Why I Don’t Buy Digital Movies

With the availability of iTunes and other digital video services, I hear a lot of people talk about how they don’t buy DVDs any longer.  I hear things like “I don’t want to take up space with all of those cases” or “my kids destroy DVDs” – which make sense, but at the same time I can’t bring myself to give up my physical media.

For me, though, digital video distribution (DVD?) plays a supporting role rather than the primary role in building my video collection.  I don’t purchase movies digitally – I buy the discs.  Almost always Blu-ray discs, actually, since normally when I watch movies they’re being projected on a 100” screen, and DVD can fall apart at that size.  So do streaming services, to some degree, as well, but this isn’t the reason I choose not to invest in digital.  It’s more basic than that.

The main reason is that I don’t trust that these services are going to be around in ten years.  And I don’t want my investment to be lost.

History already tells us that we can’t rely on these services, no matter who is backing them.  Several big players have already tried and failed, including Wal-Mart and Target.  And when they fail, you lose what you’ve bought.

I know what you’re thinking… that Apple’s iTunes isn’t going to go away.  Maybe not.  At least not now.  But can you actually believe that Apple, if they’re still around in 20 years, is still going to be supporting a service that old?  They don’t support any services more than a few years old now.  There’s just no way that they’ll actually still make your movies available to you that far in the future.  Technology changes too fast.  Twenty years in the technology world is an eternity.  Very few tech companies make it that long. 

Owning the discs ensures that I’ll be able to watch them 10, 15, or more years in the future.  Even if (when) manufacturers stop making Blu-ray players in the future, the players I own today will still play those discs moving forward.  Yes, we’ll see improvements in picture quality with new tech like 4K and HDR moving forward, but Blu-ray is pretty good – it’s virtually the same level of quality currently projected in your local theater – and many movies have actually been shot in HD-like resolution, so in those cases a higher quality version usually doesn’t even exist.  And unless you’re sitting really close to very large screen, newer technologies won’t even provide any additional discernable picture detail. (Though HDR, if it catches on, has the potential to improve things considerably.)

The other big reason I still buy discs is convenience.  I don’t want to be without a way to watch a movie if my Internet goes down, I’m travelling somewhere where I don’t have Internet access, or it isn’t fast enough to stream a movie reliably.  Maybe in 5-10 years our Internet access will be more reliable and high speed will be more ubiquitous, but I just can’t count on it.  And will the streaming service you’ve invested n still be around at that time?  There’s no way to know.

That said, it isn’t like I don’t use digital video services, because I do.  They’re just my backup.  Most movies I buy come with a code to unlock digital versions.  And if they don’t, I’ve really found Vudu’s Disc-to-Digital program to be very handy.  (Tip: If you use the service, do the conversions at home on your own computer, and convert more than 10 discs at a time for a 50% discount.) I can’t convert all of my movies to digital, but I can certainly convert enough of them that I’m generally not left wanting when I want to stream a movie. I’ve got 241 on Vudu right now, so I’ve got plenty to choose from.

In any case, I know that everyone’s situation is different.  But I would encourage you to think about the future when making your video purchases.  Would you care if your selected service shut down in 5 years?  Would it bother you if you lost your investment because they’ve gone belly-up, or choose not to support it any longer?  It’s something to consider.

LOST Survey Results

Here we go… the results of my LOST survey.   With my own thoughts and feelings following at the end.

 

 

My Own Thoughts

Discussions about LOST could go on forever, and I certainly don’t want to get too detailed in my own thoughts, but I would like to say a few things, especially with regard to the way the series ended.

For the most part I enjoyed the series, but found myself frustrated by it probably as much as I enjoyed it.  My analytical mind doesn’t like to have questions go unanswered, and as anyone who watched the show knows, the writers enjoyed creating new questions more than they enjoyed providing answers to them.  And that internal battle was probably a hurdle that I never fully overcame, so I was never really able to full invest myself into the show. 

A lot of fans of the show would go back and re-watch episodes to try to pick up on small details that would be missed the first time through.  I, on the other hand, with the exception of the pilot and finale, only watched each episode one time.  I just couldn’t get into it enough to invest more time than I did.

But moving on to the story as a whole, I did enjoy the character development and the way the show would do flashbacks and give background to those characters.  It made it that much more believable when we would see characters do things that would have otherwise seemed unusual.

But, on to the finale…

Some may have been really surprised by the way the series ended.  I expected some sort of spiritual ending, just based on the fact that so many spiritual issues had been raised, especially in this last season, with the Jacob vs. the man in black representing good vs. evil so prominently just as one prime example.  So for the answer to “what’s going on here?” to be “this is an afterlife experience” wasn’t a huge shock for me.  I can’t say that I knew ahead of time that the sideways story wasn’t mortal life, but there was definitely something askew and it just did not feel like it was real.  So to have it revealed that it wasn’t was not a shock.  The rug may have been tugged, but it wasn’t ripped out from under me.

