How to Choose the Right HDTV

Ready to take the plunge this holiday season and buy a new HDTV, but overwhelmed with all of the options on the market? Don’t worry—you’re not alone. With the multitude of confusing choices on the shelves and new features showing up on a seemingly weekly basis, even the most tech savvy of us can get a little confused when it comes to TV shopping.

“What size screen do I need?” “Should I go with an LCD or a plasma?” “What in the heck are refresh rates and which one is right for me?” If these are the sort of questions that run through your head at in the TV aisle of your local big box store, HDGuru is here to help. They have published an in-depth guide to help you navigate through the HDTV maze and emerge with the perfect television for your needs.

Check out the guide here.

6 Reasons On-Demand Programming is Awesome

I recently ordered new digital television service that features on-demand programming, something I’ve been looking forward to trying for years. I have to say, it was definitely worth the wait. Here are the top six reasons you need to get TV service with on-demand.

• You never have to go to a movie rental store again, as all the latest hits are right there whenever you’re ready to order
• It’s easy to discover new series you may have missed, and catch up with old ones you’ve forgotten about
• You can watch TV and movies on your own schedule, without having to fill up your DVR
• If you subscribe to movie channels, they probably have a large library of movies you can access any time, for free!
• Typically, on-demand shows have limited commercials—and even then, you can skip right past them if you are as impatient as me
• If there’s a show from a premium channel you’ve been wanting to see, even if there is not a free sample episode, you can usually rent an episode to try it out

Why do you love on-demand programming? Let us know in the comments!

Even With DVR, Many Still Watch Commercials

I like to consider myself one of the kings of DVR. I have heard a few people say that they avoid DVR because they thought it would make them spend more time watching TV. Honestly, I think it's cut down on my time in front of the tube, mainly because I'm able to get on and speed through the commercials or material I don't want to see. With sports especially, you can use the fast-forward function to skip timeouts, officiating breaks, foul shots and more. In fact, my brother hates watching sports with me because of how much of the game I fly through.

With all of that in mind, it was especially surprising for me to hear a startling statistic out of The Atlantic today: 46% of people don't skip commercials with DVR. Say what? Apparently, regardless of whether or not they can skip ads, many viewers still consider TV watching to be a passive activity. I mean, I'm all for hanging out and relaxing on the couch, but surely pressing the fast-forward button isn't kicking the interactivity up too much?

As DVR gained ground over the last few years, it seemed to spell doom for the television network advertising model, but this goes against that idea. I'd be curious to find out what commercials people are stopping for, or if people are  using the time during commercials to take care of other tasks while they watch their program. What about you guys, do you skip commercials or watch them with DVR?

Source- The Atlantic

HDTV: Batteries Not Included

One of the worst feelings as a kid was opening up my Christmas presents and seeing the phrase "batteries not included". To my young and fragile mind, this was a travesty for which there was no equal. Requiring me to wait before I played with my new loot? It was unthinkable! Interestingly enough, many are experiencing the same thing when it comes to HDTVs. Same problem, different packaging.

Last month, we posted on the blog about the fact that over 50 percent of households have HDTVs. The more curious part of that article is the notion that of the millions that now have a high definition television set of some sort, 69 percent of HDTV owners do not have HD service of any kind.

Perhaps people are fine with just having a bigger — though not necessarily better — picture? Maybe it's a money issue, though often times adding an HD package onto your existing TV service isn't much more than a few extra dollars a month. I think the largest contributing factor, though, is that most people don't realize that for HDTVs, the "batteries" are not included, and there's no information to let them know about this in the retail stores. After all, they just want you to get the TV. Why would they bother to educate people about what else is needed to enjoy it and fully utilize your entertainment investment?

So, I've decided to put together a few pieces of information that might prove helpful. Tips on where to find the "batteries" for your HDTV, so to speak. Listed below is what you need in order to start watching high definition programming. Hit the jump to read on!

Half of American Homes Now Have an HDTV

A recent report released by the Cable & Telecommunications Association for Marketing (CTAM) shows that 53 percent of American homes now own a high-definition television set. HDTV ownership has spiked recently, as less than one quarter of U.S. households reported owning one of the advanced televisions just two years ago.

