case?

When you buy MP3 players, they often come with a carrying case as well. However, if your player is expensive and fragile, a custom-fitted case can help you protect it. You can buy MP3 players from both online and offline shops, at different prices. An MP3 player can be a great source of entertainment, especially while traveling.

Mp3 players represent the newest technology for listening to preferred music anytime and anywhere. Most of the mp3 players are pretty cheap, if we consider the plenty of features they have, as the prices can vary from $40 up to $300. The most important advantage of mp3 players is the mp3 or wma compression which makes a huge file of songs fit into a small flash memory.

Features of Cheap MP3 Players

In this section we will consider cheap mp3 players, the devices with prices up to $80. Most of these players have flash memory from 128MB up to 2 GB. Unlike hard drive mp3 players, the flash memory mp3 players are cheaper and they are much portable than any other mp3 player. One of the most important advantages of portable mp3 players is their size from 2 to 4 inches. Unlike the CD players which require you to carry the box with CDs, mp3 players are much smaller but in their memory may fit up to one hundred audio CDs. Most of the cheap mp3 players do not support radio or TV tuner functions, but they have voice recording feature. Also, these mp3 players do not have rechargeable batteries but you can buy them afterwards.

If you have some extra money you may buy an mp3 player with built-in and customizable presets, and many other useful functions. You also have the possibility to buy an mp3 and wma compatible CD player. It is the cheapest mp3 player, but it is not as portable as usual mp3 players and you have to carry your CDs with you in order to have all your favorite music.

The best place to buy cheap mp3 players is an online store with discounts. Recently, a few companies from Asia offered free shipping for all mp3 players bought online from their virtual shops.

If you would like more information about MP3 players visit my Hot MP3 Player News site.

Home Theater Ideas For Small Rooms

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Just because you have a small room does not mean that you can’t enjoy the Lord of the Rings Trilogy or any other feature film that is best viewed on the latest in home theater advancements. You can bring all the qualities of the home theater system into a smaller apartment, or even enjoy the full effect in your bedroom, by choosing some home theater options that will fit better in your smaller space.

Start your search for the perfect home theater system in your small room by looking for the right television. Your television should not overwhelm everything else in the room, especially if you are choosing the components for a bedroom. High Definition and wide screen TVs are available in any size now, so it shouldn’t be too difficult to find a screen that fits nicely into your room.

You might want to consider incorporating a cubby hole for your home theater in your smaller room. This will allow you to actually lessen the floor space that your system takes up, and will not make the room appear any smaller. Another idea is to buy a piece of furniture such as a compact entertainment cabinet, although keep in mind that this will cut down on the amount of space in a room that may already appear crowded. If you want to go this route, a good option is to utilize a cabinet which has a built-in slide drawer for your television, such as the ones used in hotels.

As far as the rest of the system in small rooms, the best bet for a general purpose home theater system is one of the many home theater systems sold in boxes, with all the components included. Look for a set that includes a DVD/CD player and wireless rear speakers, as you will not want a bunch of wires taking up the valuable space in your room. Avoid small satellite speakers, and look for woofers that are over 3” and a 7” or larger subwoofer.

Advanced home theater users may want to shop for their components separately, and this option will allow for greater flexibility and may help to match up to the décor in your room. Remember to include all the components in your search, and that your main objective is to cut down on the floor space used as much as possible, in both wiring and surface area.

A small room does not mean that you can’t enjoy a wide range of experiences that come with a home theater system. A home theater system can be the perfect addition to a bedroom for watching a movie or listening to some music before you go to bed or when you are feeling under the weather. Shopping small will help save some money without taking away from the enjoyment of the overall experience- in fact, smaller rooms can be ideal for complete home theater systems as the sound is used more effectively. The key is not to overwhelm, but to make your audio/visual experience as realistic as possible.

Hidden Digital Video Recorders on the Move

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There are many reasons to own and use hidden digital video recorders. You may need them to keep an eye on things around your home, office, warehouse, or other places of business. You may even need to have one to protect your mobile home, vacation home or barn where you keep your valuable horses. But there are also times when the need for hidden digital video recorders goes beyond watching some place stationary. Sometimes you need hidden digital video recorders to be as mobile as anything on four or more wheels. When you do, you may want to consider a mobile security VCR.

These types of hidden digital video recorders are especially necessary for use with police forces. We’ve all seen numerous accounts of traffic violators on film, being pulled over for speeding, reckless operation, drunk driving, but hidden digital video recorders can also be a critical factor in the prosecution of criminals, who have been involved in robberies, kidnappings and other types of felonious activities. These hidden digital video recorders are also great for private investigators.

Other types of agencies can also benefit from the use of hidden digital video recorders. They are great for use in buses and taxis as well. Can you imagine how beneficial it would be if, for example, a taxi picked up a suspicious character for a fare. Then later when questioned by police, there would be a perfect video record of the person in question, which could be quite beneficial for identification purposes.

Go Digital!

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It seems like yesterday when I made my first attempt at finding an affordable digital multi-track recorder for my small home recording studio. Needing to replace my outdated 4 track analog recorder, I searched quite awhile for a reasonably priced recorder. Finally, I was able to find a digital recorder with most of the features I was looking for.

I was amazed at the capabilities of this machine; the clarity of sound it duplicated and the ease of operation were fantastic. My music mixes never sounded better.

Every month or so, some new technological invention, especially in the digital realm, appears on the market. For today’s young people, it is common place to have at their disposal anything they find appealing.

For some of us “older folks” to say the least, we are amazed, at times, even overwhelmed by all the “techno” gizmos on the market. I feel like a kid in a candy store when I research all the new devices out there, but I am a rare bird for my age and sex. I’m one of the very few women who pine over “electronics” instead of the latest fashion craze.

I constantly search the internet for information on all the new products. I want them all, but can only afford a few of these new devices. But, when narrowing down my choices, I usually opt to keep up with all the music related products for enjoyable listening and more efficient and advanced ways to take my music and recording to the next level.

There is no better way to find out all the tricks and tips about a new device than to read about it. Oftentimes the manufacturer’s supplied user’s manual, to say the least, is in another language. Yes, I am one of those people who prefer to learn by doing, but sometimes this is the slow way and does more harm than good. I have lost many good demos because of my hasty button pushing. My eyes often play tricks on me because part of using digital devices is getting used to the tiny menu screens.

E-books are great for reading in your spare time. I like to download them and read at my leisure. When my eyes are not working properly, I use the “zoom in”, sit back and read all about my new device.

Just bought an iPod or still trying to figure out how to use one? Check out my latest e-book about your favorite “device”, The Incredible iPod at http://www.the-incredible-ipod.com