In this
issue:
Short Notes
Panasonic has developed a
"wireless" HDTV. While it still requires a
power cord, this TV doesn't need audio or
video cables. Instead, there is a separate
box with all the necessary connectors that
you can place some distance away. You plug
your cabling into it and it sends wireless
signals to the HDTV. Wireless connections
generally have less bandwidth and have
higher latencies than wired connections.
They are also less reliable because they can
be blocked or suffer interference. However,
I see more devices in your home connecting
via wireless means in the future, simply
because wiring can be inconvenient to
install, unsightly, a safety hazard (think
tripping), and it limits your ability to
place and move equipment where you want it.
Also, the wireless limitations mentioned
above are less of an issue in home
environments, where the transmitter and
receiver are likely to be close to one
another.
Seagate bought Internet
backup service provider eVault. Internet
backup service providers require massive
arrays of high capacity, inexpensive, power
sipping disks, and Seagate builds the disks.
Remote backup is starting to become quite
popular with the advent of low cost, high
speed Internet links. It allows for the
automatic movement of data off site,
protecting you from disasters that might
affect a site, like a fire or a flood.
Manually moving backup data off site is also
expensive and unreliable. Automating this
task can bring your costs down and increase
your chances of a successful restoration.
While businesses of all sizes can benefit
from this technology, there are some that
will benefit more than others. Call us to
see if online backup is good for you! If
you are interested in other types of backup,
call and ask us for our backup whitepaper.
Many businesses need to
allow visitors access to the Internet, but
can't afford to let one visitor hog
resources to the detriment of other visitors
or users inside the business. Libraries,
shared work sites, hotels, coffee shops,
Internet gaming companies, Internet service
providers, and government buildings all need
to ensure that everyone gets a fair amount
of the available resources. Normal users and
visitors alike will benefit. In addition,
businesses may also wish to protect their
network from phishing, pornography, and
other Internet ills. If this sounds like it
might be you, please call us and we'll show
you how you can save time and money and
lower your grief level with powerful tools
and services. We are so confident you will
like what we have to offer, we offer a 30
day money back guarantee!
HDTV and Computer
Monitors Aren't the Same!
While many manufacturers
make flat screen monitors capable of
displaying both HDTV and computer monitor
signals, you probably don't want to buy a
monitor capable of doing both for a number
of reasons. Let's look at the desktop first.
To display HDTV, you will need a monitor
capable of supporting the required signals
and, often, a tuner to convert the signal so
that it can be displayed. In addition,
people will generally want TV features in
these monitors, like speakers or the ability
to control them remotely. The extra
complexity usually means the monitor will
cost extra. Liquid Crystal Display (LCD)
flat panel monitors are now the dominant
desktop monitors. Most LCD computer
monitors don't match the HDTV display
characteristics exactly. Their width to
height ratio (aspect ratio) may also differ.
Since LCD monitors look their best at their
maximum resolutions and their correct aspect
ratio, shoehorning an HDTV image onto the
screen may end up shrinking or distorting
the image. TV images are different from
computer images. In general, color,
contrast, brightness and motion are more
important on TVs, while a stable, clear,
high resolution image is much more important
on computer LCD monitors. The design goals
are different. In general, HDTVs have less
demanding design goals than computer
monitors, so they will cost much less per
square inch.
Differing design goals
are even easier to see on large screen HDTV
monitors. These monitors are designed to be
very bright and require a lot of power when
compared to desktop or laptop LCD monitors.
Large HDTVs may use plasma, projection, or
even electron gun technologies as well as
LCD technology. They are meant to be viewed
from many feet away. Their resolution might
be similar to that of a desktop monitor, but
they are many times as large. Each
individual pixel can be much larger. Sitting
right next to one and trying to type a
document would be frustrating because each
letter would be blown up to the point of
unreadability. Large HDTVs and hybrid
HDTV/LCD computer monitors are useful for
TV, gaming, and presentations. All of these
applications allow for more distance from
the monitor, so it looks less grainy.
Finally, consider the
cabling. HDTVs are often designed to accept
a lot of different kinds of audio and video
inputs. You may see quite a few cables
running to a single HDTV. Larger HDTVs are
normally in cabinets or mounted on walls. To
connect a PC up to one can be quite
inconvenient. Large HDTVs may not even
accept PC inputs. If they do, their display
capabilities may be limited. Desktop LCD
monitors with HDTV capabilities usually have
many fewer connectors, but they also require
cabling as well, which can complicate the
placement of the monitor and add to the
profusion of cables you already have.
Our best advice is to
call us and tell us what you are trying to
do. In general, we counsel our clients to
buy large HDTV and hybrid monitors for TV
and display purposes, but we recommend
focusing on computer oriented LCDs for their
desktops.
For more on the US
federal government's take on HDTV and the
transition to digital signaling February 17,
2009, try these links:
Addictive Mind Games
WARNING: Do not play
these games at work. Doing so will
encourage management to call Iron Horse to
find out how they can monitor and manage
Internet usage of their employees.
©2008
Tony Stirk, Iron Horse tstirk@ih-online.com