wnyc.org / 93.9fm / am 820

Why fix analog??????? It was perfectly fine. I find all this LED LCD and 'O' stuff mind boggling, if not frightening.

Besides, a flat screen would not *go* with my collection of framed-on-the-wall art. I live in a cramped apartment and don't have a 'screening room.'

I find the entire concept stupid and that people need to stop being consumer lemmings. Better to spend any disposeable income to Mumbai or Haiti...

We have fairly new TV's and are not interested in newer HD and 3D TV's until the program content is greatly improved. We are not interested in C-Span in HD or 3D. We are more interested in getting the cable ripoff removed that requires you to rent each settop box. Also, we would like one remote control that handles TV, VCR and DVD that does not cost an arm and a leg.

I found a few of their comments a bit odd coming from "experts".

Blu-Ray players offer a much better picture than DVD and they can play DVDs, so you don't have to replace all your movies. If you're getting a new DVD player, get a Blu-Ray instead. A few models even let you stream Netflix directly to your TV.

Regarding buying a TV. Look online to see what's popular but you really have to see the screen yourself before purchasing. You have no idea how the online community is using their set. Is it in a poorly lit room, are they too close to the screen, how many other TVs did they look at to know that theirs is the best/worst, are they watching DVDs, broadcast TV, etc? This all impacts their opinion on the quality of the TV they bought. I've seen comments online that claim non-HD broadcasts look the same as HD on their TV. Go look at the screen in person. Ask the salesman to play a Blu-Ray movie so that you can see the best the TV can do. It's a lot of money to spend based on the opinion of anonymous comments.

to glen... it will be slow but find a proxy server there are many and often used so chinese people can get access to uncensored internet in the US .. you can use them too

Blu-Ray - this is an excellent format - far superior to the older DVD formats. And I know many people who own them. Newer Blu-Ray players will play NetFlix and Blockbuster rentals directly, with more of these services to come.

Where can I get a TV with a built in coffee maker so I don’t fall asleep while watching network TV?

Regarding the HiSense brand: These sets were pretty good. But the "company" pulled up stakes and left the country some time ago without a trace. As long as your set lasts, it should be fine. It is so long since they were sold that it owes you nothing, so when it quits, it's usually not worth fixing.

Do we even need TVs anymore? Can't we just buy a nice monitor and hook to the computer? Would a monitor be able to hook into an antenna or digital converter box with the right cable?

I am a technology consultant. With few exceptions, regarding flat-panel TVs, within types (LCD, plasma etc.), sets come in two grades: very good and better. I have found some individual model numbers that are poor, and some individual units that are duds, but this rule is generally true. Make sure you get a good warranty and buy from a reliable seller, and known brand name and pick one. You usually won't be disappointed.

Because I live outside the U.S., copyright restrictions prevent me from having access to certain web content from U.S.-based websites (such as Hulu). What "stealth" Internet service do you recommend so that I can receive content from websites outside the United States?

What is your opinion of the future of BitTorrent distribution of TV content, and the current bounds of legality or nonlegality for content that is available now?

Keep in mind that there has to be a production and delivery pipeline in place to create any content in new formats, and this takes time. How long did the shift to HD take? Roughly 10 years, and there are still tons of SD channels.

@Alison: Just get a decent DLP projector, and it will be awesome! This is what I have and it is great. You can get good deals on closeouts on old models.

(Not inc the newer 720P and 1080P and HQ youtube streams which stutter and stop anyway) watching youtube videos on a 52 inch LCD screen? What a geek joke ! Comedy central's streams of the daily show are not bad .. file based networks are coming but not actually ready for the 52 inch screen yet.

Regarding 3D TV's people will buy their own glasses eventually. It will be something you bring with you to a Super Bowl Party. The 3D TV option with glasses has its detractors but I think 3D on a TV without glasses is a long way off. The existing tech just isn't good enough and its a long way off. Good for ad displays in the mall but thats about it so far.