There were several aspects of the finale that I really liked.  I liked having many past characters return, and the many reunions that ensued as a result (and yes, I did get a little emotional with some).  I liked that Jack and Kate were finally together (I never liked her with Sawyer).  I liked that Claire wasn’t really crazy after all (she was one of my favorite characters, so I didn’t like that she was behaving so strangely earlier in the season).  I liked that they did get rid of the MIB.  I liked that Hurley had the opportunity to step up and take charge.  I like that they explained (at least to some degree) why this particular group of people was selected to be on the island. 

While it was enjoyable, I don’t think I will go back and watch the series again.  Six seasons of one hour episodes is a lot of content to try to take in again.  I don’t exactly have 121 hours to spare.  I know a lot of the things we wondered about in earlier seasons would make more sense in retrospect, but I’m not so attached to the show that I can make that commitment again.

LOST survey

If you’re a Lostie, please take a few minutes to fill out my 10-question survey about your feelings on the show.

http://polldaddy.com/s/BCD637E36CE28A23

Thank you!  I’ll post results in one week.

Lies, Damn Lies, and HDTV Spec Numbers

If you are considering the purchase of an LCD HDTV any time soon, it’s a good idea to be armed with some information before stepping foot into the store.  Of course that’s always true, but it’s especially true when buying LCD TVs, because for some reason manufacturers, web sites, retailers, and sales people try to get you to focus on the wrong numbers when trying to figure out what TV to buy.

Screen resolution is important (720p? 1080p?), but it isn’t the most important number when buying an LCD TV if you’re looking for a good picture.  The real numbers that give you a guideline on how accurate a model’s colors and brightness are much more important, but your salesperson isn’t going to know them.  The single most important number in assessing the quality of an LCD TV is the static contrast ratio, but you’re probably going to have a hard time finding it.

Last week a friend of mine texted me from the local electronics store asking me for advice on what to get.  I told her to ask the salesman what the static contrast ratio was.  Not only did he not know, he got defensive and told her that that number is meaningless and that the dynamic contrast ratio was much more meaningful.  He couldn’t have been any more wrong.

Allow me to define a few things.

Contrast ratio is a number which represents the disparity in brightness between the brightest white and darkest black that a TV can display.  If a measurement of the brightest white on a TV is 10,000 (units don’t matter) and it’s measurement of darkest black is 100, that TV has a 100:1 contrast ratio.

Dynamic contrast ratio is the ratio between the brightest white that a particular model can display and the darkest black it can display.

Static contrast ratio is the brightest / darkest ratio at a given time.

The exact method used by different TV manufacturers to determine dynamic contrast ratio is all over the map.  But basically they might turn up the brightness on the TV all of the way, take a measurement of the white level, turn the brightness down all of the way, then take a measurement of the blackest black.  Or worse yet, the TV will artificially turn up or down the brightness of the backlight behind the screen while taking the measurements. 

Static measurements are taken with both black and white are on screen at the same time.

The problem with the dynamic measurement is that when we watch TV, we don’t watch test patterns.  When was the last time you watched a show that was just a black or white picture?  There is some full brightness white and full darkness black on the screen nearly all of the time with real video (some part of the image will be white, and some other part will be black), so the static contrast ratio is much more meaningful.  It much better represents how a TV’s picture is going to look with real video, not test patterns.  The dynamic number is a cheat.

The manufacturers’ marketing departments want the dynamic contrast ratio number to be as high as possible, and the people taking measurements to create the specification numbers on the box will use whatever methods they want to come up with whatever numbers they want.  If you see a number like 10,000:1, that number is really bogus and meaningless.  No real image you could display on your TV would ever be able to achieve that number.  It’s a little like putting 500 MPH rated tires on a car with a speed governor of 30 MPH.  That 500 MPH just isn’t ever going to happen. 

Why does it matter? 

Well, for one, when blacks aren’t really black, the TV is effectively adding a little bit of white or gray to everything on screen.  Colors become much more muted.  The picture details in the darker parts of the image become difficult, if not impossible, to discern.  It just looks… blech.  

Televisions that have great static contrast ratios have color that pops yet looks realistic.  You can see details in the shadows of the picture.  Blacks actually look black instead of gray. 

You’ll have to dig through the web sites of various TV manufacturers to find static contrast ratios.  A television with a 2000:1 static contrast ratio is EXCELLENT, with numbers around 1000:1 being much more typical.  If you’re seeing numbers over 5000, they’re giving you the dynamic ratio, not the static.  Keep looking.  If the manufacturer lists two contrast ratios, the static number is always going to be the lower of the two.  Many web sites mix these numbers up frequently.

When going into a store to buy a TV, the first question you should ask the salesperson is, “what is the static contrast ratio on this TV?”  If they give you a blank stare or tell you it isn’t important, thank them for their time and walk away.  They aren’t going to be even a bit helpful in helping you make your buying decision.

A few other helpful tips:

• 720p vs. 1080p : If the distance between your couch and the TV is more than 3 times the width of the TV you’ll never see the distance between 720p and 1080p.  The closer you sit, or the larger the TV, the more of a difference the higher resolution of 1080p makes.
  
