Technology&Electronic

HP Introduces All-in-one Desktop PC for Small Business Customers

2009-12-23T00:14:00.000-08:00

PALO ALTO, Calif., Dec. 7, 2009 – HP today expanded its all-in-one PC portfolio for small businesses with the HP Pro All-in-one MS200 Business PC. Featuring an integrated design that puts the computing power inside the display, this all-in-one PC provides small businesses a stylish, small-footprint machine with a full set of professional features.

“HP has seen a growing customer demand for all-in-one PCs to simplify set-up and streamline workplace environments,” said Alan Reed, vice president and general manager, business desktops, Personal Systems Group, HP. “The HP Pro All-in-one MS200 is ideal for small businesses that want a space-saving, one-console PC at an affordable price that still offers the performance capabilities needed in business environments.”
The HP Pro All-in-one MS200 Business PC’s slim, elegant profile and simple set-up fits seamlessly into a variety of work environments. Its single console conceals antennas, cables and other peripherals, offering the perfect solution for use in space-constrained cubicles, executive conference rooms, schools, nurse stations and hotel lobbies. With an 18.5-inch diagonal screen, the HP Pro All-in-one MS200 features a 16:9 high-definition(1) LCD display that tilts and swivels, a full-size keyboard and mouse, built-in webcam, Slim Tray SuperMulti DVD burner(2) and a microphone array. Customers can download a 60-day trial of HP Virtual Rooms at no additional cost to host virtual meetings with remote coworkers and for video-enabled chat using the built-in webcam and microphone.(3,4)

The HP Pro All-in-one MS200 delivers efficiency and speed with a 250 gigabyte (GB) hard drive,(5) Microsoft Windows® 7 Professional operating system(6) and an AMD AthlonTM dual-core processor.(7) Its one-year on-site commercial warranty offers small business customers quick response time and reliable onsite service for their investment.
For business users who value quality graphics, the HP Pro All-in-one MS200 includes ATI Radeon™ high-definition 3200 graphics with 256MB graphics memory. Its premium front-facing stereo speakers provide clear, crisp sound and built-in Wireless LAN (802.11b/g) with WLAN antenna for easy online access.(8) It also includes a six-in-one media card slot, six USB ports, headphone input and microphone output jacks for increased multi-media flexibility.
The HP Pro All-in-one MS200 is an ENERGY STAR® 5.0 qualified PC and uses less metal and plastic than traditional desktop PCs and monitors because the monitor and PC are combined. It also consumes less than half the energy of an old PC and LCD display.

HP's New Low Cost All-In-One PC

2009-12-23T00:02:00.000-08:00

When the Intel Atom processor was released, a large number of companies started to introduce low cost all-in-one desktops using this inexpensive platform. These systems offered very limited performance, generally only suitable for the most basic of computing. HP has entered into the low cost market with the Pavilion MS214 priced between $600 and $650 but not using the Atom like many other low cost units. Does it have enough performance to set itself apart as an affordable yet functional all-in-one? Find out in my review of the HP Pavilion MS214 all-in-one desktop.

Best Performance Desktop PCs

The past couple of months have had some major changes in the performance market. Intel has release some new Core i7 processors that offer high performance with a lower general price point and ATI has released the first wave of Direct X 11 compatible graphics cards. Even with these releases, many companies are sticking with designs and hardware from six months ago to keep costs down as consumers are focused much more on value than before.

The majority of people looking for a high performance desktop computer are typically using it for PC gaming. There are people looking to use them for tasks like desktop video and the such, but most manufacturers still market them as game machines. With the current economy though, people are not as eager to spend $5000 for such a system as they did in the past. As a result, I've changed the focus of my best performance desktop list to focus more on performance at a value price and breaking out the list based on various features and functions as well as price.

Before You Select a Desktop Computer Systems

2009-12-22T23:56:00.000-08:00

Looking to buy a new desktop personal computer system? This guide covers many of the basic items to examine when comparing desktop computer systems so that you can make an informed purchasing decision. Due to the changing nature of the PC Hardware industry, this guide will be periodically updated. Links are provided below each topic for a more detailed discussion on that subject.

Processors (CPUs)

Processor choices are a bit more difficult now than they were before. It is still really a choice between an AMD and an Intel processor. The difference really comes in how many cores there are in the processor and its relative speed. Each company now has a performance rating system that isn't really easy to compare. Due to the complexity, its best to refer to my links below for a more detailed explanation of CPUs for budget and uses.

Memory (RAM)

Most desktop computers now use a type of memory called DDR3. DDR2 is now only found in less expensive budget classed systems. In terms of amount, it is best to have at least 4GB of memory for the smoothest operation. Memory speeds can impact performance as well. The faster the memory, the better the performance should be. When buying memory, try to buy as few DIMMs as possible to allow for future memory upgrades if needed.

Hard Drives

Hard drives really boil down to size and speed. The larger the drive and the faster, the better the performance and capacity. In a desktop, it is best to have at least 500GB or more of storage space these days. In terms of speed, they are pretty much all running at 7200rpm now. A few high performance 10,000rpm drives are available. Most drives use the Serial ATA interface now for ease of installation.

Optical Drives (CD/DVD/Blu-ray)

Most systems sold now feature DVD burners, even the budget systems. It is best to make sure that you get a multiformat DVD burner that can support both the +R/RW and -R/RW formats. Speeds should be at least 16x for the recordable speed. Dual or Double Layer media support is also a common feature although less likely to be used due to media cost. Options also include LightScribe or Labelflash support for burning labels directly to compatible media. Blu-ray is an option for those wanting to use their PC for the high definition video format.

Video Cards

Video card technology seems to change every three to six months. If you aren't really doing any 3D graphics at all, then integrated graphics may be just fine. Beyond this, there are a wide selection of cards. Things to consider include performance, the amount of memory on the card, output connectors and the version of Direct X supported. Those looking to do any gaming should really consider a Direct X 10 card with at least 512MB of memory onboard.

Extrenal Connectors

Many upgrades and peripherals to computers now connect through external interfaces instead of internal cards. Check to see how many and what type of external ports are available on the computer for use with future peripherals. Look for systems that have both USB 2.0 and IEEE 1394 or FireWire ports. It should have at least six USB 2.0 connectors and one FireWire ports. eSATA is useful for anyone hoping to use high speed external storage. Many times media card readers that support various different flash memory cards for peripherals are also included.

Monitors

What good is a desktop PC unless it also has a monitor? Previously users would need to choose between a CRT or LCD monitor, but LCDs are pretty much the standard now because of their reduced size and power consumption. The real issue is more about size and cost of the LCDs. The price difference between 19-inch and 22-inch models make 22-inch the best overall value although 24-inch models are quickly dropping in price. Most all screens use the wider 16:10 format but some are now being released with a near 2:1 ratio best suited for movie watching.

Dell Inspiron 530s Desktop Computer (Intel Pentium Dual Core E5200, 320GB HDD, 2GB)

2009-12-22T23:50:00.000-08:00

The $500 Dell I530S-119B is a refresh of Dell's Inspiron "S" line of low-end, low-budget desktop PCs with a slim chassis. This model has many of the same basic specifications as the Inspiron I530S-114B that we reviewed a few months ago, but this time around, Dell speeds up the processor and adds a larger hard drive for the same decent price. Although competitors, such as Acer, sell a comparable system with more features and an even bigger hard-drive capacity, if you don't need the extra fluff, you'll appreciate the Dell's capability to multitask quickly and efficiently across a wider spectrum of applications.

Dell using the space-saving chassis in the I530S-119B isn't surprising if you consider the success of its predecessors. The classy silver and white tower can disappear comfortably in tight spaces across many decors thanks to its small size (14.2 inches high by 3.9 inches wide by 17.1 inches deep), and although you sacrifice a bit of expandability and horsepower, the desktop's versatile shape is a testament to its efficient, intelligent design.

However, Dell isn't the only desktop vendor to offer a desktop on a diet; last year we looked at the HP Pavilion Slimline s3500f and Acer just added the Acer Aspire X1700-U3700A, its Aspire AX3200, and the lower end Aspire X1200. For our purposes, let's compare the I530S-119B with Acer's latest addition to its small form factor lineup, the X1700-U3700A.

The systems share a similar set of components and a slimline shape, but several additions sway our favor toward the Acer's features. First, the Acer is cheaper because of a slightly slower CPU than the Dell (both run on Intel Pentium dual-core processors), but Acer packs in a more spacious hard drive. At the end of the race, Acer pulls ahead with a strong set of added features including a 14-in-1 multimedia card reader, 9 USB ports, an HDMI, and an eSATA port--the Dell has none of the above. Next, the Acer can potentially give media editors and home theater enthusiasts a solid workhorse with a few additional interior modifications, while the Dell Inspiron has limited room to upgrade. Inside, you get a slot for an optional video card, another standard PCI slot, and a single PCI express slot along with an open hard-drive bay. Finally, four single 1GB DIMMS occupy each of the four memory slots inside the Dell, so you can expect to toss out at least one 1GB of memory if you ever want more RAM, although Acer is worse with a pair of 2GB DIMMs slots already occupying the only two slots.

