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TV SIGNALS GOING DIGITAL
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The sky is not falling, but come February 2009, over-the-air TV signals as we have come to know them will cease to exist. As vinyl records gave way to cassettes, cassettes to CDs, smoke signals to cell phones, analog TV signals are being phased out for digital ones.
Like most laws in America, it was Congress that mandated the conversion to all-digital television broadcasting, also known as the digital television (DTV) transition. All-digital broadcasting, they tell us, will free up frequencies for public safety communications such as police, fire and emergency rescue.
With hundreds of TV channels and the saturation of high-definition television sets, digital is a more efficient transmission technology that allows broadcast stations to offer improved picture and sound quality. These new signals will also offer more programming options for consumers through multiple broadcast streams, called multicasting.
But what does this conversion mean for your TV viewing habits?
Quite simply, if you currently subscribe to cable, satellite or IPTV (i.e. AT&T U-verse), you should be good to go. You're probably already getting digital signals through your cable or satellite box. The TV you are using now will continue to work the way it always has.
But if you have an older analog TV which uses so-called “rabbit ears” or other kinds of over-the-air antennas, you are going to need a digital converter to tune-in the new digital over-the-air TV signals.
So here are your choices:
a) Keep your 30-year-old Sony Trinitron and subscribe to a cable/sat/IPTV service;
b) Keep that old set with the broken knobs but good picture and get a converter box; or
c) Buy a new TV set that receives digital signals.
An interesting point to make here--you don’t need to go out and buy an HDTV. High-def TV sets receive these digital signals but there are cheaper options. Several manufacturers make sets with built-in digital tuners (integrated DTV) for a few hundred dollars. Most HDTV sets cost several hundreds of dollars and well into the thousands.
According to a recent study by Nielson Co., about 14 million consumers with older TV sets who don’t have subscription services will need digital-to-analog converters boxes. This is the least expensive option to comply with the transition. These small boxes will hook into older sets and convert the new digital signals into analog signals that your current older TV set can display.
These digital converter boxes are already on the market and cost upwards of $50. But thanks to our wonderful U.S. government, they are offsetting the cost by issuing up to two $40 coupons per household. To receive these coupons, go to this website to apply for them, or call 1-888-DTV-2009. When they arrive via snail mail, take them to a local store and buy a converter box.
I received my coupons in late March and found a converter box at Wal-Mart for $49. After using the coupon I was only out $9 plus tax. A small price to pay to allow my 4-inch TV set in my garage to receive American Idol. Note: There is a 90-day expiration date on the coupons so use them soon after you receive them.
If you have figured out your situation with your TV set, there are potential other concerns about peripherals plugged in to your set. VCRs, DVD players, camcorders and video games will continue to work, even if they are only analog-capable. However, such equipment may not provide digital-quality picture and sound. Manufacturers are producing a number of different connectors to hook equipment together and improve picture and sound quality. Check with your equipment retailer to determine the types of connectors that will work with your equipment.
The FCC and local broadcast stations have launched public awareness campaigns to alert consumers about the February 17, 2009 conversion date. Be prepared for a barrage of ads, alerts and digital TV sales coming your way this holiday season.
So act soon, but remember the sky is not falling! But if you miss one episode of Desperate Housewives due to this switch, things may really hit the fan.
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When Google launches a new product not only do computer users flock to the (generally) free and easy-to-use features, it keeps other companies on its toes to stay ahead or try to catch up. Google's latest release is a new foray into fierce competitive waters - the Internet browser.
If Internet Explorer, Firefox and Safari weren't enough for you (apologies for not caring about Opera and a few other small ones), meet Google Chrome. It was introduced to the world today as a beta project but then again I think Google itself is still in beta.
The big claim from Google is that Chrome will be a faster browser than others. Why is fast important to the Big G? Faster surfing could equate to money, money and more money that Google seems to make so well. According to CNET.com:
Google benefits materially from fast performance. First, when it comes to search, Google discovered when its search page loads fractionally faster, users search more often, which of course leads to more opportunities for Google to place its highly lucrative text ads. Second, a faster Web application foundation means that Google's online applications for e-mail, word processing, spreadsheets, and calendars can become faster and fuller-featured.
As far as the product itself I had to wait a bit for the download most likely because half the world's population tried to download it simultaneously. Once installed I did notice a bit peppier website delivery but it still lacks several features I am used to with IE7. RSS would be nice but no doubt should be added in the next release. Give us a way to manage bookmarks and we'll find it more useful. While you're at it G, how about button for emailing links and pages directly from the browser and a progress bar to show how much of a Web page has loaded.
The fun stuff is definitely here, though. Chrome includes Gears, which means you can download desktop icons for several Google apps. Gmail, Reader, and Picasa were downloaded and launched from the desktop. As expected, if already signed in to Google with your account, they launched and started instantly.
One of the reasons Chrome is so speedy is inherent in the same way Google is the fastest and most widely used search engine..the sparsity of its interface (take a glance at Google and then at Yahoo!). There is not much clutter on the home page including the lack of a toolbar. The only toolbar button you can add is a Home button.
As I stated above, Google's new release means other companies are sweating a bit. The timing probably was not a coincidence as Microsoft just released the beta of its new browser, Internet Explorer 8. One thing they both have in common is that they don't work on Macs, at least yet for Chrome. Google is working on that version.
I'm still playing with all these browsers and my opinion will be different than yours. So tell us more about your fave and least liked browser.
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