Saturday, August 27, 2011

A New Meaning To The Way We Perceive Television

TiVo is a consumer video device that allows end users to capture their favorite television programs to an internal hard drive. Since its introduction in 1999, TiVo has attracted an ever-growing number of clients. Although TiVo is, in fact, very similar to video recorders, the technologies it employs are complex and sophisticated, allowing more freedom of choice and better selections to be made by the user. The device not only records the programs that the user specifies but also presents other related material that is of potential interest.

All the information is stored on a non-removable hard drive, which offers plenty of space. You can record up to 140 hours on your TiVo, selecting the exact programs that you are interested in. The box then does its job recording everything you wanted while you are “out living life”, as TiVo makers state. Additional features include the fact that you can pause a live show being recorded and replay it. The user also has the option of “time shifting” a program – viewing it without waiting for the recording to complete. Another useful feature is the slow motion mode, which enables you to watch that favorite sports scene over and over in great detail. You also have the option of searching a show by title, actor, genre or keyword, bringing the TiVo experience closer to the realm of the World Wide Web. And speaking of the Internet, you can set up the recordings on line as well. The device was quickly accepted by viewers in USA and Great Britain, where this service is available. Today the company has around 5 million subscribers in America for its Tivo service.

The TiVo box is easy to set up and works with antenna, cable, digital cable, satellite or any other combinations. You also need to activate the TiVo service, which enables you usage of the box and grants you access to all the device’s features. TiVo’s creators were TiVo Inc., a company started by Time Warner’s Full Service Network and Silicon Graphics. To find out more about TiVo go to their website at www.TiVo.com .

There is no doubt Tivo has expanded the arrey of choice of entertainment in the American living room. It has been a great addition, especially for the busy way of American life as it has given them an added way to organise their living.

Thursday, August 25, 2011

Meet Kate Bosworth: Superman Returns

There are few more iconic characters in American movie history as Lois Lane, Clark Kent’s sidekick at the Daily Planet, and Superman’s romantic interest. But 23 year old Kate Bosworth’s performance has earned her a number of excellent reviews in the role in the latest film in the Superman series – ‘Superman Returns’.

Bosworth admits that she was unsure if any actor could pull of a convincing Superman/Clark Kent combination – she remembers the original film with great excitement. However, she is full of praise for Brandon Routh, the unknown actor who plays the title role. She realized how good Routh was going to be as early as an early screen test, before she had got the role, when she discovered she “had become totally lost in just reading with him, in a white, bare, sparse room with the tri-pod video camera and a couple of people sitting around and watching and that's when I realized he was going to be tremendous in this film”.

Bosworth modelled her Lois Lane performance on Katharine Hepburn. "I watched a lot of Hepburn to prepare for Lois, particularly ‘The Philadelphia Story’ and ‘Guess Who's Coming to Dinner’. Hepburn is a great model for how I see Lois - strong but fragile."

Bosworth spent her early childhood moving around the US, from Los Angeles to San Francisco, then to Connecticut and to Massachusetts. It was around the time of the move to Massachusetts in 1998 that she heard of an open audition for Robert Redford’s film ‘The Horse Whisperer’. A horse-lover, she went along for the experience, and won the role of the female lead's best friend. After “The Horse Whisperer” Bosworth took a break from acting, returning two years later to resume her career which has culminated with her role in ‘Superman Returns’.

Filmography

Superman Returns (2006)
Bee Season (2005)
Beyond the Sea (2004)
Win a Date with Tad Hamilton! (2004)
Advantage Hart (2003)
Wonderland (2003)
The Rules of Attraction (2002)
Blue Crush (2002)
Remember the Titans (2000)
Young Americans (2000) TV Episode
The Newcomers (2000)
The Horse Whisperer (1998)

Tuesday, August 23, 2011

More NASCAR racing events are live and exclusive on your television

If you are a diehard follower of auto racing, you know everything about NASCAR and enjoy every bit of it. Even if you are a rookie, fill up your gas tank and get set, go, to the most exciting racing event on the planet. You can enjoy the game sitting at home, as NASCAR events are now available more than ever on screen.

A good number of shows, specifically about drivers, people related to this sport and the racing events are on air. Channels like Fox, Speed, XM144 and MRN are almost devoted to NASCAR racing. TNT, NBC, ESPN and ABC Sports with others too are following the line up.