Desktop buying guide

2009-12-22T23:32:00.000-08:00

Finding the right desktop specs

Like most consumers, you probably have an idea of how much you want to spend on a desktop. But how do you ensure that you get exactly what you need? The different shapes and sizes, the wide range of configurations, and the seemingly constant arrival of new and faster technology all make for a difficult decision. To help you find the right mix, we've outlined the four basic types of PC user.

General purpose user

These days, $500 to $1,500 will net you a desktop with a dual-core CPU and enough power to run productivity apps, view and edit vacation photos, manage MP3s and videos, and even play many of today's games--the core activities most common to families, students, and the general purpose PC user. At $1,000 and up, you should easily be able to perform those tasks. Spend around $500, and in most cases you'll still be able to run common tasks without delay, although 3D gaming becomes a stretch. You will definitely find a dual-core chip in a $500 PC (you should insist on a dual-core chip these days, unless your budget keeps you under the $500 mark), but Vista could still give you trouble. Be sure the PC is equipped with at least 1GB of memory, and it's a good bet that you'll be able to smoothly run Vista. Add in a 128MB graphics card, and you'll get the Aero effects with little to no performance loss.

If you're leaning towards Apple, you should keep in mind that Apple's OS X operating system is due for an update in October. We recommend waiting until then to purchase a new Mac, so you don't have to worry about updating the operating system yourself later on. We also wouldn't be surprised if Apple came out with a new desktop between now and then. We can't say what it might look like, but any Mac mini or iMac will get the job done for most of today's day-to-day users. We have no reason to doubt that Apple will continue to offer relatively affordable, capable home systems

Key features:
AMD Athlon 64 X2, or Intel Core 2 Duo processor
1GB of DDR2 memory
250GB to 500GB hard drive
128MB, DirectX 9-capable graphics card from ATI or Nvidia
DVD burner
17- to 19-inch LCD
2-piece or 2.1 speaker set
Windows Vista Home Premium or Apple OS X Leopard (when it becomes available)
Apple iLife or Microsoft Works Suite 2006 (students might want full-blown Office 2007 or iWork '06)

Power user

It's easy for the price to get out of hand with a power PC. Take, for instance, any of these quad-core PCs. If you shop around, you should be able to find a more than adequate gaming or digital design box for between $2,500 and $3,500. Look for an Intel Core 2 Duo CPU and up to 4GB of DDR2 RAM.You'll also need a large, fast hard drive--perhaps two or more if you plan to transfer and edit movie files--and of course, a DVD burner or, if you have an HD display, a Blu-ray or HD DVD drive. If your goal is digital design, Apple's Mac Pro continues to shine in this arena. We still won't recommend an Apple for gaming, though, so if that's your aim, it's Windows for you.

The graphics card issue is a bit stickier. Right now, we recommend either of Nvidia's GeForce 8800 GTX or 8800 GTS cards, or one of ATI's newer Radeon HD 2900 XT cards. Each shows promise in current generation games. Which one will be better for next-gen DirectX 10 games we can't say, because the games with which to properly test them aren't here yet. If gaming is your chief concern and you can put off your purchase for a little while, you might wait until the shooter Crysis comes out (allegedly this September). That game represents the next leap forward in PC 3D graphics, and while it won't be the only game that matters, most performance junkies will rely on it to determine which graphics card is the most advanced.
Key features:
Intel Core 2 Duo E6600, E6750, or E6850; Core 2 Quad Q6600 or Q6700, Core 2 Extreme QX6700, QX6800 or QX6850
2GB to 4GB of 800MHz or 1,066MHz DDR2 memory
500GB to 1TB 7,200rpm hard drive(s)
512MB ATI Radeon HD 2900 XT, 768MB Nvidia GeForce 8800 GTX, 640MB or 320MB GeForce 8800 GTS
Blu-ray, HD DVD, or DVD+/-RW drive
19- to 21-inch LCD
Digital 5.1 speakers
Windows Vista Ultimate or Home Premium
Microsoft Office 2007, DVD-authoring program

Good-bye, rabbit ears? Not so fast

2009-12-22T23:25:00.000-08:00

Congratulations! You've successfully made the switch from analog to digital TV. So is it good-bye to rabbit ears? Not quite!
Retro rabbit ears may not bring in a perfect picture, but they can bring back some great memories.

Whatever your view of television, be it couch potato casual or flat-screen fanatic, Friday was a special occasion. And even if you didn't give it the kind of warm reception some Chicago students did on Friday night, complete with champagne toasts, you knew it was the end of an era, if for no other reason than all those incessant reminders we've been giving you, like "The Big Switch From Analog To Digital TV" or "Flipping The Switch To Digital TV".

In these days of cable and satellite, you probably thought it was time for a requiem for the old rabbit ears. Not so fast.

"The antenna is alive and well," said Michael Godar, who runs one of the nation's few handmade antenna companies out of a TV repair shop in Gilbert, Ariz.

And he says that, even at the dawn of the Digital Age, there's plenty of life in that old antenna.

"There was almost a sport (in) adjusting your antenna on your TV," Sieberg said.

"Oh yeah, battling it--you know, especially when you had a remote control," Godar laughed. "You'd change the channel and then get up, adjust the antenna!"

Antennas are as old as television itself. Their limitations were spoofed in the very first episode of Jackie Gleason's "The Honeymooners."

The antenna is the sole survivor of our analog past. And while it just receives over-the-air channels, digital is the reason there's more of them.

"An antenna will still work," Godar said. "Even some of these antiques here will actually pick up a digital signal."

Of course, some things never change. You still need to be in a place where it's possible to get good reception. In fact, unlike an analog signal, with its fuzzy picture, a weak digital signal can leave you seeing, well, nothing at all.

Henry Langan and his son Steven are the "Antenna Kings." Their company has installed thousands all around New York.

Steven estimates that anywhere between 10 percent and 15 percent of people who receive their primary signal from broadcasters use antennas. "A lot of them are in metropolitan areas (and) don't have the extra money to spend $25 or $50 a month on cable TV, or more."

Langan says the TV antenna has stood the test of time.

"I mean, I get calls from people all the time saying, 'You put this up, you did my antenna 20 years ago. You know, is it time to change?' I say, 'Well, if it's working, no. But if it isn't, then, you know, it's time to change.'"

But let's say you do go for that new antenna. What to do with those rabbit ears? Well, the one thing you shouldn't do is throw them out.

Larry Jones is a connoisseur of all things old TV, which may explain his day job: president of the cable television network TV Land. He says he looks at rabbit ears as pieces of art.

"I mean, initially, when I saw one, I thought they were very sculptural," Jones said. "They looked like sculptures to me. They reminded me of Calder sculptures in many ways. Some of them are very, very intricate and very twisted. (I also see them) as a pure representation of American pop culture.

While functional--they brought television signals into your house--rabbit ears were major decorative items as well. Jones said rabbit ears "really defined an era, defined a point of time, and defined a generation, in many ways."

The rarest find in Jones' collection doesn't even resemble rabbit ears ("poodle ears" might be more appropriate).

Jones says digital be damned; those fuzzy analog pictures were something special. He admired the texture of the broadcast signal: "Sometimes, they're a little bit grainy, and then they come in clear. And you're able to change that sound just by moving the ears just a little bit. It's really warming and feels really good to conjure up those kinds of very, very, very strong memories."

He recalled his parents and grandparents testing out the TV antenna days before the anticipated first lunar landing in 1969. "I remember a lot of conversation prior to that happening: 'What happens if the TV antenna doesn't work?' And so there were a lot of precautions that were made--testing the TV at that time in the afternoon, days before, to make sure it wouldn't be on the fritz that day. So that is my one specific memory when they landed on the moon!"

That was then. This is now.

Jones says we still don't know if the digital era will represent one small step or a giant leap for television technology. Still, he's certain that it's a step in the right direction.

"A lot of times, people ask me about the 'Golden Age of television,'" Jones said. "You know, I think the Golden Age of television is right now. You have never had more selection, better quality, almost anywhere you go. You can have it in your house, you can have it in your car, and you can have it in a lot of different forms, you can have it on DVD. There's scripted, there's unscripted.

"This is the best time ever for television. And if we keep down going down this path, then it should be better 2 years from now, 5 years from now, and 10 years from now. So I would say, as far as technology getting better, how could I possibly think that it was a bad thing? I mean, technology getting better is a great thing. It just means more TV to watch."

How to survive the digital TV transition

2009-12-22T23:20:00.000-08:00

The impending switch to all-digital broadcast TV will be a step forward, but it could be bumpy for many

Over the next year or so, you'll be hearing a lot about the digital TV transition. Here's what you need to know: On Feb. 17, 2009, broadcasters must shut down their analog systems and transmit only digital TV signals to comply with the Digital Television Transition and Public Safety Act. (For more information, see our Digital TV Transition information center online.)

