FirstGlimpse Volume 6 Issue 1

19.6 MB·English

by  Sandhills Publishing

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Table Of Contents (cid:127) Volume 6 Issue 1
On Our Cover: Featured on this month’s cover is LG’s 52LG70 1080p LCD TV and
BD300 Network Blu-ray Disc Player($2,799.95 and $349.99, respectively; www.lgusa.com).
16 40 to 42
Hang It Up Digital Imaging
Get The Right Flat-Panel Mount Comparison Charts
For Your HDTV Point-&-Shoot
Cameras; D-SLRs;
17
HDTVs Digital Camcorders
The Goods On LCDs, Plasmas & RPTVs
Lifestyle Close-up:
18
Essential Things To Know CE Convergence
Cover Story TV Screen Technologies
8 20 to 25 Technologies and features that were once lim-
HD Like You’ve Never Seen It Before Home Theater
ited to certain products have crossed lines and
LG’s 52LG70 1080p LCD TV & Product Profile Section
evolved. In this section, we take a look at CE
BD300 Network Blu-ray Disc Player
26 to 27 devices that no longer serve just one purpose.
HDTV Comparison
Charts 43
Collaborate & Cooperate
LCD; Plasma
Open When Your Gadgets Work Together,
28 You Win
HDTVs
6
CE News 5 Must-Have Accessories 44
A Meeting Of Home-Theater Minds
Technology That’s Leading
Home Theater Digital Imaging
To Home-Theater Convergence
10 29 45
The Magic Box Beyond Megapixels Merging Together
Understanding DACs It’s What’s On The Inside One Digital Imaging Device,
(Digital-To-Analog Converters) That Counts Many Functions
11 30 46
Going Digital From Digicam To Disc Welcome To Multimedia Fusion
How Will The Upcoming How To Preserve Your HD Memories PC Convergence Continues
TV Conversion Affect You? Its Transformation
31
Optical vs. Digital Zoom
12 47
More Power To You See The Difference Talk & More
A/V Receiver Specs & Volume Today’s Phones Share
32
Spanning The Spectrum More Than Just Minutes
13
Cut Down On The Clutter Focal Lengths Explained
48
Wireless Speakers Simplify Beyond Just The Game
33
Your Home-Theater System Digital Camcorders Engage In Your Own Gaming
5 Must-Have Accessories Convergence Experience
14
Home-Theater Shopping Questionnaire
34
Find The Right Budget Essential Things To Know
Computers
& HDTV To Fit Your Needs Camera Capabilities
15 36 to 39 49
Yes, You Need To Calibrate Digital Imaging Antivirus & Antispyware Software
Give Your HDTV A Makeover Product Profile Section Do You Get What You Pay For?
Copyright 2009 by Sandhills Publishing Company. First Glimpseis a registered trademark of Sandhills Publishing Company. All rights reserved. Reproduction of material appearing
in First Glimpse, Volume 6 Issue 1 is strictly prohibited without written permission. Printed in the U.S.A. GST # 123482788RT0001. First Glimpse(ISSN 1554-2106) is published
monthly by Sandhills Publishing Company, 131 West Grand Drive, P.O. Box 85380, Lincoln, NE 68501-5380. Subscriber Services: [phone]. POSTMASTER: Send address
changes to First Glimpse, P.O. Box 85380, Lincoln, NE 68501-5380.
50
Surf The Wi-Fi Wave Wireless
What You Need To Use Wi-Fi
With Your Laptop
67
Gaming Services
51
The Lowdown On 802.11n Geek Squad Helps You
The Latest Generation Of Wireless Get In The Game
52 68
Essential Things To Know CE Retailers’ Mobile Services
Media Center PCs One-Stop Convenience
54 69
Send In The Geeks! Digital Voice Recorders
Say Goodbye To Slow Computers Better Quality, More Features
& Prices That Match The User
55 to 61
Computers Product
70
Profile Section Essential Things To Know
Exit
Satellite Radio
62 to 63
Computers
72 83
Comparison Charts MP3 Players As White As Snow
Notebooks; 5 Must-Have Accessories
Desktops
73 to 80
Wireless Product
64
Software Listings Profile Section
Get More Out Of Your PC
81 to 82
Wireless Comparison Product Coverage Inquiries
66 Notebooks Charts [email protected]
[phone]
5 Must-Have Accessories MP3 Players; GPS Devices
131 West Grand Drive
Lincoln, NE 68521
Editor’s Note Circulation
(To adjust your bulk order or to request racks.)
