DRM-Free Tunage! Will Apple's "iTunes Plus" Bring DRM-Free Music Downloads into the Mainstream?

For those of you not familiar with the term "tunage," it is a slang word used to describe music content. The word is used much like "flickage" as it describes movie content. Similarly, references to movies with British Secret Agent 007 are called "bondage." You get the idea. Now for an update on "tunage" without DRM: As you may (or may not) recall, DRM is the coding imbedded in most downloaded songs that restricts how the buyer can use the music. This concept was illustrated in my earlier post. Yesterday, as promised a few months ago, Apple® has opened iTunes® Plus, an area for downloading higher-quality, DRM-free music. For a $0.30 per song premium ($1.29 instead of the standard $0.99), the iTunes community can download some songs at a higher quality 256 kbps bit rate, but using AAC encoding without the DRM restrictions. Currently, the major record label supporting this endeavor is EMI, releasing thier entire digital catalog in this manner. This includes singles and albums from Coldplay, The Rolling Stones, Norah Jones, Frank Sinatra, Joss Stone, Pink Floyd, and John Coltrane.

The original versions of the songs will still be available for the standard $0.99. For those songs already in one's collection, it is possible to upgrade previously purchased protected EMI songs for an additional 30 cents. Most albums cost $3.00 to upgrade. Since Apple is always about making things simple, you can see from the image at the left how they are trying to make is easy to upgrade.

While this is a great first-step, it is still yet to be seen whether other major record labels will jump on board. It will not be for a lack of effort as Steve Jobs, Apples' CEO, is doing his best to lure record labels in this direction. Jobs stated that, “we expect more than half of the songs on iTunes will be offered in iTunes Plus versions by the end of this year.” This indicates a clear expected trend toward purchasing music content without usage restrictions. Additionally, the fact that Amazon.com has announced their entry into this arena obviously brings some validity to the concept. Before the end of the year, Amazon is expected to launch their music download store with all music available in the DRM-free form. With this kind of horsepower behind the effort, I would tend to believe that you will see record labels making the switch and permitting the sale of this new, more flexible content.

The question for Apple and Amazon is whether this concept will keep folks away from the monthly fee packages offered by competitors such as Yahoo and Napster? These monthly fees give practically unlimited access to music, only limited by the size of the on-board memory of the individuals player. Only time will tell if the unrestricted music will be more valuable to the consumer. For the original press release, click here.

High-Def Alphabet Soup: PDP LCD DLP LCoS! What is the Best Type of HDTV for Me?

So, you want to buy an HDTV? I sometimes think it is easier to buy a car than a new television. All cars use the same type of internal combustion engine and adhere to measurement standards that allow for comparison (i.e. horsepower and gas mileage ratings). In the HDTV arena, things seem to be mushier. Some manufacturers will decide to publish viewing angles and brightness measures…and others will not. Attributes like picture quality and color vividness are just plain difficult to measure and communicate. Additionally, a manufacturer may list a contrast ratio, but fail to mention whether it is a dynamic or static. I can’t decide if comparing televisions is more like herding cats or nailing Jell-o to a tree. But that is not going to stop me from trying to establish some basic guidelines to compare types of HDTVs. Just keep in mind that there is no replacement for your own first-hand evaluation of any television's picture.

The one part that I will spare you is all of the behind-the-scenes, didn’t-need-to-know, I-couldn’t-care-less detail of how each technology works. I’ll skip over the details of how electricity between plates of glass will excite gases to a state of flatulence, emitting a spectrum that is tantalizing to the senses. Most folks don’t need to know that millions of mirrors the size of flea dandruff turn on hinges that are thinner than a pubic hair and reflect light in a bazillion colors ranging from back-of-the-throat mucus green to falling-off-a-cliff-to-my-death pale yellow. I will spare you the detail. You will thank me.

Another thing to understand is that evaluating TV types is like playing pin-the-tail-on-the-donkey with the donkey on a racing car. The moving target requires constant re-evaluation. Each of the five HDTV types discussed here have distinct advantages and disadvantages, but manufacturers work to address these issues and improve upon prior models. The plasmas have addressed their prior burn-in issues. Newer LCDs will start having new features to improve motion clarity. DLPs have worked to eliminate its rainbow effect. Yesterday’s rules of thumb can quickly turn into today’s myths.