• Viewing angle: LCDs only have just one small “sweet spot” where the picture looks best, usually straight on horizontally and vertically.  The viewing angle numbers advertised for TVs are more or less totally bogus.  When in the store, take a step off to the side so you’re looking at the screen at a 45 degree angle.  The best TVs show little or no difference in brightness or color from an angle.  Look for areas of the picture where whites start to get darker, blacks start to get brighter, and where color intensity begins to fade or even shift toward another color altogether.  Walk back and forth between straight on and viewing at a 45 degree angle.  If you can see significant changes in the picture while moving back and forth, pick another model.  But even the best models have some color shift at just 15 degrees off of center.
  
• Best size: A good rule of thumb here is to get a TV at least as wide as one third your viewing distance.  If you will be sitting 12 feet away, a TV with a screen four feet wide is idea.  Keep in mind that TV sizes are given diagonally, so multiple by 0.87 to get the picture width.  You can always make a TV look bigger by rearranging your room so it’s closer to your sofa.
  
  Measure the distance from where you’ll be sitting to where you want to put the TV.  Multiply by 12 to get the distance in inches, divide that by three, then multiply by 1.15.  There’s your ideal minimum size TV.
  
• LCD vs. Plasma: Plasma TVs have the potential for a better picture than LCDs do, but it varies by manufacturer, model, TV settings, and elevation (yes, distance above sea level).  The higher your elevation the harder it is to make a plasma TV look good and keep it quiet.  But plasmas are becoming a better and better buy as the prices drop to compete with LCD.  Plus plasmas don’t have the viewing angle issue above, and have more control over contrast ratio.  Just watch for flashing and crawling dots on the screen.
  
• Projector vs. Television: I have people asking me why I don’t use my projector to watch TV all of the time.  Two primary reasons: (1) the bulb in the projector costs hundreds of dollars to replace and is only good for a couple thousand hours, and (2) projectors look terrible if you can turn off every light source in the room.  For a projector to look good during the day all windows in the room would have to be totally blacked out.  Any light in the room whatsoever will wash out the picture.  Ideally the side walls and ceiling would be painted with a dark color in non-reflective finish as well.  Projectors are great for watching movies when you have total control over the lighting in a room and a high quality screen to project on, but they are terrible any other time.
  
• The best TVs generally won’t do much on their own to make standard definition television look like high definition, but the more expensive models will definitely do a better job than the cheapest ones. 
  
• If you aren’t going to be sitting close enough to see the details in 1080p vs. 720p, Blu-ray isn’t going to help you either.  It’s hard to see the difference in picture between a good upscaling DVD player and Blu-ray on a 720p model.
  
• Invest in a good quality (more than $80) upscaling DVD player.  It makes all of the difference in the world when watching DVDs.  If your DVD player is more than 2 years old, or isn’t connected using an HDMI cable, retire that player to the bedroom and get a new one.  If you’re using your game console for DVDs (even the PS3 or Xbox 360), it’s time to give it up and get a real player.  You’ll thank me, I promise.
  
• My favorite television brands are the ones that start with S, T, and P:  Sony, Samsung, Sharp, Toshiba, Pioneer, and sometimes Panasonic.  They’ll give you a better picture and last much longer than TVs from other brands.  The L brand can be okay too. 
  
• A TV that lasts you 10 years (S, T, P) but costs 50% more than one that is going to last 2-3 is a much better buy, even if it means postponing your purchase to save up the difference.  Spend the extra initially and you’ll save in the long term and have a better experience the whole time.
  
• TVs look much bigger once you get them home than they do in the store.  Much bigger.
  
• Check reputable sites like www.cnet.com for unbiased reviews on different TV models before buying.  Take consumer reviews with a grain of salt; unhappy customers will always post their opinions, while happy customers rarely do.
  
• Televisions with 120 Hz or 240 Hz panels are nice, but if you get one turn the motion enhancement feature off.  Not only is it disconcerting, but it’s having to remove detail from your picture for the feature to work.  It’s a gimmick that actually hinders your viewing experience.
  
• Glossy screens may make blacks look blacker, but they also act like a big mirror and reflect any light in the room.  Skip the glossy screen and get something with a matte screen instead.
  
• Do NOT buy HDMI cables from your local electronics retailer unless you want to get ripped off.  Try www.bluejeanscable.com or www.monoprice.com.  Any HDMI cable that actually works is just as good as the most expensive one you can buy.  Spending more on one is foolish and a waste of money. 

Hope that helps.  Happy TV shopping!

Digitally Transitioned: Really?

So the Digital TV transition happened today at noon.  Uh, yeah…

Only the major mainstream network stations disappeared here.  I’m still picking up analog TV from 6 stations.  So that means we only lost about half of the analog stations previously available in my part of Utah.

Supposedly exceptions to the digital transition requirement were going to be pretty hard to get.  If half of the stations here got them, what makes them so hard to get?  And why did we bother?

The main reason for the transition was supposed to be so we could free up some frequencies (TV channels 52-69) for other services like digital communication (“mobile internet access”) and emergency services (homeland security, etc.).  In truth adding those services only required that SOME TV channels go away.  Okay, I’m fine with that.  The frequencies allocated for TV years ago occupy far more space than we have been using, and they are considered “prime real estate” because of their ability to travel long distances with relatively low power.  Taking some of that away sounds logical and reasonable.  But taking away those frequencies really had nothing to do with digital TV at all. 