[email protected]
Gone are the days where you need an arsenal of CE devices to enjoy your music, videos, [phone]
photos, and the Internet. Thanks to convergence in the CE world, products have grown
Customer Service
beyond having one purpose and now offer multiple functions. CE convergence has also
(For questions about your subscription or to
spurred the ability of all sorts of CE devices to communicate and work in conjunction with
place an order or change an address.)
one another. Cell phones are now a gateway to the Internet and can snap a quick photo; dig- [email protected]
ital photo frames can upload photos from your digicam and online photo-sharing accounts; [phone]
and HDTVs can stream music and photo slideshows and give you Internet access. The list FAX: [phone]
goes on and on, and in this month’s First Glimpse,we explore what CE devices have influenced
First Glimpse
one another and caused the development of devices with multiple functions.
P.O. Box 85380
Lincoln, NE 68501-5380
There are many devices on retail shelves that can perform more than their originally intended
purposes. The next time you’re shopping for a CE device, whe- Hours
Mon. - Fri.: 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. (CST)
ther it’s an MP3 player, game console, or digicam, I suggest you
Sat.: 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. (CST)
keep your eyes peeled for gadgets that have been impacted by
Online Customer Service &
CE convergence. Because those products offer a fusion of CE Subscription Center
features, you just might find that can better streamline your www.FirstGlimpseMag.com
CE needs.
Authorization For Reprints:
[phone]
Ashley Kumpula Please note: Prices listed in this issue are for
general reference and may vary from
Editor, First Glimpse
retailer pricing.
[email protected]
The Latest Arrivals
Look For These New Products
K
eep an eye out for these products hitting Best Buy shelves for the first time. Some of the items listed below are showcased in this month’s
one-page product profiles, so be sure to take a look at the listed page numbers for more information.
Dell Studio SMT-116B Desktop Belkin Susan G. Komen Sport
Home Theater Digital Imaging
Armband for iPod classic
Dell Studio SMT-117B Desktop
LG BD300 Network Blu-ray Eye-Fi Home Card
■ BlackBerry Storm Smartphone
Disc Player See page 38 ■
■ Wireless See page 78
See page 8
Eye-Fi Share Card
■ Callpod Fueltank
Denon Blu-ray Disc DVD/CD Player See page 39 Belkin Eco-Conscious Leather Folio
for iPod classic Kensington K33430US LiquidAUX
Denon iPod/Networking Client
Dock with WiFi Computers Belkin Eco-Conscious Leather Folio Deluxe
for iPod nano Nyko Charge Base 360 for Xbox 360
Denon Networked Audio System Adobe® Photoshop® Elements 7
with Built-in iPod Dock Belkin Eco-Conscious Leather Folio Nyko Intercooler TS for PS3
Adobe® Premiere® Elements 7
OmniMount Power40 Medium for iPod touch
Kensington Ci70 Keyboard with Nyko Intercooler TS for Xbox 360
Motorized Cantilever Mount
USB Ports Belkin Silicone Sleeve for iPod
Nyko Media Hub+ for PS3
OmniMount Power55 Large classic
Motorized Cantilever Mount Parallels Desktop for Mac 4.0 SanDisk slotMusic
Belkin Sport Armband Plus with
Sanyo 1080p HD Home Theater Dell Studio Hybrid-118B Desktop FastFit for iPod classic Slacker G2 Personal Radio Player
FirstGlimpse /January2009 5
OPEN
ce news
COMPILEDBYJENNIESCHLUETER
slotMusic Format Debuts Continuing Efforts
To Go Green
The latest comer to the
digital music scene is
Best Buy recently announced its
the slotMusic format
plans to reduce the greenhouse
(www.slotmusic.org),
gas emissions from its stores by
which is being backed
8% per square foot across the
by the world’s four
United States by 2012. The com-
largest music compa-
pany did a nationwide study to
nies. Albums began
discover that its operations and
shipping in the new
stores produce 62 pounds per
format at the end of
square foot of greenhouse gases
October 2008 for $14.99
each year with 77% of the emis-
each. The format consists of a 1GB microSD memory card that holds
sions from electricity use. Some
MP3 files with no DRM (digital rights management) restrictions. The
of the measures Best Buy will im-
cards are USB-compatible to enable easy transfer of music to and from
plement to reduce emissions in-
any computer and will play in any MP3 player, phone, or computer
clude building new stores and
with a microSD slot; all slotMusic cards come with a USB adapter.
