Choosing Your HDTV Television

Introduction

Watching television has progressed from a luxury that only few had in their homes in the middle of the last century to the point where most consumers not only have one television, but often they may have several. And television programming has expanded greatly from just the three big networks to a whole host of other channels as well.

And along with this growth of interest in televison programming the technology of televisions has been steadily improving too. Today we have lots of choices to make when we are deciding to buy another television. Should it be an analog or digital TV? HDTV enabled or ready? Plasma or LCD screen? All of these decisions can seem to be confusing, but if you just understand a few basics about TVs you should be able to make the right choice for what will suit you best.

Let's start by discussing whether you should buy an analog or digital capable TV. Analog TV is simply TV you have been used to in past years. The signals are sent and received in analog format and it has worked fine for a long time. It has it's drawbacks though because analog TV signals can only hold so much data for the screen and sound, and an analog signal can degrade easily. Never fear though, analog TV will be fine for use for many years to come even after other technologies dominate. The good news is that analog TV sets are very cheap and you can get a lot for your dollar.

Digital TV signals allow the data sent by the TV station to be much more dense and include more information without very much degradation of signal. So digital TV usually makes for a much better picture and sound, especially on DVDs. Plus digital TV has made it possible for the newer standards of high definition programming. For the absolute best picture and sound the TV station should be broadcasting in high definition (or HDTV), and your TV should also be able to receive and process that HDTV signal and display it on on a high definition enabled screen. If all of this criteria is met the effects are just stunning.

But many TV stations are not yet broadcasting in HDTV format because it requires them to invest lots of money in new equipment to do so. They have to have enough of a market to make it worth their while. So in the meantime, we have some stations who do broadcast in HDTV and many who still just send out analog signals. However, all TV stations will have to comply with federal guidelines to be HDTV compliant within the next couple of years, so high definition TV is here to stay and will only grow in importance.

In the meantime, you have your choice of buying an HDTV "capable" "enabled" TV if you choose to buy a digital TV. An HDTV capable TV means that it can process digital signals (like DVDs) but in order to display the high definition signal it will require you to purchase an additional tuner which you can buy later at any time. On the other hand, HDTV enabled simply means that the TV is fully capable of displaying high definition picture and sound right out of the box. The choice is yours. Either bite the bullet and get the whole HDTV enabled enchilada now, or defer it a while longer until HDTV programming is more standard.

You also hear a lot about plasma and LCD screens these days. The screens we have been used to for years are called CRTs, and they have worked just fine, but the main advantage of plasma and LCD screens are that they can be very thin to produce, usually they are only 2-3 inches wide and that makes them able to be mounted in many places that CRT screens just can't go. If you need that kind of screen, just bear in mind that plasma and LCD screens are still very expensive. There is nothing wrong with just getting a good CRT screen or a rear projection screen in the meantime as they can be had for not a lot of money and can still produce a great picture depending on the manufacturer.

There is more to all of this telivision technology, but what we have covered should give you a good idea of what the different TV terms mean and arm you with enough information that you can now confidently choose the television that will work best for you.

How to choose HDTV Television

To take full advantage of the great number of HDTV stations you can get with your satellite system, you will want a television with a breathtaking picture and mind blowing sound. When shopping for a television today, you have many more options than just a few years ago. From several hundred dollars, to a price similar to that of a new Corvette, you can choose the television to fit your budget and lifestyle.

If you want to watch satellite programming you will need a tv that is at least HDTV ready. Your satellite service provider will supply you with an HDTV tuner. Even if you will not be watching much HDTV programming, there is still a huge benefit to watching a digital television. All HDTV and HDTV ready tv's contain upconversion circuitry that cleans up the picture with even non HDTV signals.

If you watch a lot of movies or dvd's, you might want to purchase a widescreen television. A widescreen tv has a 16:9 aspect ratio screen, as opposed to the traditional television screen with a 4:3 aspect ratio. You can enjoy watching movies on a screen shaped like a movie theater screen, and view non digital programming in a side cropped view, or stretch the picture to varying degrees to fill the screen. All HDTV programming uses the 16:9 aspect ratio.

The least expensive option is the good old fashioned CRT (cathode ray tube) television. It has been around since 1927, and it is the least expensive option. It is built around a single picture tube, and provides excellent contrast and overall picture quality. A higher end picture tube television will actually give a smoother appearance of motion than a flat-panel tv. The primary drawbacks of tube tv's are their immense weight (compared to newer technology), and the considerable depth of the sets themselves, both severely limiting your installation choices. Also, the largest tube television available is 36", so if you need a larger picture, you might want to step up to flat-panel television.

LCD and Plasma screens are the two options available in flat-panel televisions. Both are incredibly thin and lightweight, and can be wall mounted if you choose to do so. An LCD (liquid crystal display) contains thousands of crystals sandwiched between two glass or plastic plates, which are acted upon by electrical current, creating images on the screen. A plasma screen consists of thousands of pixel cells filled with gases that excite phosphors, producing light, and thereby your picture.

The weight of an LCD and a plasma tv are comparable, with the LCD models being slightly lighter in the 40" range. As the screen size approaches 60", the weight of the LCD overtakes that of the plasma screen. The display panel tends to last longer with the LCD than with the plasma models. LCD televisions are not vulnerable to burn-in, also known as image shadowing or ghosting, like plasma screens. Burn-in is essentially burned, or worn out pixels in a plasma screen that have been damaged over a period of time and retain color information from static images like network logos, etc... Plasma tv's tend to have more accurate color reproduction than LCD models, and are currently less expensive than a comparable LCD. While the largest LCD tv at this writing is 65", that is likely to change quickly as the technology evolves with the latest innovations in the computer monitor industry. The largest plasma screen television currently produced is the Panasonic TH-103PZ600U103", which boasts a massive 103" screen, and is expected to carry a whopping retail price of about $70,000 when is hits US markets in late 2006.

Remember the old, bulky rear-projection televisions that were almost a yard deep and weighed nearly as much as a VW Bug? Todays digital big screen tv's take up much less space, and a 60" television can weigh under 100 lbs. Digital big screens are capable of brightness that is unmatched by the older CRT televisions, and do not suffer burn-in like the plasma tv's. These digital big-screens also contains a consumer replaceable lamp that restores picture quality to its original brilliance. Prices for these sets are very reasonable, usually one half to two thirds the price of a similar sized plasma or LCD television. One disadvantage of the big screen tv's is still size; even with technological advancements, these models take more room for installation than the flat screen televisions, and are not practical for wall mounting. The ideal viewing angle is only achieved straight on, and in a seated position.

For a true movie theater experience at home, a front projection tv may be a good choice. This is a two piece system consisting of a projector and a screen. They offer picture sizes up to 300", and do not include any type of tv tuner, instead displaying signals from a satellite receiver or cable box. The best viewing experience with a front projection setup requires a fairly dark environment, and is definitely not for everyone. However, for cinema lovers, there is no better way to bring your favorite film to life. Pricing for good projectors starts at just under $1000, and screen prices vary according to size, with most models falling somewhere between $300 and $1500.

Whether you watch mainly sporting events, movies, or dvd's, a modern television can give new life to your favorite programming. As technology advances at an astonishing pace, prices for larger and more sophisticated television sets continue to come down. If you do some shopping online and find that you can't quite afford the tv that you want, save money for five to six months; no matter how much or how little you are able to save, chances are you will be able to afford the set you want as prices come down. Just don't blow the money you have saved - you might need to build a new room to house the larger set you will be buying in two years.

Subscribe to this feed

A Beginners Guide To Choosing A Digital Camera

For first-time buyers of digital cameras have confused tackle many types. While the emergence of digital cameras may be the last of their concerns are all sorts of colors, sizes and brands. You can choose between different reproductions, resolutions or ability to zoom. It 'really easy to get overwhelmed by so many features and gadgets. Advertising and promotion are not the same as good information. The objective of a good promotional campaign is to make you buy your new digital camera from them. Our goal is to give information.

Where to go to discover what you need to know? Right here is a good start. First you must ask some questions. What you really want your digital camera? You have come here for answers and the first thing to do is run into a string of questions.

The same type of questions to ask the geek frustrating when you walk into a store to buy a computer: What do you use in this case? How often do I use it? How great would you like? Are you an amateur or a professional?

However buying a digital camera may be a bit difficult due to the many brands and models being offered. After all there are so many features, one has to be sure of his needs in picking the right digital camera. The following tips might of some help:

1 - Price range: It is recommended that you establish a price range you are willing to pay for your new digital camera. Prices can start from bellow a hundred up to thousands of dollars.