Flat Panel: PDP & LCD
Let us start our discussion with the cream of the crop, the flat panel televisions. If you want a wall-mountable television (or just something really thin), then Plasma or LCD (liquid crystal display) will do the trick at about 4 inches of thickness. Both continue to improve upon their deficiencies, making the differences noted here smaller than ever. Plasma Display Panels (PDP) generally have deeper blacks and better color, but LCD TVs are brighter, making them better choices for well lit rooms. LCD televisions display static images better and continue to be the choice for PC connectivity. Quick motion display, on the other hand, is typically better on the plasma. At the last Consumer Electronics Show, however, many manufacturers showed interpolation methods to improve motion clarity on LCDs. In the near future, look for features like Clear Motion (JVC), Natural Motion (Philips), and – the award for the longest name – Motion Compensation Frame Interpolation (Samsung and Sharp). While LCDs are more prevalent for TVs 37" and under, Plasmas are still more popular in the over-60" range. The sweet spot of the market, displays of the 42" to 50" size, is where the greatest competition exists between the two technologies.

Rear Projection: DLP, LCD Projection, LCoS
If keeping your wallet fat is more important than making your television ultra-thin, then rear projection televisions may be the best option for you. These may be deeper than flat panels, but at 11" to 18" in depth, they are much shallower than your father's rear projection. Three main technologies dominate: DLP, LCD projection, and LCoS. While each has advantages and disadvantages, the DLP (digital light processing) appears to have the slight edge with deeper blacks, a good display of motion, and great capability of displaying still images from a PC. This technology from Texas Instruments, is the one touting millions of tiny little mirrors. Additionally, DLPs continue to dominate the very large 60”+ market. In the past, DLPs have been plagued by "rainbows", infrequent color streaks seen by some viewers. Newer DLP models with high speed color wheels have addressed this problem. LCD projection televisions have grown in popularity and are very price competitive near the sweet spot. The LCD's "screen door effect", a phenomenon where you can see the space between the image pixels, is only seen up close and will diminish with 1080p output. The LCoS (liquid crystal on silicon) technology has been sporadically used among manufacturers, and now has been rebranded as SXRD (Sony) and HD-ILA (JVC). With only these two major manufacturers left, LCoS has been kept out of the limelight. It is hard to go wrong with a good quality set using any of these technologies. They have all come a long way and provide outstanding pictures.

Viewing Angle
Besides console depth, one of the biggest differences between flat panels and rear projection TVs is the viewing angle. This term describes how far off-center you can view the television before you start to see deterioration of the image color and brightness. Plasmas and LCDs have horizontal viewing angles around 178° (note: be suspicious of any figures greater than 180° - this means that you see a good image when you sit behind the screen). The rear projection models suffer in this area, with horizontal viewing angles in the range of 130° to 160°. This, I argue, may be good enough for just about anyone. Any viewing position beyond this range just sucks anyway. If you are sitting at the outskirts of a 120° view, your image is significantly distorted, appearing to be half the width of an image viewed from the front (see graphical illustration). Any horizontal viewing position beyond the capability of TVs described here is just a poor place to watch HDTV.

The viewing angle of greater concern is the vertical viewing angle. For plasmas and LCDs, this continues to hover around 176°. This means you can practically have the TV hanging from the ceiling directly above you and you will see a colorful, bright picture (albeit scrunchy from the angle at which you are viewing). The rear projections, however, start to have significant deterioration 20°-30° above horizontal (i.e. a 40°-60° total viewing angle). At a viewing distance of 8 feet, that can be as little as 3 feet above eye level. Ideally, for ergonomic reasons, you want the TV to be as close to eye level, anyway. In making your decision, however, you need to keep in mind that rear project televisions have limitations on how high the TV can sit.

The Chart
Below is a chart that summarizes the main features of HDTVs and their relative ranking among the television types. Black level and brightness help make up the contrast ratios. Be careful when reading manufacturer specs on contrast ratios. A dynamic contrast ratio looks at the brightest vs. darkest points over time, where the static contrast ratio evaluates this for a snapshot in time. Very high dynamic contrast ratios are easier to achieve than static ones. An outstanding static contrast ratio may be 1,500:1, while it is not unusual to see a dynamic contrast ratio over 10,000:1. The criteria "XL Sizes" refers to the ability of the technology to delivery very large (60"+) televisions. Lastly, the "Price/Size" attribute describes how large of a screen you can buy with your dollar, regardless of other features. An overall rating is provided with all criteria given equal weighting.
Conclusion
While the bottom line of the chart shows the plasma technology on top, this is obviously using my choice of criteria and scaling of attribute differences. [Added 07/11/07: My opinion is not isolated, however, as CNETs Best HDTVs Overall had Plasmas in 6 of the top 10 spots.] It is often more useful, however, to consider your particular application and determine which criteria are important for your environment. For example, something as simple as wall mounting would eliminate the DLP technology from consideration. So with your own criteria and the knowledge gathered here, maybe you can make a little more sense of the high-def alphabet soup and create an informed buying decision.

Holy Crop! Do You Have To Like Doilies to Make Digital Scrapbooks?

