Being a good little cog in the machine, most of us have probably heard talk about "HDTV", "Digital TV", Blu-ray, HDMI, DVI, and all sorts of other terms fly around that seem to amount to "Buy more TVs and black boxes".
Thought I'd put together the following summary for anyone curious. Of course Wikipedia is a great place to go for these sorts of questions, regardles of how you feel about using it for higher brow subjects like literary criticism.
The "Idiot's Guide to Emerging AV technology" might read something like this (un-edited):
Difference between Digital and HD
HDTV is short for High Definition TV and can be either a digital or analog signal. You can send a "HD" signal over the same 15 pin cable that has been used to hook up computer monitors for the last umpteen years. This is analog HD. You can also send an "HD" signal over a digital cable, such as a DVI-d cable or an HDMI cable.
DIGITAL TV or a DIGITAL broadcast is simply a signal that is binary, 1/0, like computer information. This is different from standard, analog, TV simply by being digital. Standard TV was sent with waves of energy, lots of different frequencies. As the radio wave changed shape (taller, longer, etc.) the image on your TV changed shape. With Digital TV the information for each pixel is sent using binary information, data, and then your TV or monitor creates the image by setting each pixel to the desired color and brightness. It updates this image so many times per second that the image moves.
Digital TV doesn't NECESSARILY equal better image or higher resolution. Digital TV can be either standard definition (what you see on DVDs or cable TV right now) or high definition (see below).
Digital TV Switchover - In February 2009 the federal government has mandated that all broadcasters switch over to purely digital signals. Don't worry. This means absolutely nothing for you unless you get your TV "off the air", which is fancy language for "I use an antenna". If you use an antenna, then you WILL be affected. People who only have an antenna will have to use a digital tuner to get the signal. If you purchased a TV in the last 2 years, chances are you have this tuner. If not, you can get a coupon from the government for $40.00 off the price of a digital tuner. If you have a TV capable of displaying HD content, the good news is that the switch to digital broadcasts means you can now pick up HD content for free off the air, when the broadcaster chooses to send it.
The old "off the air" system was refered to by the acronym NTSC and the new system is called ATSC. That is what you're looking for on your TV to know whether or not you'll need a separate tuner after Feb. 2009 to view TV with an antenna. Keep in mind that if you get cable or satellite, then the provider and their set top box will take care of this switch over for you.
My new TV has a digital (ATSC) tuner and with a basic set of rabbit ears I've been able to watch glorious HD content, for free, from PBS and networks like ABC...including Lost in HD. PBS has some of the most gorgeous free HD content out there. They have an entire channel dedicated to HD that includes beautiful on-site travel programs, science, and lots of other stuff.Blu-ray - Yes, Blu-ray has won this current format war. What does that mean? If you have an HD capable TV (at least 720p) then you can purchase a Blu-ray player, re-purchase all your movies (or just start buying Blu-ray), and watch better looking movies. Yes it's a noticeable difference, mostly on larger TVs. If you have a TV less than 25", it probably won't be an earth shattering experience. Keep in mind that with the pace technology is evolving, the next "Big" shift in technology will likely be streaming or downloaded HD, and unless you are chomping at the bits to have the latest in HD home entertainment, you're probably better suited to wait a year or so. If nothing else, prices should come down from over $400.00 for a player to closer to the $150-$200 mark.
Emerging Technologies - What's coming in the next few years? Well, the early adopter technology is out now which means that, if successful, more widespread devices should be out within 2 years (right around the time Blu-ray COULD be hitting its stride). I'm talking about streaming HD. The benefits? Imagine being able to sit down on your couch and, with access to the entire Netflix or Blockbuster library, pick what movie you want to rent/buy. In less time than it takes to heat up the popcorn, the movie is at your TV and ready to watch. Yes, in HD and with all the control (play/pause/FF/RW/Chapters/Etc) that DVD has spoiled you with. Right now this takes the form of either a TiVo box or AppleTV, however with Blockbuster and Netflix both wanting in on the action, it's likely there will be significantly more options within 2 years.
Essentially, you would be downloading the movie either permenantly (buying), or temporarily (renting) to a hard drive in a box sitting under your TV. The key here is interface. Most consumers don't want to have to operate a computer while watching a movie. They want any computer involved to be as transparent as possible. They want to sit down with a remote, and watch a movie. Period. If the companies involved can grasp this, it will make Blu-ray a moot point as people won't have to go out and buy a physical disc whenever they want to watch a movie.
-edit 3/5/08-
Apply here for a DTV Tuner if you have an old TV AND use an antenna.
