Don't Be Left Behind

There are those who find technology a big waste of time, that technological advance is not necessary. These ideas originate from a lack of knowledge on the subject.

Technology is a big part in our every-day lives. We have televisions, radios, cell phones, music devices, game consoles and personal computers. This technology continues to grow every single day, and though it may be hard to stay informed on the latest and greatest, it's time to jump on the band-wagon and learn the basics!

Televisions have made a huge leap these last few years. If you are planning on purchasing one in the near-future. This is what you will need to know.

How do I know if high-definition TV is for me?

The main thing to consider when looking to buy an HDTV is your potential sources. If you don't plan on purchasing a high-definition cable/satellite receiver, Blu-ray player, upconvert DVD player or a high-definition game system, it may not be worth your time. Without a high-definition source, your picture quality will be poor.

Why would my picture be poor?

Think of it like if you were watching a video on Youtube; the picture looks fine at it's current size, but if you enlarge the video to full-screen the image looks distorted and blurry. The same concept goes with your HDTV. If you are watching a a DVD with a standard DVD player, the video only has 480 lines from top to bottom; an HDTV has up to 1,080. So when you take that small picture and stretch it to fill the entire screen, it ends up looking like this.

Notice how it appears blurry. This is normal if you have a standard cable box, DVD player or anything else connected with standard cables (red, white and yellow).

Now if you have a upscale DVD player, it will make the picture considerably better, like this. The image looks slightly better but still has it's imperfections.

Now this last example is what is produced from a true high-definition source, such as an HD channel or a Blu-ray disc. The source is made to match the TV's 1,080 lines, resulting in the picture looking crisp.

When watching a move or a TV channel you may see a black bar on the top and bottom of your screen. This is normal. It means that the individual show was filmed with a wider aspect ratio then your TV. All current HDTV's have an aspect ratio of 1:78:1. If you look on the back cover of a DVD, the movie's aspect ratio is listed near the bottom. If the number is any higher than 1:78:1, the movie will display these black bars.

Why is all this necessary?

Changes in technology are necessary. Where would society be without the internet, radio, and television? They each do their part in making society a faster, more informed and a more knowledgeable people.

Learn the basics! You don't have to be the person who buys the biggest and best, but don't stand uniformed.

Technology flows through the veins of this generation, learn it! Don't be left behind.