Are you looking for inspiration on that new scrapbook? Or are you more inspired by reading books about craps? Are you really far behind on your scrapping and have shoeboxes full of pictures and keepsakes? Or do you often wonder what a keepsake is? In either case, if you’re life is filled with memories that are worth preserving, you should read on. If you’re life has nothing worth remembering, well, I guess you don't really need to worry about digital scrapbooking.

Scrapbooks typically take the form of an elaborate album that documents memories through photographs, clippings, memorabilia, and other printed materials. They may have written narration through a technique called journaling. This multi-billion dollar industry has sold albums, inserts, pages, and huge variety of ways to dress up the pages. The people who engage in theses activities are called scrappers. Though traditional scrapbooking has seen significant growth in popularity, the trend is being influenced by technology. Techies have another excuse to use their gadgets and non-techies have opportunities to enhance their endeavors. Everyone wins!

Why Digital?
Scrappers have recently come under fire for their use of vulgar words and promotion of violent actions in their hip-hop music lyrics. Oh, wait...I’m thinking of rappers. Scrappers have been scrutinized for their overuse of sharp scissors, mounting glues, and rubber stamps. The off-fall from cropped photos has become a nationwide epidemic, increasingly contributing to the overflow of trash in our landfills. Albeit they may not have particularly strong odors, but mounting glues have been suspiciously present at many rambunctious “crops” (i.e. gatherings of radical scrapbookers at homes, stores, or convention centers). Some believe that the glue fumes cause scrappers to leave crops in a disoriented state, driving around and ending up back at an event’s entrance. This forms what are sometimes called “crop circles.” There was even an unconfirmed incident of a scrapper being hospitalized with rubber stamp wounds on her hand and forehead. While the tradition of preserving memories may have some merit, something needs to be done to address these issues. The solution is at hand: digital scrapbooking.

In a type of Martha Stewart meets Bill Gates methodology, we have a sliding scale of efforts to overcome the issues with traditional scrapbooking. On one side of the scale, we see scrappers using digital images and online resources to enhance their current methods. On the other end of the scale, we have a totally digital experience from construction through presentation in DVD form. Somewhere in the middle is a blend of these techniques that creates an easily duplicated physical book from all-digital media. So whether you’re a veteran or a newbie, with a few prunes and some guidance, we’ll have you sitting down and scrapping out piles of good fun.

Digitally Enhanced Traditional Scrapbooks
For the traditional scrapbooker that enjoys working with their hands and putting together pages with texture, the digital realm is still able to complement their current work. Page layouts may be created and printed multiple times. Labels and names may be printed and added with much greater ease than individual letters. There are a variety of online resources for free and pay themed scrapbook kits that provide matching page borders, overlays, photo frames, trims, and embellishments. For scrappers, these terms are surely familiar. You can visit ComputerScrapbook.com or DigitalScrapbookPlace.com for ideas. Of course, Google can give you a plethora of more options.

Photo/Memory Books
It is possible to use Photoshop-type programs to create entire pages digitally. There are also online resources to help you create these pages if you have the digital photos. Simple tools allow you to upload images and arrange them in various patterns. A variety of backgrounds and journaling opportunities can help spruce things up. These online resources can print and bind the entire hardcover book for you, too. These are usually called photo books or memory books. While 12” x 12” is a more traditional scrapbook size, they can run as much as $70 for a 20 page book. The 11” x 8.5” books tend to be much more cost effective, typically costing $30 for the basic 20 page book. Some publishers to check out include: Shutterfly, Kodak, PhotoWorks, MyPublisher, Picaboo, and Snapfish.

Photo/Video Memory DVDs
You have to take the scrapbook a few steps further to have output that is entirely digital. Although there is some benefit to using digital technology to create printed, bound books, the real leap forward in presentation happens when you can imbed video and music into the journey down memory lane. When you put together a DVD scrapbook of vacationing at Williamsburg, VA, you can use video of the carriage ride and roller coaster at Busch Gardens. Laying on top of the video and slideshow images is a piece of music relavent to the time period. Imagine how much more impact a slideshow of 1980s High School could have when you also hear U2 playing that song your friends used to blast on the car radio.

To create a memory DVD, capturing and editing video comes into play. Almost all new digital cameras are able to capture simple video of lower quality, but better quality will require a digital camcorder. Once the video is captured and moved to a PC, then video editing software will help prepare it for the DVD. The software can help create polished videos that utilize your camcorder video, digital pictures, and music. This is where the creativity can really kick in. The songs can not only bring you back to a time period, but contain lyrics with relevance to stir up emotion. Here is an example of some songs pertinent to big life events:

Birth of a Child
“Send Me Your Money” by Suicidal Tendencies 1990
“Haven't Slept In Years” by Matthew Good 1996
“Cry No More” by Shareefa 2006

Wedding
“Ball and Chain” by Poison 1990
“Why Don't We Get Drunk” by Jimmy Buffett 1976
“Wedding Bells Are Breaking Up That Old Gang Of Mine” by Sammy Fain 1929

Graduation
“Get A Job” by The Silhouettes 1957
“Money for Nothing” by Dire Straits 1985
“Unemployable” by Pearl Jam 2006

So, do you have to like frilly things and doilies to engage in scrapbooking activities? Emphatically, no. Whether you're enhancing a traditional scrapbook or going completely digital with a memory DVD, you can involve the fru fru as much or as little as you like. It might be scrapbooking blaspheme, but you can go through the entire process and never touch a ribbon, bow, corner punch, or dauber. And, thankfully, you will never have to inhale scrapbook adhesives. After all, the last thing you want is to be pulled over by the police for making crop circles.