Interestingly, the reports also shows that only 69 percent of HDTV owners subscribe to high-definition service (up from 56 percent last year), meaning three out of ten HDTV owners aren’t getting the full HD experience.

Looking to get the most out of your HDTV? Check out WhiteFence to compare television offers from the top cable and satellite providers.

Comcast, DISH Network and the NFL To Put Fans In The “NFL Redzone”

If you are an NFL football fan who felt like there just wasn't enough coverage last season, the NFL Network has good news for you. Comcast and DISH Network both announced recently that they plan to offer the network's “NFL RedZone” channel this season. (Comcast customers will have access as of its Sports Entertainment Package.)

"NFL RedZone" is hosted by Scott Hanson from the new state-of-the-art "NFL RedZone" studio at NFL Network's headquarters in Los Angeles and debuted this past Sunday.

Produced by the NFL Network, the channel will air every Sunday from 1:00 p.m. EST through late afternoon games providing live look-ins and real-time highlights for every NFL game that afternoon. Throughout the NFL football season, the channel will move from game to game providing live action each time a team is poised to score inside the 20-yard line. The channel will also have in-studio coverage to provide real-time scoring and fantasy updates to fans.

If you have Comcast cable service or DISH Network, surf over to redzonetv.nfl.com to see if you can get your red zone fix this season.

Cable Industry: Triple Play Good for Consumers!

According to a recent study commissioned by the National Cable & Television Association, cable’s decade-plus investments in modern digital networks, which they say allows consumers to choose among a wide variety of products and bundled services – including digital high-definition video, high-speed data, and digital voice – provides about $35 billion in annual consumer benefits.

"Consumers as a whole have unequivocally benefited from the transformation of the cable industry over the past ten years and its investment and entry into voice and high-speed data markets,” the report states. “The benefits can be attributed to the cable industry’s massive investments in deployment of advanced communications infrastructure, which enables provision of new digital video, data, and voice services.  Consumers have voted with their feet by subscribing to these new services in ever-increasing numbers.” 

The study, prepared by Microeconomic Consulting & Research Associates, Inc. (MiCRA), found that about 60 percent of cable customers subscribe to broadband Internet service, 26 percent subscribe to digital voice service, and the penetration of each service continues to grow steadily.  The triple-play bundle of digital video, broadband, and digital voice service continues to attract a larger share of cable customers, which provides the greatest opportunity for consumer savings. 

The researches used bundled service figures from the top three cable operators, Comcast, Time Warner and Cox. According to those three, 23% chose a triple play of cable, Internet and phone, in 2008, up from around 10% in 2007.

For more information, download the incredibly detailed PDF of the whole survey. Or just find a triple play bundle available in your area. 

Comcast First to Launch HBO On Demand® HD

Comcast announced last week that it is now the first cable provider to offer the full HBO On Demand service in HD. The company says that its original programming, as well as its movie collection, content which has not been offered in HD On Demand before by any provider, is now available to Comcast On Demand customers who subscribe to HBO.  

HBO programming currently available includes original series as True Blood®, Entourage®, The Sopranos® and The Wire® as well as popular movies like The Dark Knight, Mamma Mia!, American Gangster and Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix..

Comcast says this initiative with HBO and all of the choices available On Demand are part of Project Infinity, the company’s commitment to innovation and the delivery of exponentially more quality content on TV, including more HD. Currently, Comcast’s On Demand library offers more than 10,000 entertainment programs each month.

If you are not a current subscriber and want access to this new content, find Comcast plans and pricing available in your area. 

Converter Box Coupon Program comes to an End

The government funded convert box coupon program designed to help consumers with the analog-to-digital switch is coming to an end on Friday, July 31, 2009. If you're still one of the 1.5 million households without TV reception, you still have a couple days to sign up for a converter box coupon.

To read more about how to get your coupon visit dtv.gov.

Get a Green Computer

If you're in the market for a new computer, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) Energy Star can help you choose an energy efficient computer. That's right, you can have it all—get all the bells and whistles you want on your computer and be environmentally friendly.

Read more about how the computer are rated at HowStuffWorks.