Your Disposable High Definition Television from heathaplexVISION on Vimeo.
With HDTVs prices falling and the repair costs rising, have you faced the tough decision on whether to repair it or throw it away?
Category Archives: HDTV
You Had Me At Fiber-Optic
Posted by heathaplexvision
on September 6, 2010
No comments
Like many of you out there, I am always looking for a good deal. So, when we moved out to Washington, DC, I spent a lot of time debating how I was going to acquire internet, television and phone. This decision is much like deciding which pill to take….the blue one or the red one; and the decision can end up bad if you don’t know what you’re dealing with. Going with a traditional provider like Cox, Comcast, Time Warner has its pluses and minuses, but then again, so does going ad hoc with Skype, Vonage, MagicJack, Over-the-air (OTA) antenna, etc. Little did I know, the FIOS hardware that was already installed in my home, backed by one heck of a deal, made the decision too good to pass up. Again, I was sucked into the big service provider for the trifecta.
The area we live in is wired for Verizon’s FIOS service. This is the first time I’ve had FIOS and I have to say I’ve loved it from the point of order to the actual use of their services. I decided to go with Internet, Phone and Cable (no movie channels and 25 Mbps [Up/Down] for internet) and still ended up saving about $50 over my previous Time Warner package with slower internet and far less HD channels. I am using cable cards for my TiVo HDs, which required quite a bit of explaining to Verizon on the difference between single-stream and multi-stream cable cards. However, cable cards saved me about $20 a month by not having additional DVR boxes, but this does limit the full capabilities of FIOS (Streaming between boxes, on-demand content, etc…). All in all, I’m paying just a bit over $100 for all three services with no service contract.
Installation went very smooth despite some coaching on the Cable Card setup for my TiVos. Our service rep was incredibly professional and cared about the quality of work. In fact, he cleaned up the previous install because he didn’t like how it looked. The install can take all day, depending on what they need to hookup. Our house already had the backup battery box and junction box, so it only took a couple of hours, but I’ve heard it can entail digging up the yard to run some cable….this would be a worse-case scenario. Our installation tech was actually from the Boston area on temporary duty here in DC to help cover the workload. It has got to be tough to leave the wife and kids behind, but Verizon is taking good care of him here.
What are the services like? I absolutely love the quality of HD and the speed of the internet. Instantly, I could tell a major difference in HD quality over Time Warner. No more pixelating, no more blurs, no more cable cutting out every other day. The picture looks great, the sound is awesome and I have a ton of HD channels to choose from. No more tuning adaptors, no more calls to ask why the cable is out….just peace and harmony. The internet is very fast and the service comes with a wireless router, so the entire house is Wi-Fi ready. I was able to add other wireless extenders for the TiVos, Blu-Ray and other network enabled devices.
Overall, I am very pleased with my Verizon FIOS service and I cannot say enough about their customer service. I am not a big advocate for sticking with major cable companies and paying all kinds of money for sub-par service, but I may have found an exception. The only shortfall with FIOS is the availability in many markets. The area needs to be wired for fiber-optic, so that presents some challenges in certain rural and smaller cities. But, if you find yourself in an area where you do have the ability to acquire FIOS, I recommend giving them a call or visiting them online to check out what they can offer you. And don’t ever forget….you can always ask for a deal or new-subscriber discount. Never underestimate the value of asking for a deal. You won’t get one if you don’t ask.
For more information about Verizon FIOS service visit them at www.verizon.com
That One Magical “Super” Sunday
Posted by heathaplexvision
on February 7, 2010
No comments
Today is Super Bowl Sunday! Today is the day all true fans of the pigskin live for. Yeah sure, we’d love to have our teams competing in the big game, but its more than just a game. For those of us who enjoy the sport to the extreme, it is a chance to let others into our crazy, fanatic, football lives and enjoy the day with good friends and family. I truly hope this day is a great one for everyone. I’m sure many of you have been waiting to show off that beautiful HD television set or perhaps you just got back from buying one and are now, desperately trying to get it wired and ready to go. At the very least, raise a glass of your favorite beverage to this long-standing sport tradition that is ‘The Super Bowl’ and give thanks to all that you have in your lives. Oh….and don’t forget to TiVo the commercials, if you miss them they’ll be on YouTube.