For further examples of particular hardware and software items described above, you can visit my guide on Amazon.com that provides particular product links.

DRM: Digital Wrongs! How Is Amazon Fighting For My Music Rights?

I showed up wearing party attire that made the snappiest dresser jealous. This, of course, included my new button-down shirt with green florals. As I strolled through the room, I pointed to the far corner, used my thumb as a trigger, and gave a wink.

"Nice Shirt," a friend said as he walked up to me.

"Thanks. It's called an iShirt," I declared proudly. "I just got it online."

"Nice. What's that black plastic box hanging off the side of it?" he inquired.

"Oh, that's the SRM mechanism," I replied. "All of these new shirts come with it."

"SRM? What is that?"

"Shirt Rights Management. It restricts me so that I only wear this shirt with jeans," I explained. "If I try to put on some other type of pants, then the SRM device will explode, covering the shirt in permanent ink. But I can wear it with any jeans I want, as many times as I want. Not a big deal because I love jeans."

"Hmmm. That doesn't bother you?" my friend asked. "What about khakis? What if it gets really warm and you want to wear shorts?"

"Oh, SRM has thought of that," I stated proudly. "I can wear my shirt with 5 different shorts, as long as I register the shorts with the iShirt people first. The problem is that I already tried on my shirt with 2 different shorts when I was deciding what to wear tonight. I only have 3 more times that I can wear shorts. According to the SRM, those 3 times have to last for the life of the shirt. Khakis are out of the question. Why? Does that seem strange?”

While this fictional scenario may seem peculiar, it paints reality for most folks who purchase music online. The only difference is that the mechanism is not called SRM, it’s called DRM or Digital Rights Management. It is the reason why most downloaded music cannot be used however the purchaser wishes.

Why DRM?
The reason for DRM is simple: to prevent stealing. Restrictions came about several years back because of the gluttony of internet music sharing. This sharing violated copyright laws and robbed the music industry of its revenue. Peer to peer sharing networks enabled individuals to make their music collections available to anyone with internet access. The enabling websites included the original Napster, which now has transformed into a legitimate site that sells downloadable music. People would log into the old Napster, search for someone that had a song they wanted, and then download it from their PC – without ever paying for it. The music industry’s solution to this problem was to create formats of music that would restrict people from sharing the music so easily. Music formats with DRM were created, including the AAC format from Apple and the WMA format from Microsoft. The DRM electronically restricted the use of the music. While this helped curb sharing, it also created limitations for those who wanted to use the music legitimately.

Consequences of DRM
Most folks don’t even realize the limitations that DRM brings. People are fat and happy using iTunes to download songs at $0.99 a pop and playing them on their iPods. What happens if iPods fall from grace and consumers decide to later buy a competing device. Gasp! Can that really happen? Well, if it does, all of the protected AAC formatted songs that the consumer purchased are useless. They won’t play on other music players. And what if the consumer wants to burn a photo slideshow DVD and use a purchased iTunes song as background music? Buzz! Thanks for playing! Using the AAC music likely won’t work. Suppose a consumer wants to play music on her phone. Well, she better search hard for a phone that plays the AAC format because most do not.

Here is a summary of what Apple does permit: “Burn the music you buy to an unlimited number of CDs for your personal use, listen to it on an unlimited number of iPods, and play it on up to 5 authorized computers.” Seems reasonable until you start to get creative with how you use the music. This has is a sour point for a growing number of consumers, but optimism peered through the dark clouds last month. In April, Apple announced that for $1.29 it will offer EMI Music’s digital songs in a high quality, DRM-free version of the AAC format. This record label includes artists such as Coldplay, Norah Jones and Joss Stone. It appears to be the first step toward liberation.

The truth is that Apple is not the only one playing this DRM game. Rhapsody, Napster, Yahoo, and Wal-Mart, four of the most popular music download sites, all use a WMA protected format with similar restrictions. The WMA format will not play on iPods, but will play on a majority of the other personal digital music players. These other music devices are typically known as MP3 players because they were originally made for playing unrestricted MP3 music. Now they almost all support both MP3 and WMA formats.

