Saturday, March 24, 2012

Selecting an Audio-Video Receiver

Choosing the right receiver (also sometimes called a home theater amplifier) is critical to creating your audio system, whether you're in the market for a home theater/surround sound receiver or a stereo receiver. Following are a few factors you'll want to consider while shopping for your home theater receiver.

Type of Receiver: With its power and sophistication, the receiver is sort of like the brain and the brawn behind your entire sound system. First you'll want to decide how you plan to use your receiver; will you only use it to listen to music, or will you also want it to work with your entire home theater system? Are you only interested in creating a single listening zone for your living room, or are you planning to create a more elaborate multi-zone system for your entire home?

Even if you don't plan to create the multi-zone system now, knowing that you are planning to in the future can keep you from having to replace or purchase an additional receiver later. And, fortunately, many home theater or surround sound receivers also work really well for listening to music, so you don't lose anything by going with a surround sound receiver if you are a big music fan.

Power: There are at least three different considerations relative to power that you'll want to think about when deciding which receiver is the right one for you. First, wattage: How many watts you need in your receiver depends on how large your listening area is, how many total speakers you have (most surround sound systems consist of between five and nine speakers plus a dedicated sub-woofer), and how sensitive your speakers are. In general, the less sensitive your speakers are, and the larger your room, the more power you'll need from your receiver.

Second, how clean is the power the receiver provides? Total harmonic distortion (THD) is a way of measuring how accurately the receiver amplifies sound from music and movies. To keep it simple, just remember that the lower the THD rating the better, and most receivers will have a rating that's less than 1%. So you'll want to look for a receiver with a THD rating that's as low as possible.

Third, if experiencing the full dynamic range of live music performances and movie soundtracks is important to you, you'll want a surround sound receiver that offers high-current power. This feature is best for delivering those movie special effects that make you feel like you're in the theater, and it does so without depleting your receiver's power stores.

Inputs/Outputs: Input and output connections are what make it possible for your receiver to act as the command center for your audio/video system. Ideally, you want a receiver that can handle your current needs but that also allows room for expansion later on. If you plan to use any type of recording device with your system, you will want to make sure your receiver has a digital output (most have a digital input only). And if you have a turntable or think you may want one at some point, you will also want your receiver to have a built-in phono input.

Most likely you will want to run all your video components through your receiver in order to optimize their performance and to make switching between components (such as a DVD player and a gaming console) as easy as possible. If you have an HDTV, or plan to get one, or if you're interested in a 3-D television, you'll need to make sure there's an HDMI connection. There are also 3-D capable receivers available.

Another option is to purchase a home theater receiver that offers video conversion. A receiver with video conversion can make switching between components even easier, resulting in a system that's user-friendly for everyone in your household.

Video conversion simply means that the receiver is equipped to convert all your various video sources into a signal your television can receive, while maintaining the highest possible quality of each signal. Some receivers also have the ability to improve the appearance of your non-HD video sources (such as older DVDs) using a method called upconversion or scaling, so that might be something to look for if you have an extensive DVD collection and don't want to replace them with HD versions.

More options: Some receivers come equipped with satellite radio capabilities, and most are MP3-player friendly. Many also have Ethernet ports, making it easy to use your computer as a source for music or movies.

Choosing the right receiver can make all the difference in the lifespan and performance of your system. Home theater amplifiers can appear to be pretty complicated at a glance, but if you know what you want it to do now and in the future, getting the right one the first time around should be no problem. And you can always ask an A/V professional for help.

Wednesday, March 21, 2012

Predicting the Evolution of Car Audio Video Systems Not Easy

Nowadays anyone can install a state of the art video system in his or her car without spending exorbitant amounts of money, and mobile audio and video equipment has become such a common place in cars that we no longer get too surprised at the sight of such systems. However it wasn't that long ago, let's say just over ten years, that being able to spot a video screen displaying images inside a vehicle was something out of this world.