2 - Features: Within the price range previously established, check the features available in digital cameras. Make sure it will meet your requirements for your personal or professional goals. You may find features such as zoom, automatic functions, special effects, black & white images, video recording capability and others.

3 - Battery life: Depending upon the places you go, charging the camera`s battery may not be possible. So make sure the battery life will last long enough during your outdoor activities. Also it may be a good idea to have some extra rechargeable batteries, so that that you won`t have to stop using the camera, while the original batteries are being charged.

4 - Memory Storage: Digital photographs are stored in the camera`s memory. Most cameras have built in memory, but it will accept memory card as well, to increase its storage capability. Depending upon the picture resolution, a user can take hundreds of shots, before it exceeds the memory storage.

5 - Image Resolution: Also known as pixel resolution, this is one of the most talked about features in digital cameras. Although 2.0 mega pixels will deliver good photos for any personal and emailing purposes, nowadays digital cameras with 8.0 and above mega pixels (million of pixels) have become a standard feature. The higher the mega pixel resolution, the better it will look the pictures in larger prints. For those thinking about image enlargement, high mega pixel resolution is a must.

6 - Lens: Beware that the zoom feature may be of two kinds: optical and digital. Optical zoom relies on the lens magnification and delivers a good, sharp and clear image. On the other hand, digital zoom is the magnifying of the digital image and produces a less sharp, grainy image. So make sure that the digital camera offers some optical zoom capability. Also look for lens auto focus and image stabilization features.

7 - LCD: LCD screen is a standard feature in every digital camera, and it works for framing the shot beforehand and viewing it afterwards. Look for LCD screen size 2 inches and above for better clear images.

8 - Stores/Online Stores: Whenever looking for the best deals in digital cameras, take a look at some trusted stores. You can see the prices in web sites, so you can very easy to compare them, and get the best deals. Also take a look at some auction sites, for new and used digital cameras.

Subscribe to this feed

History of Digital Camera

A digital camera captures images in a digital format, unlike a conventional camera, which captures images using a photographic film.

History:

Using a mosaic photosensor, Eugene F. Lally of the Jet Propulsion Laboratory first showed how still photos could be produced in a digital domain. An engineer at Eastman Kodak, Steve Sasson, used solid-state CCD chips to build a prototype digital camera having a resolution of 0.01 megapixel, and recorded black and white digital images to a magnetic cassette tape. With this prototype model, Steve took the first image in December of 1975 taking 23 seconds to capture it.

In 1988, Fuji DS-1P became the first digital camera that captured images as a computerized file. However, the camera never entered the U.S. market. In 1991, Kodak DCS-100 was the first commercially available digital camera, which used a 1.3 megapixel sensor. With the advancement of technology, modern digital cameras have become multifunctional and are now capable of capturing audio/video and still photographs.

Benefits:

1 - You get superior image quality. Digital cameras can offer good to excellent image resolution.

2 - You get a fair price. A digital camera is reasonably priced and is affordable.

3 - You can transfer the pictures to your laptop. You can easily connect the digital camera to your laptop and transfer the pictures in your hard disk.

4 - You can print in large sizes. Due to its high resolution, pictures can be printed in large sizes by any plotter.

5 - You can email the pictures to your friends. You can send the pictures by email to your loved ones.

6 - You can store the images in CDs or hard disk. Once the pictures are transferred from digital camera to the computer, permanent storage on a CD or hard disk is possible.

7 - You can take the camera in your pocket while you travel. The small size of the digital camera makes traveling with it easy and a pleasure.

8 - You can move in close to your subject. Zoom lenses offer close-ups of your subject with sharp focus. You can take very good close-ups of flowers, bugs, stamps, coins, etc.

9 - You can rework the image in a computer. Any photo editing software can rework the images taken.

10 - You can take good pictures even in low-light situations. Due to flexible over sensitivity or ISO equivalents, digital cameras can easily take detailed pictures even in low-light conditions.

11 - You can take quality still photos of moving objects. Sports and fashion photography can be easily accomplished due to the fast burst rate of digital cameras.

12 - You save money. There is no need of buying photographic films, developing them into negatives and positives. Moreover, the batteries are usually rechargeable lithium-ion batteries, which last a long time.

13 - You can choose as per your needs and fancy. Many models are available like standard digital camera, underwater digital camera, waterproof digital camera, compact digital camera, and the professional digital camera.

Storage Media:

Digital cameras use memory to capture and store images. Some of the storages media used are onboard flash memory, 3.5" floppy disks, video floppy disk, PCMCIA hard drives, CD or DVD, CompactFlash memory cards, Microdrives, Memory Stick, SD/MMC, MiniSD Card, MicroSD Card, XD-Picture Card, SmartMedia, and FP Memory.

Power:

Digital cameras consume a lot of power, which is supplied by powerful, small in size batteries. Batteries are broadly divided into two groups, namely, off-the-shelf and proprietary. Off-the-shelf batteries are like AA, CR2, CR-V3, AAA, and RCR-V3. They are lithium-ion (Li-Ion) or Nickel metal hydride (NiMH) batteries. Standard AA non-rechargeable alkaline batteries either do not work or work for only a very short time in most cameras.

Proprietary batteries are built as per the manufacturer`s custom specifications and are usually available as aftermarket replacement parts. Generally, lithium ion batteries are widely used as proprietary batteries for digital cameras.

Article by Roberto Sedycias

Subscribe to this feed

What is Digital Camera

Capturing beautiful moments and making them accessible quickly is no longer a rich strong man. Most of us have access to our memorable moments in a single click. Digital cameras save a lot of time. Once the photo was taken, you can download only those images on a computer and make them accessible on the network in various ways. Digital cameras record and store photographic images into digital format. The acquisition of images is usually accomplished by the use of a photo sensor, using a charged couple device (CCD.) After the transfer of images on the computer, you can edit and save to a compact disc or hard disk.

With digital cameras can immediately grasp the image like to keep forever. Delete unwanted images easily. Zero problems purchase of film. It is not necessary to print each image; you have complete control of the final print after editing on the computer. Do not worry about negative get spoiled or lost. You can store many images without having to change or buy films.

There are many brands of digital cameras available on the market today. These include: Sony, Canon, Olympus, Nikon, Kodak, Minolta and Fuji. These are some famous brands worldwide. Even basic models of digital cameras have many features, levels and menus. This makes it difficult for beginners to select the right camera to meet their needs. Digital cameras are available in all price ranges depending on how many features they have. Before you start to compare the characteristics should decide for what purpose you want to use the digital camera. The best way to start your search is to access the network and visit all the sites that offer features and compare prices for different types and brands of digital cameras.

Almost all digital cameras have today live preview feature, a screen where the camera is scheduled to preview the image that has clicked. The most common compliance function in digital cameras is the "mega pixels." This means that the amount of pixels in millions. Therefore, a four mega pixel camera would be four million pixels. Other important features include compare optical and digital zoom capabilities; connectivity with other devices, such as computers, printer, etc.; internal storage space and their compatibility with external storage devices, memory cards, batteries and image file formats.

Many digital cameras offer connectivity via USB, FireWire, USB PTP mode, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, etc. In these days, many cameras are PictBridge offers a mode that allows direct printing from digital camera, without the mediation of a computer. If all the cameras are certain amount of internal memory, external memory cards are needed to save multiple images. These include units or Micro Compact Flash memory cards that are generally used for professional high-end cameras. Sony Memory Stick is a proprietary flash memory card. SD / MMC, Mini SD and Micro SD cards are those used for most commercial digital cameras.

If you are an amateur photographer, then you should choose a camera with automatic settings and features. This will help you get the right images according to the quantity of light and scenes without too much effort. But if you are looking for a professional camera, then you should choose the one that lets you select all shooting modes manually. There are many shooting modes available in recent models of digital cameras including landscape, portrait, panorama, the settings of action, night mode, beach mode, method of snow, sunset and sunrise ways.

Common formats in which you can take the image output include JPEG, TIFF, DNG, etc. for videos, the most common formats are AVI DV, MPEG MOV, WMV, ASF, and MP4.

Subscribe to this feed

A Quick Guide to High Definition Plasma Televisions

Now the technology is growing very fast. Televisions now come in two digital formats - High Definition television and Standard Definition television. More and more people today are realizing the amazing benefits of a "higher standard" when it comes to television. As a result, High Definition plasma televisions are becoming one of the new trends of home entertainment.

What does High Definition Mean in the Entertainment World?

High Definition simply means a new, higher standard than before. Television screens project images in tiny pixels using various types of resolutions that determine the end quality of the picture (or what we actually see on the screen). Resolution is how many lines are available horizontally and vertically to display the pixels. A High Definition television screen could have more or less resolution than the average computer monitor. As you can see, the high definition television will often provide a clearer, more realistic image than even the average computer monitor.