DRM-Free
One site that does offer DRM-free MP3 music is eMusic. Their entire offering is in the unrestricted format. The selection, however, is vastly limited to niche music and emerging artists because the major record labels will not allow them to offer their music on their site. The big labels still fear the loss of revenue from illegal sharing. But changes in the horizon may change their opinion.

Just a few days ago, Amazon.com announced that later this year it will launch a DRM-Free MP3 music download store. It will offer millions of songs and albums from over 12,000 music labels. What Amazon adds to the equation is a hugely influential name that understands music preferences. They have sold music CDs for years and have the clout to influence. Although many of the big name record labels have yet to be mentioned, Amazon has announced that EMI Music’s digital catalog will be made available. Because the songs are DRM-free, the music will be playable on PCs, Macs, iPods, MP3 players, music-playing phones, and even as background music on a slideshow. This is big news and another step toward that liberation.

On their website, Amazon.com solicited feedback regarding their MP3 music store announcement. They received several comments from customers that currently purchase CDs from Amazon. These customers mentioned that they buy CDs instead of downloading songs in order to avoid DRM restrictions. The CDs can easily have the music ripped (extracted) and converted into the DRM-free MP3 format. The physical CD may cost a little bit more, but they say that it is worth the extra price. A new download store that features DRM-free music, however, was appealing to them. Now, with Amazon forcing the issue, it is up to the big record labels to make a move. To DRM or not to DRM? The music industry is taking note of consumer’s desire to use music however they wish. But the delicate balance between alienating consumers and protecting copyrights is a tricky one. Seeing everyone wear green floral iShirts is not impressive if everyone acquires it for free.

Chic to be a Geek! Is Technology Just for Nerds?

About a month after my eight-year-old daughter received third place in her school’s science fair, I rented the movie October Sky. This heart-warming film tells the true story of four boys who are inspired by Sputnik to build a rocket of their own. About 15 minutes into the movie, the boys’ teacher recommends that they enter their rocket into the science fair. One of the boys emphatically states, “science fairs are for geeks!” My daughter, sitting next to me on the sofa, whipped her head around to look at me. “What?” she demanded in a look of disgust and utter surprise. Although the movie was set in the 1950s, the term obviously still triggered something in her today. I comforted her, though, and let her know that in today’s day and age, it is becoming more chic to be a geek.

Definition
Merriam-Webster defines a nerd as one slavishly devoted to intellectual or academic pursuits . It further defines geek as an enthusiast or expert especially in a technological field or activity . The connectivity of these terms with technology is undeniable, but are nerds the only ones who use technology? One of the earliest, best-known nerds may be William H. Gates III. His knowledge and use of technology to found Microsoft is at the core of his nerdiness. But here is a nerd that has the respect of his corporate peers. Spiderman and Mr. Fantastic were both called nerds on-screen for their undertanding of intellectual concepts. It shows, however, how we have created beloved nerds.

As we evolve as a society, our acceptance of technology has created a shift in how we view the relationship of technology with nerds and geeks. Twenty-five years ago it was precisely these nerdy outcasts that delved deep into the world of computers. Today, you are just about an outcast if you don’t use a computer on a regular basis. In fact, the teenage group that has traditionally been the most ready to define and ostracize nerds and geeks is precisely the age group that has readily accepted new forms of technology. A more socially acceptable term has been created for the technology lovers: "early adopters". But is this just the term "geek" in disguise?

Technology is being embraced by a greater variety of people than ever. It is true that high school students sparingly use text messaging on that rare occasion ;-), but teachers, parents, and other professionals are joining the texting scene. Craft lovers risk ridicule from hard-core croppers but are more aggressively using digital images to enhance their scrapbooks. Sports fans use high definition televisions to watch the games and get cell phone updates for the latest scores. Grandpa is using the internet to order male enhancements while Grandma is instant messaging her girlfriends to schedule time out of the house. Motorcycle enthusiasts are using eBay to order their leather jackets, chrome tailpipes, helmets, and doilies for the upcoming shower (he told his wife that he would). Thugs are using the internet to book their tattoo appointments so they have proper pampering time. Hikers and outdoorsmen are using GPS devices when there are no females to ask for directions. Athletes are using their iPods to listen to soothing music when the coach is yelling at them. This list can go on and on. At a growing rate, we are using technology to enhance our everyday lives. But it just doesn't seem nerdy anymore.

Geeks and Nerds Today
So as we see technologies being embraced by the masses, it is becoming increasingly difficult to identify the hard-core geeks in our society. In order to help with this distinction, I have provided a list of tasks that have become commonplace, along with some twists that can make the task uniquely nerdy. Once you read the first few, I think you’ll get the idea.