-end edit-
Wikipedia on Blu-ray
Wikipedia on HD-TV
Wikipedia on Digital TV
Monday, February 25, 2008
Wednesday, February 20, 2008
Amon at Discovery Building II
Went for a walk with Amon and our wonderful friend Katherine around Silver Spring. Walking by the Discovery building, I wanted to use the great colors of the mural as a backdrop. Amon agreed.
More pictures from the film camera posted on my Flickr account.
More pictures from the film camera posted on my Flickr account.
Thursday, February 14, 2008
Frozen Tree through the Living Room Window this Morning
Wanted to try the Flickr "Blog This" feature out and thought I'd share this photo I took out my window a couple mornings ago when I was getting ready for work.
Monday, February 04, 2008
Base Camp 2008
Base Camp 2008 convened at Adrienne's house this weekend. It was good time spent eating pizza in tents, drinking beverages, and watching insane people push their bodies to the limit in an attempt to stand on the top of the world. I won't tell you how many people died or how many fingers/toes were lost (in the real Everst event, not our pizza eating Base Camp). You can watch the documentary yourself for that. Or you can click on over to my Flickr Account to see the pretty lights and witness Malcom and Mary's stare off...
Sunday, February 03, 2008
Nikon D40 Review
So far soo happy.
Allright thus far I've taken several thousand pictures with my new Nikon DSLR (digital SLR) and wanted to take this chance to make some comments.
Background (Skip if you're simply interested in why I like my camera):
(just a summary, go to Wikipedia for full articles about each)
Cameras come in all sizes and shapes. One way of classifying cameras is by how the light or image gets from the outside world onto the recording surface (either film or digital sensor). The original cameras were merely boxes with a bit of film stuck to the inside and a tiny pinhole on the opposite end of the box that allowed a tiny image to be "projected" onto the film. Because the hole was so small it took a long time to expose the film, but the image usually had equally crisp lines from the closest objects to the furthest (large depth of field). This was rather an unwieldy instrument though since you could only take one photo before having to change the film, and couldn't really preview what you aiming at.
Over time other camera designs sprang up including the twin lens reflex (TLR), the single lens reflex (SLR), and the point and shoot. The "reflex" in the SLR and TLR name is in reference to a surface that remains closed until you depress the shutter release at which point the surface moves out of the way to allow the light to hit the recording surface. A TLR uses two lenses, so the scene you are shooting is always visible though one lens that is dedicated to giving you a preview (often at the top of the camera and you look down onto a preview surface), and the light for the exposure is only let through the second lens when you depress the shutter release. The benefit of the TLR is that there is no point where the scene in the preview is blocked.
An SLR only has one lens, so when the shutter release isn't being triggered the light hits a mirror on the blocking surface and the image is directed to the eyepiece. When yhou press the shutter release on an SLR, the blocking surface and mirror (they are together) swing out of the way to allow the light to hit the recording surface, however this results in a temporary black out of the eye piece. This black out with the SLR is only for the time that the shutter is set for, most often less than 1/30th of a second. The advantage of the SLR is that the image you see in the eye piece is EXACTLY what is going to be recording, no paralax or offset view. Many SLRs even have an image preview that will show you what the depth of field will look like so you can predict very accurately what the scene will look like.
The other type of camera is a point and shoot. Like the TLR the view in the eye piece is slightly offset from the lens that makes the image, however there typically isn't a lens for the preview, simply a glass window from the front of the camera to the back where the photographer looks to see roughly where the camera is pointed. TLR and SLRs most often have interchangable lenses whereas point and shoot cameras usually have a single dedicated lens.
DSLR or Point and Shoot
If you primarily want a camera to take candid snap shoots where ever you might find yourself and do the occassional artistic photo, don't get a DSLR. They are still way bigger than the standard point and shoot, and absurdly larger than the smallest point and shoot. I always have my Canon digital Elph, SD400, with me. Well, anytime I'm with messenger bag. Because this camera is so small I can pack it anywhere and always have something to take decent pictures with. A picture you can take because you actually had your camera with you is always going to be better than one you couldn't take because you didn't have your huge DSLR with you.
Now that's a bit of an exageration to make a point, because I OFTEN have my DSLR in my messenger bag as well...just not as often as my Elph. And the fact that I carry my DSLR around in my messenger bag is probably the exception. However the reason I'm willing to carry around the larger DSLR is that it can take phenomenally better pictures. It has a wider range or zoom on the lens, the lens is faster (allows more light through it allowing quicker shutter times), has a better sensor that looks decent at higher ISO settings, is a higher megapixel sensor, and I'll some day be able to afford more or better lenses.