When looking at the evolution of the car audio-video industry since 1995, we can't help but marble how far these systems have evolved in just over 10 years, and it makes you wonder where the technology will be headed in the next decade. In 1995 for instance, car makers were barely on the brink of discarding the old tape deck players and beginning to standardize on CD players. Today it is becoming rarer and rarer to spot a car on the street with one of those old CD players, which just 13 years ago were still considered the latest and greatest in technology.

And soon after the CD player evolution, came the MP3 players, which were closely followed by video screens with few capabilities like the ability to display a limited amount of theme graphics to accompany the music. Even these systems were at the time considered state of the art technologies worth competing against.

By contrast today's car audio systems, come integrated with an array of capabilities both visible and hidden, which make the old systems look ancient. Today's video display resolutions are far clearer and produce less glare, DVD and game playing capabilities are built right in, IPOD and MP3 storage capability are more and more common place. Cell phone receiver support is also becoming more standard. Not to mention the advent of digital systems like XM and Sirius as well as the terrestrial digitization of the airwaves.

Predicting where the evolution of the car audio and video technology is headed in the next 3 years should not be too hard considering that there is so many standalone technologies around as mentioned in the previous paragraph, that scream at the need to be integrated into one single system and I believe that is where we will see the Alpine, JBL, and Pioneer systems headed in the next 3 years. The harder part in my opinion is predicting where the evolution of car audio and video systems will be in 10 years from now. Stay Tuned.

Online Video Conferencing Opening The Door To Doing Business Worldwide

The software that every small business owner really should have is an online audio video conference room. Picture how many potential customers, current customers, and business partners you could possibly connect with not only in the United States but all over the world you could possibly reach with this incredible conference software.

There could be countless potential to what you could achieve, and the other advantage would be the cash you would save, it would be the icing on the cake. Travel, lodging, meals, and additional cost would be a thing of the past. Let's face it if you want to be with the times in the business industry obtaining a virtual meeting room is a must when it comes to business tools.

As a rule Online video conference rooms can vary from $50 to $100 us dollars a month for a small fifty seat conference room, moreover the price range increases if you require more seats. In a number of cases there may be a need to down load the conference application to your computer system.

The features of audio video conference rooms could vary from one provider to another, the company might offer power point presentation capability, desktop sharing and also white board, you in truth have to decide what features you need. Certain companies may even provide added features, but you have to do the research to find the web conferencing package that offers the features that you require for your business.

Businesses small, or big are seeking online video conferencing as a instrument to fuel their revenues on a worldwide scale, by having the capability to connect with the masses all over the world, and the fact that a presentation can be easily be set-up with just a few clicks of a mouse, it could step up sales, and moreover productivity.

Online video conferencing is the direction to go with when it comes to doing business, training, and product presentations, it will eliminate costly telephone conference calls, travel costs, and generally help you save 1000's of dollars each, and every year.

Saturday, March 17, 2012

Audio-Video Receivers - Finding the Right One

Before you buy your next audio-video receiver you should take some time to figure out exactly which features you need now and which features you may need in the future. Below are listed some of the more important things you should consider.

HDMI Inputs and Outputs

HDMI (High-Definition Multimedia Interface) is a type of digital connection that's capable of transmitting both high-definition video and high-resolution audio over a single cable. It is typically used to connect high-definition devices together. Because it is fully digital, this type of interface between your home theater components provides the highest quality signal transmission. As a rule of thumb, the more HDMI connections you can get, the better.

Component video inputs and outputs

Count up all the high definition components you own that don't have HDMI inputs so that you can find out how many component video inputs you will need. These inputs are the ones that are colored red, green and blue. Many people assume that these are digital signals; however, they are actually analog signals and are subject to the same kind of noise interference as composite signals are. The three connectors are used to carry the three primary colors for your television picture.

Composite video inputs and outputs

You should also count how many standard resolution components you have in order to find out how many composite video inputs and outputs you will need. These connections use a yellow connector for the analog video signal, a white connector for the left audio channel and a red connector for the right. If you need the round black S-video connectors, make note of them too.

Number of channels

Have you decided whether you want a 7.1 channel system or a 5.1 channel system? It isn't always true that a 7.1 channel system is better than a 5.1 channel system. If you are new to this I would recommend that you read up on them.

