What you need to know when buying a HDTV

I wrote this a year ago and it still holds true today. The only change is that there is a third class of HDTVs- LED-backlit LCD. It is a LCD display that uses LED backlighting rather than using fluorescent lights used in traditional LCD TVs.Ok folks, here are the things you should know when considering buying a HDTV. I know that there will be some debate, but these are the things that I feel are most important and will give you the piece of mind that you made the right choice. So, let's get to it.

The SPECS game is worthless. This is where the vendors use questionable techniques, inability to agree with each other and in some cases dirty tricks. I suggest that you don't use them. But, if you do then follow this simple rule- only compare models from the same brand. There is no real way to tell if Panasonic's 15,000:1 contrast ratio is better than Sony's 25,000:1. But, you can be pretty sure that Panasonic's 15,000:1 is better than Panasonic's 9,000:1. Also don't fall for specific SPECS such as Response Time, Viewing Angle, and Dynamic Contrast.

Lets look at each.

Response Time-Response time supposedly represents how long it takes for a pixel to change from one color to another and they use that number as a gauge of how quickly a set can respond to fast moving images. the problem for you as a consumer is that some manufactures' measure that time as the time it takes for a pixel to change from black to white to black while others use gray to gray. ( Again no consistency across manufactures )

Dynamic contrast is another inconsistent measurement. Vendors almost always inflate this number and they don't measure it in the same way so it is impossible to measure it across brands. generally speaking, plasma TV's have the highest contrast ratio followed by the new LED TV's.

Viewing angle-you should check this out in person. Since there is alot of flexibility in the definition of what a good picture is just go to the store and check it out. The vendors are claiming 176 degrees before picture quality diminishes but, if you go to the store and actual check it out I'm quite confident that you will be displease with the picture quality long before 176 degrees.

Features that do matter- Refresh Rates and HDMI. These are features that the vendors can't fudge. Either the model you are looking at support a 120Hz refresh rate or it doesn't. Why is the refresh rate so important ? Here is why- Normal TV's refresh what is on the screen at 60Hz or 60 times a second. Most HDTV's are capable of refreshing twice that. There is a number of advantages to the 120Hz mode. First, it can smooth out fast motion in sporting or other fast moving live events. TVs capable of the 120Hz mode consistently sport faster response times. Secondly, and for me the most important advantage of the 120Hz mode, is that it perfectly matches up with the speed of movies which are recorded at 24fps. On regular TVs, 3:2 pull down is the process that translates the 24fps into 60fps. A 120Hz TV can display each frame five times. You will find HDTVs in 60" or high sporting a 240Hz refresh mode, Although it is nice to have, I haven't been able to discern any visual difference in looking at live sporting events in 120Hz or 240Hz mode.

HDMI (High Definition Interface) is the first only only industry-supported, uncompressed, all digital audio/video interface. HDMI supports standard, enhanced, or high definition video plus multi channel digital audio on a single cable. The most important piece of information to remember about HDMI is that all video/audio signals from your components, for example, a PS3 is uncompressed. Anytime you compress video/audio you introduce compression artifacts.

You see it in all the ads and hype 1080p. Its gotten cheaper over the years and it is hard to find a 40" or bigger LCD TV without it. Although it is nice I believe that 1080p isn't always a necessity when considering a HDTV. Let me explain my reasoning. First and foremost, you should consider the room size before you consider stepping up to 1080p. There is a wonderful piece of research by Carlton Bale that illustrating where you can tell the difference between the various HD resolutions click here. For example say you are sitting more than 10 feet away from a 40"LCD, based on the chart you will not see much of a difference between 1080p and 720p. Also, unless you are hooking up a game console or a Blu-ray player it is unlikeley that you have a source that does 1080p. Cable and Satellite providers recompress the video and audio they're broadcasting to you. Bottom line- don't be afraid of buying a good 42" 720p HDTV, especially if you are not hooking up a game console or Blu-ray player.