While that sounds cataclysmic, the change will affect only the way free TV will be broadcast over the air, to a rooftop or indoor antenna. All TVs (no matter what type) connected to cable, satellite, or one of the new telephone company fiber-optic services should continue to function (though you might have to get a set-top box for cable; see below).

A TV connected to an antenna might or might not work after Feb. 17, 2009. That depends on the type of TV.

Which TVs will still work with an over-the-air antenna?
A TV with a built-in digital tuner (called an ATSC tuner) will be able to get free over-the-air digital programming, with no action on your part. Your TV probably has a digital tuner if it falls into one of the following categories:

* It's a big-screen, high-definition TV bought within the last few years. The government has required sets with screens 35 inches and larger to have a digital tuner since July 2005, and sets 25 inches and larger since March 2006. Those sets are sometimes called integrated HDTVs.

* It's a new TV purchased this year. Since March of this year, all new TVs regardless of size have been required to have a digital tuner. Most TVs bought within the last few months should be OK, whether they're high-definition sets or the new digital standard-definition TVs. (Retailers are allowed to sell off their existing inventory of analog TVs that do not have a digital tuner. They should be clearly marked as analog sets, but ask the salesperson to be sure.)

Which TVs will no longer work with an over-the-air antenna?
A TV that has only an analog tuner, called an NTSC tuner, will not be able to get free over-the-air digital programming. Your TV does not have a digital tuner if it is one of the following:

* An older picture-tube TV that is not a high-definition set.

* An HD-ready TV purchased several years ago.

* A new type of set, called a monitor, that has no built-in tuner of any kind.

(If you're unsure as to whether or not your TV contains a digital tuner, consult the product manual or call the manufacturer's customer service line.)

How can you make those TVs work?
To use any of those TVs to get free TV via antenna, you will have to attach an external device that contains a digital ATSC tuner. (Keep that in mind if, at some point, you disconnect cable or satellite from an older set to use it in your bedroom or basement with an antenna connection.) There are two ways to do this:

* You can buy a digital converter box that will accept the digital feed from the antenna and convert it into analog signals your TV can accept. That would enable you to receive digital broadcasts, but they will be converted to lower-quality analog signals—even if your TV is an HD-ready set or an HD monitor. Those converters are starting to show up in stores now, at costs ranging from $40 to $70. Best Buy, Circuit City, Kmart, RadioShack, Sam's Club, Sears, Target, and Wal-Mart are among the retailers that will be offering the boxes and participating in a government coupon program to defray the cost (see below).

* You can also buy a new VCR, DVD recorder, or digital hard-disk recorder (sometimes called a DVR) that contains a digital tuner and route signals from the antenna through that device to your TV. A number of such recorders are already available from various brands, many selling in the $200 range. As with TVs, verify with a salesperson that the model you've selected contains an ATSC tuner. You would have to keep the recorder turned on in order to watch TV. An HD-ready set or HD monitor would then be able to display HD, but a standard-definition set would downgrade the signal to analog quality.

Other options for getting TV programming
Alternatively, you could use one of those TVs with cable, satellite, or telephone company video service. Plans start at about $15 to $20 a month for the most basic level of programming, and a digital set-top box typically rents for about $5 to $10 a month.

Satellite and phone company TV are already all-digital, so subscribers won't have to make any changes. TVs connected to those services should continue to function as they do now.

Cable companies must continue to provide service to analog TVs at least through 2012. But if the cable is plugged directly into an analog set, you might have to get a set-top box at some point to continue receiving programming. Contact your cable company to find out if they're planning to switch to all-digital service during that time and whether you'll have to pay for a box.

FEDERAL COUPONS MIGHT HELP U.S. CONSUMERS

Because the federal government is requiring the transition, Uncle Sam will foot part of the bill for the purchase of digital converter boxes. Households with analog TVs connected to an antenna are eligible to receive two $40 coupons to buy two converter boxes (two coupons cannot be combined to purchase one box). Consumers must request the coupons from Jan. 1, 2008 through March 31, 2009. The coupons will expire three months after they're issued. Coupons will be available on a first-come, first-served basis until federal funding is exhausted.

Federal legislation has allocated up to $1.5 billion to this program. Consumers Union, publisher of Consumer Reports, finds little to applaud in this plan, which senior policy analyst Jeannine Kenney describes as "under funded" and "intentionally difficult for consumers to use." "Unless Congress revisits the structure and funding of the coupon program," she said, "the digital transition will be not just an annoyance to consumers, it will be a financial burden as well, undermining the likelihood that the 2009 transition deadline will be met."

For more information on the coupon program, visit the National Telecommunications and Information Administration's web site for the TV converter box coupon program: www.dtv2009.gov. You can phone in questions about DTV to the FCC's toll-free Consumer Center at 888-CALL-FCC (888-225-5322). Other useful online resources: www.dtvtransition.org, a site sponsored by the Digital TV Transition Coalition, a diverse group of TV and consumer electronics industry associations dedicated to educating consumers, and the official Web site of the National Association of Broadcasters' digital television (DTV) transition campaign. You can also check out www.HearUsNow.org, a consumer advocacy Web site managed by Consumers Union for public policy issues such as the transition to digital TV.

ANTENNAS: YOUR LINK TO FREE DTV

The impending transition from analog to digital for local broadcasts has put a whole new spin on over-the-air reception, which lost favor when cable and satellite became widely available. Here's what you need to know about using an antenna to get digital TV broadcasts.

More channels, better quality. Digital over-the-air broadcasts can provide very high-quality picture and sound—including high-definition programming and surround sound—free of charge. You might even get more channels than you did with analog broadcasts, because many networks broadcast several subchannels with different programming than the main station. (You won't pull in cable- and satellite-only stations such as ESPN and CNN.)

What you'll get. The number of stations you can receive digitally, and whether you can receive them, will vary depending on your locale. To find out about digital TV stations in your area, visit http://www.fcc.gov/mb/video/files/dtvonair.html.You'll have the best shot at receiving digital transmissions if there's a clear path to a station's transmitter. Tall buildings, mountains, or trees can block the signal. To gauge the potential strength of the HD signal in your area, check out AntennaWeb.

Antenna choices. Rabbit ears and indoor antennas might work, but a larger roof-mounted antenna is generally more effective at pulling in signals. Larger antennas can also be mounted in attics. You'll find antenna advice at the AntennaWeb. Web site and the HDTV Antenna Labs Web site, an enthusiast site dedicated to reviews of DTV antennas and technical articles.

Installation options. Although professional antenna installation was once a common service, finding an installer today might not be as easy as finding someone to wire a home computer network. None of the major electronics chains our reporter called (BestBuy, Circuit City, and Sears) install outdoor antennas.

AntennasDirect provides a listing of resellers and installers around the country. The do-it-yourselfer can download a useful guide on installing an outdoor TV antenna. You might also find a professional antenna installer in your area on the Homeblue Contractor Network site, or at Craigslist.

Digital TV Antennas: Indoor, Outdoor, Amplified, HDTV

2009-12-22T23:10:00.000-08:00

Are you looking for a digital TV antenna or HDTV antenna since the digital transition? Do you have a new plasma or LCD TV and need an antenna to get better reception? Do you need information about the different types of TV antennas, which brands are the best, which antenna retailers are the best, and tips on antenna installation?

If you answered yes to any of these questions then you have found the right place. Below you will find several links to our antennas posts that will provide you with the information that you are looking for regarding TV antennas. However, before we get to the links here is a quick word about TV antennas.

With the recent digital transition the demand for digital antennas of all kinds has been very high. Many people purchased converter boxes and are now realizing that these alone are not enough and that without a good digital antenna they are not going to get all of the channels that they should. Digital television signals work a lot like cell signals and often buildings and walls block signals greatly. If you are having trouble getting all of the channels that you should then getting a digital TV antenna of some sort should go a long way in helping you to recapture some if not all of the missing channels. For some however a standard antenna will not do the trick and you may be required to get a rooftop antenna or an amplifier of some sort.

Most of the antennas that we have reviewed will work with all TVs but not all antennas will work with each persons location. There are a bunch of different options regarding antenna strength and how far it can pull signals in from. Some work better in cities while others are made for rural areas. You can also find ones that come with internal amplifiers and ones that do not. You also want to be sure to get one that works with either the UHF or VHF signals you need and HDTV if you want that feature.

There are many different types of antennas and the purchase process can be quite confusing. We highly recommend that you read through our website and possibly even visit other websites related to TV antennas in order be sure to educated yourself on exactly what you want/need. If you don't do this you may end up doing several returns or spending extra money on something that you don't need.

Some of the main TV antennas brands that we will be taking a look at include RCA, Winegard, Antennas Direct, Antenna Craft, DX, and Channel Master.

If you have questions about the digital TV antenna information that we have provided please leave us a comment with your question and we will be sure to get you an answer.

What Kind of Antenna Do I Need to Receive Digital TV Signals?