You won’t hear me complaining about the fact that we have added digital TV.  Not at all.  High definition is a wonderful thing, and our picture quality is vastly superior to anything we ever had via analog, not to mention some of the other added benefits.  My complaint is with the way that this has been pushed by the government as a “need” to discontinue analog TV.  That’s really a lie.

In theory existing stations could have been allowed to keep their analog transmissions in parallel with their digital transmissions.  The channels they have been using aren’t even being reallocated for any of the new services that are going to be offered.  This has just been an excuse on the part of the broadcasting industry to not be required to transmit two signals simultaneously and equipment manufacturers to sell more equipment, and doing it by pressuring government officials to mandate that by law.  If we truly “needed” to move away from analog, nobody would have been granted an exception to keep using it.

Most of the frequencies being vacated in the VHF band are the sort that they aren’t really considered to be that valuable any longer.  They won’t carry the large amounts of data that higher frequencies can, and they require larger antennas (though the signals will travel longer distances).  The FCC is discouraging (but not disallowing) their use for digital TV, yet they’re still allocated for television broadcast, so nobody else can use them.  Nobody wants to put their digital signal there (for good reasons) but these frequencies are still reserved for television.  I don’t think this whole thing was very well thought out.

To sum up:

• We made this transition to add new services on existing higher TV frequencies (52-69).  Fine, I guess.
• Existing wireless microphones use channels 52-69, so they are no longer legal, and those that own them have to buy new ones.  Stupid.
• Analog broadcasts are being shut down, except when they aren’t.
• Digital transmission is being made a requirement, except when it’s not.  Huh?
• The frequencies being vacated by shutting down analog transmissions are going to be unused. 

Like most government-run programs, the whole thing has turned into a big mess.

Anyone else see any problems in this?

Things I’m Excited About

Forever Strong on DVD

The movie Forever Strong is now available on DVD.  This is an excellent movie!  I highly recommend it to all.  I just ordered my copy on DVD and it should be arriving in a few days.

Parker Lewis Can’t Lose on DVD

I loved the TV show Parker Lewis Can’t Lose in the early 90s.  But almost nobody remembers it, so I feel like I’m alone in my love of it.  But finally, after literal years of waiting, the DVDs of the first season are coming out at the end of June.  Maybe I’ll even get it in time to watch it on the plane ride to Denver.

Celtic Woman Concert at Red Rocks

I’m very excited to be going to the Celtic Woman concert at Red Rocks in Colorado.  It’s only a month away now.  Is it ironic that I’m really excited about it, considering I have already seen the show?  Maybe its because I’m going to be in the front row!

Zune HD coming in September

The new Zune HD should be hitting store shelves in the first week of September.  It’s going to be a competitor to the iPod Touch, but with the usual Zune perks like WiFi syncing, well thought-out interface, and near-universal media compatibility.  Considering that the iPod Touch won’t play most of my music, mine has been of limited use. 

I’m still not a fan of music players without buttons to select tracks and adjust volume.  But the Zune HD looks like it is going to be pretty cool with its OLED display, high definition video capability, ability to play HD video out to televisions, and coming integration with the Xbox 360 for video playback.

This won’t replace my current 80GB Zune, but it will supplement it well.  Even though my 80GB has a pretty large screen and lots of storage, the screen on the Zune HD is going to blow away everything currently on the market.  This will probably become my primary portable video player.

Help Chuck!

Many of you probably already know I’m a fan of the Chuck television series on NBC. It’s very well written, and it offers something for everyone. It’s full of comedy, action, and romance, and does it all while keeping it pretty family friendly. And everybody I know that has seen it has gotten hooked.

Tonight is the season finale. I’m VERY excited for it. The buzz going around the Internet is that this is going to be an amazing episode. In addition to the stellar regular cast, Scott Bakula and Chevy Chase guest star tonight, along with some guest stars from previous episodes.

Right now the show is in danger of not being renewed for next season. If it isn’t picked up it will be a shame because it will certainly be replaced with yet another sex-filled comedy or serial drama, or worse, a reality show. There aren’t very many shows left on TV that we can watch with our families, so we really need people to speak up and voice their opinion that we need MORE shows like this, not less.

Since this show is teetering on the edge of renewal, there are several campaigns going on to try to push NBC toward picking it back up. Today fans are encouraged to buy a Subway footlong and fill out a comment card letting Subway know we are thankful that they are sponsoring the show. Others are organizing letter writing campaigns to the decision makers at NBC. Of course, I will be participating in all of the above. (I just finished my Subway sandwich a moment ago.) More about the campaign here.

It really is a great show. The writing and acting are excellent. Every episode is consistently very good. The cast is talented and beautiful (something for everyone). And tonight’s, from what I’m hearing, is going to be amazing.

So tune in tonight at 7 (or whenever it airs where you live) and give it a shot if you aren’t watching already. Then go watch back episodes at www.hulu.com/Chuck (newest) and www.thewb.com (season 1). Or buy the season 1 DVDs. Or get any episode on iTunes or Amazon.com.