High Definition Plasma Television Goes Further

A High Definition plasma television goes even further and provides a larger, wider screen that can create images using a layer of trapped gas between two glass screens. The image quality is of the best detail when compared to other non-CRT technologies, however, plasma TVs are known for lacking brightness.

When entertaining at home, consumers are able to enjoy almost theater-quality imagery with the High Definition plasma television. They can watch their favorite TV programs or movies while enjoying maximum quality pictures.

LCD Panel Monitor Comparison

The High Definition plasma flat panel can be compared with the LCD panel monitor, which is a large, flat TV screen that's also known for its excellent picture quality. The High Definition plasma flat panel is very similar to the LCD panel monitor in shape and size, but with plasma technology.

Other Technologies

Other products that are leading the way in technology side-by-side with High Definition plasma televisions include the LCD projector, which can work with an LCD panel monitor, the advanced notebook computer, the handheld digital camera, and the amazing digital camcorder. Each of these is taking the electronics market by storm.

Consumers who choose to buy any of these products find them to be fun as well as practical. For example, those who buy notebook computers are able to carry them anywhere they go. They can work from the office, from home or abroad. They can store files and pull them up from anywhere on the planet! Those who buy digital camcorders are able to film home videos from anywhere - without a complicated setup. Products such as handheld digital cameras and LCD projectors make presentations so much easier for those with a tight schedule.

High Definition plasma televisions are priced anywhere from $1,600 to more than $10,000. Pricing depends on the features, brand name, size and capabilities. Those who buy a High Definition plasma television can amaze their friends with this unique technology.

The Myths and Facts

Myths about plasma television persist even though these flat panel entertainment wonders have been around for a while and are widely used in home, offices and public areas.

Like all decisions in life, the decision to purchase a plasma television has both pros and cons. But that is not this article. This article is about the debate about what those pros and cons are to help you sort out the raging shouting matches on the technology forums.

Like any good, religious technology debate the debate between plasma televisions and LCD screens is as hot as between PC and Mac fanatics. (see the different about plasma and LCD)

Anything I say here will be seen as wrong, even with the numbers to back it up, by one of the camps. Since I have worked at the electronics department of a major department store before, I have seen the ups and downs of both camps. Which is why there is a CRT in my living room. (See the different about CRT and LCD) Now that all biases have been aired, let's try to see the debate:

1. Stupid Myths. If it sounds like something your father came up with (like needing to refill or recharge your plasma television) it is probably stupid.

2. Burn In. Remember the original reason for screen savers? Well, it is still alive and well today. While it is true that a plasma television used a certain way will not have burn in, there have been enough examples of toddlers burning the screen. For the price of a plasma television, any example is too many. The manufacturers either need to fix the problem or issue rebates.

3. Fade. Yes, they both do it. The only debate is in how long it takes to do it. Unfortunately, my last CRT was over 30 years old and still had a perfect picture. Again, there is not much excuse for any television wearing out.

4. Picture Quality. The manufacturers would have you believe that it is impossible to get as good a picture quality on a CRT as a plasma television or an LCD screen. They are lying. There are CRT's with comparable picture quality, they are just hard to find.

5. The Myth of the Clean Room. Manufacturers love to advertise the image of a plasma television screen in a picture frame and no other electronics in the room. Yeah, right. First of all, plasma televisions are hard to hang. Then you still have all your other stuff that needs to be connected, like VCR's and cable boxes and game systems.

What they never show on advertisements is the nest of cables, cords and power strips! Plasma televisions do not have anything built into them to help cut down the clutter.

6. Durability. Plasma televisions are fragile. Once you decide where they are going, then they are staying there because you probably had to have them professionally installed. And if you want one over your fireplace, then you will need special carpentry to hold it in place.

Okay, most writers about plasma television myths assume that you are stupid. You probably are not. Therefore, you are not looking for questions on obvious myths, but the real possible problems that you might have with a plasma television. I hope that you feel more confident in your decision now.

New technology is always exciting and mysterious. Plasma televisions are no different. However, if you question closely owners of plasmas to find their experiences, you will have a better idea of their performance and if these new televisions are for you. At the price, you want to be right!


Subscribe to this feed

What CCTV Can Do and The Benefit

When one monitors their home or office with closed circuit television (CCTV) surveillance, it's equivalent to having an entire television network dedicated to the safety of one's entire house. CCTV broadcasts security surveillance on a private in-home network. Unlike broadcast television, CCTV components are hooked directly to each other via cables or direct wireless means. Already popular in large public places where security is heightened, such as at airports or casinos, CCTV surveillance systems are rapidly becoming more used in private homes. In addition, CCTV is an inexpensive and simple way to increase one's peace of mind.

A number of independent studies in the United States have suggested that CCTV surveillance stops numerous crimes before they happen. Other studies also show strong evidence that CCTV can be a great benefit in detection and prosecution. A large amount of cases have been solved simply by the use of CCTV cameras in public places. Not only can it stop crime, CCTV can solve crime as well.

The same CCTV video surveillance technology used in public sites is readily available for anybody's home. Now CCTV systems can monitor every room in your home with clear, high visibility images. CCTV surveillance is available for up to 16 rooms in your house. By monitoring your family's security on a CCTV network, one is able to record suspicious activity as it occurs. One can also monitor their yard, front door, garage, and even their mailbox. CCTV also offers multiple features that allow one to monitor separate areas of their house simultaneously and in real-time. Such features as: multiple channel video input, multiple channel audio input, real time display, pan/tilt/zoom, and USB backup.

CCTV security surveillance is a powerful addition to anyone's home security system. Everyone has the right to feel comfortable in their own house. Your home is your sanctuary; therefore you have the right to protect it.

The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly

CCTV is not just for businesses any more. Many private citizens are turning to the high tech to protect their home and their family. Although there are many benefits closed circuit television, there are also some pitfalls.

Because of the advancement that has been made in cameras over the last few years, these cameras can be relatively inexpensive. Having a lower cost means more homes can afford to use the CCTV system for a security measure.

CCTV technology has also become very compact. This means that the surveillance equipment can be small – small enough to hide anywhere. Although this can be good, it also means that privacy may not be respected even in your own home.

Keeping bad guys away is a valuable tool for any home. CCTV provides that by taking pictures of anyone who comes to the door or around the house. If the bad guys do break in, the images help track them down.

On the flip side, CCTV technology is not perfect. A few years back, a “nanny cam” (used to spy on the in-home caregivers for children) recorded what prosecutors deemed child abuse. It was only several years later (when the foreign nanny finally received due process) that experts in CCTV were able to show that the film showed her playing with the child and not hurting it.

CCTV can also be bought by anyone. This means that it can be used to harm as well as protect. There have been several cases of neighbors using the technology to spy on other neighbors – giving a whole new picture of who “big brother” is and what he may be doing.

Closed Circuit Television (CCTV) is a valuable tool in keeping a home protected, but like any tool it can be misused. As the technology continues to advanced, if is hoped that features can be implemented to protect the innocent while catching the bad.

Subscribe to this feed

CCTV Camera - Installation Guide

Introduction:

CCTVs are being used in the US from the 60s and are not a new phenomenon. In the 60s CCTVs had low resolution and were black and white. These cameras were connected to black and white monitors. However, today CCTVs are more advanced than basic cameras. They are extensively used in railway stations, sports stadiums, shops, stores, parking lots, garages and parks.

Earlier CCTVs allowed the viewer to switch between cameras and watch only one camera at a time. Whereas present day CCTV allows the viewer to watch multiple cameras at the same time without the hassle of switching from one camera to another. The other advantage of modern day CCTV is recording through a computer using Digital Video Recording. Now one does not have to rely on video tapes as it was done in the 70s and 80s. Digital Video Recorders are automatic and does not rely on human intervention of changing tapes. These recorders are also well equipped to record audio sounds without any problems.

In today’s world a CCTV can be operated from a remote control center and ensures high quality digital image and sound that can be streamed anywhere. These CCTVs can pan in, zoom or tilt making it easier to capture images. There is two way audio system where the operator can transmit his voice as well as listen. One can record, search and replay audio and video using modern CCTV technology. Many CCTV are equipped with night vision.

Since the 60s CCTV has come a long way and there is still scope to further develop this technology so meet the ever changing needs of the consumer. Companies are striving hard to ensure that CCTV is capable of giving the surveillance market what it needs.