2009-12-22T22:55:00.000-08:00

To receive digital TV signals from all stations, it is important that your antenna be able to receive both VHF channels (channels 2-13) and UHF channels (channels 14-51). Some antennas only provide good reception of VHF or UHF channels, but not both. For example, indoor “rabbit ears” usually need to be augmented with an additional “wire loop” or “bowtie” antenna (see pictures below) in order to pick up signals on UHF channels. Consumers should be aware that even if they use a digital-to-analog converter box, they will still need to use an antenna to receive DTV signals. Many of the antennas currently being sold as “HDTV Antennas,” perform best at receiving UHF signals; some of these models state that they provide reception of signals on channels 7-13 but actually perform less well receiving those channels. If you obtain one of these antennas, be sure it provides good reception of all the VHF channels as well as the UHF channels. The reception capabilities of TV antennas also vary considerably, so be sure to talk to retail consultants and look at information on the packaging and/or the Internet to make sure that any new antenna you may choose provides good reception of both VHF and UHF channels. In addition, if you use an indoor antenna and receive signals on VHF channels, you may need to use an antenna with amplification. To check for the DTV signals that are available at your location, use the DTV Reception Maps available at www.fcc.gov/mb/engineering/maps.

Antennas for Reception in Different Signal Conditions

The antennas shown below will work for the indicated signal strength in most instances, but may not work in all cases. Indoor reception of TV signals may be affected by factors such as nearby buildings, trees, terrain, or home construction.

Choosing and Installing an Antenna for HDTV

2009-12-22T22:45:00.000-08:00

TV antennas may seem like relics from the last century, but a growing number of viewers are finding them to be indispensable in getting the best picture from their HDTVs.

In this article, we'll discuss the advantages of over-the-air (OTA) reception and explain how to find digital TV signals in your local TV market and in nearby cities. We'll introduce the different types of TV antennas and tell you which ones perform best under various reception conditions. And we'll offer tips on how to install larger attic- and roof-mount antennas.

To learn about the government-mandated switch to digital TV broadcasting that was completed on June 12, 2009, check out our article about the digital TV transition.
Over-the-air HDTV signals are the best you can get

The switch to digital TV broadcasting has eliminated the most annoying picture distortions — snow and ghosting — that made analog off-air reception so hit-or-miss. With digital TV signals (both standard-definition and high-definition), you'll either see a crisp, ghost-free picture or no picture at all. Because most local and syndicated programming is not high-definition, it's typical for local stations to broadcast their digital signals in standard-definition during the day, then switch to full widescreen HDTV during primetime.

Even if you've never used an off-air antenna before, there are several good reasons to consider adding one to your other TV signal sources:

* Local digital TV broadcasts are everywhere: Although the widest selection of digital TV broadcasts are found in large metropolitan TV markets, over 99% of U.S. TV households have access to at least one local digital station; 89% can get five or more stations. You can learn which stations in your area are providing digital broadcasts by visiting the Antennaweb site listed below.
* Over-the-air digital reception provides the best picture quality: Cable and satellite providers offer tons of channels, but to do this they use data compression or other techniques that compromise picture quality, resulting in a "soft" image, distracting video "artifacts" (distortion), or both. Off-air antenna reception is the best way to enjoy HDTV programs at the full resolution the TV networks intended.
* Access to all your local channels: Bandwidth limitations also mean that cable and satellite providers may not carry all the local channels in your area, or may not offer them in high definition. Also, contract disagreements between local cable operators and local broadcasters can mean that major networks may not be available via cable TV in your area.
* Access to out-of-town channels: With the right equipment and reception conditions, some viewers may even be able to receive out-of-town channels, some of which may carry sports programs that are locally blacked out.
* Over-the-air signals are free: Aside from the costs to purchase and install an antenna, receiving over-the-air HDTV is free.

Of course, in addition to an antenna you'll need some type of HDTV tuner to receive digital TV programs. If you own an "integrated" HDTV, the tuner is already built into the TV. If you have an HDTV-ready TV, you'll need to connect it to a separate HDTV tuner. If you're currently subscribed to the HDTV package from satellite providers DIRECTV® or DISH®, your HD satellite receiver probably includes an over-the-air HD tuner.
Finding over-the-air digital TV signals

TV signal transmission is considered to be "line of sight." Getting reliable DTV reception beyond the curvature of the earth (approximately 70 miles) is difficult. And if mountains or tall buildings lie between the transmitter tower(s) and your home, they can cause reception problems. So, the first step is to locate the transmitters for your local stations.

Audio-Technica Debuts Its AT-LP60-USB Lp-to-Digital USB Turntable System

2009-12-22T22:36:00.000-08:00

I like this… I may have to get me one… hmm

Audio-Technica today announced the introduction of its AT-LP60-USB LP-to-Digital Turntable System, a complete USB turntable and software package that makes it easy to enjoy listening to records, and to transfer vinyl records to digital media files.

The AT-LP60-USB includes a turntable and phono cartridge, PC- and Mac®-compatible software, a USB cable that connects the turntable directly to a computer, a built-in phono preamp and other accessories.

The AT-LP60-USB features automatic operation, and a 33-1/3 and 45 RPM speed selector. The turntable is designed to deliver outstanding sound, with a heavy-duty cast aluminum platter, a high-quality Dual Magnet™ stereo cartridge with replaceable stylus, and a pickup arm with soft damping control. The supplied USB cable enables plug-and-play connection to a computer. Its built-in phono preamp enables connection to a wide variety of home entertainment systems, powered speakers, and to A/V receivers that do not include a phono input. The AT-LP60-USB comes with RCA output cables and 3.5mm-to-RCA adapter cables, and a dustcover.

The included PC- and Mac-compatible Audacity^® software converts the audio on a record to digital audio files, which can then be played back on portable audio players, computers, home media centers and car audio systems. The Audacity software includes a host of audio editing features and click/noise removal.

The Audio-Technica AT-LP60-USB LP-to-Digital Recording System will be available in January 2010 at an MSRP of $229.00. Its counterpart, the AT-LP60, is available now (without the USB connectivity and software package) at an MSRP of $149.00.

Merry Memory

2009-12-22T20:37:00.000-08:00

Since ‘tis the season let us see if there are any specific Christmas flash drives. You know, ones that don’t just make for great gifts but actually have a Christmas theme. So get your eggnog ready…

At first we can prove that there really is a Santa Claus. Not at the north pole but at the port of your ho-ho-home computer.

Santa Claus flash drives may hug, wave, flex their muscle, carry a sack or even come as an iBear. Santa can have his belly stuffed with 1 to 16GB and may weigh around 18g. The fastest Santa Claus flash drive flies with 12 MB/s but may even be faster if he has his reindeer to help out.

The reindeer memory stick pulls gifts in a total of 8GB and may even protect them with password wrap. It sports a little bell on his leash and a big red nose which more than likely contains the LED. This USB reindeer has grown up to be 62 x 30 x 14 mm and has been bred as a Super Talent Flash Drive.

A breed of another kind is the Christmas tree flash drive.

Not only is it decorated by itself with baubles and tinsel but it also serves as a practical ornament for your computer. And that without losing any fir needles or cones. The Christmas tree flash drive has a weight of 22g but can be reduced when the tree trunk is lifted as the USB interface cap. Likewise it may gain weight by attaching a key ring through the hole of the star top.

On to our next Christmas surprise. Aside from Santa’s gang and a tree what else is a must have for the Holidays? Of course, Christmas stockings.

Instead of hanging by your chimney they only look like one while they sock it to your computer with 1-4GB. They’re stuffed with password and partitioning support and – no surprise there - they’re bootable. More of a surprise though is the retractable USB connector. However there’s also a cap variety.

Now we move away from the warm and cozy Christmas interior and see what’s outside in the snowy, enchanting landscape.

Snowman flash drives!

In the true tradition of creative snowmen building these too stand in different forms and sizes.
They may have scarves, red, black or blue hats and consist of 2-8GB of snow. Of course you have to watch that they don’t melt while sitting in your USB port but usually they enjoy getting a break from the cold.

Frolicking around beside the rather static snowmen is the USB Christmas dog.

16gb USB Drive Comparison – 17 Drives Compared

2009-12-22T20:28:00.000-08:00

Yep, I’m at it again, this time I’ve got an assortment of 16gb USB drives, 17 of them in total from many different companies. I went and did a bit of searching and collected some of the more popular drives out there today, along with many others as well. I think we’ve got a nice representative sampling overall, we’ve got Sandisk, Verbatim, PQI, Kingston, OCZ, Patriot, Ridata, Imation, HP, Adata,Corsair, Memorex, Super Talent, PNY and Transcend in this little roundup.

I’d like to thank Super Talent, OCZ, PNY and Kingston for sending me drives for this little roundup.