Accepted: burning a CD with your favorite music from Nelly Furtado and Akon
Nerdy: burning a DVD with your favorite episodes of MacGyver and Knight Rider

Accepted: using eBay online auctions to sell that old exercise equipment
Nerdy: using eBay online auctions to purchase pristine action figures

Accepted: knowing what brand of PC you have and the monitor screen size
Nerdy: knowing your PC’s video card memory and processor clock speed

Accepted: staying up late to read about Harry Potter battling dragons
Nerdy: staying up all night playing dungeons and dragons

Accepted: knowing your e-mail address
Nerdy: knowing your IP address

Accepted: cheering for the underdog in the NFL Championship
Nerdy: cheering for the Undertaker in the WWF championship

Accepted: Reminiscing about connecting to the internet by dial up
Nerdy: Reminiscing about connecting to the internet at 1200 baud

Accepted: Using an instant messaging service to stay in touch with friends
Nerdy: Using a Star Trek chatroom to find friends (betcha "KirkFan117" is cute)

Accepted: Watching television on a High Definition TV
Nerdy: Laughing at your neighbor's 1080p HDTV with s-video cables (what a dork!)

Accepted: Downloading your favorite songs on iTunes for listening on your iPod
Nerdy: Downloading “White and Nerdy” because you understand all of the references

Accepted: Using movies on demand to watch Spider-Man and Pirates of the Caribbean
Nerdy: Using CinemaNow to download Tron and War Games to watch over and over again

Accepted: Subscribing to Sports Illustrated and briefly paging through the swimsuit edition
Nerdy: Ordering hot wings from Hooters - for carry out

One of the things that I hope this list illustrates is that technological pursuits are no longer owned by the geeks. There are unique attributes that geeks may maintain, but technology alone does not a nerd make. Technology is for all of us to use and help improve our lives. So download that music, e-mail from your phone, use your car's GPS, and update your site on MySpace. Do this without fear of labels or ridicule...well, at least until someone notices your pocket protector. Nerd!

Size Matters! How Big Should My New HDTV Be?

I can still remember growing up in a Chicago suburb in the late 1970s with our own version of home theater. To have the true theatrical experience, we sat about 2 feet from the television, giving us the illusion that the image on the screen was really large. Playing the video game Pong was like watching a tennis match, requiring our heads to turn back and forth. Looking back, this provided a valuable lesson today on how to determine the proper screen size. While new high definition resolutions are important, one must also consider viewing distance as a major part of the home entertainment equation.

In Support of a Larger TV
There are good reasons to believe that upgrading to a high definition television justifies a larger screen. Going from a standard definition television to a widescreen HDTV will require a 22% larger screen to support the broader image while maintaining the same viewable height. Additionally, the increased resolution from standard definition to high definition will allow an 84% larger screen to appear to have the same picture quality. These reasons, combined with dramatic price drops, contribute to the logic and feasibility of replacing that old 30” picture tube with a 50” high definition television. To readers who appreciate me mentioning this: you are welcome (you know who you are).

In the past, television sizes ranged from 19” to 30”. Today, the right size television lies somewhere between a postage stamp monitor and a billboard-sized screen that stretches from wall to wall. Does it make sense, however, to ask the salesperson at TVs ‘R’ Us for advice on screen size? The last time I did, the seller also mentioned their low rental rates on cranes to facilitate installation. What consumers really need is logical, third party guidance on defining the appropriate screen size. The proverbial retail fox will be more than happy to give advice on how to guard the henhouse. But the fox may end up using a toothpick to clean its teeth while we try to figure out how to remove the fireplace and make room for a mammoth television.

The “Eyes” Have It
To help determine the optimal screen size, one factor that we can consider is the capability of the human eye, called visual acuity. A person with 20/20 vision is able to distinguish lines on a screen separated by 1/60th of a degree. How much detail this person can see on a television depends on the resolution (display lines on the screen) and viewing distance. The greater the resolution, the more lines on the screen, and the more difficult it is to distinguish the individual lines. If you are able to actually see the individual lines on a TV screen, you may need to sit farther away, get a higher resolution screen, or both. It is my belief that you don’t want to be able to distinguish individual lines. This will ensure top picture quality perception.

Standard or enhanced definition televisions that have DVD-quality screens will have 480 lines of resolution, while high definition (HD) televisions have at least 720 lines. The premium HD televisions, called “Full HD” or “1080p”, will have 1080 lines of resolution. Although we will only be referencing television with “progressive scan” lines, keep in mind that there is an alternate resolution that uses something called “interlaced scan”. These screens only refresh half of the lines each pass and are inferior to a progressive scan screen. For our purposes, we can assume that the 1080i (interlaced scan) picture quality is closest to 720p quality (progressive scan).

Home Theater vs. Home Entertainment
Detection of individual lines is not all we need to consider. To truly mimic a theater, we may look at cinema standards such as those set forth by THX, a company that certifies theaters to ensure an optimal movie experience. They have recommendations for viewing angles, which determines how large a screen should be for a given viewing distance. These guidelines create a theater experience and should be taken with a grain of salt when considering home entertainment usage. In a movie theater, the entire focus is on the screen. This may not be the same goal within a family’s living room.