Up conversion

You may want your receiver to convert analog composite video or component video signals to digital signals for use of the HDMI cable. This could add a significant cost to your receiver, but could be well worth it if your HDTV has trouble with low resolution signals.

The areas above represent only five different parameters which you can use to select an audio-video receiver. This by no means covers all possible options. You will most likely want to consider even more parameters in your search.
Once you have collected all of the parameters which are important to you, the best way to select your receiver is to compare your collection against the specification sheet of each and every receiver on the market. This is not a small task.

Fortunately, there are tools available on the net which can help you filter through all of the different receivers and search through all the parameters to find the receiver you are looking for.

Video Web Conference - Attract More Customers And Close More Sales

With the increased advancement of technology the ability to connect with people from all over the world has in addition been enhanced. Because of such advancements businessmen/women have no need to travel due to having online Video Conference.

The ordinary business person can simply login to the World wide web and with just a few clicks be connected and be able to carry out a business meeting without being physically in front of salespeople or clients.

These days on-line conferencing resources have advanced further as far as the features such as video streaming, the ability to do a power point presentations, desk top sharing and also recording. Being able to allow the participants to be able to be seen by others is a plus, a truly interactive business experience.

In the past when web conferencing first came on the seen the maximum amount or participants were very limited to 2 to 12 people but these days it can range from 50 up to 100 or more. In most cases it could run you as much as $100 or more a month for an online conferencing service.

It is well worth it compared to hundreds of dollars spent monthly for air travel. For the average Business Owners this is a amazing tool, for the traveling businessman it will eliminate standing in long lines going through security, being on an uncomfortable airplane for hours at a time, and that pesky jet lag.

Web conferencing is not only a tool for businessmen, the ability for families to set up a virtual reunion is a possibility. For families of folks in the military, children in college, or love ones in other countries, having a tool like this is really ideal. Just log on and access the web conferencing tool and click a few buttons and you will be connected with you love ones.

Audio Video Conferencing is the best alternative for people no matter if you are a business person, Mom, Dad, College Students etc. It takes communication to a whole new level, and the money that can be saved is one of the best benefits of having such a tool.

Monday, March 12, 2012

Video Scaler Audio/Video Processors

A video scalar converts a video signal between arbitrary resolutions. It is mainly used to convert interlaced signals of low resolution, such as, composite video signals or s-video, into higher resolution non-interlaced, like the ones in HDTV. Composite video signals are those which carries all information - the red, blue, and green signals and sometimes audio as well. S-video (separate video) is an analogue video signal in which the video data is carried separately - brightness and colour. This is unlike the composite video signal. Interlacing is a technique, by which the picture quality is improved, without consuming any extra bandwidth. Interlaced signals have flickering effect while non-interlaced ones do not.

Video scalar Audio/Video Processors are available for analogue and digital inputs and outputs or, more commonly, both combined. As an example, a video scalar would convert an analogue VGA signal into digital signal for display on a monitor. In this case the resolution of the video signal may be of low quality, creating distorted image. A scalar can increase the resolution substantially to the correct level.

A video Scalar turns a standard television into a high definition TV (HDTV). The scalar lets you connect the standard definition enabled equipment, like, DVD player, video game, VCR, etc., to HDTV display devices, such as Plasma or LCD screen TVs. A video scalar can provide multiple refresh rate outputs. For example, with a converted PAL video signal at its input, a video scalar can display video on projectors that do not support 50Hz refresh rates.

DCDi is a video mode algorithm and has been designed for video displays featuring fast moving sports events. It removes the jagged edges along the diagonal lines, which are mainly caused by interpolation. DCDi monitors this edge transmission and fills in the gaps. This technology was developed and introduced few years back, and broadcasters like CBS used it to up-convert NTSC to High Definition (HD).

No matter at what resolution the picture is delivered, be it 480i from your VCR, 480p from your DVD player, 720p from your set-top box or 1080i over Digital Visual Interface (DVI) or High-Definition Multimedia Interface (HDMI), the video processor/scalier will perfectly match the output to the optimum resolution of your display. It is your complete audio video hub, providing simultaneous audio/video switching with automatic video.

