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

Saturday, July 30, 2011

Satellite Television For Your Computer

Whenever you are online I bet that you can become amazed by the different things that you can find there. The speed and accuracy of the internet connections we all have is really amazing and the networking possibilities have enhanced our lives so much. In our day there is a lot of different information that we need to process and if it is all condensed into one area it is a lot easier for us to grasp and study. So, since we already know how useful our computers and laptops are, then why don't we understand that they can be the center of our lives?

We use television to get a lot of our news, entertainment, weather reports, and whatever else we need. But then we use our computer to transmit all of that information to our friends, family, relatives, and coworkers. Does it make since to separate the acquisition and eventual transmission of knowledge? Not to me it doesn't, so I am going to give you an alternative solution to this. You can look into getting television right on your personal computer or laptop. This makes a lot of things so much easier and hassle free because a laptop is portable and also everything is concentrated in one place so that you can do everything by clicking a few buttons without even moving from the spot you are in.

Satellite television is right now available on your very own personal computer and you might not have even known until just now. Well, you should get online and start looking for these kinds of tools so that you can always be the first one to get them and therefore get the best price and information on it all. This particular system has gone through over seven years of development, including three years of intensive testing and reworking in order to bring you with a completed and bug free product. The great thing about this is that it is not only convenient but it is also cheap. It is actually much cheaper than a lot of the other options that are available to you and plus it is much better for you and suits all your purposes so well that you will be wondering why you never had it before or how you could have ever lived without it. Once you have this amazing service you will definitely start to take it for granted just like you took the internet and television for granted separately but now you will realize that they can be even a lot better when they are put together into one entity that you can use quickly, efficiently, and easily.

Word of mouth is always the best kind of advertisement there is and if you ask around for your friends and see what they think of these you might even find that some of them have already discovered it. If this is true then you can always ask them what they think and how they like it. Remember that it does not require any extra equipment added to your computer so it is actually really simple for you to set up and use.

This Is Big. Monster Big. 103 Inch Panasonic Plasma Television

The new Panasonic 103 inch plasma television is out. The TH-103PZ600U with 1080p capability will have an expected SRP of $69,999.95 and is expected to be available for delivery in time for Christmas 2006. It will also offer a three-year in-home limited warranty, unprecedented in the industry.

In flat panel displays, plasma has technical advantages over other technologies, including LCD, when it comes to making larger size panels. Nevertheless, there are numerous technical challenges in making plasma panels that are larger than 100 inches measured diagonally while maintaining stable discharge and high picture quality across the entire surface of the panel.

Panasonic has overcome these technical hurdles by developing a new rib and phosphor for these super large panels. A "rib" divides each gas cell and prevents interference between adjacent cells to produce clear images. The 103-inch 1080p plasma panel, equivalent to four 50-inch panels in size, features consistent and uniform discharge, delivering the same accurate images from the center to every corner of the screen and brightness as the current 50-inch HD model (TH-50PX500). The panel incorporates Panasonic's 1080p HD high-speed pixel drive. The same high-speed pixel drive is used in the TH-65PX500 65-inch 1080p Plasma TV, which has been well received in Japan since its introduction last November, and the 50-inch 1080p Plasma unveiled at CEATEC JAPAN 2005 in October 2005.

The TH-103PZ600U provides stunning widescreen progressive display featuring full HD pixel resolution of 1,920 horizontal x 1,080 vertical, a contrast ratio of 4,000:1, and 4,096 equivalent steps of gradation. Its effective display area is more than 89.3” wide by over 50.2” high. The super-size 103” 1080p panel is equivalent in size to four 50-inch Panasonic plasma displays.

“Until now, the market for 100-plus-inch screens was dominated by front projection TVs. Panasonic now realizes another option in this sector. Our 103-inch 1080p PDP promises high quality images with high brightness, dynamic contrast, high resolution and excellent color reproduction that projection displays cannot match. We believe it will create strong demand as a multipurpose display for business, educational and medical applications as well as home theater use,” said Mr. Nagano, Director, PDP Device Business Unit of Panasonic AVC Networks Company.

