Archive for the ‘TVs’ Category

V-Chips Explained

Wednesday, September 28th, 2011

Recently we explained how to set up DISH Network parental locks, but did you know your TV also offers parental controls?

These controls are based on the FCC regulated V-Chip guidelines, which require all TVs 13-inches and larger to be equipped with technology that allows the blocking of content based upon its rating.

Here are the ratings:

TV-Y

All Children — This program is designed to be appropriate for all children.
Whether animated or live-action, the themes and elements in this program are specifically designed for a very young audience, including children from ages 2-6. This program is not expected to frighten younger children.

TV-Y7

Directed to Older Children — This program is designed for children age 7 and above.
It may be more appropriate for children who have acquired the developmental skills needed to distinguish between make-believe and reality. Themes and elements in this program may include mild fantasy or comedic violence, or may frighten children under the age of 7. Therefore, parents may wish to consider the suitability of this program for their very young children. Note: For those programs where fantasy violence may be more intense or more combative than other programs in this category, such programs will be designated TV-Y7-FV. For programs designed for the entire audience, the general categories are:

TV-G

General Audience — Most parents would find this program suitable for all ages.
Although this rating does not signify a program designed specifically for children, most parents may let younger children watch this program unattended. It contains little or no violence, no strong language and little or no sexual dialogue or situations.

TV-PG

Parental Guidance Suggested — This program contains material that parents may find unsuitable for younger children.
Many parents may want to watch it with their younger children. The theme itself may call for parental guidance and/or the program contains one or more of the following: moderate violence (V), some sexual situations (S), infrequent coarse language (L), or some suggestive dialogue (D).

TV-14

Parents Strongly Cautioned — This program contains some material that many parents would find unsuitable for children under 14 years of age.
Parents are strongly urged to exercise greater care in monitoring this program and are cautioned against letting children under the age of 14 watch unattended. This program contains one or more of the following: intense violence (V), intense sexual situations (S), strong coarse language (L), or intensely suggestive dialogue (D).

TV-MA

Mature Audience Only — This program is specifically designed to be viewed by adults and therefore may be unsuitable for children under 17.
This program contains one or more of the following: graphic violence (V), explicit sexual activity (S), or crude indecent language (L).

If you are having issues with parental controls blocking out certain content and you’ve verified your DISH Network receiver’s locks are not the cause, you may want to refer to your TV’s owner’s manual to ensure the V-Chip settings are correct.

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How To Buy an HDTV: Features

Friday, August 26th, 2011

We’ve discussed How To Buy an HDTV previously, going over the differences between LED, LCD and Plasma, today we’ll talk about the many different features available with HDTVs today and which ones you should pay attention to.

Ports

HDTVs are the hub of your home entertainment center, bringing together receivers, DVD/Blu-Ray players, gaming consoles, stereos and even computers. When buying a new TV you want to make sure you can actually bring all of those things together. Make you sure know how many HDMI, Component, Composite, Cable, USB or VGA ports you will need, and if you’re looking to add more in the future be sure to take that into account.

Energy Efficiency

As mentioned above, your home entertainment system is probably home to many electronic components. Buying an energy efficient HDTV can ehlp lower your electric bill and ease the burden on the circuits in your living room. In May, 2010, Energy Star released Energy Star 4.0, which cracked down on Energy Star ratings for HDTVs. The Energy Star logo can help you to narrow down your choices, but be sure to keep in mind that larger screens are obviously going to require larger amounts of energy, plasma requires more energy than LCDs but LCDs require more energy than LEDs, and brighter pictures require more energy.

Menus and Remotes

Menus and remotes can be frustratingly complicated, but also infuriatingly oversimplified. Make sure to browse through the menus on the TV and ask to look at the remote. Do you see the kind of options you like to have? Some people like to be able to just plug and go, the only options needed being volume changing and input switching. Others love to have more options to tweak, perfecting colors and adjusting picture. Make sure to find a TV that is closest to your preferences, one that doesn’t have so many option as to overwhelm you, but also doesn’t limit your choices.