DVDi technology as used in video processor/scalar is a series of mathematical formula (algorithm) meant for video. If you want to watch a film on your TV, you would wonder how this technology will behave under the circumstances. In making a video out of a film, if the transition from a film to video is not done properly, it results in 'bad editing'. The video processor within the video processor/scalar unit will switch modes, such as, film vs. video - video vs. film, in order to avoid artifacts. The processor switched from film to video as soon as it encounters these bad editing portions. This may result in loss of resolution, which is minimised by the video processor/scalar, being motion adaptive. Then there are those jagged areas along the diagonal edges. DCDi hides these areas in such a way that you never realise when it changes from and to film mode, Watching a movie with DCDi technology built-in video processor/scalar, makes the experience more enjoyable, owing to the fact that those annoying artifacts have all vanished, providing a continuous high definition picture viewing experience.

Car Audio - What Can Be Upgraded?

Before you choose the parts of your car stereo that you want to upgrade, you need to think about what type of sound output and input you want in your vehicle. There are many different options when it comes to mobile audio, so it is wise to do some researching before you make any purchases.

When it comes to upgrading input method, you have many choices with which to replace your factory radio/tape/CD player. There are now many car audio video options including multi-disc CD players, satellite radios, and iPod adapters/integrations. You can choose just one or add multiple systems to create a veritable mobile DJ set-up. Just about all factory car stereos are easily removed to accommodate any new type of mobile stereo.

Choosing an output method for your car audio is typically a lot more difficult, simply because of the quantity of options available. Not only can you upgrade the four standard speakers that come in most cars, you can also add a variety of new speakers such as tweeters and subwoofers. In the range of mobile audio equipment you will next need to choose quality levels, which invariably are complementary to the quantity of speakers you can afford.

Before you begin the transformation of your car audio electronics, fix a budget. It is important to know what you can spend before you go into your local car audio store. This will help you come out with the car stereo system and sound you want as well as help the salespeople find you the right car audio electronics. Your budget will greatly depend on whether you want quality or quantity in your car audio equipment, something that friends, family, online reviews, and the store salespeople can help you decide.

Now that you have a basic understanding of what can be upgraded, get out there, do some research, and install a sweet mobile sound system.

Tuesday, March 6, 2012

How to Setup an Audio/Video Streaming Server on VPS

If you have VPS and you want to stream audio files or video files -- either .mp4 or .flv -- you'll need to set up a streaming server. An audio or video streaming server delivers media files to anyone who wants to see them on the Internet. Streaming is different from the process known as "progressive downloading" because with streaming, a person viewing your site can skip ahead to any part of a file right away, without having to wait for the entire file to download. (With streaming, there's no buffering, and we all know how buffering can get on a lot of people's nerves.) Streaming servers also keep your files safe and secure, and they don't use up too much bandwidth, either.

If you want to set up and audio or video streaming server on your VPS, all you have to do is buy and install server software. There are many brands of this software available, but among the leading options are Adobe Flash Media, Apple DSS and Wowza. It can be expensive to buy this software outright--a thousand dollars isn't uncommon--but if you run a small business you will most likely find that you more than make your money back in terms of attracting new customers through exciting media content. And with a VPS streaming server you're able to control all aspects of this content, which isn't the case with, say, a shared hosting plan.

Let's use Adobe FMS as an example. To install this software on your VPS, simply download what's called a "development license," a document which will offer you step-by-step instructions through the entire setup process. Thus, the setup is fast and easy. And once you have your audio/video streaming server set up, all you have to do is take the audio or video files that you already have and save them in the application folder. By the way, you'll need to encode all your media files. Browsers tend to want to download media files, and not stream those files, unless you have created what are known as "metafiles" for them.

Another option for a streaming server is to rent a VPS account from someone who has already set up such a server on that account. This person will have paid the full amount for that streaming server, which means this VPS account is sure to be more expensive than a VPS account normally would be.