In the following chart, the range of data we discussed comes together. Resolution detection of the human eye is combined with professional cinema standards as well as some retailer/manufacturer guidelines. A "screen size data" spreadsheet showing background calculations may be accessed online. For a given viewing distance, the chart shows a range of recommended screen sizes and the highest resolution that may impact the viewer’s perception. The black areas show recommendations for a true home theater experience while the gray blocks show guidelines for more typical home entertainment applications. Although the topic merits a more in-depth discussion, it should be know that there is some debate as to whether 1080p is noticeable or worth the premium price tag. Also, there is currently almost no 1080p content available except for HD video games, HD DVD, and Blu-Ray players. For the budget conscious, a 720p or 1080i may be sufficient.

Ultimately, personal preference also needs to play a major role in determining the best screen size for your application. This is the main reason why we see a range of TV sizes for each viewing distance. You may not want a home theater television “swallowing” the majority of your living space. But then again, there are few better ways to get immersed in the viewing experience than wrapping yourself in a widescreen television. To go with a TV of this size, however, you’ll also need a tub of popcorn the size of a garbage can, a soda the size of a beach pail, gumdrops the size of golf balls, and a dentist with an opening next week. Happy viewing and chewing!

(click on chart to make larger)

Hi Def Jam! Why Do HDTV Images in Restaurants Look So Bad?

If you purchase a High Definition Television (HDTV), shouldn’t everything look better on its display? No. And not anyone can make my powder blue leisure suit look good. Only I can do that. If you take a tour of local restaurants that have plasma displays, you’ll likely find a surprisingly high number of inferior-looking pictures. Poor resolution of the source signal can create sub-optimal picture quality. This is also why many folks are getting their new HD television home and becoming disappointed with the image they see. To get the best picture on your HDTV, you need to find good HD programming from your content provider (i.e. your cable or satellite company).

Is That Hi Def?
In a 2007 study by Leichtman Research Group, about 22% of HD owners state that they are not receiving HD signals. There are another 25% of HD owners, however, that incorrectly believe they are watching HD programming from cable or DBS (digital broadcast satellite). This reminds me of the stumbling drunk friend that needed a ride home. By the time we got to his apartment and I threw away the remaining empty bottles, I realized that he was drinking non-alcoholic beer. When questioned, he said that he thought it was the “good stuff”. I suppose this is the way a quarter of the HD owners may end up feeling. But instead of non-alcoholic beer, they’re being fed non-HD content.

Out in public view, Bubba the restaurant manager has placed a number of large plasma TVs in the bar area. What finer place to display very high-resolution pictures than at a bar where senses are being dulled by downed brewskies? Maybe that’s the reason the owner will plop down several thousand dollars for an HDTV, but then not spend the extra monthly fee to get HD content on the screen. The ultra-large super-size flat panel TV may be capable of sparkling “1080 I gotta P”, but the signal is from the same source they used with the old 25-inch picture tube. This may also be why ESPN’s Sportscenter shows Tiger Woods looking like he spent the week hanging out at Krispy Kreme. The television is attempting to display a narrower non-HD signal by stretching it to fit the HDTV widescreen. Analogously, they have spent the money on the powder blue leisure suit, but don’t have the collar that extends out to the shoulders. It falls short of creating the total package.

Non-HD Content
It is true that a high definition television has over 3x the resolution of a standard definition television. This feature combined with falling prices has meant that many people are upgrading to larger screen sizes. If a non-HD source is sent to the TV screen, however, the lower resolution image is much larger and the flaws have become much more visible. It relates to the celebrity close-up mug shot that shows all of the blemishes you didn’t see from afar.

Although 53% of the HD owners are receiving HD signals, it is likely that only a small subset of channels are available to them in HD. Most channels are only available in standard definition. Even HD channels will often display programs that are only shown in standard definition. While content providers are adding more HD content, it will likely be years before HD content is prominent. It is important to research your programming with your cable or satellite provider. There is a way to get free HD content: over-the-air. Local stations typically broadcast in HD, but you will likely need a new rabbit-ear antenna similar to the one I used when I first bought my blue leisure suit. This HD trend is bringing back the antenna into style - as opposed to the blue leisure suit that never really went out-of-style.

Surprisingly, I found one exception to the HD television phenomenon within restaurants. It was at my local Hooters. There were no plasmas or LCDs to be found anywhere. They had dozens of old picture tube televisions mounted on antiquated brackets that conspicuously wrap under the TV like the belt of a heavyweight champion. I guess they didn’t want to have anything flat associated with their brand of restaurant. They felt the need to stick to the ole "boob tube". Oops, I didn’t intend the pun to be that direct. If they did switch to a new flat panel television, however, they could always get a smaller LCD screen and wrap it in an XXS T-shirt to make it look larger than it really is.