Matte or Glossy

The finish on your TV screen may not be something you pay much attention to, until you realize you can’t watch TV in the morning because of the early sun streaming through or that the dining room light has to be off to avoid a glare. Make sure to look closely at the TV screen on the showroom floor and take note of the glares and reflections, especially during scenes with a lot of darks. Also think about the lighting placement in your living room, as most higher end TVs come with a glossy screen it may be easier to rearrange lighting fixtures to avoid glares.

Internet Readiness

Internet ready TVs are very popular for obvious reasons, but a new internet ready television could cost you hundreds, even thousands of dollars more. You can save money by adding internet to your existing TV with the Logitech Review with Google TV from DISH Network for only $99! DISH Network customers with a Logitech Revue™ have the most advanced Google TV experience available. The integration includes robust search capabilities spanning Web and DVR content as well as DISH Network Video On Demand programming, something no other provider can offer!

With Google TV you can:
Enjoy Youtube™ and other web videos – all on your TV.
Search for a movie and find it, whether it’s on TV, the Web, your DVR or On Demand.
Watch a cooking show and look up recipes on your big screen.


The Logitech Keyboard Controller was designed specifically for Google TV, so you’ll have the dedicated commands you need to search, control and interact with videos from TV and the Web—all from your keyboard.


Call 866-912-4774 today to get the most out of your new HDTV and add Google TV to your viewing experience for only $99!

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How to Buy a New HDTV: LCD vs. LED vs. Plasma

Friday, July 15th, 2011


The first thing to remember about shopping for a TV is that everyone sees things differently. What may look crisp and perfect to one person could look grainy and washed out to another. In the end the best decision you can make is based on what looks good to you.


LCD vs. LED vs. Plasma


What kind of HDTV would be best for you?

LCD

LCD TVs are known for having poor black levels but recent developments have helped to fix some of the issues. LCD TVs are back-lit by cold-cathode fluorescent lights (CCFLs), so there will always be some light leaking through and you won’t get that deep black you see on a Plasma TV.
LCD also falls short of plasma when it comes to viewing angles as well, there is some color changes and wash out when watching an LCD from an angle. LCD TVs are best placed in rooms where there is plenty of seating directly in front of it. LCD image and color quality may also suffer when in a darkened room.
LCDs are available in a variety of sizes from 19″ to 65″, and in the popular 40 to 55″ size range, LCD and plasma are priced similarly.

LED

LED TVs are not necessarily new technology. They’re just an LCD TV that uses light-emitting diodes (LEDs) for back lighting instead of the standard cold-cathode fluorescent lights (CCFLs). There are two kinds of LED TVs: full array and edge-lit.
Full array means LEDs are placed across the back panel, just like in LCD TVs with a CCFL backlight.
Edge-lit came about as a way to make TVs even thinner. The lights are placed on all four sides and is projected to the center. Edge-lit LED TVs are the most common.
LED TVs are available in 32″ or larger, are often thinner and use a little bit less energy. Some models may offer slightly better picture quality, but are expensive.

Plasma

Plasma is the original flat-screen TV technology, and though newer LCD technology has begun to edge it out you still tend to get a better picture quality from plasma. Plasma has wider viewing angles, allowing for more people to watch from a wider space.
Plasmas main issues are that they’re larger, heavier and less energy efficient than their LCD counterparts. They also have issues with reflecting light off their glass screens, which can make viewing in a bright room difficult. Plasma screen do have superior color richness, but are best viewed in darker rooms.
Plasma TVs are available in 42″ or larger and often beat out the LCD competition in price, especially 50″ and above. 50″ is considered by most to be the perfect size for a plasma TV.

LCD LED Plasma
Size 19 to 65″ 32″+
thinner		 42″+
bulkier
Viewing Area Best directly in front of TV Wider angles and better color uniformity when not in front
Colors Bright and vibrant, poor black levels Rich with excellent deep blacks
Best Viewed In Lighter rooms where flaws are less visible Dark rooms where there is not a lot of potential glare
Energy Efficiency Much better than plasma Some models may be slightly better than LCD Worst

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