Digital TV Transition Update #2

As if this wasn’t confusing enough, there has been yet another change in the transition to all-digital television broadcasts.

Last week I wrote that most Utah stations were going to go ahead and make the switch in February as originally planned.  All but one have now changed their minds.

As it stands today (and who knows for how long), the only station in Utah that is going to turn off their analog transmitter on February 17th is KUCW, Channel 30 (CW Network).  All of the rest have decided to wait until June 12th.

Are we all thoroughly confused yet?  Write to the head of the executive branch to express your frustration; we all knew what was going on before he stepped in and made a mess of it.  Politicians sure know how to make a mess of technological issues.

I’ll continue to update with whatever changes take place tomorrow, and the next day, and the next day…

Digital TV Transition Update

The federal government recently passed a law giving TV stations the option to delay their switch to all-digital transmission until June 12 instead of the original February 17th date.  But delaying the switch is optional, and each TV station can make their own decision on when they make the switch.  (IMHO, this only adds to the confusion, and doesn’t help to resolve the situation.)

Many other markets in the US are going to delay the switch, but stations here in Utah, for the most part have elected to stick to the original February 17th date.  Those still turning off their analog transmissions in February as originally planned are: KUTV Channel 2 (CBS), KTVX Channel 4 (ABC), KSL Channel 5 (NBC), KTSU Channel 13 (Fox), KJZZ Channel 14 (Ind), and KUCW Channel 30 (CW).  The stations that will continue their analog transmissions until June 12th are KUED Channel 7 (PBS), KUEN Channel 9 (Ind), and KBYU Channel 11 (PBS).

If you live in another market, please contact your local broadcaster for information on when they will be making the transition.

Trivia: A recent study indicated that it is primarily younger adults that are not “ready” for the transition, not the elderly as is commonly believed.  This seems to be attributed to the fact that younger viewers are more likely to get their entertainment from other sources such as the Internet or digital video services like iTunes.

Fix that HDTV

Did you just get an HDTV for Christmas?  Or maybe you’ve had one for a while.  But in either case, I’m willing to bet you left most, if not all, of its picture adjustment controls are at their factory position.  (This information also applies to older standard definition televisions as well, though it isn’t as much of a problem on smaller sets.)

Most people (1) assume the factory knows what they are doing when they configure a television, or (2) they don’t know how to adjust their televisions for the best picture.  Well, guess what… nearly every manufacturer out there sets their televisions with some of the worst picture settings possible.  And the reason they do it is so that when you’re looking at them at the store, theirs looks “better” at first glance than the others.  Over the years the problem has gotten worse and worse, to the point now where the factory settings on some televisions makes them virtually unwatchable.

They also like to be able to advertise these fancy features that are intended to give you a better picture.  But what they aren’t going to tell you is that you’ll get a much more natural and pleasing picture by turning off all of the enhancement features that are available.  Every time you do anything to tweak the image, you are adding distortions and hiding the real picture.

How do we fix it?  Basically we need to adjust whatever settings we can to turn off all enhancements and processing on the image as much as we can. 

For example, the Sharpness control on every television I’ve ever seen is set WAY too high from the factory.  I know, you’re thinking, “but I like a sharp picture.”  Well, you’re getting more than you bargained for.  In order to add perceived sharpness to the picture, they have to also increase the visibility of noise in the picture (which then obscures real picture information).  If your picture ever looks really blocky or has any trace of highlights around objects, chances are it’s your sharpness control adding those artifacts.  They aren’t there in the original picture.  The solution?  Turn the sharpness control OFF, or all the way down, on most televisions.  Most televisions should have the setting turned completely off; only if you own a really high end set do the manufacturers allow any leeway.  If you are used to watching your TV with the sharpness turned too high, the picture might seem too soft at first, but after a while you’ll start to see detail that was being hidden by the noise your TV was adding previously.  And the picture will be much easier on your eyes to watch.

Here’s an example.  The following images are shown with the sharpness control turned off, at 50%, and at 100%.  Notice the clean edges on the one at left?  The other two add highlights (halos) around the edges of the text to make them appear more sharp, which in turn exaggerates the blockiness of the letters.  They’re destroying the original picture with the Sharpness control turned on.  (Image Source)

All other enhancement features should probably be turned off too.  The “noise reduction” and “edge enhancement” features on many TVs are turned on by default from the factory, but they remove real picture information and then add false data to compensate.  Turn off anything else that has “enhance” or “correct” in its name.

Any “dynamic picture” controls that you might have are probably bad, too.  With this feature turned on you’re basically telling your TV that you think it knows what is best with regard to how bright or dark the picture is; it is dynamically adjusting the brightness of your picture.  But there is no way the television can know how bright the picture is really supposed to be.  And besides, that movie you’re watching has already been setup with the correct levels of brightness.  Your TV doesn’t need to try to change it.

Most TVs also have their Color setting set too high too.  The proper setting is usually somewhere right in the middle of the available range, or slightly to the left of it.  If your reds or yellows seem outlandish, your Color control is too high.