Drivers, these days, are coming from Wisconsin, Kansas, Washington, Indiana, California, North Carolina and many other states.

They, more than ever before, are on talk shows in this channel and that.

This simply indicates the growing popularity and lack of availability of NASCAR Race tickets.

Fans, those who cannot make it to the stadium, can now enjoy the game more then ever before, with all the actions and backstage dramas live and exclusive on various channels.

However to feel the ever growing heat of the track hardcore fans try to be there in the stadium.

What does it mean when someone thinks of being there?

Getting NASCAR Race tickets at the stadium or from any other place, right before the race will force the fan paying so much above the premium rate that it will literally break his bank. Still, he can never be sure of getting the best available seat.

Moreover, when someone buys scalped tickets, he runs the risk of buying a fake or even being arrested.

The best possible solution at present is buying tickets online that saves time and assures authenticity and no fakes. For a smooth passage to NASCAR racing stadiums, one only needs a mouse touch. A number of ticket brokers offer NASCAR Race tickets online. Here one even has the option to select the preferred seats. If for any reason someone cannot make it to the stadium, he or she can even sell the NASCAR race tickets to these online dealers.

The online dealers even refund money if the event is canceled. If an event is postponed, the tickets are honored for the rescheduled event date.

However, the fan should make sure that their broker is registered with the National Association of Ticket Brokers, the Better Business Bureau of Greater Maryland, and the Baltimore-Washington corridor Chamber of Commerce. It is better if your broker is a member of the Better Business Bureau Online Reliability Program.

Saturday, August 20, 2011

What’s New In Fine Furniture? Fine Furniture Married With Innovative Television Lifts.

This year’s #1 featured furniture is the exciting designer’s choice, beautiful, breathtaking furniture married with a television lift to hide and protect your new LCD TV.

Whether in the bedroom at the foot of the bed, against a wall or as a room divider, there is an automated furniture design for everyone’s taste. Exquisite handcrafted buffets with plasma TV’s inside for the dining room. For the living room, tuck your TV away in a cabinet of true artistry, woven with state-of-the-art design to create a one-of-a-kind elegant piece to satisfy anyone’s special needs. For home theater there is no limit in design for this furniture and your experience can be like no other.

If you have a home office or work in the corporate world, you can incorporate your plasma lift cabinet to blend in with your furniture theme for a professional presentation that will definitely land you that new client.

Wealthy people as well as exclusive hotels have been utilizing television lift technology for some time. Each piece was exclusively bench made by Old World Craftsmen at a handsome price. Every handcrafted design was a conversation piece for the owner. Trace McCullough, a true visionary, realized that pop up TV cabinets would be the wave of the future for upper middle class America and created a company to design, produce and manufacture this product in a more cost effective manner while maintaining the standards of Old World Craftsmanship and design.

Automated furniture can now be purchased at a much more affordable price. From a sleek modern design to a traditional design in a wide variety of styles to suit any room décor. Each piece having a rich, luxurious finish that is hand applied for a durable, brilliant appearance that will last for many years to come.

Some tips for choosing pop up TV cabinets:
·Choose the right company to purchase your plasma lift cabinet from. Don’t pick the local carpenter or your friend next door that does woodworking for a hobby. There is a lot involved in making pop up furniture correctly and safely. Choose a company that has experience and many satisfied customers. Check the company’s statistics for the amount of television lifts they have actually made.

·Choose a company that incorporates a rack and pinion lift which operates by remote control. This will ensure smooth, quiet, safe operation of your TV lift furniture for many years to come.

·Make sure the company you choose can deliver Old World Craftsmanship as well as a rich durable finish as this will be a piece of furniture that you will keep much longer than your TV. Make sure it is finished on all four sides so you can position it anywhere you choose.





·Check to see how many components you have and make sure the style of plasma lift cabinet you choose will accommodate your components. Ensure you have infra red repeater technology that will allow you to control the DVD and cable box while the component door is closed.

·Another essential for choosing your company is to make sure your TV lift furniture is easy to assemble when it arrives at your doorstep. Plug and play is the best. You want to be able to immediately enjoy your new “toy” without unwanted hassles of assembly.

