In the age of HDTV, it is important to receive the best signals available to take advantage of the higher image quality that such display technology made possible. Pure Digital Television (PDTV) is the answer to this need. PDTV makes it possible to get direct feed from the video source and send it directly to the display without loss of quality or any need to filter the image. How does PDTV Work? The way that PDTV works is simple. A satellite, Cable, or alternative signal is captured directly from the Read More

Apple TV is a device that is designed to stream video and other content from iTunes and directly through the iTunes store. An Apple iTunes account is required and the account must have sharing enabled. Local sources can also be used to stream to the Apple TV hardware via a computer running the Apple iTunes software. Once the Apple TV has been connected to iTunes locally or through the Internet, users can choose which media to stream to the TV. The Apple TV will receive and display or produce the Read More

The MP4 file type is a multimedia format designed to store digital video and/or audio streams in addition to 2D and 3D imagery. A common task for end-users who have video or audio content stored in AVI (Audio Video Interleave) format is to convert AVI to MP4 for playback on mobile devices such as the iPod, iPad, or iPhone that require conversion to MP4. The file conversion can be accomplished using third party or online applications at no or low cost to the consumer. Convert AVI to MP4 Using Quick Read More

The term podcast was created in 1999 and depending on source, officially accepted in either 2003 or 2004. It is a combination of the word “iPod” and the word “broadcast.” An iPod is not required to enjoy podcasting, and podcasts can be played back on virtually all MP3-capable playback devices, or home computers, once they the Podcast stream has been downloaded in MP3 format. Podcasts are subscription-based like a magazine. And like TiVo, only the information that you’re interested in is delivered. You select what you’d like to listen to, Read More

A VCD (Video CD) is a video format or CODEC that has been used for video playback in DVD and VCD players since its adoption in 1993 by the video industry. The format allows 800 megabytes of VCD information to be stored on an 80 minute CD. The most recent version of the VCD format has a playback control (PBC) that is similar to that found on DVD menus. End-users do have the need arise; however, to convert the audio tracks on a VCD to MP3 format for use on Read More

A set top box is an electronic device that is used to convert an externally received signal or transmission into a viewable format that can be displayed on a television/display device. Set top boxes have been used in some form since the 1950s. Its capabilities have significantly advanced over the past several decades. How Do Set Top Boxes Work? Set top boxes process digital information and are no longer simple signal converters. Currently, they can function as video game consoles, Digital Media Receivers, and media extenders. The most common set Read More

A QAM tuner (Quadrature Amplitude Modulation tuner) is a device that allows television sets to receive digital channels. QAM tuners are included in most modern television sets, although there are many that have not yet been upgraded to process digital channels. QAM tuners can be used in conjunction with a set top box or “cable box,” or by itself to receive unscrambled digital channels such as public access channels, basic channels, local broadcast channels, and cable radio channels. QAM tuners are similar to ATSC (Advanced Television Systems Committee) tuners, the Read More

If you are like many other computer users, you might be watching more videos (including TV shows) on your computer. Whether at home, the office, or coffee shop, more people are ditching their TVs for their computers. One way to watch live TV broadcasts without having to connect to the Internet is with an HDTV tuner card. HDTV tuners are perfect for watching over the air Analog and HDTV broadcasts. Types of HDTV Tuner Cards There are two types of HDTV tuner cards. The first is the PCI card, which Read More

One of the oldest animation techniques that is still in use today is rotoscoping. When using this technique, animators trace over live action film movement on each frame to use in an animated film. When it was first used, live action film images were projected onto a glass panel that was frosted where an animator would redraw them. The associated projector is called a rotoscope. However, computers have replaced it in the past two decades. Today, the term refers to manually creating a matte for a visual element on a Read More

CCTV (Closed Circuit TV) uses one or more video cameras to transmit video and sometimes audio images to a monitor, set of monitors, or video recorder. The difference between CCTV and standard TV is that standard TV openly broadcasts signals to the public. CCTV is not openly transmitted to the public. CCTV uses either wireless or wired transmission to send the broadcast from the video cameras to the monitor(s) or recording device. Most CCTV systems are used for surveillance, which can include security monitoring, spying, or safety monitoring. CCTV Cameras Read More