So read on for some graphing fun… we got some extreme graphage going on inside…

So here’s the drives in the test:

Adata Sport Series RB19 16gb
Corsair Flash Voyager
HP USB Flash Drive v125W
Imation Swivel Flash Drive
Kingston Data Traveler100
Kingston DataTraveler HyperX
Memorex Traveldrive
OCZ Diesel
OCZ Throttle
Patriot Exporter XT
PNY Attache
PQI Traveling Disk 1221
Ridata EZdrive Lightning Series
Sandisk Cruzer Micro
Super Talent Pico-C
Transcend JetFlash Elite Enabled
Verbatim Store ‘n’ Go

and just for your information my system basically consists of:

Intel C2Q9650 CPU

8gigs OCZ Ram

EVGA NF680i SLI Motherboard

Windows Vista Ultimate x64

Ok, now onto the testing phase.

First up is SiSoft Sandra 2009 Sp2 Removable Storage Benchmark.

Combined Device Index: is a composite figure representing an overall performance rating based on the average of the Combined Index figures over the four file sizes. (Higher is better, i.e. better performance)

Endurance Factor: is a figure representing the Wear and Life Expectancy of flash devices; this is obtained by dividing the average performance (normal condition, i.e. sequential write) to the lowest performance (high-stress condition, i.e. same block re-write).

It measures the relative improvement of endurance caused by the wear levelling or flash management algorithm; the absolute endurance of a device (i.e. its expected life-time) is directly dependent, in addition to this Endurance Factor, on the nominal manufacturer rating of maximum erase/reprogram cycles, which is typically 100,000+ for SLC and 10,000+ for MLC devices. (Higher is better, i.e. longer life-time for the device)

In the following graph the higher scores are better, I’ve arranged the chart from worst to best according to how SiSoft Sandra scored them:

The top five as we see according to SiSoft Sandra are OCZ, Sandisk, Super talent, Patriot and Imation.

Here’s a closer look at the test, specifically the 256MB Files test, here we can see how Sandra scored the Read Performance and Write Performance of the drives. The chart is arranged using the Write Performance as the reference, worst to best, and of course higher is better.

As we can see we’ve basically got six drives tied for first place in this test.

Now, I’ve got Diskbench test up next, but I’ve done it a bit different this time, since there’s quite a few it gets a bit crowded, so I’ve broken the individual tests down into separate graphs. Also I added another test in here as well, I figured since these were 16gb drives, I would thrown in a nice large file transfer test as well, I used the Windows7 ISO file weighing in at 3.15GB. I also used the same 350MB .AVI Video file that I always use as well.

Diskbench is nice in that it tells us the actual times and transfer rates to complete the tasks of Copy To or Write To the USB drives, Read From and Copy From as well. I run these three tests on my USB drives because they are the most common things people are going to be doing with their USB drives.

First up is testing with the 350MB .AVI Video file, lower scores are better as they are shown in seconds. The first test is for Copy To or Write To the USB drives.

As you can see the OCZ Throttle drive has the fastest write time for this size of file, coming in three seconds faster than the closest competitor. The other fast drives all come it at around 20 seconds to complete the task which is very good overall. We can also see the Adata and Sandisk drives are over one minute, not that good really.

Next test is Read From, this test simulates reading a file from the USB drive, again it’s in seconds so lower is better.

Here we see a bit of rearranging going on with the ordering, with the top drives coming in at around 11 seconds.

Next test is the Copy From test, this gives us the time it takes to copy from the USB drive to my hard drive.

The ordering here is close to the Read From test but not the same, still though the PQI drive is number one.

Now here are the transfer rates for the tests in MB/s, so higher scores are better or meaning faster.

First graph is showing the results for the Copy To or Write test:

Clearly the OCZ Throttle is a fast drive coming in almost a full 3MB/s faster than the nearest competitor. Though 16 and 17 MB/s isn’t bad at all either, it’s nice and fast.

Next graph is Transfer Rates for the Read From test, higher is better of course:

Over 30 MB/s is good, very good actually for a USB drive, and we see quite a few hit 30 and above in this test.

Finally we have the Transfer Rates for Copy From:

Again over 30 MB/s is good, hitting 32 MB/s and above is even better as we can see a few are able to accomplish, most of the drives though aren’t too bad in this area really.

Ok, now for the last set of tests using Diskbench, this is where I used the ISO file that is 3.15GB in size. Same tests here, Copy To, Copy From and Read From, but I decided to only show you the times it takes, and not the transfer rates as they are pretty much the same as the other test, but seeing the actual time to do something can sometimes tell us more than seeing the transfer rates, at least I would rather see the times to do something, it’s easier to understand.

First up again is Copy To or Write to the USB drives, lower scores or times are better.

Over two minutes to copy the file to the USB drive for all of them, with the OCZ Throttle coming is number one here again, with a good 20 seconds better time. The main reason I wanted to show this is that things change with file sizes, the ordering of the drives has changed with the larger file as opposed to the smaller file transfer. Some drives got better when transferring the larger file, while others performed worse. The Patriot drive got worse, while the HP drive got better, the Kingston HyperX got worse, and so did the Verbatim drive. The PNY drive was actually in 12th place on the 350MB file test, here we see it moved up a few spots to number eight on the list.

Next is the Read From test:

Again the OCZ Throttle drive is number one, still the top five drives are all very close in performance for this test. Again the ordering has changed from the 350MB file test.

and finally here’s the results for the Copy From test:

and yet again the OCZ Throttle drive is in the top spot, and one thing has remained the same for all of the tests I think, the worst is still the worst no matter how you look at it… anyone want a Transcend drive?….

Seriously though, if I had a choice of these drives it would be the OCZ Throttle, but then again it might not be. Yes it’s the fastest of the bunch, but it’s a hybrid drive, it’s got both eSATA and USB connections on it, and to use the USB connection you need to carry a small USB cable with you with mini-USB connector to plug into the Throttle, to me that’s a bit of a hassle really. The next choice would be tied between the Kingston HyperX and the Patriot Exporter XT drive, both are fairly fast and both have good qualities in their construction as well. Then again why would I bother with 16gb drives when I’ve got 32gb and 64gb ones on hand?

If I’m looking for a USB drive, the first thing I look at is the Copy To or Write speeds, this is what is most important to me, the next thing would be the Copy From speeds, as for me what I do most is put data on it, then take it off, reading from the drive is not that important to me really. So it all depends on what your priorities are concerning USB drives, the results are here, you can judge for yourself which is best for you.

If I had to give an ordering for the top three drives, taking everything here into account ,including my preferences, it would have to be the OCZ Throttle coming in first with the Kingston HyperX in second, the Patriot Xporter in third. Those are the ones that I would buy personally.

I hope you enjoyed this, I had fun doing it, I’ve got an even larger one in the works as well, but it’s going to be a bit different, so be on the look out for that within the next couple weeks.

Creating Bootable Vista / Windows 7 USB Flash Drive

2009-12-22T20:21:00.000-08:00

It surprised me to find that there are very few dead-simple guides to creating a bootable USB thumb/pen/flash drive for a Vista and/or Windows 7 installation. I cobbled together the following from VistaPCGuy and another source I don’t remember right now.

This will walk through the steps to create a bootable USB flash drive for the purpose of installing a Vista or Windows 7 OS. These instructions assume that you have a computer with Windows Vista installed on it.

Required:

* USB Flash Drive (4GB+)
* Microsoft OS Disk (Vista / Windows 7)
* A computer running Vista / Windows 7

Step 1: Format the Drive
The steps here are to use the command line to format the disk properly using the diskpart utility. [Be warned: this will erase everything on your drive. Be careful.]

1. Plug in your USB Flash Drive
2. Open a command prompt as administrator (Right click on Start > All Programs > Accessories > Command Prompt and select “Run as administrator”
3. Find the drive number of your USB Drive by typing the following into the Command Prompt window:
diskpart
list disk
The number of your USB drive will listed. You’ll need this for the next step. I’ll assume that the USB flash drive is disk 1.
4. Format the drive by typing the next instructions into the same window. Replace the number “1” with the number of your disk below.
select disk 1
clean
create partition primary
select partition 1
active
format fs=NTFS
assign
exit
When that is done you’ll have a formatted USB flash drive ready to be made bootable.

Step 2: Make the Drive Bootable
Next we’ll use the bootsect utility that comes on the Vista or Windows 7 disk to make the flash drive bootable. In the same command window that you were using in Step 1:

1. Insert your Windows Vista / 7 DVD into your drive.
2. Change directory to the DVD’s boot directory where bootsect lives:
d:
cd d:\boot
3. Use bootsect to set the USB as a bootable NTFS drive prepared for a Vista/7 image. I’m assuming that your USB flash drive has been labeled disk G:\ by the computer:
bootsect /nt60 g:
4. You can now close the command prompt window, we’re done here.

Step 3: Copy the installation DVD to the USB drive
The easiest way is to use Windows explorer to copy all of the files on your DVD on to the formatted flash drive. After you’ve copied all of the files the disk you are ready to go.

Step 4: Set your BIOS to boot from USB
This is where you’re on your own since every computer is different. Most BIOS’s allow you to hit a key at boot and select a boot option.

A Directory Of Programs Designed For USB Drives

2009-12-22T20:00:00.000-08:00

Update: Nov 28, 2006... Alan in the comments tells me of Pstart, "a simple tray tool to start user defined applications. Designed to run portable applications (like portable Firefox & Thunderbird), you can start anything runnable from USB key devices or removable disks."