Installation Guide :

Planning: First step of any camera installation is to plan camera and monitoring equipment locations. When planning for camera locations please take in consideration light condition, never install cameras in low light room pointing straight into the sunny area it will add glare to the picture, even if your camera has back light compensation it will not be enough. Use infrared cameras for very dark conditions and/or B/W cameras with as low LUX number as possible. I am not going to discuss proper equipment selection, as this was subject of my last article.

Selecting the best possible camera locations is not easy, and will directly impact the camera views. Besides light conditions, the distance to the monitoring object is equally important. There are many different types and focal lengths of lenses; your selection will depend on light condition and distance from the camera to the monitoring object. In small rooms around 500sq. ft. cameras with standard 3.6mm lens should be OK. Keep in mind that most bullet and board type of cameras come with 3.6mm lens, the greater the distance to the monitoring object the longer focal length of the lens will be needed. There is no ease way of judging lens selection, you can eider guess or buy professional lens selector tool.. Alternatively you can start with your lens selection and if needed get longer or shorter focal length lens later. Other option as far as lens selection goes, is to use variable focus lens, which is very versatile approach and takes the guess out of the lens selection process. For those who do not know what variable focus lens is, it's basically adjustable focal length lens that will allow to change the focal length within specified range, fore example: 2.6mm - 8mm or 5mm - 50mm.

To maximize cameras coverage and get the most out of the CCTV system for least amount of money minimize number of it by placing cameras in strategic places, unless complete area coverage is needed. Avoid overlapping camera views, do not install them with source of light directly in front of it and do not place infrared cameras pointing at each other to eliminate risk of overexposure. These are the most common mistakes that need to be avoided. After the initial camera locations are predetermined, lets look at cable placement. Make sure that it is actually possible and practical to run cable to each location, if running the cable to any camera location is for some reason impossible opt-out for alternate location.

Wiring: The most time consuming and important part of any camera installation is wiring. Plan your installation carefully to minimize cable lengths and insure good quality video signal. Never run cables alongside high power electrical lines, at least 12" spacing between video cable and power lines are recommended. Keep the cable lengths below 400ft and use good quality cable, most people take the cable for granted, but it is actually very important aspect of any installation. The CCTV system is only as good as its weakest component. I usually stick with RG59U with power Coleman cable (YES it is US made) sometimes called Siamese type cable. It is combo cable and will transmit video and power, as an alternative it is sometimes possible to use less expensive RG6 standard coax cable with separate run of 18/2AWG for power.

The Siamese cable is less bulky and easer to run, distribution power supply is recommended with this type of cable as power will be supplied from common place right next to monitor and recording equipment. Using Siamese cable makes for more clean and neat installation, as only one line is required for each camera. Running RG6 cable with separate run for power is the likely solution if power outlets are available near each locations. In this case individual plug in power supplies are used to power them with power cable running as separate and independent line to the camera. Both types of cables are available at dvrexperts. When running the cable it is good practice to leave couple of loops of extra cable at both camera and monitoring locations. This extra length of cable is needed if in the future monitoring or location will have to be moved slightly. After the cable is in place, the labor-intensive part of installation is over, now we can get to the fun part of installation.

Camera mounting: Most s come with mounting screws and bracket included, attach the bracket firmly and remember that in some cases different brackets than the ones supplied with the cameras could be needed.

Attach the camera to the bracket and adjust the position approximately at this time, we will come back to it later. Typical security camera is powered by 12VDC or 24VAC and power input type is screw or push terminals or 2.1mm plug. Power connection will differ for each type of power supply and input style. Most cameras are 12VDC, in this case it is important to observe polarity or you may damage the camera. The power cable has two conductors and in most cases it will be red or white and black cable. Use the red or white for positive and black for negative terminals. If it has screw or push terminals power input connect the cable directly observing polarity, if it is 2.1mm plug, a special 2.1MM Female DC Plug with Flying Leads have to be connected to the cable again keep attention to polarity. The 24VAC connection is very similar, with one major difference - polarity is not important.

Next step will involve some special tools and accessories. We will attempt to go over installation process of BNC crimp-on video connector, I will post video demonstration of BNC crimping techniques shortly so please check the web sites mentioned in this article often.

Steps: 1. Remove about 1/2-inch long outer jacket from the end of video cable exposing braid. 2. Slide the crimping barrel onto the cable with the larger diameter facing end of the cable. 3. Pull the braid backwards exposing the inner isolator material and remove 3/8-inch of it so you have now core conductor exposed. 4. The main part of BNC connector has a small hole on one side; push the exposed core conductor of the cable into that hole as far as it will go. 5. Push all the braid folded backwards in step 3 onto the BNC connector and spread the braid evenly around connector. 6. Push the crimping barrel onto the BNC connector all the way. 7. Using crimping tool, squeeze the crimping barrel onto the BNC connector, now the cable braid is compressed in between crimping barrel and BNC connector assuring secure connection.

BNC connector is on, lets hook it up now and repeat the steps for each camera, if you have purchased 16 camera system you may want to get some coffee first.

Monitor and recorder connection:

Cameras are on, its time to make final connections. I will focused on standard CCTV monitor, standalone DVR recorder and distribution power supply, as this is the most popular and likely solution for most CCTV installations.

First we have to install BNC connectors on this side as well - its time for that coffee again. It is good idea to make room for monitor and recorder now and setup some type of desk, shelf or rack to place all the equipment on.

We need the monitor and recorder in place so we can determine proper power supply location. Power supply should be mounted within couple of feet from the DVR video inputs. After power supply is secured separate the power conductors from the Siamese cable, and run it to power supply. Like we did with the cameras if 12VDC power is used, we need to watch the polarity, each terminal on the power supply is marked, so there should not be any doubt. Make sure the power supply is not plugged in to the power outlet yet.

Connect video cables to the DVR video in ports. We need one video cable to connect the DVR with the monitor, if you do not have one you may cut piece of Siamese cable separate the power conductors from it and install BNC connectors on both ends, you now have the cable. Connect the DVR monitor out port to monitor video in. We are almost ready to power up everything; there is only one more thing to take care before we do that.

We need to protect the equipment from power spikes by plugging it into power conditioner or better yet, buttery backup unit. If the installation location is experiencing frequent power outages, the backup unit is strongly recommended. To extend the backup time only plug the DVR and camera power supply to the backup unit and the monitor to regular power strip, this way if we do loose power for some time the DVR and cameras are still functioning as normal while monitor is off. Turning off monitor will not affect DVR and cameras in any way; it is actually good habit to turn the monitor of if not used to extend its life.

Power on and final adjustment: Yes... we are now ready to power it up for the first time, if this is your first installation it may be nerve-racking experience. Start with turning the cameras power supply on, turn the monitor on as well followed by DVR system. The stand-alone DVR, after self-test will show cameras or setup menu on first power up depending on your model.

To setup the DVR refer to the manual for proper settings. Go over each camera view to determine if the view is actually what you want, hardly ever it will be without additional readjustments. To properly and easily adjust the positions, the test monitor will be very handy if not essential tool. Go to each camera location and connect the test monitor to adjust the position to your preferences, if satisfied secure camera bracket adjustment screws - we will not go back to this camera anymore.

Congratulations! You have just completed your most likely, very first installation of CCTV system.

Subscribe to this feed

Children And The Potential Harmful Effects Of Television

Since the dawn of television, children have found this an enjoyable and interactive pastime. Visual stimulation is preferred by children in comparison to any other media, and current figures report than children watch an average of four hours of television a day. These figures are much larger than they were almost half a century ago, but changes in lifestyle and technological advances make this inevitable. However, many people question how it is affecting the lives of modern children.

Children`s television programmes began in the 1950s. By 1951 it showed up to 27 hours per week of tv programmes aimed at children. The usual time slot was late afternoon and evening with programmes aimed at shorter viewing periods. In the mid 50s the Saturday morning programme slot was discovered, and since then has long since been kept for children`s viewing. The 1960s saw a switch to animation based tv programmes which were cheaper to produce. The lower the cost; the more could be produce and children`s television gained more viewing slots. In the 1970s programmes were made longer to increase viewing figures and in the 80s cable tv arrived. This enriched and widened the scope for the provision for children and dedicated channels were aired.

As the industry grew, so did the concern for the effects of watching tv on children. The children`s television act arrived in the 1990s, requiring high levels of research and monitoring in that area. The main concerns centred around health, academic progress and the effects of violence on it. The first testimonial involving the effects of violence on tv on juvenile behaviour was brought about in the US as early as 1952. The effects of violence on tv have been studied since 1964 when it was officially ruled that it was a factor in children`s behaviour. The main concerns were that levels of violence would increase through copied behaviour, with children becoming desensitised.