When I was laid off last winter, we cut all costs possible and haven't had cable or traditional television since then. We just didn't feel it was necessary to get cable back when I started working again. There are enough programs out there with shows available online. Most of my peers (I'm 38) just don't really seem to care about HD and even less about 3D so all the fancy new tv's just don't seem very exciting.

TV via the Internet is great but can connecting a computer to an HDTV spoil the HDTV's image quality?

I hooked up my MacBook to my new Sony Bravia HDTV (with extended not mirrored screens) via HDMI. Since then the picture is noisy, the whites have a pinkish tint and the viewing angle has shrunk dramatically.

Any heard of this before? A screen profile issue?

Thanks.

David

Why are the glasses for 3D TV expensive with electronics in them and the ones they gave us at the movies for Avatar a fairly cheap set?
whats the difference in technology??

I wouldn't trade in my old 31" GE CRT TV for any of them. It has worked flawlessly for nearly a dozen years, and I get free DTV with my converter box. I also stream Hulu, Netflix and other movie/TV sites from my computer to my TV using the right video card and the apropos cable as well.

I will wait till the new LED monitors come out in a year or two for my computer. I won't bother with the LCDs or others. As for 3D or OLEDs, those are WAY into the future, and I might not live long enough for them :) If I do, we'll see five or ten years down the line.

All TVs made after March 2007 have the analog-to=digital converter built in & will work with an antenna (rabbit ears).

Could your guests comment on video projectors? How is the quality of projected video? What kind of screen do you need?

Back in 2003, IEEE Spectrum had an article on carbon nanotube TV technology (http://spectrum.ieee.org/semiconductors/optoelectronics/watching-the-nanotube/0). I haven't heard anything about it since--have OLED & other developing technologies pushed it aside, or are they just coming in faster & nanotube TV will push *them* aside after a few more years?

Mr. Brown: which companies are releasing lower-priced LED TVs this year? I've been waiting for samsung to bring its price down for about a year.

On the topic of streaming content, anyone can stream infinite amounts of content in HD Quality with any tv with an HDMI port and a laptop with HDMI connections. It can also serve as an extra monitor.

I have a SONY Cineza High Def projector. I got it for $2500 4 years ago. But the picture is huge. It's like watching a movie! Plus the 5 x 3 white screen acts like a piece of minimalist art in my living room.

-Rob

Do they have any opinion on the Mitsubishi LaserVue televisions? They're insanely expensive but how is the picture?

Anytime a store clerk tells you you need an over priced monster cable you tell them that if those audio and video cables are so good why are they NOT used in broadcast and recording studios where the content is made and broadcast. Overpriced cables are a scam. As is most uber end audio equipment. Actually Plazma screens are not very bright, they are less bright than LCD and the newer Plasmas actually use just about the same power as LCD's there are 200 odd watt plasmas so the statement I just heard about their power consumption and brightness is completely wrong.. I work for Lifetime television so I have some inside knowledge about these things

There seems to be a wide range of prices for similar sets. Is there a good resource that rates quality among different brands?

The problem with all of these technologies is ... the content. Who cares how good "Desperate Housewives" looks?

Compared to CRT TV's the new technologies are relly lacking. But the degradation of our ability to know what a good picture is began with cable TV and its 320 line resolution in the 80's Broadcast was over 500 lines. Even HDTV now is realy just barly competitive with full quality NYSC as it is viewed with cable compression artifacts and LCD TV's. I worked for broadcast stations and I am very picky about picture quality.

How should I evaluate mini projectors to connect to my computer to watch DVD's and streaming video from the internet (e.g., hulu, etc.). Right now I hook my computer to my tv and stereo but I'd like to get rid of the TV. I don't want to spend a lot but I also don't want to be disappointed. Do you have any recommendations

is netflix officially available on Wii now?

Send Google into China! Then close the borders. Their search engine is virtually useless, unless you want malware, beauty parlors and real estate agents, no mater what you are looking for.

Don't give up on the public libraries! They're looking better and better every day!