Another bug-a-boo which must be fully understood, is that when you go to a store to look at HDTVs, the in-store environment can make it very difficult to tell how a HDTV performs. The display models you see on the floor are usually set to super-high contrast and brightness settings, the lighting offten will not resemble the lighting environment at home. For this reason alone, I recommend to all my clients to have their HDTV professionally calibrated when they get the TV home. There are color calibrators on the market for under $500. So, you say what can I do in the in-store environment. Follow these simply rules: Change the picture setting to the movie mode or in some cases the middle picture mode, since it typically uses lower, more realistic brightness and contrast levels. Bring your own demo material, take a DVD disc you are familiar with, it will help you see itf the scene looks the way it should. Be on the lookout for shadow detail. LCD TVs often will have some difficulty in reproducing subtle shadings in dark scenes.

Plasma vs LCD. Ok, I know you will find a differing opinion on this subject. I for one prefer Plasma over LCD. (that was written last year and I must say that after seeing some of the newer LED TVs I'm leaning towards the LED display). Plasma TVs display deeper blacks than LCDs, allowing for much better contrast levels and that deliver a picture quality I find second to none. I must be upfront and mention the big caveat in the fore-mentioned statement, the room needs to be dark. Better put, Plasma TVs should not be installed in sun drenched rooms. LCDs preform better in that environment.

I hope this helps you evaluate and find the right HDTV for you. If you consider the information I have given you in this article you should be happy with your purchase. And, I suggest that when you get the TV home and installed make sure you get the TV professionally calibrated.

Is Apple Repeating It's Mistakes ?

I was reading an article the other day about Android and Apple's iPhone OS. The point of the article is that Android's share of the smartphone market is 28% compared to Apple's 21%. That got me thinking, is Apple repeating the mistakes it made during the mid 80's ?

Apple in the early to mid 80's was a market leader in personal computers showing how easy and cool it was to own a personal computer. Apple provided a cutting edge OS that was tied to equally cutting edge hardware. Microsoft then came along and licensed their OS to any manufacture that was making a clone. The result is that Windows has an 80-90 percent market share.

Where Apple tied its OS to their own hardware, Microsoft licensed their OS to run on thousands of different manufactures platforms. You had a choice of hardware unlike Apple. I think people liked the choices and made Windows the dominate operating system because of the choices of hardware.

I think that Apple is in the same boat again today. Google developed Android and licensed it to any cell phone manufacture that wanted to release a phone using the Android OS. If you want Apple iOS 4 then you have to have an Apple iPhone. There are today many more choices of smartphone running Android that gives the consumer more choice. Apple only releases a new iPhone once a year. We see the major manufactures releasing new iterations of Android based phones several times a year and quite frankly, the OS is update more often than iOS. Apple users are then forced to wait for the next iteration to catch up with the functionality of the current crop of Android phone.

Based on Apple history, I think Apple will again repeat the mistakes it made in the PC business and the iPhone will become a small part of the smartphone market. Android is destined to become the market leader just as Microsoft did with it's Windows OS. Why, because the operating systems is offered on more choices of smartphones.

Now before anyone slays me, a bit of disclosure is offered. I have owned 3 generations of the iPhone and currently use a new iPhone 4. I'm not offering my opinions on which I think is best Android or iOS 4. I could care less about who has what market share.

I just want to point out that yes the iPhone revolutionized the smartphone category just like the first Macintosh revolutionized the way we interact with computers. It is because Apple is a hardware and software manufacture tied to its own brand that it will by nature be a small player in the technology market place. And I don't necessarily see that is a bad thing.

Create a Home Network Using Your Electrical Wiring

D-Link Corporation, Fountain Valley, CA is shipping it's new DHP-303 PowerLine HD Ethernet Adapter Starter Kit, which allows you to use your home electrical system to set up a simple home network. You can connect devices such as TiVO, Game consoles from Sony, Microsoft and Nintendo, as well as ethernet enabled computers to your network.

You need at least two PowerLine wall plugs/adapters, both of which are included in the $140.00 starter set to create a network. Each adapter should be plugged directly into a wall socket on the same circuit in your home. ( A side note: avoid plugging the units into power-surge outlets ). Any other device that you add to the network must have its own adapter.

D-Link make activation of the adapter quite simple, to activate simply press a button on each adapter a device is connected to. For example you have the starter kit and you want to add a SlingBox to the network. Simply attach the SlingBox via an ethernet cable to a DHP-303 adapter and press a button on the adapter and presto the adapter is activated and the SlingBox is on your network.