So, what has been determined through research with regards to children and tv violence? Two outcomes were discovered; catharsis and stimulation which are still the leading theories in this area. Catharsis was found to remove negativity, whereas the stimulation effect increased violent emotions with the latter showing to be the most likely outcome. There is a proven small and consistent link between viewing violence and increased aggression. However, the results were highest amongst children witnessing violence at home rather than non television.

Other studies showed that there are definite cognitive effects when children watch tv as they are stimulated by visual movement. This includes the movement of colour, camera angles, and panoramic views. Tv aimed at children takes this into account and this is why children seem transfixed. Research shows, however, that attention to the television is in fact fragmentary before the age of two, but it steadily increases until attention peaks at the age of 12 years. The understanding of many concepts is lost until aged 10 in the average child as there is too much information to comprehend and so concentration depends upon pure enjoyment.

In terms of health, the main problem is obesity through a lack of exercise, and so television has been blamed for this in part. This is because watching television distracts the receptors in the brain which let the child know when they are full. However, there is no research to state that this has any more effect than general family eating habits. Tv is like any other factor in life; it can have positive effects in moderation. There are no suggested guidelines for tv viewing, and so it is down to personal and family choice.

If you have concerns about the effects upon your child, the best advice is to look at family attitudes towards it. This includes the amount of time spent watching it, the type of programmes viewed and even comments made. It is possible to limit the type of programmes viewed, and to reduce the time spent watching by offering it as a reward system. To improve educational elements, discuss issues raised with honesty and interest and your child will be encouraged towards this type of programme.

Subscribe to this feed

It is safe to buy that Blu-ray disk player now

Blu-Ray VS HD DVD, and Blu-Ray already won the war. The sturm und drang over the Blu-ray vs HD DVD battle has come to naught. After a bit of jostling Blu-ray has taken an unassailable lead over HD DVD.
The Blu-ray camp had a much better offering to begin with, but Toshiba decided to challenge them anyway with the HD DVD. Toshiba had one edge over Blu-ray, and that was the production and/or transition cost from DVD to high definition technology, which is supposed to be significantly cheaper with HD DVD. But if Toshiba and HD DVD camp had an ace in their sleeve, unfortunately for them the Blu-ray camp and Sony had the remaining three.

It is safe to buy that Blu-ray disk player now
The biggest loser in this is Toshiba. They’ve put a lot of time and money behind HD DVD. Microsoft is also a loser, partly as a supporter and partly because their add-on Xbox HD DVD player sales will tank. The folks who bought one can’t be feeling too good about Microsoft’s judgement.

Intel, another backer, loses too, but they seem to have had the least skin in the game. They probably just went along because of Microsoft.

It's official. Toshiba just made a statement saying, " it will no longer develop, manufacture and market HD DVD players and recorders." Cessation of the player and recorders are targeted for March 2008. Volume production of HD DVD disk drives for PCs and games will end in the same time frame. However, Atsutoshi Nishida, President and CEO of Toshiba Corporation did say that Toshiba will, "continue to assess the position of notebook PCs with integrated HD DVD drives." That's it folks, the format war is over, Blu-ray has won.


Here is the full specification between Blu-Ray and HD DVD

Blu-Ray		HD DVD
ROM single layer: ROM dual layer: RW single layer: RW dual layer: Highest test: Theoretical limit:	23.3 / 25GB 46.6 / 50GB 23.3 / 25 / 27GB 46.6 / 50 / 54GB 100GB 200GB	Single layer: Dual layer: - - Highest test: Theoretical limit:	15GB 30GB - - 45GB 60GB

Codecs
Blu-Ray	HD DVD
MPEG-2 Microsoft Video Codec 1 (aka VC1, WMV HD, etc.) H.264 / MPEG-4 AVC Dolby Digital AC-3, DTS, linear PCM Optional: Dolby Digital Plus, Dolby TrueHD, DTS HD	MPEG-2 Microsoft Video Codec 1 (aka VC1, WMV HD, etc.) H.264 / MPEG-4 AVC Dolby Digital AC-3, DTS, linear PCM, Dolby Digital EX, Dolby Digital Plus, Dolby TrueHD Optional: DTS HD

Security
Blu-Ray	HD DVD
Mandatory HDCP encrypted output ROM-Mark watermarking technology BD+ dynamic crypto (physical layer) Advanced Access Content System (AACS)	Mandatory HDCP encrypted output (for HD) Volume identifier (physical layer) Advanced Access Content System (AACS)

Movie studio support
Blu-Ray	HD DVD
20th Century Fox Buena Vista Home Entertainment Hollywood Pictures Lions Gate Miramax Entertainment MGM Studios New Line Cinema Sony Pictures Entertainment Touchstone Entertainment The Walt Disney Company Vivendi Universal Games Warner Bros.	Dreamworks Paramount Pictures Universal Studios

Major movie rental outlets *Still awaiting final confirmation
Blu-Ray	HD DVD
Blockbuster Netflix Movie Gallery / Hollywood Video*	Movie Gallery / Hollywood Video*

Nationwide retail and major online support
Blu-Ray	HD DVD
Amazon Best Buy Circuit City Costco K-Mart Target (said to be mostly Blu) Wal-Mart	Amazon Circuit City Costco K-Mart Target

Format founders
Blu-Ray	HD DVD
Sony Corporation Royal Philips Electronics	Toshiba Corporation Hitachi Corporation

Companies listed as Members of the Board or Managing Members
Blu-Ray	HD DVD
Apple, Inc. Dell, Inc. Hewlett Packard Company Hitachi, Ltd. LG Electronics Inc. Mitsubishi Electric Corporation Panasonic (Matsushita Electric) Pioneer Corporation Royal Philips Electronics Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. Sharp Corporation Sony Corporation Sun Microsystems TDK Corporation Thomson Twentieth Century Fox Walt Disney Pictures and Television Warner Bros.	Memory-Tech Corporation NEC Corporation Sanyo Electric Co. Toshiba Corporation