If you have a Color Temperature control on your television, set it to Neutral, or your TV is intentionally shifting all colors toward orange or blue.  And if you remember from my photography class, orange and blue are opposites, and cancel each other out.  So if your TV is shifting the color toward orange (one of the Warm settings), anything that is supposed to be blue actually shows up more like a gray.  And vice versa.

Next, turn down your Brightness.  The television system was designed to carry picture information that is darker than its real black setting.  Many people turn up their Brightness control so they can see every little bit of detail in every shadow.  Wrong.  There are parts of the picture that are supposed to be invisible.  And if “black” on your TV looks even the least bit gray, turn down your Brightness control!

One setting that most manufacturers are generally getting right is the Picture or Contrast control, if you have an LCD or Plasma.  It should be somewhere around 95% of the maximum available setting on newer flat panel displays.  CRT (the old tubes) televisions, on the other hand, should have their contrast set right in the middle, or you risk burning out the TV too quickly, seeing gray objects displayed at white (with anything brighter losing all detail whatsoever) and are certainly seeing the size of your picture change when it goes from bright to dark.   The general rule for all televisions is, turn it up to the point where white looks white, but still retains fine detail.

And one last thing, it actually isn’t good for your eyes to watch television in a fully darkened room.  It is best to have at least a little light coming from around the television.  The professionals recommend a light at least 10% as bright as your television coming from behind the set (ambient light in a normally lit room qualifies) to avoid eye strain.

If you happen to have one of the DVDs out there that have the THX Optimizer (as several Disney films have had in the past), go through the instructions found on the disc.  While not perfect, it will go a long way toward getting you the best picture your television is capable of delivering.

Happy tweaking!

P.S. Some televisions use different settings for different inputs.  So once you finish setting your TV up for the best picture from DVD, you might need to do it all over again for your satellite or cable box, game console, or even over-the-air broadcasts.

Recent Goings On

You've probably noticed that the number of personal posts has been kind of low from me for some time now. Well, I've been kind of busy working. A typical day for me is 14-16 hours of programming, interspersed with a couple breaks for snacks, to run errands, then sleep for 6-7 hours per night to start it all over again the next day. Not exactly the most exciting thing to write about, so I've kind of kept my keyboard quiet.

But I haven't spent every waking minute in front of my computer; I flew up to Spokane last week to work up there for three days. The trip was a complete success, and I was able to add a feature to our POS system that a huge potential customer has been clamoring for for quite some time.

And prior to my trip to Spokane I spent several days prepping for last Sunday's regional stake conference broadcast by rebuilding the wireless network I setup between three local church buildings and rewiring the satellite room. Lots more time on the roof, with only a little bit of time in the attic. But this time I did got to play in the tunnels. Unfortunately I paid the price the next few days with jello legs from having to walk hunched over.

Speaking of conference, it was a pretty great meeting. And I actually got to watch almost all of it this time instead of running around between buildings fixing problems to make sure the video could be seen in all three.

TV Upgrade

One of the highlights of the last few weeks was the acquisition of a new TV for my living room. I have been using a 34" Sony CRT (tube) TV for the last two years, and it has been absolutely amazing (CRTs still have a MUCH better picture than LCDs), but I've been running into a compatibility issue between the TV and the projector I got in May. Plus I've been wanting something a little bigger anyway. While I was at Circuit City 10 days ago (looking for a projector for the regional conference, actually; not TV shopping) I noticed that the Sony 52" XBR4 LCD TV that I've been keeping my eye on for the last year was on sale, at the best price I've ever seen. It has typically been around $3500-$4000, but it was on sale for $2900. I asked the salesperson if they had any in stock, and they didn't, but they were willing to sell the floor model for $2540, which actually rang up at $2440. It was near closing and Brent and I went in his new So now I have an absolutely massive TV in my living room, and an amazing smaller 34" HDTV looking for a new home. So if you know someone who wants an amazing deal on an amazing High Definition TV, let me know.

For the techies reading this blog, the new model is Full 1080p resolution at 120Hz, and it supports true 24p, for an absolutely jawdropping picture for watching movies. If you're in the neighborhood drop by and I'll give you a demo.

Ike Hits Home

My sister Suzanne and friend Brian decided to evacuate Houston to get out of the way of Ike. Suzanne decided to visit my parents for a week to wait it out, while Brian threw his family in his RV and headed for northern Louisiana. From what I've heard, Suzanne's apartment survived unscathed, but I haven't heard the status of Brian's house yet. I can't say the same for Suzanne's employer's building; it had at least a few windows blown out by the storm. Because of the storm I'm also running some of the services that Brian provides for his customers on a computer here at my place to make sure that his customers continue to have access to their email.

Rock Band 2

Rock Band 2 is out now. Brent picked up a copy at midnight last night, and we played for a while before going to bed. It is essentially the same as Rock Band 1, with a few features added here and there. They didn't fix a couple issues I had with the first, though. You still have to play the same songs multiple times in order to get through the Tour, and it gets discouraging. Overall the guitar parts still just aren't hard enough. Brent and I 5-starred every song we played on Expert the first time through, and even had perfect scores on two songs. Shouldn't Expert be at least a little bit of a challenge?