upgrading old ones to include
high-efficiency lighting, HVAC
systems, and skylights; imple-
menting a company-wide no-idle
FCC Approves Use Of New Spectrum
policy for the trucking fleet; and
upgrading and networking the
After years of testing and de-
central Energy Management
bate, the Federal Communica-
System to track and manage en-
tions Commission has voted to
ergy spikes.
allow certain wireless devices
to operate in the “white spaces”
that exist between licensed tele-
vision channels on the TV
broadcast spectrum. These un-
used portions of the spectrum
could pave the way for a new gen-
eration of networking devices, and as they are currently unlicensed,
they also open the door for competition among broadband and mo-
bile phone providers.
Many in the sports and performance industries are concerned that
the new traffic in the spectrum’s white spaces will create too much in-
terference with wireless microphones. The FCC has offered assurances
that it will monitor and protect the wireless mic band where necessary.
6 January2009 /FirstGlimpseMag.com
OPEN
tidbits
m a r k e t p l a c e
Recent results
from the monthly
Global Online TV Prices Fall
Consumer
Spending
If you’ve been waiting for the
Indicator study show
right time to buy a new LCD TV,
that consumers responding to
now may be your chance. A re-
the survey are most likely (57%)
cent report from DisplaySearch
reveals that the global average to cut back on dining out and
price for LCD TVs online has least likely (35%) to cut back
fallen an average of 22% from on video games.
September 2007 to September Source: NPD Group
2008. The online price for CRTs
rose 4% during the same period,
and, in general, larger TVs saw GPS maker
the biggest price decline. Garmin sold 3.9
h
arc million units in the
e
yS LCD TV E-Tail Average Price In North America
a third quarter of
pl
Dis Screen Size September August September Month Over Year Over 2008, up 43%from
e:
urc 2007 2008 2008 Month Year Q3 2007.
o
S 20 inches $392 $431 $381 -12% -3% Source: Garmin
32 inches $750 $680 $658 -3% -12%
40 inches $1,451 $1,161 $1,115 -4% -23%
46 inches $1,915 $1,503 $1,508 0% -21% iSuppli is fore-
52 inches $2,791 $2,009 $1,951 -3% -30% casting that HDTV
unit shipments will
Total
reach 241.2 million
Mobile Phone Shipments Down
by 2012.
Slightly Despite Holiday Season
Source: iSuppli
The price of LCD TVs online isn’t the only thing dropping during these tough
economic times. The number of mobile phone handsets shipped worldwide
Despite the
during the third quarter of 2008 was down slightly compared to previous
economic
quarters. Manufacturers shipped 299 million handsets in Q3 2008, a drop of
downturn, a
0.04% over Q2 2008. The third quarter typically sees high volume as manufac-
new study
turers stock up their retail channels for the holidays. Year-over-year market
from the CEA pro-
growth has historically been as high as 20% during the third quarter; this year
the growth rate was just 3.2%. jected a 3.5% growth in con-
sumer electronics industry
Top Five Mobile Phone Vendors, Shipments shipmentsfor Q4 2008 com-
& Market Share, Q3 2008 (Units In Millions)
pared to the same period
Vendor Q3 2008 Q3 2008 Q3 2007 Q3 2007 Q3 2008/ last year.
Unit Market Unit Market Q3 2007 Source: CEA (Consumer Electronics Association)
Shipments Share Shipments Share Change
1. Nokia 117.8 39.4% 111.7 38.6% 5.5%
2. Samsung 51.8 17.3% 42.6 14.7% 21.6% In 2009, 58% of U.S.
3. Sony Ericsson 25.7 8.6% 25.9 8.9% -0.8% car models will
4. Motorola 25.4 8.5% 37.2 12.8% -31.7% come with iPod
DC 5. LG Electronics 23 7.7% 21.9 7.6% 5% support straight from
urce: I OTotthaelrs 25959.3 1180.05%% 5208.93.6 1170.04%% 93..92%% the factory.