Companies listed as Members, Associate Members, or Contributors (may include duplicates and/or subsidiaries)
Blu-Ray	HD DVD
1K Studios, LLC Acer Incorporated Adobe Systems Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. Allion Test Labs, Inc. Almedio Inc. Alpine Electronics Inc. Alticast Aplix Corporation ArcSoft, Inc. Arima Devices Corporation ashampoo GmbH & Co. KG ASV Corp. AudioDev AB Avid Development GmbH B&W Group B.H.A. Corporation BASF AG BluFocus Inc. Bose Corporation Brickbox Digital Media Broadcom Corporation Canon Inc. Cheertek Inc. China Hualu Group Co., Ltd. Cinram Manufacturing Inc. CMC Magnetics Corporation Corel Corporation Cryptography Research Inc. Custom Technology Inc. CustomFlix Labs, Inc. CyberLink Corp. D&M holdings, Inc. D-Box Technologies Inc. Daewoo Electronics Corporation Daikin Industries, Ltd. DATARIUS Technologies GmbH Daxon Technology Inc. DCA Inc. Deluxe Media Services Inc. Dolby Laboratories Inc. Dr. Schwab Inspection Technology GmbH Dreamer Co., Ltd. DTS, Inc. Eclipse Data Technologies Elpida Memory, Inc. Esmertec Expert Magnetics Corp. Falcon Technologies International FUJIFILM Corporation Fujitsu Ltd. Fujitsu Ten Ltd. Funai Electric Co., Ltd. GalleryPlayer Media Networks Gear Software General Members Gibson Guitar Corp. Global Machinery Co., Ltd. Gowell Electronic Limited Hie Electronics, Inc. Hoei Sangyo Co., Ltd Horizon Semiconductor. IMAGICA Corp. Imation Corp. Info Source Multi Media Ltd. INFODISC Technology Co., Ltd. Infomedia Inc. Intersil Corporation Iwatsu Test Instruments Kenwood Corporation Kobe Steel Co. Ltd. Konica Minolta Opto Inc. Lauda Co. Ltd. Lead Data Inc. LEADER ELECTRONICS CORP Lenovo LINTEC Corporation Lionsgate Entertainment LITE-ON IT Corporation Macrovision Corp. Magnum Semiconductor, Inc. MainConcept AG MediaTek Inc. Meridian Audio Ltd. MIT Technology Co., Ltd. Mitsubishi Kagaku Media Co.Ltd. Mitsui Chemicals Inc. Mitsumi Electric Co., Ltd. Monster Cable Products Moser Baer India Limited MoSys Incorporated Must Technology Co., Ltd. MX Production Services NEC Electronics Corporation NEC Personal Products Ltd. Nero Netflix Inc. Newtech Infosystems Inc. NexWave Solutions NHK Technical Services, Inc. Nichia Corporation Nikkatsu Corporation NTT Electronics Corporation nVidia Corporation OC Oerlikon Balzer AG Omnibus Japan Inc. Onkyo Corporation Online Media Technologies Ltd. Ono Sokki Co., Ltd. OPT Corporation Optodisc Technology Corporation Origin Electric Co., Ltd. Osmosys SA Pico House Pixela Corporation Plannet Associates PoINT Software & Systems GmbH Pony Canyon Enterprise Primera Technology, Inc. Prodisc Technology Inc. Pulstec Industrial Co., Ltd. Q-TEC, Inc. Quanta Storage Inc. Quantized Systems Realtek Semiconductors Ricoh Co., Ltd. Rimage Corporation Ritek Corporation Sanyo Electric Co., Ltd. ShibaSoku Co. Ltd. Sigma Designs Inc. Silicon Integrated Systems Corporation Singulus Technologies Sonic Solutions Sony BMG Music Entertainment ST Microelectronics Sunext Taiyo Yuden Co., Ltd., Targray Technology International Inc. TEAC Corporation Teijin Chemicals Ltd. Texas Instruments, Inc. The Cannery THX Ltd. Toei Video Company Ltd. Toho Company, Ltd. Toppan Printing Co., Ltd. TOPTICA Photonics AG Trailer Park UmeDisc Ltd. Universal Music Group, Inc. Victor Company of Japan, Ltd. VideACE Inc. Visionare Corporation Yamaha Corporation Yokogawa Electric Corporation Zentek Technology Japan, Inc. ZOOtech Ltd. Zoran Corporation	Acer Inc. ACSES Co.,Ltd. Ad Seeds Co.,Ltd Allion Test Labs, Inc. Almedio Inc. Alpine Electronics, Inc. Altech Ads Co. ArcSoft, Inc AudioDev AB B.H.A Corporation Bandai Visual Co. BEKO Elektronik Broadcom Corporation Canon Inc. CDN Corporation Clariant Japan CMC Magnetics Corporation Corel Corporation CyberLink Corp D&M Holdings Inc. Daikin Industries Daiko.co,ltd. Daxon Technology Inc. Dedicated Devices, Inc. DigiOn, Inc. Digital Site Corporation Disc Labo Corp. Dolby Labs, Japan Dr. Schwab Inspection Technology GmbH DT Japan, Inc. DTS, Inc. Ebistrade, Inc. Entertainment Network Inc. Exa International Expert Magnetics Corp. Finepack . Co.,LTD Flag,Inc. Fuji Photo Film Co. Fuji Plastic Co. Fuji Seiki Co. Fujitsu Limited. Funai Electric Co. Gear Software, Inc Gibson Musical Instruments GM Records Hamamatsu Metrix co.,ltd. Hitachi Corporation Hitachi Maxell, Ltd. Hoei Sangyo Co. IDE-AVA IMAGICA Corp. Imation Corp Info Source Multi Media Korea Ltd. Infodisc Technology Co. Intel Corporation Itri Jp Co., Ltd Justsystem Corporation Kadokawa Holdings, Inc. Kaleidescape, Inc. Kenwood Corporation Kinyosha Printing Co. Konica Minolta Opto, Inc. Lenovo Japan McRay Corporation Megan Media Holdings Bhd Microsoft Corporation Mitomo Co., Ltd Mitsubishi Kagaku Media Co., Ltd. / Verbatim Mitsui Chemicals, Inc. Moser Baer India Ltd MPO INTERNATIONAL Nero AG NetBlender, Inc. NHK Technical Services, INC. Nichia Corporation Nihonvtr Inc. Nikkatsu Corporation nixbu Entertainment GmbH & Co. KG Oerlikon Japan Co., Ltd. Omnibus Japan Onken Corporation Onkyo Corporation Online Media Technologies Ltd. Origin Electric Co. Outpost FX (AB) International Paramount Home Entertainment Pegasys, Inc. Pico House Co.,Ltd Pixela Corporation Plasmon OMS Sarl Pony Canyon Inc. PonyCanyon Enterprise INC. Proboxx, Inc Prodisc Technology Inc. Protron Digital Inc. Pryaid Records Inc. Pulstec Industrial Co. Q-Tec,Inc. Query inc Ricoh Co. Ritek Corporation Sanken Media Product Co., Ltd. Shibaura Mechatronics Corporation Sonic Solutions Sonopress GmbH Sumitomo Heavy Industries. Ltd Super Vision, Inc. Taiyo Yuden Co. Teac Corporation Teijin Chemicals Ltd. Toei Video Co. Toemi Media Solutions Limited Toho Company, Limited. tokyo laboratory ltd. Toppan Printing Co. Toptica Photonics AG Toyo Recording Co. Transmix Co. Trendy Corporation U-Tech Media Corp. Ulead Systems, Inc. Universal Pictures Vap Inc. Visionare Corporation Warner Home Video Inc.

Subscribe to this feed

Movies and Musics on DVD

Movie and music can not be separate from entertainment like home theater. Movies, they have been around to entertain us for over 100 years. Over this time, technology has improved to allow us to watch movies at home via 8mm reel to reel, VHS and Betamax video tape, CD-ROM (VCD movies) and currently DVD format. The DVD format, emerged informally as "digital versatile disc" around 1995. Research by Sony/ Philips and Toshiba around this time came from looking for alternatives to CD-ROM and VHS/Beta tapes as a replacement.

DVD has become a popular format for not just movies but for several platforms of media today, used in formats like DVD players for movies and TV series, consoles like the Playstation and XBOX, and for Personal Computers (which are also used for storage, the DVD-R +R, DVD-RW & DVD-RAM formats).

Since 2005, Sony and Toshiba have again gone head to head with Bluray (Sony) and HDDVD (toshiba) and with those of you old enough to remember the Betamax (Sony) and VHS (Toshiba) it is reminisce of the format wars of 25 odd years back.

For most, these two new formats are generation II of DVD, Bluray has a slightly larger capacity than HDDVD (around 30 Gb compared to DVD of around 4.7Gb) and uses a thinner blue laser on players (large red lasers are used on players that play cd and dvds) and HDDVD although slightly less capacity than Bluray (around 25Gb) uses a thinner red laser and is easier to manufacture in plants that make standard dvd discs. This presents new issues for the consumer. Which do I buy? What are the advantages and disadvantages? What is the cost?

Holographic DVD is also another emerging format that looks like getting commercial release in about 2009 and has storage looking to 200Gb and upwards. Thats about half a million MP3's, or about 400 hours of Standard Definition video or 80 hours of High Definition video. Whew !

Standard definition video ? High definition video? What the heck is this you ask. It is how a picture or video playback is displayed on a screen and that screen needs to be capable of High Definition playback (TV, rear projection. LCD or Plasma), TV and Video/ DVD has played back in Standard Definition for about the last 50 years. It is approximate to 800 x 600 DPI on a computer screen, where High Definition is approximate to 1280 x 1024 DPI on a computer screen.

HDTV is the one feature that can make more attention if you want to build home theater. All lastest product of plasma TV already have HDTV feature.

Subscribe to this feed

AUTOMATION 2008 - 4th International Exhibition and Conference

Automation 2008, India's No. 1 Automation Exhibition showcases new innovations & solutions for vast industry segment comprising of Refining, Petrochemicals, chemicals, Polyester, Power, Life Sciences, Food & Pharmaceutical, Oil & Gas businesses, Steel and Mining and other process industries, Terminal automation, Tank farm automation, Retail Outlet Automation also Home Building Automation.

Exhibition Focus

FACTORY AUTOMATION
PROCESS AUTOMATION
INSTRUMENTATION AND CONTROLS
ROBOTICS
POWER PLANT AUTOMATION
DRIVES AUTOMATION
BUS AND WIRELESS TECHNOLOGY
BUILDING AUTOMATION
PUMPS AND VALVES
HYDRAULIC AND PNEUMATICS
AUTOMATION IN MACHINE TOOLS

For more information click here

Subscribe to this feed

Simply Home Security System Using CCTV Cameras

When choosing a home security system, it’s important to know that not all systems are created equal. Each company offers various features and has a different track record. Before signing a contract with a company, you should know that you are getting the features that best suit your purposes. The main reason that people choose to have security systems installed is to prevent and deter thieves from getting into your home and your valuables.

Most home security system are modular, meaning you can purchase a basic set up and add features as you feel they are needed. Since most companies charge a monthly fee, it may be smart to go this route and pay for only what you truly need.