Please keep the suggestions coming, either via the comments or by emailing me directly (link on the left). Comments will be trawled and suggestions added.

Here’s a directory of applications designed to run on USB drives, flash drives, key fobs, thumb drives, whatever you want to call them, a subject I wrote about in the AWSJ and WSJ.com (subscription required; sorry). This doesn't claim to be an exhaustive list, but I've tried to keep it as up to date as possible.

Editors/Readers

* Editor: Papyrus, EditPad, Atlantis,
* Office: AbiWord, OpenOffice (instructions in a PDF here)
* Outliner/note taker: TexNotes Pro
* PDF reader: FoxIt PDF Reader
* Web Authoring: NVU
* Wikis: MediaWiki

Web

* Browsers: Portable Firefox, OperaUSB, Portable Safari
* Offline browser: HtTrack, Webaroo (for U3)
* Chat/instant messaging: ICQ (not yet available), Miranda, Trillian Anywhere, Easy Message, AltMe
* Email: JBMail, Portable Thunderbird, EmailVoyager, PocoMail PE, FoxMail, i.Scribe / InScribe, Email Segway, Email Commander, Reach-a-Mail, a 'complete portable email system',
* FTP clients: FileZilla
* Bookmark manager: Bookmark Base

Utilities/OS

* Alternative Windows shell: BBLean
* File manager: Total Commander
* Network diagnostics: PingPlotter
* Operating Systems: Linux, Windows CE, VPM (Linux), Damn Small Linux
* Servers: The Uniform Server, MiniServer
* Start menus/launchers: Absolute Startup manager, Startup Control Panel, PStart,
* System information tool: SIW

Security

* Anti malware: Ad-Aware
* Encryption: CryptoAnywhere, Cryptainer, Portable Vault, TrueCrypt, useful guide on encrypting a drive from dekart, CryptoStick,
* Password manager/logon: Roboform Portable, DigiSAFE PassVault, Password Agent, Keepass, CyberScrub KeyChain (also files in forms), Arovax TraySafe, Proteg (from Inflexpoint), Password Manager, Blue Micro USB Flash Drive Logon, PasswordVault

Productivity

* Animation: Anim8or, PePaKuRa
* Calculator: Calc98
* PIMs/organisers: EssentialPIM, Sunbird , AZZ Cardfile
* Sticky notes: ATNotes
* Task Organisers: ToDoList
* Lotus Notes on a Stick

Leisure

* Games: Beneath A Steel Sky, Flight of the Amazon Queen
* Music: Zoom Player, XMPlay, Coolplayer, MPUI (frontend for MPlayer), foobar2000,
* Video player: Media Player Classic

Resources

* Medical: Angel Mobile Medical Profile, personal medical history (Med-a-Drive)

Hardware/packages

* Tax software: TaxCut
* A USB drive for the blind: Serotek's FreedomBox is a USB drive containing a text-to-speech and speech-to-text software as well as mainstream applications like Word, Firefox and Skype. This enables blind people to use any Windows computer just by plugging in their drive. Prices at $129 (or £69). (via isolani)
* Portable VoIP Phone: "Skype 2.5 has been built into the Virtual CD-Rom, no need to download Skype software to your computer, you only need to plug the Flash Drive Phone into any internet connected PC or laptop, the Skype 2.5 will pop-up automatically... [also] compatible with all kinds of softphones, including VoipBuster, VoipCheap, Voipstunt, Firefly, X-pro, Net2phone, Eyebeam, etc."
* One touch USB hard drive backup: Pexagon Store-It
* Lighting control software: Martin Lightjockey 512 USB,

EXCLUSIVE: 'Twilight' DVD Bonus Brings Back Comic-Con Memories

2009-12-22T19:57:00.000-08:00

There are many cool things about my job, but today I saw a rare convergence of three of them: The friends, the exclusives, and the access.

It occurred after weeks of watching the Facebook status updates by many of the wonderful Twilighters who’ve become my buddies over the last year-and-a-half, counting down the days to the March 21st release of the “Twilight” DVD. In the mail was a beta tape with exclusive featurettes - and one of those bonus features brought back great memories from the craziest fan-driven moment I’ve ever witnessed.

Yep, I was there at Comic-Con 2008 to witness “Twilight” taking over pop culture. At the time, MTV News had been reporting on it for about six months, and “Twilight Tuesdays” were in full swing, but whenever I’d mention the upcoming movie to other journalists, I’d usually get blank stares. They were there to cover “Watchmen” or “The Spirit” or “Star Trek” - but once the line of Twilighters wrapped around the San Diego Convention center, Stephenie Meyer’s vampire phenomenon suddenly became a whole lot harder to ignore.

From a personal point of view, the coolest thing about this bonus footage is that I was lucky enough to stand backstage with the cast, right near that camera. I spoke with the stars and watched them all run out onstage to see 7000 fans screaming their names. Just before the part where you see Taylor Lautner going out there, he confided in me that he was very nervous. But they were all so genuinely happy to be there.

Ultimately, all the “Twilight” stars had to do was go out there and give the fans what they wanted. And, of course, they did.

In the years to come, I’m sure that far more than 7000 people will claim to have been in Hall H on that day. But for those of us who were there, we’ll never forget the ear-piercing shrieks, blushing answers and all-around awesomeness of the moment.

Stay tuned, as we’ll have a second exclusive featurette from the upcoming “Twilight” DVD to unveil tomorrow. And, as for Comic-Con? Well, with any luck we can all reunite this summer to get excited for “New Moon,” and do it all over again.

Disney Offering Refunds on Baby Einstein DVDs

2009-12-22T19:44:00.000-08:00

If you're a parent who purchased a Baby Einstein DVD anytime from mid-2004 to last month, then you could get a refund from Disney. This move comes after a class-action lawsuit was threatened against Disney for making unproven claims about the educational merit of the DVDs.

I'm totally fine with Disney offering these refunds and I think that every parent who wants to should participate without even a glimmer of guilt. And though some groups feel that government entities should be involved in recalling the DVDs or there's cause for a class-action lawsuit, I think that's taking it a bit far. I was happy to see the overblown labels and claims removed from the DVDs, though, and am glad the company made those changes in marketing on their own even if it may have been to avoid a larger investigation and possible federal enforcement (see Federal Trade Commission letter .pdf to the company in 2007).

Still, we're adults and we're capable of making decisions about what our kids see on television. I can't imagine there are many parents who are honestly disappointed that their baby or toddler isn't some sort of genius after watching these DVDs. If there are, then the issues there are probably much bigger than anything a class action lawsuit can solve, I'm afraid.

The best way to increase your baby or toddler's intelligence isn't through anything they will see on a screen. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that children don't even watch television for a minute until they are 2 years old (though I think that's a bit on the extreme side, too.) If you really want to make your child smarter, however, there are a lot of other things that you can do:

* Talk to him
* Read to him
* Hold him
* Love him
* Feed him well
* Sing and make music with him

But don't, whatever you do, sit him down in front of the TV in hopes of boosting his brain power and if you do allow television in your home, make sure you're also doing lots of other things to make sure your child is stimulated.

Right now only folks located in North America are eligible for these refunds or exchanges, but there are efforts to get the program going in other countries like Britain where the DVDs were sold as well. If you are interested in obtaining an exchange, coupon or refund of your Baby Einstein DVD, fill out the form located on the Baby Einstein Web site. You can do this up to four times per household. And once you've got the DVDs out of the house, sit down with your little one, relax, and read a good book.

DVD Alternatives to This Weekend's Theatrical Offerings

2009-12-22T19:39:00.000-08:00

You wouldn't miss Avatar for anything. But just in case you break your leg, here are some others options.
MaryAnn Johanson, Dec 18, 2009

We know how it is: You'd like to go to the movies this weekend, but you really hate those 3-D glasses -- oh, who are we kidding? You're gonna see Avatar this weekend even if you have to knock over someone's granny for a ticket. But just in case you're feeling the slightest bit guilty about having to mug an old lady, and you think you might want to try to replicate that immersive IMAX experience with your puny TV and 2-D DVD player ... well, forget it. It's impossible. But here's how you can come as close as possible.

INSTEAD OF: Avatar, the gorgeously enrapturing journey to an alien planet James Cameron leads us on...

WATCH: Seriously, there is no home-theater experience in 2009 that can replicate the sense that you've actually been to another planet that Avatar offers. But the story that goes with those visuals is another thing entirely. The exploits of paraplegic Marine Jake Sully (Sam Worthington) on Pandora is pretty much Dances with Wolves (1990): he goes for the adventure; gets his mind blown, his horizons expanded, and his consciousness raised; and stays for the culture (and the alien nookie, of course). All the military stuff -- the space marines, the powered armored, the cryo-sleep for long interstellar voyages -- is similar enough to what we saw in Cameron's Aliens (1986) that Avatar could very well be taking place in the same story-universe. For another blue alien who has sex with a human, don't miss the very funny Earth Girls Are Easy (1988), in which Jeff Goldblum's furry blue ET gets a full-body shave and then gets it on with Geena Davis. For more of star Sam Worthington, check out the Australian horror flick Rogue (2007), about a group of tourists menaced by a giant killer crocodile; Worthington plays one of the locals along for the ride. (Oh, didn't you know Worthington is Australian? You can hear hints of his real accent in American Jake Sully's voice.)