Contact Trace McCullough of Cabinet-Tronix for more information regarding television lifts at 1-866-876-6199 or visit their website at http://www.cabinet-tronix.com. As the premier company in designing, producing and manufacturing pop up TV cabinets, they will be happy to help you with any questions you have.

Thursday, August 18, 2011

How To Watch Movies Online Fast & Easy

The revolution that the Internet has brought opened up an entire new method of watching movies from your chair at home. Nowadays, not only you have the possibility to rent your favorite movies but you have the ability to watch them in a streaming format right onto your personal computer. There are plenty of sites on the Internet that offer links to online movies while other sites allow visitors to rent them and watch them directly on that site.

The major advantage a streaming movie has to offer is that you don’t have to download the movie so you don’t have to worry about viruses and other malicious issues that might occur when downloading a file from the Internet. On the above mentioned sites that offer links to sites on which you can view movies, most of them allow the visitor to search by movie title or by type which is a great tool to find your favorite movie very fast. It is important not to forget that you have the possibility to view other things besides movies, like: television shows, sporting events and others as well.





The major downside a site like this has is that from time to time it can be very hard if not impossible to access it due to the overwhelming traffic. This issue will probably resolve in a few minutes so having patience is the wise thing to do. Quality sites are updated on a daily basis with the latest offers of online movies. If you are looking for a certain movie online it is advisable to search for the Divx format as it offers the best quality from all video formats. On the Internet, there are several sites that list only movies in Divx format so if you are looking for top quality image, these sites offer what you need.

In order to view a movie or a television show in a Divx format you need to download either a Divx player or a web player. This download deserves the space it will occupy on your hard drive for the main reason because such a player is the fastest and easiest way to enjoy a movie online. Some sites that offer online movies allow memberships which allow users to elect to watch some of the movie selections directly from the site without having to wait for the site to mail them. One issue that might occur is that these sites don’t always have the exact same selection that they offer for mailing but the list is still rich.

Watching movies online is probably the next best thing on the Internet and sites that provide the latest links to online movies and television shows will surely become a huge hit very soon. If you find this method interesting it is advisable to search for those sites that offer lots of links and also they update the site regularly so that you can find for example, the latest episode from your favorite television show.

All things considered, by visiting a site like this you will enjoy watching your favorite movie or television show from your chair right at home without having to worry about viruses, spam and other things like this. It is quick, easy, safe and it will probably become very popular among movie enthusiasts.

Monday, August 15, 2011

The Basic Components Of A Digital Television Station

Most people have a television set these days, but very few actually understand the process by which their favourite programmes are transmitted. Of course, you don’t have to know how to enjoy it, but it may help you appreciate the amount of effort that goes in to a transmission.

There are three basic steps involved in the transmission of a television programme. These are:

· Material – this is the programme itself
· Master control – this selects the programme to be transmitted
· Effects – this includes the network identifier

The programme itself can be in a number of different formats. A live transmission is where the material is coming directly from a live feed, such as a sports or news event. A second source of material is from a digital video server. This is basically a huge computer hard drive that has various pieces of material recorded on it that can be played at any time. The final type of material is from tape. This tape tends to be digital video, but analogue tapes can still be played too using a special analogue-to-digital converter.

The master control operator, or transmission operator, is responsible for selecting the correct programme to air at the right time. This can be done manually, usually in a live programme, or automated using a transmission program. During a live event, the operator is responsible for selecting commercials at the ad breaks, and then going back to the live feed at the end of each commercial break.

If the material is pre-recorded, either on tape or server, the operator is responsible for starting the material playing, as well as ensuring that the feed is being transmitted. Most television networks use an automated system, and the operator simply loads in the day’s schedule. The rest of their time is spent monitoring the transmission, and ensuring that the material for the day is loaded into the VCRs or digital video servers as appropriate.

The effects that we see on many television programmes have become so common that we often don’t notice them. But everything that is superimposed on the actual programme has to be controlled by a transmission operator, or automated transmission system. These include station identifiers, scoreboards, and ‘tickers’ with information scrolling across the screen.

Wednesday, August 10, 2011

Advantages Of Watching Movies Online

If you enjoy watching movies or you just appreciate a well-made movie then it is a certainty that you are interested in a facility that allows you to watch your favorite movies anytime you want. Nowadays, this is a very easy thing to do as there are many of sites that offer such services. You can easily watch movies from your own room without having to spend a small fortune on renting the DVD or going to the cinema. This method allows fans to watch movies shortly after their release by downloading them or watching them streaming.