Some of the features include:

• Extends wireless LAN by connecting an access point
• Simple push button security
• Shows up in Windows Vista "network map" locator
• Up to 200Mbps throughput
• QoS support
• Supports enhanced network security

I have a client that uses the earlier PowerLine model and is quite satisfied with it. For him it was a very cost effective solution to running cable throughout a 100 year old row house. Wifi didn't work well either, at least two repeaters were needed for whole house coverage. The PowerLine adapters were the best solution and really worked well. I would recommend to anyone who doesn't want to mess with cabling and WiFi to seriously consider D-Link's new PowerLine HD Ethernet Apapters when creating a home network.

My Thoughts on the iPad

( Posted May 28th ) First let me say that I am sitting in a Starbucks having a cup of coffee reflecting on my use of the iPad over the last month. I am also composing this post on the iPad.

The iPad I have is the 16 gig WiFi only model, yes I could not wait for the 3G. Why the 16 gig instead of the 32 or 64 gig models? First, I looked at my iPhone and how I was using the iPod and app features of the phone. When I had the first gen iPhone it became very clear that 8 gigs wasn't enough for the way I used the it. I have to say, I have never used the iPhone as a music player. I use the iPod functions for podcasts and video, and I never store them forever on the iPhone. So 16 gigs is enough for me and the way I assumed I would use the iPad. Second, I really thought about prices and wondered if the additional cost for more memory was worth the price if I didn't find the experience all that great. I have a netbook and used it less than ten times and have considered it a waste of money. I ended up giving then thing away.

Up front I have to say that it is a game changer. I know that the statement creates

controversy for some. Let me explain my thinking. I'll start out by stating what the iPad isn't. First, the iPad is not in any way shape a notebook killer, not even a net book killer. ( I have a net book and really understand it). A notebook has much more functionality such as, connecting to networks, receiving, processing and transforming data from various sources. Second, The iPad is pretty much tied to the Apple iTunes ecosystem. Sure you can access e-mail accounts in multiple ways and surf the Internet, but even with that you still have to use Apple's browser and e-mail client. (Although I hear that Firefox has submitted a browser for Apple's approval). Third, the applications you can install are only those approved by Apple and only available from the App Store.

What the iPad is a device that will change the genre of tablet computing. Let's explore that for a moment. I can remember years ago Bill Gates expound on the tablet computer and that it would be the way people would buy computers. Computer manufactures produced tablet computers based on Windows tablet operating system which was basically Windows desktop operating system. You interacted with the system via a stylus and if you so desired a virtual keyboard. Most people who had tablets, at least the people I knew rarely used the tablet feature and instead used it as a notebook where you opened it up and used the physical keyboard. And, there were very few applications that took advantage of the tablet function.

Now fast forward to the iPad. The iPad uses an operating system that is designed for mobile products. It is not a desktop operating system on a mobile device. ( In fact, I found the whole tablet ecosystem really cumbersome to use with a desktop based operating system). I would even venture to say that based on sales I wasn't the only one to think so. I think one of the reasons HP bought Palm was to acquire WebOS and use it for their upcoming tablet instead of Windows 7. I think that this is were the iPad will really be a game changer. We will see more mobile/portable devices based on mobile operating systems whether it is WebOS or Android. And, as consumers we can only benefit from this.

I use my iPad to get my e-mail, browse the web and run applications that are important to me on a device that is highly mobile. I no longer have to go upstairs to my office to get and respond to e-mail. Like my iPhone the iPad is always on, press the home button and the desktop appears. Tap the e-mail icon and presto all my e-mail. Same with all the built in apps and those downloaded from the App Store. I love watching movies I sync to the iPad. Movies on the iPhone work but with the iPad's large screen and better resolution movies are better watched.

Now to my biggest complaint- no printing directly from the device. Every once in a while I want to print a receipt or an e-mail and I can't because there is no native printing. Although I can understand what my be the reason for the lack of printing- namely printer drivers. Since I have several printers from different manufactors I would need several different print drivers.

In sum, I have to say that I would recommend the iPad with one caveat, buy the 3G model. I ended up getting a Verizon MiFi and realized that the money I'm going to spend for monthly charges will quickly add up and prove to be more expensive than the 3G with the $30.00 data plan. (But, I will say my seat of the pants feeling finds the Verizon network faster than AT&T's). Although I can access the Internet via Starbucks when I want there will be times when I'm at a clients site and need Internet access, hence the MiFi. My advice buy the 3G model and pay the $30.00 for the data plan.