So Source: iSuppli
FirstGlimpse /January2009 7
COVER STORY
HD Like You’ve Never
Seen Before
LG’s 52LG70 1080p LCD TV & BD300 Network
Blu-ray Disc Player
he new year has arrived, and 4,096 sensing process to adjust with Deep Color inputs a cinch, while
T
even non-football diehards brightness, contrast, color, sharpness, giving you control of all the SimpLink-
know that means Super Bowl and white balance. This enables the connected devices with one remote.
Sunday is right around the 52LG70 to produce an image automati- Further expansion comes by way of the
corner. Short of snagging 50- cally adjusted to match a room’s light- 52LG70’s integrated USB 2.0 port, mak-
yard line seats at Tampa’s Raymond ing environment. The result is more ing viewing JPEG digital photos on a
James Stadium, the best way to view the engaging and realistic game action, as USB flash drive or playing MP3 digital
National Football League’s crown jewel is well as a potential reduction in power audio files on a DAP a simple reality.
on an HDTV. Enter LG’s own gem, the52- consumption.
inch 52LG70 Flat Panel ($2,799.95;
Looks To Die For
www.lgusa.com), a distinguished mem- With LG’s TruMotion 120Hz technol-
ber of LG’s LG70 HDTV Series roster. Long ogy, even a running back streaking Featuring a teardrop design and high-
after a Super Bowl winner is crowned Feb. down the sideline toward the end zone gloss black frame accented in seductive
1, though, LG can help you and your will flow smoothly and naturally. And shades of red, the 52LG70 surrounds its
family revel in a heightened home-theater thanks to LG’s Clear Voice technology, 52-inch diagonal screen with tasteful so-
experience by adding the trailblazing which automatically enhances and bol- phistication while discreetly hiding an
BD300, the world’s first BD (Blu-ray Disc) sters audio frequencies emitting from invisible two-way, four-system speaker
and DVD player that can access the human voices, you’ll hear the play- that stretches around the entire bezel.
Netflix instant streaming library of more by-play given by the game’s commen- In addition to an onboard Dolby Digital
than 12,000 titles. Combined, the 52LG70 tators in crisp, clear, high-quality dia- Decoder, the 52LG70’s use of speaker
and BD300 are a sports and movie lover’s logue unimpaired, not muffled, or actuators vs. traditional speaker drivers
dream come true. drowned out by the crowd cheering allows for a more modern, streamlined
madly in the background. design that does away with often-
unsightly speaker grilles while still pro-
Time For Kickoff
After the last second has ticked off the ducing SRS TruSurround XT sound. All
Available in 32-, 42-, 47-, and 52-inch clock, you can round up the kids and features combined, the ISFccc (Image
models, LG70 Flat Panel LCD HDTV family and count on LG’s 24p Real Science Foundation custom calibration
Series TVs pack full HD 1080p (1,920 x Cinema technology to watch your fa- certification)-ready 52LG70 will catch
1,080) resolution support. So, as you vorite HD content at 24fps (frames per any viewer’s eye, whether playing Super
and your buddies gather around the second), matching the rate at which HD Bowl turf battles or Friday night flicks.
52LG70 on Super Bowl Sunday, you’ll films are shot. LG’s SimpLink system,
witness every snap, handoff, pass, and meanwhile, makes connecting other
Now Playing: The BD300
touchdown as if standing on the side- SimpLink-compatible gear, such as the
lines. LG’s cutting-edge Intelligent BD300 or an LG home-theater system, Does instant access to 12,000 movies
Sensor technology uses a sophisticated to one of the 52LG70’s four HDMI V.13 and TVepisodes sound enticing? Then
8 January2009 /FirstGlimpseMag.com
COVER STORY
LG’s 52LG70 1080p LCD TV &
BD300 Network Blu-ray Disc Player
$2,799.95 and $349.99, respectively
www.lgusa.com
meet the network-enabled, multidimen- are increasingly providing. Further, sup-
Hardly A One-Trick Pony
sional, trailblazing LG BD300 ($349.99; port for Bonus View puts picture-in-
www.lgusa.com)—your bridge to un- For those times when only an action ad- picture commentary and special fea-
limited action, horror, drama, romantic, venture or thriller from your own BD li- tures within your reach.