Speaking of movies, the fans can enjoy not only movies released in the United States but also from other countries at only a few clicks away. Locating movies is a very easy thing to do as the sites that provide the latest links to online movies and online television shows have the facility to locate the movies by categories or countries. Another method of searching for a certain movie is by the movie title, a certain actor or other similar movie characteristics.

If you understand foreign languages you can watch a foreign TV station and enjoy a movie in your native or second language. A brand new technology called satellite television for PC allow computer users to receive and access as many as approximately 3,000 TV stations and over 1,500 radio stations. Sites that offer these kind of services, with other words, sites that provide the latest links to online movies and online TV shows are worth a try as they are not only easy to use but reliable and safe. Basically, some of the main advantages for movie fans are:

• Visitors can download the movies legally and in a safe way.

• Users have the ability to watch the movies streaming.

• Movie fans can watch their favorite movies in a very high quality imagine.

• Besides movies, users can view television shows, sports, documentaries and others.

• All these shows can be watched onto the computer monitor, television or even a projector.

This is the perfect solution for movie fans that are looking for certain old movies that are almost inaccessible. Young people enjoy watching new movies online nowadays as they have 24h access to the Internet and they spend several hours in front of their personal computers rather than watching the TV. The satellite TV on PC gives the visitor access to stations, some of them aren’t even available on conventional satellite TV. Users can watch dramas, comedies, action movies, anything they want, the offer is rich.

All things considered, it looks like the Internet has another big thing for visitors thanks to these sites that offer links to online movies and online TV shows which are getting more and more popular among Internet user as this method is not only safe but also fast and cheap. Searching for your favorite movie was never as easy as it is now, at only just a few clicks away, without headaches, without having to run down to the DVD store to rent/purchase it. What else movie fans can desire?

Saturday, August 6, 2011

1970s Classic Television On DVD Bring Variety Stars Like Sonny And Cher Back To Fans

Imagine a family, all sitting around the TV, possibly the only TV in the house. Dad is holding the remote control, which everyone refers to as “the clicker.” The remote has only two functions. One of the functions turns the TV off and on. The other changes the channels, all 7 or 8 of them, with a click of a button. Now try to imagine what that family is watching. Are you imagining them watching one of the classic TV shows from the 1970’s?

In the 1970s most families had one, maybe two televisions in the house, and the second television was usually stashed away in mom and dad’s room where they could watch the classic shows that the kids couldn’t watch yet like Maude or Soap. The televisions in the house might have even shown the programs in black and white.

What kept families glued to these televisions that had only a handful of channels, an ancient clicker, and frequently no color? The classic TV shows from the 1970s, of course. There were so many family-friendly shows in a variety of genres.

For families that enjoyed comedies, the 1970s had some of the most memorable sitcoms. The families in the ‘70’s learned all about families in the 1950’s by watching the wildly popular Happy Days and its equally popular spin off Laverne and Shirley. Happy Days also launched the career of comedian Robin Williams who went on to star in another spin off of the show – Mork and Mindy.

Other family friendly classic television shows of the 1970’s include The Partridge Family (with teen hearth throb David Cassidy), the show that introduced us to John Travolta, Welcome Back Kotter, One Day at a Time, Chico and the Man, The Odd Couple, Good Times, WKRP in Cincinnati, What’s Happening, Three’s Company and The Jeffersons.

Families with older children enjoyed comedies with a social conscience like All in the Family, Maude, Barney Miller or Mash. These classic 1970s sitcoms dealt with the social issues of the day in poignant yet comedic way.

Families also had several variety shows to choose from for their viewing pleasure. Classic variety shows such as The Donny and Marie Show and The Sonny and Cher Show had music, comedy sketches and popular guest stars each week. The Carol Burnett Show brought together some of the 1970’s funniest comedians each week and The Muppet Show combined the genius of Jim Henson’s fantastic creations with musical and comedy guest stars sharing the stage with Kermit, Miss Piggy and Animal.

There were plenty of one hour family dramas, too. Eight is Enough, Little House on the Prairie, and The Waltons were just a few of the classic television dramas that brought families together in front of the television each week.