The cool thing about RB2 though is that you can import/export almost all of the songs from RB1, and the songs you paid for with RB1 automatically show up in RB2 as well. Overall I think I like the songs that come with RB2 better than the first; but I'm still hoping that some day one of these games will focus on some of the bands I liked to listen to in high school, during the peak of the hair band era. Somehow I just don't think of Beck when I think of great guitar parts.

Nostalgia Lane

On Thursday Phyl came over and we were both hungry so we went to Pizza Factory in Provo. I had a Calzone, and it was yummy. But during dinner we were talking about TV shows coming out this fall, and I briefly mentioned that I was going to give the remake of Knight Rider a shot even though my expectations weren't that high. She gave me a blank stare, and I could tell that she hadn't ever heard of Knight Rider, not even when I mentioned David Hasselhoff. Anyway, so she would know what I was talking about we watched an episode of the show. It was the one where KITT's prototype, KARR, escapes from the laboratory. Now that's classic television. Do you know Knight Rider? And have you seen the show?

The Internet Has Changed the World

Two posts ago I ranted about a TV show I saw on Discovery Channel, and its pseudo-science being passed off as legit. Then Brad replied to my post and talked about another episode of the show that he saw on that same night. Then two posts later, someone who was actually involved in the episode that Brad saw posted a reply on my blog. If you had told me 15 years ago that someone involved in the creation of a TV show would contact me about my opinion (ok, it was Brad's opinion in this case, but that doesn't change the point) I would have never believed it. Back then you wouldn't even get a response if you asked for one, and here we got a response that we didn't even go looking for. The Internet has truly changed everything.

Excited For...

I'm excited that Heroes season 3 is starting up here in 10 days. I still think it's one of the best shows on television, even though they had to ruin season 2 because of the writer's strike.

I'm also excited for the new Zune software that is coming out on Tuesday. There are some pretty cool features coming with this update.

Don't Like Working on Sunday

I really don't enjoy having to work on Sunday; it is normally the only day I take off. But we had two Little Caesars stores with significant problems today that had to be addressed. So I had to spend three hours diagnosing problems with one store (their phone line had been cut, which caused problems with our system), then the next 3 hours fixing problems with the other store. That deserves 6 hours of not working sometime during this next week, right?

There is One More Thing

I almost forgot one of the biggest things that has happened recently. Brent bought a brand new Honda Civic a couple weeks ago. It's black, two door. But the black has a mild blue metalic flake to it that's really cool.

That's All, Folks!

I suppose I've rambled on long enough. But thanks for bearing with me through my techie posts to get to the good stuff.

American Idol

My first (and last) American Idol post for this season.

I think America totally got it wrong. David Archuleta should have won. He has a much better voice than David Cook. Cook has been consistently off-pitch, and has been doing less-than-flattering things to otherwise great songs. You can also tell that Archie is just a much more humble and nice guy.

This makes the third year in a row now (fourth season in total) where the most talented singer didn't win. Disappointing.

D'oh.

Two Minute Date

I saw this clip the other day on TV while flipping channels, and I thought it was one of the most clever (and cute) things I had seen on TV in a very long time.

It's about a guy (Ted) who has been trying to get a girl (Stella) to go out with him for weeks, and she keeps turning him down. In this clip she finally gives in. Enjoy!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=da6B5oracqY

Digital TV Transition

It seems like most of the people I've talked to about the switch to digital-only television next February don't really have a firm understanding of what is going to happen, or how (or if) it is going to affect them. So here's the rundown:

• On February 17, 2009 all over-the-air analog television transmissions will be shut off. All broadcast television will then only be done in digital form.
  
• If you receive your television over an antenna ("rabbit ears" or rooftop for example) and the TV does not have an ATSC digital tuner, you will no longer receive programming.
  
• Televisions with compatible digital tuners are typically larger-sized HDTVs manufactured in the last 2-3 years. The tuners have been slowly integrated into smaller and smaller TVs during that time. If your television is more than 3 years old it probably doesn't have an appropriate tuner. If it is not high definition it almost certainly doesn't have a digital tuner. If you aren't sure about your television, look in the manual for "ATSC Tuner."
  
• If you can already watch high definition programming from an antenna you already have what you need for the changeover.
  
• If you receive your television programming via a satellite dish on your house, you are not affected by the switch. (Dish Network and DirecTV have always been digital.)
  
• If you receive your programming via analog cable, you may be affected by the change; it is up to the cable company as to whether they make the switch to all-digital or not. Most companies have pledged to not require digital tuners initially, but this is almost certain to change over time, and at some point cable companies will probably require digital cable boxes or tuners too. Contact your cable provider for information about how they are handling the change.
  
• The U.S. Government has a voucher program that allows each household in the country to receive up to two $40 credit vouchers for purchasing converter boxes to allow older TVs to receive digital programming. Currently the converter boxes are available at Wal-Mart, Radio Shack, and other stores, starting at $50 each. Sign up for the voucher program at https://www.dtv2009.gov/ApplyCoupon.aspx.
  