and comedic viewing. With a sub- brary will satisfy, the BD300 is more than
scription from leading online movie up to the task. In addition tosuperior pic-
Input On The Outputs
provider Netflix (as low as $8.99 a ture quality by way of full HD 1080p sup-
month; www.netflix.com) and a broad- port, the BD300’s all-digital HDMI output The BD300’s Ethernet and HDMI out-
band Internet connection, the BD300 and onboard lossless Dolby TrueHD/ puts provide seemingly limitless oppor-
can instantly stream movies and Digital Plusand DTS-HD Advanced Dig- tunity to dive into mouthwatering BD
TV episodes to your HDTV from ital Out support means a superior audio extras and superior playback quality, but
Netflix’s Watch Instantly library in experience in up to 7.1-channel speaker this talented player offers plenty of addi-
audio and video quality approaching bliss. Chances are your movie library also tional connectivity options, including
that of DVD. After you press play, the contains a healthy supply of older, stan- optical digital and coaxial audio outputs,
BD300 and Netflix won’t bother you dard-definition DVDs. No problem with Composite and Component video out-
with advertising or trailers. Instead, the BD300, which can upscalethosetitles puts, and stereo audio outputs. All this
movies start in less than 30 seconds, to1080p HD quality. comes in a smartly crafted frame that
after which you can pause, rewind, and measures just 2.3x16.9x10.9 inches
fast-forward the action repeated- Combined with a broadband Internet (HxWxD) and glows with a glossy-black
ly thanks to unlimited viewing connection plugged into the BD300’s richness to match conceivably any set-
freedom. With the BD300 as your Ethernet port, the player puts BD-Live ting. Throw in an included universal re-
ticket, you can also dig deep into support at your fingertips, giving you mote, and you’re one press of the Play
Netflix’s smaller library of classic scads of Web-based material, including button away from thousands of Netflix
movies and TV episodes, as well as a trailers, ringtones, interactive content, movies, high-def BD glory, and hours of
selection of recent releases. and exclusive extras that movie studios Internet-enabled BD extras. FG
FirstGlimpse /January2009 9
HOME THEATER
The Magic Box
R
E Understanding DACs (Digital-To-Analog Converters)
T
A
E
H
T

E
M quality of incoming broadcast signals.
O
In this setup, the television must use an
H
internal ADC (analog-to-digital con-
verter) to translate the analog signal back
into a digital format, so the converter
box introduces an unnecessary step that
inevitably degrades the original signal.
The good news is that if you need a DAC,
the government has you covered—at
least up to $40. Every household in
America is eligible for two free coupons
worth up to $40 each off the price of con-
verter boxes, meaning your out-of-pocket
cost is minimal (and possibly nothing, de-
pending on what box you purchase). You
can learn more and sign up for your
coupon at the DTV 2009 Web site lo-
cated at www.dtv2009.gov. FG
BYTRACYBAKER
Do You Need
magine if the govern- need hardware called a DAC (digital- A DAC?
I
ment passed a new law to-analog converter) to translate. Con-
mandating that as of Feb. verter boxes with DACs equipped receive If you’ve purchased a television—
17, all U.S. citizens must incoming digital signals, which contain HD or otherwise—in the past two
abandon English as their data consisting entirely of ones and zeros. years, there’s little chance you need a
official language and in- The DAC itself is a special chip within converter box with a DAC. Check
stead speak, write, and the converter box that uses a processor the documentation that came with
read Mandarin Chinese. That, in a nut- coupled with an internal program to your television to determine what
shell, is the situation that older televi- translate all of those ones and zeros into type of tuner it has (digital or analog).
sions across the country face. As of analog video and audio waves. The If it has a digital tuner, you don’t
that date, television stations must resulting analog signal is then passed out need a converter box with a DAC. If
abandon broadcasting analog signals of the converter box to a connected tele- it has an analog tuner, you need a
that older televisions natively handle vision, which has no idea the analog data converter box with a DAC to receive
and exclusively use digital signals that it is now receiving was once stored in dig- over-the-air signals from local broad-
make as much sense to older televi- ital format. casters. If you get TV service through
sions as Mandarin Chinese does to a cable or satellite television operator,
most Americans. Converter boxes with DACs are nice for contact the provider to see if you
those with older TVs (see sidebar), but need any special equipment to still re-
In order for older analog televisions to don’t use them with all-digital televisions, ceive service after the transition. ●
make sense of the new digital signals, they or you will reduce the sound and picture
10 January2009 /FirstGlimpseMag.com