There was also room for crime fighting and action heroes in the classic 1970s TV shows. The world learned what bionics was in The Six Million Dollar Man and its spin off The Bionic Woman. Each week families would tune in to see how Lee Majors and Jamie Sommers would use their bionic eyes and ears. CHiPs gave us a glimpse into the life of California Highway Patrol officers. Starsky and Hutch chased bad buys in their hot rod and BJ and the Bear tracked down bad guys in an 18 wheeler.

Two other classic television shows from that era that can’t be defined by any of these other genres were The Love Boat and Fantasy Island. These shows were the place for the stars of yesteryear and the stars of the current era to make guest appearances, several at a time. For years, families stayed home on Saturday nights just to see who would get off the plane onto the island or turn up Julie the Cruise Director’s guest list.

In today’s modern times, there are hundreds of channels on each of the four or more TV sets in most homes. Yet, there seems to never be anything to watch, especially something that the whole family can enjoy together. Many of these classic TV shows from the 1970’s are now on DVD and can be bought or rented either online or at a store. Why not consider getting a classic TV DVD for your family this Friday night instead of the usually family movie?

Wednesday, August 3, 2011

The Awful Truth About Television: The little box that transformed society

Introducing TV

Based on how engrained the television is in our society, one might think that it had been around for centuries. With the ubiquitous presence of TV’s in houses, schools, banks, cars, cell phones, and more, people wonder how they ever survived without their daily dose of Oprah and Monday Night Football.

Yet, television was not officially introduced to the world until in 1939 at the World’s Fair. At that time, many people did not think that families would have enough time or patience to sit down for long periods in front of a flickering screen. “The average American family hasn’t time for it,” said one commentator.
TV ownership explodes

World War II stalled the development of television. After the war though, TV sales took off faster than you could say “Hi Ho Silver, Away!” By 1950, about 9% of American homes had a television set. By 1953, half of all households had a TV. By 1962, 90% of all households had a set . Today 98% of American households have at least one TV set and 76% of families have more than one set.

Initially, only two networks distributed television programming for approximately 3½ hours per day . Today there are hundreds of channels providing entertainment twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week. As a result, people are glued to their screens for an average of 4½ hours per day. This is more than half of people’s leisure time. Many people cannot even imagine life without TV. This phenomenal transformation occurred within only three generations.

Trend for TV viewing still rising

Now television technology is exploding in other manners. No longer confined to the home, TV’s are popping up everywhere in public and private life: in schools, banks, stores, public transportation, cars, cell phones. It is now possible to turn your computer into a virtual television set and download programs from the internet.

The trend for TV viewing is rising higher as well, propelled by new technology. For example, a recent study showed that people who had digital video recorders (DVRs), like TiVo, watched 12% more TV than those who did not have DVRs. The growth of “on demand” programming will also likely increase viewing time for the average family.

Many people see TV as a necessary part of life. For example, when I announced to my mother that I was getting rid of our TV, she responded, “What am I going to do when I come to visit?” She, like most people, still cannot imagine living without TV.
"No Couch Potato Left Behind"

In November 2005, there was a huge debate in the US about cutting food stamp benefits. At the time this debate was proceeding, Congress was also considering a law that would help the poor transition to HDTV. Congress was concerned that millions of poor families might not be able to watch TV after the networks switched from analog to digital TV. Unlike food stamps, this entitlement received bi-partisan support.

Columnist George Will aptly named it the "No Couch Potato Left Behind" entitlement. President Bush signed the "No Couch Potato Left Behind" bill into law in February 2006. The final version earmarked $1.5 billion to pay for converter boxes for older television sets. Society is a long way from "the average American family hasn’t time for it".

It is time to ask, "What is the cost of this transformation?"

About 'The Awful Truth About Television' Series:
What happens when the average American spends 4 hours 32 minutes every day watching television? Trash Your TV's 'The Awful Truth About Television' Series explores the multifaceted problems with TV in eleven hard-hitting articles. Read the full series and you will never look at your television set the same way again.

sources:
http://www.fcc.gov/omd/history/tv/documents/76years_tv.pdf
http://www.tvhistory.tv/Annual_TV_Households_50-78.JPG
http://www.tvhistory.tv/TV-VCR-Remote-Cable_Ownership.JPG
http://www.tvhistory.tv/1941_June_30_WNBT_Program.jpg
http://www.nielsenmedia.com/newsreleases/2005/AvgHoursMinutes92905.pdf
http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/entertainment/13184519.htm
http://www.nypost.com/postopinion/opedcolumnists/58513.htm
http://www.hdtvmagazine.com/articles/2006/02/president_bush_signs_historic_dtv_bill_cea_says_hdtv_is_on_a_roll.php

Movies Turned into TV Shows: Good or Bad Idea?