A New Decade is Upon Us
Posted by heathaplexvision
on December 31, 2009
2 comments
Happy New Year Everyone! 2010 is now upon us and I want to encourage all of your to focus on your future and find something you are passionate about. Heathaplex Vision is still an infant, but expanding everyday. In the coming year Heathaplex Vision plans to start a video podcast with all kinds of tips, installation/how-to videos, guest appearances, and just good old fashion fun with the world of tech. In addition to airing Heathaplex Vision.TV, I plan to officially launch the Heathaplex Vision Website with more features to meet your needs. I am also very excited to setup the Heathaplex Vision Swag Hut with T-Shirts, Hats, etc… There’s nothing like showing your support with some good old fashioned Swag. Might even give some away to my faithful followers. These are just a few things I plan to add to Heathaplex Vision in the coming year.
Most importantly, I want to thank each and everyone one of you who have visited my site and shared it with friends. My mission is to provide you the best content I can based on my knowledge, research and your questions, insight and needs. My passion is simple: Sharing and Caring! I want you to learn something from my site and pass it along to your friends and family. There are so many cool devices and technologies out there that it is easy to get overwhelmed. Some products are good and some are not. What matters most is that you are happy and you are taking advantage of what the tech world has to offer.
Top 5 PREDICTIONS FOR 2010: I would like to start a tradition of giving you my tech predictions for each coming year. That way when they come true I can say, “I told you so!” Realistically though, I’ll probably be hearing from you, “You were way off, pal.” Either way….here are my predictions for what we will see in 2010:
1. 3-D Capable Television Sets: There are a few out there, but this will be the year when they really start hitting the market. It won’t explode like HDTV flat screens did in the beginning because the content will take time to build, but I think you’ll start to see some affordable sets in the coming year.
2. Wireless Audio/Video Streaming: Sony already has a television that streams signals from a standalone box to the television….no wires are plugged into the television. I think this will be huge in 2010 as people cry out for Home Theater systems that are free of the cable clutter.
3. Tablet Computing: This is the year Apple enters into the ring of tablets. The rumors are already flowing with a January 26th announcement date from Apple. Just like Apple redefined MP3 Players and Smartphones with the iPod and iPhone, they will showcase a “Tablet” that puts all the others to shame and revolutionizes the market. Don’t count out Microsoft though….they will also introduce a tablet of their own.
4. E-Book Readers: Newspapers and Magazines are already prepping for the e-book revolution. According to Amazon, Kindle eBook downloads far exceeded actually book purchases over the holidays. We will see a standardized ebook format and by the end of the year, you will see a color version of an e-book reader. This will signal the end of magazines as we know it.
5. Finally, Google Navigation (with Google Maps) will appear in American-made Automobiles! My guess is that GM will take advantage with Ford already knee-deep in Microsoft services. The New Audi A8 offers an option for Google Earth Navigation and it looks amazing!
These are my predicitons for 2010. Call me a liar or jump on the Heathaplex Vision bandwagon. Bottom line folks, I want the very best for each and everyone of you in the coming year. Do something amazing this year! Reconnect with old friends, re-invest some much needed personal time with your families and look for ways to improve yourself. If you find yourself down and out in 2010, follow this bit of wisdom, as my good friend Stephanie once passed along to me when the world seemed to be falling apart around me:
“The best thing for being sad is to learn something. That is the only thing that never fails. You may grow old and trembling in your anatomies, you may lie awake at night listening to the disorder of you veins, you may miss your only love, you may see the world about you devastated by evil lunatics or know your honor trampled in the sewers of baser minds. There is only one thing for it then – to learn. Learn why the world wags and what wags it. That is the only thing which the mind can never exhaust, never alienate, never be tortured by, never fear or distrust, and never dream of regretting” – Spoken by Merlyn in “The Once and Future King” by T.H. White.
This is going to be an amazing decade…don’t let it pass you by like the last. Do great things and continue to enhance your lives and those around you. I wish you all the very best. Happy Holidays from Heathaplex Vision.