CCTV Camera is one of security system tools among the most effective ways to reduce crime in your business or home, and there are a number of places to purchase CCTV equipment, even if you’re on a budget. Here are some things to look for when you’re shopping for CCTV cameras that will help you save time and money, as well as help you to better to protect your property.

How to Choose a CCTV System For Your Home?

1. What do you want the CCTV system for? Security for your properties? Security for your retail shops? Monitoring of employees? Monitoring of domestic helpers?

2. Which are the physical areas that you want to monitor? Are they outdoor or indoor?

3. Do you require ability to see in the dark at the areas where you want to monitor with your CCTV system?

4. Do you want the CCTV system to act as an deterrent purpose, or do you want to record certain acts secretly?

5. How long a duration do you need to store the video? 1 week? 1 month? 2 months?

6. Do you require remote live viewing over Internet? or is after event viewing good enough for your application?

7. Where will be a secure place in your office or property to house the Digital Video Recorder (DVR)? If you require live viewing over Internet, do you have an Internet connection?

8. If you require live viewing, do you have control over the firewall at the place where you want to view from? (e.g. your work place)

9. How much is your budget? Bear in mind that the more functions you want, the longer recording duration you need, the better the cameras, the more expensive the CCTV system will cost.

The shape of your camera play a big part in how well hidden the camera is, and how secure you can keep your home or business. Many times, if a surveillance camera is very obvious or large, criminals will immediately try to destroy the camera before stealing merchandise or money, or otherwise damaging the property. If a CCTV camera is well hidden, it will be difficult for burglars to find the camera, and it is much more likely that you will catch the trespassing on tape accurately. A discreet camera will also make customers or others in your home feel safer. So, small cameras, dome-shaped cameras, and even submergible cameras are a good idea if you want to add a little extra security to your home or business.

After thinking through the above questions, seek the advise of a qualified CCTV specialist and work with him to select a CCTV system that will best suit your needs at a reasonable cost. With a suitable CCTV system to meet your needs, you should have a peace of mind on the security of your properties and the safety of your loved ones.

Subscribe to this feed

Connect Your Computer To Your Home Theater

Computer is the one of electronics devices that almost people have at home. A computer can act a lot more like an entertainment device than ever before. You can play game, listen music,view pictures, watch video and more! With internet network, you can listen online music, play online game, watch online video and more online entertainment.

But when we are watch video who wants to sit in their home office on a desktop computer or sit at a notebook computer to do this? "Not I, said the cat." Listening through cheap computer speakers and watching video on a computer monitor is not my idea of real entertainment; how about you?

Why not connect your computer's audio and video to your home entertainment system? You can watch TV shows, movies, and videos on your HDTV or any other TV with appropriate inputs. You can listen to music through your home stereo if it has AUX, VIDEO, or any other input using a standard RCA connection.

Connecting Computer Video to Your TV:

To connect the video, your computer must have an output for which your TV has a matching input.

Virtually every computer comes with a VGA output of some kind. The plug for this looks almost rectangular (you can see one by locating where you computer monitor connects to the back end of your desktop computer).

Another video output connection many computers may have is S-Video. This is a round connection. S-Video plugs have 4 tiny round holes (2 on each side) and a tiny rectangular hole in the bottom. S-Video cables have a round end with 4 tiny metal prongs and a tiny rectangular piece of plastic at the bottom.

However, many televisions do not have VGA inputs and only some have S-Video inputs. If yours doesn't, you'll need to make sure it at least has an RCA video input (this is a very standard connection which is used to connect record players, VCRs and CD players to other devices). the standart colours are yellow for video, red or white normally for audio (Left/Right). If your TV came out since the early to mid 1990s it most likely has a standard RCA video input.

If your TV does have an RCA video input, simply buy a VGA to TV Converter. This will connect to your computer's VGA output and provide RCA and S-Video connections (which are standard inputs found on most TVs since the 1990s).

Make sure you have the proper cables for your TV. Depending on which type of input your TV uses, you'll need an RCA cable, an S-Video cable or a VGA cable.

Connecting Computer Sound to Your TV, Stereo or Home Theater System:

Now that the hard part is out of the way, the sound is easy. Simply buy a Y-cord. It should contain a stereo male 1/8" on one end and two RCA males on the other end. Just ask your local electronics store; this is a standard cable they will all most-likely carry in-stock.

Connect the stereo 1/8" male end to the green jack on your computer (usually on the back of desktop computers and on the front or side of notebook computers) where your speakers would normally connect.

Alternatively, you may connect the 1/8" to the headphone jack on your computer. (Note: any device with a headphone jack can connect to your home theater, such as an iPod using this same cord!)

Connect the two RCA males to the L and R input jacks on your TV, Home Theater or Stereo. And you're done! Just make sure to select the right setting (AUX, VIDEO, etc.) on your stereo or receiver.

Enjoy online content in all the glory you've enjoyed content from TV, DVD, CD, and the radio! There's already tons of online content available on major broadcasting sites, and there will be more as the future moves forward.

If you don't have a DVD player but there is a DVD drive on your computer, this setup will turn your computer into a DVD player! Enjoy your movie with a big screen television.

Subscribe to this feed

Plasma vs LCD TVs

Technology on the world is very fast, now everyone must be know about plasma TV. For a layman, there seems to be no difference between a plasma and LCD TV. Both provide high-resolution, high-contrast images and both are flat, sleek and can be mounted on a wall. And then how about the diffenrence between two of them.

Technology between Plasma and LCD TV

Plasma TVs work with inert gases like xenon or neon, which are excited by electric pulses from specialized cells called pixels. This makes the gases glow. These glowing gases, in turn, produce the correct blend of red, blue and green light on the pixels. The pixels are illuminated by a fluorescent light bulb, which is driven by semiconductor software on the motherboard.

LCDs are actually thin film transistors (TFT), which contain liquid filled crystals between two plates of glass. LCDs work by blocking out unwanted light. When the signal hits the TFTs, they contort to a required angle, thus allowing only the requisite amount of light to pass through. A lamp behind the screen or a thin LCD bulb provides illumination to the TFT.

Strengths and weaknesses between Plasma and LCD TV

1. Plasma TVs show better contrasts. Contrast means the ratio between the blackest black and the whitest white. A plasma TV can produce contrasts of even 3000 to 1, which is very high by LCD standards. LCD TVs can provide contrasts up to 900 to 1. However, in LCD technology, even a low contrast ratio can produce much better images.

2. Plasma TVs produce colors by addition of red, blue and green while LCD TVs produce colors by blocking unwanted light from the spectrum. Hence, plasma TVs produce colors by additive principle, while LCD TVs do the same by subtractive principle. That's why plasma TVs are much better at producing colors than LCD TVs.

3. Plasma TVs also have wide viewing angles, as much as 160 degrees. Since LCD TVs produce images by an LCD lamp behind the screen, viewing angles aren't wide. LCD TVs produce differently colored images when viewed at higher horizontal angles.

4. LCD TVs have greater longevity. Most LCD TVs can last up to twice the lifetime of a plasma TV. LCD TVs are also better suited to usage at higher altitudes or while traveling, because LCD technology does not use any gases, and is not subjected to air pressure.

5. LCD TVs are also energy efficient, as they require less voltage. This helps in reducing electricity bills.

How about the prices ?

Earlier LCD TVs were priced much higher than plasma TVs. But due to stiff competition, their prices have come down drastically. According to their current standing, LCD TVs cost only marginally more than plasma TVs.

Subscribe to this feed

CRT vs LCD

Everybody that wants to build a home theater, always want for the best technology that they can afford. But for the best technology absolutely need extra money. In home theater always need a display systems. Do you really need the latest technology when it comes to home theater display systems ? Let's see the different.

CRT or cathode ray tube is the old standard for televisions. The principle behind it is a vacuum tube that consists of an electron gun that is directed towards a screen coated in phosphor. The electron gun fires electrons at the screen causing the phosphor to heat up. This action causes colors on the screen which are used to produce an image that you watch.

LCD or liquid crystal display is a large amount of tiny liquid crystals that are held between two electrodes. When a charge is passed from one electrode to the other via the liquid crystals they react to the charge. This reaction causes light to be emitted which creates an image that you watch.

The first thing that you will immediately notice about CRT TV's are that they are far cheaper than LCD TV's or any other latest technology. This is so for two reasons. The first is that the new technology has cost a lot of money to develop so the makers of these televisions have to charge a premium. This price will drop over time. The other reason is that a lot of marketing has gone into the new technologies so retailers are finding it hard to move CRT TV's. The bottom line if budget is a factor is that CRT is still the way to go.