There are just some things you can't do with a point and shoot, such as crank the ISO up to 3200 and take photos in relative dark with no flash and relatively little camera shake. Also, I can put my DSLR in to fully manual mode and control literally every aspect of the camera from zoom to focus, to shutter speed, to aperature, to ISO, to white balance, and more. If none of that meant anything to you, then you probably want a good point and shoot camera, and they are certainly out there.
I can highly recommend the Canon Digital Elphs as I have one I love and know several other people who swear by them as well.
Hope that helped. If you have any specific questions about my experiences thus far feel free to holler at me in the comment section and I'll do my best to answer.
Mike
Allright thus far I've taken several thousand pictures with my new Nikon DSLR (digital SLR) and wanted to take this chance to make some comments.
Background (Skip if you're simply interested in why I like my camera):
(just a summary, go to Wikipedia for full articles about each)
Cameras come in all sizes and shapes. One way of classifying cameras is by how the light or image gets from the outside world onto the recording surface (either film or digital sensor). The original cameras were merely boxes with a bit of film stuck to the inside and a tiny pinhole on the opposite end of the box that allowed a tiny image to be "projected" onto the film. Because the hole was so small it took a long time to expose the film, but the image usually had equally crisp lines from the closest objects to the furthest (large depth of field). This was rather an unwieldy instrument though since you could only take one photo before having to change the film, and couldn't really preview what you aiming at.
Over time other camera designs sprang up including the twin lens reflex (TLR), the single lens reflex (SLR), and the point and shoot. The "reflex" in the SLR and TLR name is in reference to a surface that remains closed until you depress the shutter release at which point the surface moves out of the way to allow the light to hit the recording surface. A TLR uses two lenses, so the scene you are shooting is always visible though one lens that is dedicated to giving you a preview (often at the top of the camera and you look down onto a preview surface), and the light for the exposure is only let through the second lens when you depress the shutter release. The benefit of the TLR is that there is no point where the scene in the preview is blocked.
An SLR only has one lens, so when the shutter release isn't being triggered the light hits a mirror on the blocking surface and the image is directed to the eyepiece. When yhou press the shutter release on an SLR, the blocking surface and mirror (they are together) swing out of the way to allow the light to hit the recording surface, however this results in a temporary black out of the eye piece. This black out with the SLR is only for the time that the shutter is set for, most often less than 1/30th of a second. The advantage of the SLR is that the image you see in the eye piece is EXACTLY what is going to be recording, no paralax or offset view. Many SLRs even have an image preview that will show you what the depth of field will look like so you can predict very accurately what the scene will look like.
The other type of camera is a point and shoot. Like the TLR the view in the eye piece is slightly offset from the lens that makes the image, however there typically isn't a lens for the preview, simply a glass window from the front of the camera to the back where the photographer looks to see roughly where the camera is pointed. TLR and SLRs most often have interchangable lenses whereas point and shoot cameras usually have a single dedicated lens.
DSLR or Point and Shoot
If you primarily want a camera to take candid snap shoots where ever you might find yourself and do the occassional artistic photo, don't get a DSLR. They are still way bigger than the standard point and shoot, and absurdly larger than the smallest point and shoot. I always have my Canon digital Elph, SD400, with me. Well, anytime I'm with messenger bag. Because this camera is so small I can pack it anywhere and always have something to take decent pictures with. A picture you can take because you actually had your camera with you is always going to be better than one you couldn't take because you didn't have your huge DSLR with you.
Now that's a bit of an exageration to make a point, because I OFTEN have my DSLR in my messenger bag as well...just not as often as my Elph. And the fact that I carry my DSLR around in my messenger bag is probably the exception. However the reason I'm willing to carry around the larger DSLR is that it can take phenomenally better pictures. It has a wider range or zoom on the lens, the lens is faster (allows more light through it allowing quicker shutter times), has a better sensor that looks decent at higher ISO settings, is a higher megapixel sensor, and I'll some day be able to afford more or better lenses.
There are just some things you can't do with a point and shoot, such as crank the ISO up to 3200 and take photos in relative dark with no flash and relatively little camera shake. Also, I can put my DSLR in to fully manual mode and control literally every aspect of the camera from zoom to focus, to shutter speed, to aperature, to ISO, to white balance, and more. If none of that meant anything to you, then you probably want a good point and shoot camera, and they are certainly out there.
I can highly recommend the Canon Digital Elphs as I have one I love and know several other people who swear by them as well.
Hope that helped. If you have any specific questions about my experiences thus far feel free to holler at me in the comment section and I'll do my best to answer.
Mike
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