LED TVs “ARE” LCD TVs…Don’t Get Bamboozled
Posted by heathaplexvision
on December 27, 2009
8 comments
I can’t take it any more folks!!!! I finally reached the point where I feel I must inform the masses and set the record straight about the so-called new LED Televisons. All those LED TVs ARE LCD TVs!!! Don’t fall for all the false advertising.
As I was reading this Sunday’s Best Buy ads, I ran across a full page Samsung television advertisement showing three LED TVs on sale. No where does it mention LCD, but that is exactly what you are buying. This is why it is important to educate yourself on all these formats. You can learn all about it by ‘Googling’ it.
LED stands for Light Emitting Diode. LEDs are everywhere around us and have been since the early 1960s. LEDs produce light. Traditional LCD televisions are backlit via fluorescent light which is larger, consumes more energy, and it not as brilliant as LED backlit LCD televisions. Did you catch what I said here…..LCD televisions are either backlit with flourescent light or LED light. It is as simple as that. But, Best Buy and Samsung would have you believe LED TVs are something completely new to the world of high definition televisions and even get you to pay more than double for it. Even when I visited Best Buy, the sales person couldn’t even explain what LED technology was and blindly went on to tell other customers this was new technology and different than LCD. Sorry Best Buy dude….this has been around for a long time.
There are some great things about LED that you should be aware of. First, it consumes far less power than fluorescent backlit displays. Second, the lighting is smaller, hence the thickness of televisions can be smaller, which is another major advertising plug. Third, they produce higher contrast ratios and are a bit more brilliant (black-levels are improved over traditional flourescent backlit LDC TVs), but not as good as the numbers would have you believe. Fourth, you need to understand there are two types of LED televisions: those that are completely backlit (Full Array) and those that are edge-lit. Edge-lit have diodes around the edges of the television and throw light from the sides to light up the display. They are not as good as the full backlit (Full Array), but cost a lot less. Also, Full Array LED backlit displays can turn off light to individual areas of the screen which produces more realistic black levels and better contrast rations. I highly doubt you’ll find many Best Buy reps who truly understand the difference between Edge Lit displays and Full Array displays, but you should know what you are getting into before you pay up to twice as much for an LED-lit display vs a Flourescent-lit TV.
Bottom line folks, do your research before dropping this kind of cash on a television set. All it takes is a few minutes on the web and a few Wikipedia entries to learn about the different technology on the street. LED-lit LCDs are great televisions and produce some fantastic pictures, but you’re still getting an LCD television. As a movie viewer I still prefer Plasma because of the true black level reproduction, clarity, and the fact I have it located in a fairly dark room. If you prefer LCD televisions, definitely take a closer look at the LED versions on sale. Prices will soon be dropping as people begin to understand the major differences with these backlit displays and the fact that they are still buying an LCD television set.
Happy New Year to you all!!!
Which Pocket Video Camera is better? Kodak Zi8 vs Flip UltraHD
Posted by heathaplexvision
on November 30, 2009
No comments
This is a question I’ve been asking myself and now a friend of mine is asking. Now is the time to share some thoughts, so I posted a great link on the differences between the two. Personally, I added the Kodak Zi8 to my wishlist and here’s my short list of reasons why:
1. True 1080p recording
2. 5 Mega-pixel still photos (Flip does not take still photos)
3. HDMI port to show videos on my HDTV
4. Facebook and YouTube upload management included
5. Larger LCD screen on the back and image stabilization
Hands down, the Kodak Zi8 is a much better camera for the money! Download this article by Hiawatha Bray from Boston.com (PDF Link –>) Pocket Camera Comparison
Happy Holidays from Heathaplex Vision
Reposted: 60Hz vs. 120Hz vs. 240Hz – LCD Response Rate
Posted by heathaplexvision
on November 30, 2009
No comments
Click this link for information on Response Rate for HDTVs: 60Hz vs. 120Hz vs. 240Hz – LCD Response Rate.
This is a great article I ran across from lcdtvbuyingguide.com. I’ve been talking with a number of people over the past few days about buying televisions and this question always comes up when looking at LCD HDTVs.
Enjoy!
Heathaplex Vision