• The reason that this is taking place is that digital programming uses less of the radio spectrum, and a significant portion of the radio spectrum is being reallocated from television broadcast to other services, such as cell phones and wireless data cards for laptops. The benefit for consumers is that digital transmissions are much clearer and many (most prime-time) programs will be in high definition. Each channel can now also carry multiple sub-channels, so each broadcaster can have multiple programs running simultaneously.
  

The government has a web site for information about the transition at www.dtv2009.gov. There is a lot of useful information there. Another good web site for information is www.dtvtransition.org.

Is it just me...

... or have the products sold on television gotten even more ridiculous lately?

Among those I have seen recently...

• The PedEgg - a handheld device for removing dead skin from feet. Not that the idea of removing thick skin from feet is necessarily bad, it's just a combination of ludicrous name with an implementation that just doesn't seem like it could possibly work.
• That sticky pad you put on your feet at night to remove toxins while you sleep. If this idea had any merit, a piece of duct tape on your feet would do pretty much the same thing -- nothing.
• An Amish-made electric stove. Of course they're the first group I'd call on for any electrical appliances.
• ListenUp - An amplified listener pitched as a device that can hear distant conversations. I don't think so.
• DualDrill - A drill with two chucks... too bad it's too weak to do anything and breaks if breathed on wrong.

Just to name a couple that come to mind immediately.

Recent Favorites

Music

Wreck of the Day by Anna Nalick – She had a big hit with Breathe (2 AM) a couple years ago (yes, this CD is that old), but in a day and age where most CDs coming from the big labels are released with only one or two good songs, this one bucks the trend. My favorites here are "Satellite" (you may have heard this one) and "In the Rough." The lyrics are just so poetic they're inspired. General rule on this CD: the odd numbered tracks are great, with the even numbered ones being good. Anna is actually the songwriter on this CD, something else that is becoming more and more rare all of the time. She's got some real talent.

Coco by Colbie Caillat – Yes, I know that Bubbly has been played way too much, but fortunately this isn't the only noteworthy song on the disc. Oxygen, One Fine Wire, Feelings Show, and Older (hard to find outside of iTunes) are all fabulous.

Pocketful of Sunshine by Natasha Bedingfield – She's back with her second (third?) CD. And you've probably heard Love Like This with Sean Kingston. Fortunately this isn't the best song on the disc. That honor goes to the first track, Put Your Arms Around Me, but there are plenty more that are not without charm. The first half of the disc is excellent (with one brief stop in Okayland with the title track), with things slowing down a little toward the end. However, Freckles is just great. Quoting the chorus: "…a face without freckles is like a sky without the stars, why waste a second not loving who you are, those little imperfections make you beautiful, loveable, valuable, show your personality inside your heart, reflecting who you are…" I like it.

The DVD performances of Celtic Woman – A group of 4-5 women vocalists performing Celtic music. There are CDs available, and they are okay, but the DVDs are the best way to experience the talent of these women. They're kind of hard to find for rental unless you subscribe to Netflix for Blockbuster Online, but they're worth the search if you have any interest in Celtic music at all.

Ready to Wake Up by Shannon Hurley – Who? Yeah, she's an independent artist I found on Amie Street. Normally I scoff at independent artists, not because they aren't talented, but because for the most part the recordings are so horrible that I can't stand listening to them, but there are a few standouts worth looking for. While Shannon's music may not be sophisticated from a perspective of its chords and progressions, this is actually one if its appeals. Lyrically and musically it is clean, simple, and refreshing. This CD is as good as anything you can pick up at your local music store.

Strip by Selena Cross – Another independent artist from Amie Street. Where Hurley keeps things simple, Selena goes more electronic with a heavier beat. It's upbeat, fun, and she's got this crispness to her voice that I just love. You shouldn't expect to be lead to any sort of intellectual epiphany while listening, but you can be guaranteed to have a good time here.

Picking up some older stuff

Absolute Garbage by (none other than) Garbage – I didn't think much of Garbage back when they were more popular, but my recent engagements with Rock Band and Guitar Hero have helped to reintroduce me to some stuff that had dipped below the horizon for me. You know all of the ones I like here… Only Happy When it Rains, Stupid Girl, I Think I'm Paranoid, Special.

And just for fun… Rock Swings by Paul Anka – I'm not quite sure how to interpret this CD, but it is certainly good for getting a look of confusion out of your friends. Mr. Anka redoes some popular songs from the last twenty years in his classical style. Somehow "Smells Like Teen Spirit" being performed in a style reminiscent of the Rat Pack is just weird, but kind of enjoyable at the same time. A couple of the tracks work rather well in their new home, such as "True" (a remake of the Spandau Ballet hit from the 80s) and "Tears in Heaven," while others just make you scratch your head. But still a CD worth trying out.

Most of what I mentioned above is available in Amazon's MP3 store, which is where I have been buying nearly all of my downloadable music for several months now. Since the files are in standard MP3 format, they'll play on any device and in any software, and they're cheaper than the versions in iTunes.

Non-Music Favorites

I've recently become a huge fan of the juices made by the Simply Orange company. Their orange juice is quite good, but I think their other products standout more than the OJ. They've got apple, lemonade, limeade, orange, and grapefruit. In my opinion the apple is far and away the best, but each stands out heads and shoulders above juices from other companies. Highly recommended.