There is a long history of movies that hit the silver screen diving into television sets in the forms of TV shows. Some were met with huge success and longevity, but the majority of them were virtual train wrecks.

On the surface it seems like a logically brilliant idea: take a film that audiences adored and extend it into a more digestible, bite-sized version that they could watch every week from the comfort of their homes. But carrying over the success of a movie into the television realm seems to involve a tricky and delicate science that no one seems to know the formulas to.

A television series adaptation of the Blade trilogy and the recent news of a live-action Star Wars television series coming to life near the end of this decade beg us to ask whether or not either will succeed. Of course, success in this sense can be interpreted in a variety of ways. Does it depend only on the quality of the show? Most likely not, since there have been movie-to-television cross-overs that were critically acclaimed but were only given a few months to run. Does it depend solely on the popularity of the show? Not as much as one would think. So what does success in this genre depend on?

Let’s take a look at some TV shows that were originally movies that ran for long periods of time, and then some that burnt out quickly to see if there is a visible pattern.

Distance Runners

- M*A*S*H*: Many people forget that M*A*S*H* was originally a movie (1970) that was met with approval in the theaters. It made its way onto television screens in 1972 and ran all the way to 1983.
- Buffy the Vampire Slayer: The movie was released in 1992 and was met with very mixed results. Somehow the show managed to run for seven solid years (1997-2003) as a television series with a huge fan base.
- Stargate SG-1: Stargate was a film released in 1994. It was met with mixed responses, but the show fared much better, running from 1997 all the way till now.
- Highlander: The film version hit theaters in 1986. Audience response was decent, but the TV series that was launched in 1992 found a faithful following. It ran until 1998.
- La Femme Nikita: Nikita was a film directed by Luc Besson that was released in 1990 and received good responses from audiences. The television series had a strong following and ran on TV from 1997 to 2001.

Short-Distance Losers

- My Big Fat Greek Life: Though movie studios underestimated My Big Fat Greek Wedding’s chances for success on the big screen, CBS overestimated its chances for similar triumph as a television series. This big fat disaster ran for seven episodes in 2003.
- Clueless: In 1995, Clueless did well in movie theaters as a comedy-romance. However, when the movie became a TV show in 1996 it was nothing more than a vain, painful, and lame television experience. The show somehow managed to remain on air until 1999.
- Ferris Bueller: Ferris Bueller’s Day Off was a huge hit in 1986, but the TV series only lasted one miserable season in 1990. Ferris has had plenty of days off since then.
- Planet of the Apes: The Charlton Heston-infused movie did well in the theaters in 1968, but for some reason the TV version only lasted one season in 1974.
- Uncle Buck: Was the movie really that great in 1989? It was just a standard comedy that tried to teach youngsters the idea of appreciating your family. So was the TV series in 1990 really necessary? One season tells us “no.”

There are countless other movie-to-TV shows that only lasted a few months, if that. Dangerous Minds, Fast Times, and Parenthood are just three of many, many failures in this genre.

The odds are against the soon-to-be Blade television series and George Lucas’ live-action Star Wars TV show. Though Blade does not really seem to be anything special, it will be interesting to see whether the vampires and monsters that carried the film trilogy will be able to do the same on television screens.

Star Wars does have an insanely huge and loyal fan base, the likes of which no movie-to-TV series has had the luxury of having, and could be the tipping point for the show’s potential longevity and success. But in no way will this guarantee the triumph of the adaptation. Neither will high caliber storylines or acting.

It seems that television audiences and studios are infinitely more fickle than their movie counterparts, so good luck to both the creators of Blade and Star Wars’ Lucas, both of whom will be at the complete mercy of factors that are virtually unknown.

For More on the NEW Star Wars TV Series, visit http://www.starwarstvforum.com