Another thing About CRT's is that they are large and bulky. They need to be to fit in the vacuum tube. This means you need plenty of space to put them in. One of the majors benefits of LCD technology is that the television is a flat panel. It can be placed on a wall are does not take up space. If you have a small apartment or house then this might be a consideration.

CRT TV's have a wider viewing angle than LCD. Thus if you are off center with an LCD the vision might be distorted. Not so with CRT.

LCD TV's have excellent resolution. Whereas a CRT TV might have a resolution of 480, LCD can have up to 1080. They will also use the progressive scanning method as opposed to interlacing giving a more fluid image.

CRT technology has a better contrast ratio than LCD. This means there will be more distinction between the blacks images on the screen. Again, this will make things stand out better in dark movies.

LCD technology has a greater range of colors giving a vibrant picture as opposed to CRT.

Clearly LCD are the latest technology. More money will be put into improving the deficiencies of the technology so it will improve over time. The price will also drop. If, however, you are on a budget and you do not plan to view HDTV in the near future you can't go past the low prices of good quality CRT televisions.

Subscribe to this feed

A Simple Home Theater Design Ideas

The first actual stuff of the electronics equipment is makes a home movie theatre and the problem is the location or the space in your home where you will position the system.

Most of the people think that setting up your own movie system is expensive and only rich people can afford it. But that's not true at all. Let's have a closer look at two types of home theatre systems. This will help you to make a decision on which is best for you.

A typical system has only 3 basic components. What are they?

1) Television (see the different about CRT vs LCD) to view the movies

2) DVD player to run the DVD/VCD

3) Speakers to create a good real theatre like effect.

When it comes to locating these three in a home there are two straightforward options available.

1) Locate them in a separate room

2) Locate them in an existing room with other things occupied

If you go with the first option then one great recommendation is that you hire a home theatre designer to do the job for you. This will ensure that you get the best possible design ideas to generate that dramatic effect.

A professional designer will help you on every aspect of the design process, including design ideas to which electronic equipment to buy (or not to buy). A professional designer will also help you on certain interior design aspects such as flooring patterns, acoustic treatments using acoustic panels on interior walls, placements of speakers, TV unit etc for better viewing, seating arrangements and their design. So it becomes a fairly good experience and you get the best quality theatre, the way you want it to be.

If you are tight on budget, then you can always convert a space in an existing room into a mini home theatre. Living room or a family room is good choice for this. In such type of setup you do however have certain limitations such as placement of speakers to create a "surround sound effect". This will have some limitation because design wise the living room is a part of the entire home plan and has it's own functional demands.

For a mini theater a TV with 29-inch screen, a DVD player and at least 3 speakers is fair enough for creating a good effect. Now in most cases you probably already own the TV and DVD player, so the only thing that remains is a nice speaker system that is compatible with the output of your TV and DVD player is necessary. Always remember that when you buy speakers make it a point to test the speakers in your home. Ask the store owner to play the speakers in your home because sometimes some speakers only sound good at the store but when you play then in your home, you may get a different effect because of the surrounding furniture pieces in the living or family room. There is an acoustic component attached to this whole experience, which must be taken into consideration.

All in all home theaters are easy to set up when you know how are you willing to spend and what kind of effect you are looking for. Many options are available today in the market. A little research can easily save you time and money when it comes to home theatre design ideas.

Subscribe to this feed

Energy Efficiency - Easy Ways To Reduce Your Air Conditioning Use And Save Money

Energy efficiency refers to the reduction of energy used by specific end-use devices and systems, such as air conditioners, typically without affecting the quality of the services provided. Energy efficiency can be achieved many ways. In the case of your air conditioning one simple way to achieve this efficiency is by reducing your air conditioning needs.

An easy way to save money on air conditioning which is often overlooked is through the simple reduction of its use. While enjoying the cool benefits of air conditioning it is easy to overlook its expensive nature, due to the electricity required one has to also consider it's environmental cost. While being green isn't always easy, in this case, being green will save you money - by reducing your energy usage.

How To Reducing Your Air Conditioning Needs

• Use alternate forms of in-house cooling such as ceiling fans or house fans. Unless you live in a very humid climate than ceiling fans, which can provide cooling by creating a low- level "wind chill" effect, are a good and relatively inexpensive choice. Ceiling fans are also rated by Energy Star so it's easy to find energy efficient models. In either case fan use substantially less energy then air conditioning systems and can go a long way in reducing your dependence on your air conditioner.
• Change older single pane windows with newer more energy efficient double pane or even triple pane windows. More energy efficiency windows can reduce your air conditioning needs. If expense becomes a concern you can always opt to use drapes or window coverings that block out the sunlight effectively. Replacing your windows can improve their energy efficiency by up to 41% in the hot climate - when your air conditioning is used most.
• Shade gardening. Maybe replacing your windows is expensive but maybe you have enough space for gardening consider planting shade trees on the sunny side of your home. The less direct sunlight that gets into your house, the less heat. Shade trees also have the added benefits of reducing local area CO2 pollution.
  
• Change non-programmable thermostats with programmable versions. When you shop for a programmable thermostat, be sure to look for the Energy Star versions.
• Install energy efficient roofing. Energy Star offers a number of different Reflective Roof Products that can reduce your peak air conditioning demand by as much as 10-15%.
• Use light-colored or "cool" sidings or paints with a high Light Reflective Value (LRV). The higher the LRV the more the paint will reflect away heat instead of absorbing it. Keeping your house cooler by reflecting away heat will reduce your air conditioning needs.
• Change your older/inefficient appliances such as old or secondary refrigerator or, replace incandescent light bulbs with LEDs. The less heat your appliances and inefficient lighting give off the less your air conditioner will have to compensate.
• Unplug large consumer electronics when you aren't using them although in standby mode. Lots of newer electronics have a "standby mode" that keeps them ready for action. This "stanby mode" uses electricity and because the device is running at some level it will still be creating heat. When not in use,don't forget to unplug chargers for your smaller devices, too
• Properly insulate your home. If you have a home that isn't properly insulated you can waste a lot of electricity when the cool air created by your air conditioner escapes.

Subscribe to this feed

The History Of Air Conditioning

It is so easy in the modern world to take air conditioning for granted. With the advances in technology is now virtually unheard of for air conditioning not to be used in any public building. Anywhere where potential customers are being courted for their business, it would be very unwise to leave them in a state of extreme discomfort, due to the failure to keep the building's facilities in line with the competition. In government buildings, failure to maintain a comfortable environment would reflect extremely badly on those who are responsible for the upkeep of the building and, by association, the department that utilises it.

It has not always been this way. Air conditioning was, in days gone by, a preserve of the rich. Even as far back as Ancient Egypt and Ancient Persia, some form of primitive air conditioning system was in use in the palaces of the wealthy aristocrats. These early air conditioning units were based on using water, sometimes in conjunction with cold air, to cool the brickwork of the buildings. This kind of use for a valuable resource such as water, especially in the desert, was extravagant in the extreme and obviously only available to the ruling classes.

The major breakthrough in the history of air conditioning came from the famous British inventor and scientist Michael Faraday. Faraday's research proved that it was possible to compress and liquefy ammonia and then use the liquefied ammonia to cool the air by having it evaporate. It was nearly a century after Faraday, however, that the first serious application of this kind of technology was seen. This was not used to control the temperature of rooms, but to regulate temperature and humidity in commercial printing processes. Air conditioning technology evolved from this, to be applied in the regulation of temperature in rooms and buildings.

The term “air conditioning” did not actually exist until 1906. Stuart W. Cramer, a textile mill owner, first used it. Cramer had been experimenting with ways to ameliorate the effects of the dry air created by his industrial processes. The patent he filed had used the term in conjunction with “water conditioning”, which had already become a well-known and often-used term in the textile industry. The new developments that Cramer instigated had a dramatic effect on the air quality within his factory and, as a direct consequence, on productivity.

In recent years, the reputation of air conditioning technology has taken a severe blow. The gases used in the early days of air conditioning were very similar to the ammonia first used by Michael Faraday. These highly toxic chemicals were potentially lethal should they have escaped into the atmosphere. It was obviously necessary to try to produce a far safer alternative. The types of gas developed in the 1920s - chlorofluorocarbons and hydro fluorocarbons - were far safer to human beings and were used in many different types of air conditioning system in the twentieth century. Towards the end of the century it emerged that these gases were harmful to the earth's ozone layer and again the need has arisen for alternatives to be developed. Amid an ever-greater awareness of environmental impact new non-harmful gases have been developed and many of the old ones have been phased out. The future of air conditioning now looks promising, with ozone harming gases eliminated and a commitment to improving the energy efficiency of air conditioning systems.

By Michael Russell


Subscribe to this feed