INSTEAD OF: Did You Hear About the Morgans?, about an estranged couple (Sarah Jessica Parker and Hugh Grant) who find themselves fixing what's wrong with their relationship when they have to enter the Witness Protection Program...

WATCH: My Blue Heaven (1990), the hilarious farce about Steve Martin's New York mobster who is forced to contend with the privations of suburban San Diego when he has to go into Witness Protection. For more from writer-director Marc Lawrence, try Two Weeks Notice (2002), which pairs Hugh Grant with Sandra Bullock in another desperate and unromantic comedy. For better Grant, check out About a Boy (2002), in which his commitment-phobe bachelor learns the true meaning of love; it's way smarter and way better than it sounds, I promise. Sarah Jessica Parker has not been interesting since the 1980s high-school comedy Square Pegs (which is available on DVD), but if you want a true taste of what she's doing these days, try Failure to Launch (2006), a distasteful movie about men who won't grow up, the woman (Parker) who makes a living out of being a lying, manipulative shrew, and the passive aggression we're meant to understand underlies all relationships. Ugh.

That's it for the wide releases this weekend, but two other new flicks are getting awards buzz. Their limited releases, however, mean most people will have no choice but to check out variants on them at home.

INSTEAD OF: Crazy Heart, in which Jeff Bridges plays an alcoholic, washed-up country singer who's seen his thunder stolen by the younger superstar to whom he gave all his best songs...

WATCH: Tender Mercies (1983), in which Robert Duvall plays an alcoholic, washed-up country singer who gave all his best songs to his ex-wife; so, totally different stories entirely. (Duvall also appears in Heart, by the way.) All the love Bridges is getting from critics for this performance -- which he's very deserving of -- is reminiscent of what happened last year with Mickey Rourke in The Wrestler; his portrayal of an alcoholic, washed-up professional wrestler, surprisingly enough, is echoed in many ways by Bridges in Heart (though, of course, Bridges isn't making the comeback Rourke was). Even if Bridges wins an Oscar for this performance, which isn't unlikely, he'll still probably be best remembered for his iconic "the Dude" in the cult favorite The Big Lebowski (1998). If you need a real-life country musician with substance-abuse problems, don't miss Walk the Line (2005), in which Joaquin Phoenix channels Johnny Cash.

INSTEAD OF: The Young Victoria, the costume drama about England's longest-reigning monarch, played by Emily Blunt, about the years just before she took the throne, and just after...

WATCH: Mrs. Brown (1997), in which Judi Dench plays the older, dowager queen, and causes a scandal when she develops a close friendship with a servant (Billy Connolly). For a special treat from Victoria screenwriter Julian Fellowes, don't miss Gosford Park (2001), a murder mystery set at an English manor in the 1930s; it's a delicious bit of Masterpiece Theater cheese. For a classic look at a youthful English monarch, there's always Young Bess (1953), in which Jean Simmons portrays Queen Elizabeth I in the years leading up to her ascension to the throne. For a peek at why Emily Blunt is going to be a huge star, see The Devil Wears Prada (2006), in which she plays an assistant to the titular evil magazine editor: Blunt steals the movie from Anne Hathaway, and almost steals it from Meryl Streep.

Must-Own Christmas DVDs

2009-12-22T19:33:00.000-08:00

Holiday classics that qualify for a spot in your DVD collection.
Erin Nolan, Dec 16, 2009

Let's be honest. Holiday-themed entertainment is never in short supply this time of year. Cable channels have movie marathons. Your favorite TV shows put out holiday episodes. And one of your neighbors' kids always seems to be playing Tiny Tim in a local production of A Christmas Carol. But how do you know which holiday movies are worthy of a place in your permanent collection? Here are 10 holiday treats that deserve a space in your library, helpfully broken down into lists of family friendly films and more adult fare:

For the family:

5. Santa Claus: The Movie
Tim Allen's The Santa Clause may be a more popular (and recent) choice, but this '80s comedy starring John Lithgow and the late Dudley Moore somehow feels more authentic. After briefly describing Santa's origins, the movie focuses on how a disillusioned elf (Moore) runs away to New York City and falls prey to a egomaniacal toy manufacturer (Lithgow) determined to steal Santa's thunder. Kids will love the look inside Santa's workshop; parents will relate to the film's timeless message of fighting corporate greed.

4. The Muppet Christmas Carol
Inserting Kermit, Piggy, and the rest of the Muppet gang into classic literature has never worked as well as in this sweet and funny version of the Dickens classic. Kermit seemed born to play Bob Cratchitt, and I'll take Michael Caine's Scrooge over Jim Carrey's any day.

3. Elf
After years of perfecting his man-child persona in raunchy adult comedies, it only seemed natural for Will Ferrell to use his talents in a movie actual children could enjoy. Elf is the story of a man raised by Santa's elves who leaves the North Pole in a quest to find his real father. Along the way, he learns about life in the real world, teaches his Scrooge-y dad the true meaning of Christmas, and becomes smitten with a pixie-ish department store elf (played by Zooey Deschanel) who sings a killer version of "Baby, It's Cold Outside."

2. Emmet Otter's Jugband Christmas
This Jim Henson classic is available on DVD for the first time this year and is well-worth showing to the poor, deprived children of the '00s who missed out on the '70s/'80s heyday of the Muppets. This emotionally rich story about a musically gifted otter trying to win a $50 prize in a talent show so he can buy his mother a Christmas gift will also resonate with families who may have seen their own Christmas cheer dampened by the recession.

1. A Charlie Brown Christmas
Is there anything that says "Merry Christmas" better than the sight of the Peanuts gang throwing their heads in the air to sing "Hark! The Herald Angels Sing" around Charlie Brown's poor little tree? This animated classic has lessons to teach that both children and adults could stand to be reminded of this time of year.

For the grown-ups:

5. Bad Santa
Sometimes you need a break from the warm, fuzzy feelings of the Christmas season. Billy Bob Thornton's raunchy, politically incorrect, thoroughly naughty excuse for a department store Santa is the perfect anecdote.

4. The Holiday
Two lovelorn women from different sides of the ocean trade houses for the holiday and find new love while inhabiting each other's worlds. It doesn't quite seem like a fair trade (Cameron Diaz gets to play house with Jude Law and his adorable motherless daughters while poor Kate Winslet flirts with Jack Black and serves as a physical therapist to an elderly screenwriter), but the result is a perfectly cozy romantic comedy that goes great with a roaring fire and a spiked hot chocolate.

3. National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation
Nearly every year, Hollywood tries to assault us with new slapstick comedies about poor suburban dads struggling to string up the Christmas lights and fight fellow shoppers for the season's hottest toy. But none of them have ever starred an actor who is as gifted at physical comedy as Chevy Chase. Watching the Griswold family deal with the squirrel that leaps out of their Christmas tree somehow gets funnier every year.

2. Holiday Inn
Everyone knows that "White Christmas" is the number one selling record of all time, but what many people forget is that Bing Crosby debuted the song in this film about a crooner and a hoofer who perform at an inn that's only open on holidays, and spend a year fighting for the affections of their lovely co-star. This film features the classic music of Crosby, the legendary dancing of Fred Astaire, and a song and dance for every major holiday on the calendar.

1. Love Actually
This epic, Christmas-themed romantic comedy covers every kind of love there is -- love between family, friends, and new lovers as well as old. It even features quite a few stories of love between employers and employees. Whether it's sweeping us away with romance or bringing us back down with the realities of heartbreak, Love Actually reminds us that the love in our lives is always worth celebrating.

Totally Tubular Tuesday Reminder!

2009-12-22T19:09:00.000-08:00

Reminder! These DVDS come out TODAY!

On a related note, this other cartoon some of you might appreciate is released today:

Voltron Volume 8 (Vehicle Force) - April 28, 2009

Jeff and the Voltron Force find themselves in a very different world from where they started. Their arch-enemy, Hazar, has been imprisoned by Drule High Command. The remaining Drule forces are split in a civil war, and their home planet is about to explode! Hawkins and the Galaxy Alliance try to negotiate as Voltron is slammed with attack after attack from the desperate Drules. Their mission is to rescue the Drule people and save them from self-destruction. But how can the Voltron force save the day while under fire from the very civilization they are struggling to save?

The Looney, Looney, Looney Bugs Bunny Movie! - April 28, 2009

Things start out plenty looney as Yosemite Sam strikes a Devilish bargain to send Bugs straight to you-know-where! The looniness continues as Daffy and Tweety tangle with a pair of feather-brained bird-napping gangsters. And in the even loonier finale, Bugs turns Hollywood's glitziest awards ceremony into a cartoon-star-studded disast-hare zone! A fabulous, 24-carrot tour de farce from animation legend Friz Freleng! Also includes for the first time on DVD the shorts "Pullet Surprise," "From Hare To Eternity," and "Box Office Bunny."