Wednesday, July 27, 2011

Classic Television Shows; Re-Introduce Your Family Today

“They don’t make ‘em like they used to.” You hear this said about everything – cars, houses, toys, clothes… Well, they don’t make TV shows like they used to, either. If you grew up watching classic TV, you probably have some very fond memories of sitting in front of the television with your family watching some of the classics at night. There are very few modern television shows that the whole family can sit down and watch together. Either they are geared towards kids and the grown ups aren’t interested or they are geared for adults and are inappropriate for the kids.

There is good news for families who would like to share some time in front of the television together, though. Many of the classic TV shows are being released on DVD, usually a season at a time. Families can now enjoy TV classics from the 50’s, 60’s 70’s, and 80’s on DVD’s that include lots of extras like interviews with the cast members and outtakes.

One of the biggest perks of watching the shows on DVD – no annoying commercials. Today, we’re used to watching television on our terms. We fast forward through commercials on shows we’ve recorded on DVRs. When these classic shows first aired, there was no fast forwarding. Viewers had to sit through the commercials or flip the channel (sometimes manually!) often only to find more commercials.


Think about it. You can now introduce your kids to TV classics such as Happy Days, season by season and show them the first time a television show literally “jumped the shark.” Retro is cool right now, and it doesn’t get much more retro than Happy Days. It was retro from the day it debuted.

What’s available on classic TV DVD? Just about anything you’re interested in.


Variety Shows. Remember a few years back when Nick and Jessica attempted a Christmas special variety show? If your kids were interested in that, then they would probably be interested in The Sonny and Cher Show or The Donny and Marie Show. Sure these 70’s shows were high on the cheese factor, but the performers had some real talent.

Another great variety show from the 70’s that the family will love is The Carol Burnett Show. You’d be amazed at how much today’s kids appreciate good, clean, funny comedy when they are actually exposed to it.





Some of the best episodes of variety shows were the Christmas specials. Sonny and Cher and Donny and Marie had their share of Christmas specials, but the master of the Christmas special was Bob Hope. Many of his classic Christmas variety shows are available on DVD.

Classic Sitcoms. I Love Lucy. The Honeymooners. The Dick Van Dyke Show. Leave it to Beaver. The Brady Bunch. The Beverly Hill Billies. The Cosby Show. Family Ties. The Jeffersons. Happy Days. Mash. The Monkees. Did you sit around watching these shows (or reruns of these shows) with your family when you were a kid? Chances are you did. All of these classic television sitcoms are available on DVD. Wouldn’t it be great to sit back with your kids and a great big bowl of popcorn and watch The Cosby Show’s Claire Huxtable tell her husband Cliff to please go upstairs and kill the children? Now that’s classic tv.

Classic Drama/Adventure. Most dramas fall into the one hour crime show genre nowadays. They aren’t always pleasant to watch and they certainly aren’t appropriate for the kids. Adventure type shows like 24 or Prison Break aren’t for the kids either. But McGyver. Now there’s a show the whole family can watch together and learn a thing or two about how to make a bomb from a piece of chewing gum, a paperclip and a pencil


Little House on the Prairie. Gunsmoke. Bonanza. The Waltons. Wonder Woman. Murder She Wrote. Columbo. Emergency. The A Team. Mission Impossible. The Lone Ranger. The list of classic drama/adventure tv shows on DVD goes on and on.

Talk Shows. It seems like anyone can get his or her own talk show these days, but they don’t last long. The king of all talk show hosts is Johnny Carson and classic excerpts from his late night talk show The Tonight Show are DVD. Show the kids some real talent and real class by introducing them to Johnny

Instead of renting a movie this weekend for the family enjoy, why not try renting a season of a classic TV show to introduce the kids to?