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DirecTV vs. Dish Network -- Which Is Better?
The satellite TV systems and services offered by DirecTV and Dish Network are almost identical -- both offer more than 250 program channels, all-digital programming, HDTV (high definition TV) options, and DVR (digital video recording) capabilities....
HDTV and the iPod photo: A Perfect Marriage?
They may seem like an odd combination, but the iPod photo could be the perfect choice for anyone who wants to view photo slideshows on an HDTV . The iPod photo can store thousands of digital photos, and syncs with a Mac or PC via iTunes. It will...
How Hollywood is trying to control your HDTV
The Federal Communications Commission’s Broadcast Flag mandate is set to come in to force on 1st July, if legal challenges fail to stop it. The Broadcast Flag will place severe restrictions on consumers’ ability to view HDTV content in the way that...
Satellite TV : A Wealth Of Choice
Voom, Dish Network and Direct TV are just two of the most popular service providers of satellite TV service competing in the business today.
Satellite tv offers satellite tv guide, wide superior channel selection, free network deals, the option...
Understanding Surround Sound Systems
Surround sound is the concept of expanding the spatial imaging of audio playback from 1 dimension(mono/Left-Right) to two or three dimensions. It is often employed for a more realistic audio environment, actively implemented in cinema sound...
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Angelina Jolie on your Cellphone Anyone?
The titanic developments in new technology have radically changed the way we watch TV and movies at home. Gone are the days when the TV set was a box in the corner with a 20in screen and a tinny speaker. Now most of us prefer to watch movies and sports casts on a widescreen that’s at least 28in from corner to corner. If you are a fan of home theater then that screen will almost certainly be bigger and be accompanied by a surround sound speaker system to maximise the aural effect and immerse you in the action. As technology improves and equipment becomes cheaper, more and more people will have high definition TVs and home theater set-ups.
However, if Sony has its way, we’ll all be enjoying a completely different movie-watching experience, on a 2inch mobile phone screen. Sony wants to see an iTunes-style download service for movies so we can download them and watch them on the move. Would you watch a film on a cellphone? I wouldn’t.
Imagine it. Out would go the immersive, involving experience of the movie theater that we’ve tried so hard to create at home, and in its place would be a screen so small that it would be difficult to make out what was going on. That in itself would create a dilemma for film-makers. If a sizeable number of people who pay to see a movie do so by downloading it on their mobile, will directors have to take this into account when making it? Will studios reject cuts because they contain too many subtle facial expressions or movements that can’t
be detected on a tiny screen? Will the muted colors of a Saving Private Ryan have to replaced with more lurid and brightly colored scenes to make them more easily visible on a cellphone?
And what of the audio? Is their any point in spending time and money developing a detailed and textured surround-sound experience if a significant portion of your audience will be listening on earbuds while travelling on a train?
These examples may be extreme, but they do highlight the differences between the way a music download service works and the way a movie download service would. Music, by its nature, is immensely portable. OK, the sound quality from an iPod over a pair of earbuds may be nothing compared to that from a decent hi-fi set-up, but for most people most of the time, it’s a close enough approximation. That won’t be the case with movies. Why did those tiny, battery powered, pocket TVs never really take-off? For the same reason.
Apple CEO, Steve Jobs, who knows a thing or two about the movie industry through his stewardship of Pixar, has often said that he’s not interested in producing a video iPod because no-one wants to watch movies on a small screen. Jobs is right about most things, and I think he’s right about that. Sony disagrees. It will be interesting to see who’s right.
About the Author
Robert Armstrong is a contributor to The HDTV Tuner- a guide to the kit, the technology and the programming on HDTV.
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