Best Movies Of 2009, By Kurt Loder A pretty good year.

2009-12-22T09:36:00.000-08:00

George Clooney in “Up in the Air”

Best Movies Of 2009, By Kurt Loder A pretty good year.

It seems to be a critical tradition to bewail the awfulness of each year's movies. But how often is this really true? With the annual caveat that it's impossible (and meaningless) to designate one movie or filmmaker as the "best," here are a number of 2009 pictures I liked a lot in various aspects, with one entrant in each category selected, fairly arbitrarily, as the "best," and equally worthy contenders noted below them.

Best Picture:

"Up in the Air" A mainstream film with a complex heart and a brain, too. Not exactly a comedy, not precisely a drama, but as close to a perfect movie as any other this year.

Also really good: "The Hurt Locker": Can it actually have been seven years since Kathryn Bigelow's last picture? This scrappy low-budget film, with a breakthrough performance by Jeremy Renner, marks a directorial "comeback" that should have been unnecessary.

"The Lovely Bones": A terrifically menacing performance by Stanley Tucci, and more-imaginative digital effects than the over-hyped "Avatar."

"Precious": A movie unlike any other, out of nowhere. First-time film actress Gabourey Sidibe made the year's most stirring debut.

Best Director:

Jason Reitman, "Up in the Air" On the heels of "Juno" and "Thank You for Smoking," Reitman established himself as one of the best directors of a new Hollywood generation.

Also: Pedro Almodóvar for the gorgeous "Broken Embraces," Quentin Tarantino for "Inglourious Basterds," and Peter Jackson for "The Lovely Bones."

Best Actor:

Jeff Bridges, "Crazy Heart" One of his most moving performances in a long and adventurous career.

Also: George Clooney for "Up in the Air," a remarkable exercise in carefully modulated star power; Sam Rockwell for single-handedly anchoring the memorable "Moon"; and Jeremy Renner for "The Hurt Locker," playing a bomb-squad soldier whose life only acquires meaning when it's hanging in the balance.

Best Actress:

Michelle Monaghan, "Trucker" Finally getting the kind of richly conceived role she deserves.

Also: Penélope Cruz in "Broken Embraces";Carey Mulligan stepping into stardom in "An Education"; and Meryl Streep nailing the part of Julia Child in "Julie & Julia" — the best thing in an otherwise conflicted movie.

Best Supporting Actor:

Christoph Waltz, "Inglourious Basterds" This multilingual Austrian actor managed the demanding feat of being both creepy and funny in Tarantino's World War II comedy, which wasn't quite as successful itself in doing the same.

Also: Stanley Tucci in both "The Lovely Bones" and "Julie & Julia"; Jackie Earle Haley bringing Alan Moore's unbalanced Rorschach to full, furious life in "Watchmen"; and Christian McKay for his on-the-nose impersonation of the Great Man in "Me and Orson Welles."

Best Supporting Actress:

Mo'Nique, "Precious" Her devastating monologue toward the end of the film is the most powerful scene in an already powerful picture.

Also: Vera Farmiga and Anna Kendrick in "Up in the Air"; Rachel Weisz and Rinko Kikuchi in "The Brothers Bloom"; Marion Cotillard in "Public Enemies"; and Sofia Vassilieva as the slowly, sadly dying girl in "My Sister's Keeper."

Best Cinematography:

Rodrigo Prieto, "Broken Embraces" Another master-level entry on a résumé that already includes "Brokeback Mountain," "Babel" and "Lust, Caution."

Also: Eric Steelberg for "Up in the Air" and "(500) Days of Summer"; Jeff Cutter for "Orphan"; Dante Spinotti for "Public Enemies"; and Daniel Landin for "The Uninvited."

Best Screenplay:

Scott Neustadter and Michael H. Weber, "(500) Days of Summer" For their wonderfully bubbly take on young love gone wrong, and for creating such appealing characters for Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Zooey Deschanel — who knew exactly what to do with them.

Also: James Mottern for "Trucker"; Tony Gilroy for the delightfully complicated "Duplicity"; Jason Reitman and Sheldon Turner for "Up in the Air"; Olivier Assayas for "Summer Hours; Rian Johnson for "The Brothers Bloom"; and Kent Harper and Jennifer Chambers Lynch for "Surveillance."

Best Score:

Brian Eno, "The Lovely Bones" The soundtrack includes some of his old stuff along with new material — all in all, an inspired recontextualization.

Best Foreign Language Picture:

"Summer Hours" A mesmerizing study of a troubled family on the verge of calling it quits, with yet another probing performance by Juliette Binoche.

Also: "A Woman in Berlin"; "Gomorrah"; and "Silent Light" (a compelling, if tidally paced, technical achievement).

Best Animated Film:

"Up"

Best Documentary:

"Tyson" Usually written off as a primitive palooka, Mike Tyson emerges in James Toback's revelatory doc as a man with unexpected poetry in his soul.

Also: "Anvil! The Story of Anvil" (heavy-metal heart-warmer); "We Live in Public" (master of reality crashes and burns); and "Not Quite Hollywood" (hilarious bad-movie roundup from Down Under).

Funniest Comedies:
"The Hangover"
"(500) Days of Summer"
"Zombieland"
"Adventureland"
"Black Dynamite"

Unfunniest Comedies:
"All About Steve"
"Year One"
"Land of the Lost"

The Last HD DVD is Appropriately a Zombie Flick

2009-12-22T08:38:00.000-08:00

Toshiba’s Blu-ray player did not bring HD DVD back from the dead, however Indie film makers WETNWILD FILMS and Anthem Pictures are resurrecting the HD DVD format with at least one brand new title: Deadlands 2: Trapped due out on October 27, 2009, in a limited run of only 500 copies.

What started out as a small discussion at the AVS forum has turned in to bigger news in the HD DVD world. Director/writer Gary Ugarek, an HD DVD fan himself, passed along a press release on Friday afternoon about his zombie horror film, Deadlands 2: Trapped. Here are some of Gary’s quotes:

* “Some people thought I was flat out nuts and were asking, why HD DVD? Are you not a Blu-Ray supporter? I answered I am, but when you have a dedicated fan base for a format, like HD-DVD does, and you see the passion of its supporters I immediately knew I wanted to do this for the fans. I want to give them something special.”
* “Right now we have 30gb of space to fill up, so Anthem and I are working together to see what can be included, and if we have the space I will keep adding more to the list to make it a packed to the brim HD DVD release of the film.”
* “I know it’s a gamble with HD DVD having lost out on the format war, but based on feedback from HD DVD fans we expect this to be a huge moment for them, the film and HD DVD. Kind of ironic that a zombie film would be helping HD DVD try to come back from the dead, even if for a short period of time, but who knows, if the program is a success maybe other indie filmmakers and distributors can do something similar for the HD DVD fans and keep it alive for the hard core.”

And more info directly from the press release:

“Over the last 18 months, since HD DVD’s demise, I and small group of HD DVD enthusiasts have scoured every part of the planet trying to obtain the left over releases of HD DVD material. We were early adopters of the format and still felt to this day the format shouldn’t have been left to die off. So I set out to do some research and realized the following:

During HD DVD’s release over 1,000,000 player units were sold and over 800 titles were released for the format. At the end of its tenure the market penetration still remained strong, and the format built a dedicated fan base.

So I set out to see if these HD DVD owners would be interested in a brand new release. I presented all the information about the film, gave them access and links to trailers, the press kit and the technical aspects… and you know what… THEY LOVED THE IDEA. The feedback was unbelievable. Within 36 hours of putting the question out there, I received over 200+ emails, within 96 hours 380+ requests from HD DVD fans asking me to make this happen.

I presented the idea to Anthem Pictures, the distributor, and they liked it, and immediately jumped behind it.”

One wouldn’t think a $6,000.00 zombie film would be a candidate for such a release, but Deadlands 2 is that candidate. The HD DVD release will be limited to 500 copies only, with each disc noting the fact it is a LIMITED COLLECTORS EDITION. Also, each disc will also come with a Certificate of Authenticity numbering which copy the purchaser received. Since it is such a limited item, HD DVD fans will want to jump on this opportunity as this will be the first HD DVD to be mastered and press for release since March 2008, which is when production of the format ceased. Thus making the HD DVD release of Deadlands 2 a rarity.

Because of the limited production run and the extensive cost to produce HD DVD, the disc will retail through the distributors website for $29.95 + S&H and will be available for both US and International customers. HD DVD unlike Blu-Ray does not use a region coding system, so one master is just made and the disc even if purchased in the US will play in any HD DVD player around the world.

Based on the research data Ugarek has conducted he is expecting a good response and Anthem Pictures is setting up a special page on their website for HD DVD fans to pre-order their discs to make sure they have their copy reserved for when the film hits the street on October 27th.