OMG! Is Text Messaging Just for Teenagers?

Before the dawn of telephony, the written word was revered and treasured. For those physically distanced, it was the most reliable form of communication (i.e. the best network: can you write me know? How about now?). Each word was carefully chosen and inked to paper with precision and a personal touch. Then in the late 1800s Alexander Graham Bell invented what would become the telephone. It was a slow transition, but soon it became more practical to call over telephone lines and get an immediate response. No need to write it down. No need to wait for the mail carrier. But now, technology has brought us the dawn of a new age.

The written word is back. E-mails started the retrospective action. Then instant messaging emerged along with chat rooms and blogs. Finally, the computer was no longer needed as text messaging was brought to the phone. All of those who longed for the day that the written word would carry value once again can finally be satisfied. Oh, BTW, there are a few changes. You don’t know about them? AYSOS? SICNR! :-) Don’t worry if you don’t understand that. We’ll get to it later.

Abbreviated Messaging
While e-mails have traditionally taken the form of casual electronic verbiage, the introduction of instant messaging (IM) gave way to those seeking more immediate gratification. The most popular of these services is Windows Live Messenger (formerly MSN Messenger), but Yahoo! Messenger and AOL Instant Messenger are also used frequently. They involve downloading software onto your PC that is typically activated each time you boot up. You maintain a list of “buddies” with whom you correspond. If one of them wishes to "chat", they type in a short message and click “send.” The message immediately appears on your PC. You can have a rapid back-and-forth conversation. The desire to benefit from the quickness gave rise to abbreviated text, a sort of online shorthand. Soon cell phones brought us Short Message Services (SMS) that have IM-like capabilities but with a maximum of 160 characters. This further awarded a reduction in keystrokes. Many abbreviations were acronyms of typical sayings, but there are many variations. You can find many of these text messaging abbreviations on www.webopedia.com/quick_ref, but here is a sampling so you get an idea what it's about:

AYSOS.......... Are you stupid or something
B4N.......... Bye for now
BRB.......... Be right back
CTRN.......... Can't talk right now
G2G.......... Got to go
JK.......... Just kidding
KPC.......... Keeping parents clueless (interesting, huh?)
LOL.......... Laughing out loud
OMG.......... Oh my God
ROFL.......... Rolling on floor laughing
SICNR.......... Sorry I could not resist
SYS.......... See you soon

Here are another ten items that are not on any list of popular texting terms, but don’t be too surprised if you see them:

TJCMATC.......... This just cost me another ten cents
WTATQN4.......... What’s the answer to question number 4?
NMITTTJSM.......... Never mind, I think the teacher just saw me
DIAISMT.......... Dude, I am in sooo much trouble
PISSS.......... Parting is such sweet sorrow
WWTYAB.......... What wind through yonder air breaks (i.e. I just passed gas)
LNIMTBTWSC.......... Last night I met this boy that was sooo cute
PDUTMATATL.......... Please don’t use text messaging acronyms that are too long
W.......... We need to get together sometime next week when you’re not busy
F.......... For sure, it’s like you read my mind or something

Lastly, texting truly has no boundaries. You may be flirting with redneck status, however, if you use any of these during a text message:

BARD.......... Borrowed
FARN.......... Foreign
F2BT.......... Fit to be tied (i.e. very angry)
FIXIN.......... Preparing to
IAGNDOTH.......... I ain’t got no dogs on this hunt (i.e. its none of my business)
IDCWYATFRT.......... I don’t care who you are, that’s funny right there
JAMAICAN.......... You are making…
UL.......... Motor Oil
YONDER.......... Over there, somewhere typically within sight
YUN2.......... Do you want to…?

If you think these new textual forms of communication are not for you, think again. The profound impact of e-mail is well understood, but we should take heed of those alternate methods. Businesses have adopted instant messaging as a means for remote teams to talk cheaply, quickly and precisely. Chat rooms have not only provided social interaction, but a quick way to exchange information on just about any subject. Blogs (short for "web logs") represent a convenient way to display news or personal thoughts through reverse-chronological entries. Blogging has rapidly grown in popularity and now includes famous bloggers such as Anna Kournikova (tennis player), RuPaul (musician), and Jeff Bridges (actor). These alternate methods of online chatting are invading the world around us.

Smiley Faces
One of the potential pitfalls of online text conversations is that words alone often cannot correctly communicate the tone or mood. Enter the “smiley.” A version of a smiley face (a.k.a. an emoticon) can give a quick, visual indication of a person’s voice change or facial expression during texting. Here’s how it works: when a joking remark such as AYSOS (are you stupid or something) is made, the sender may include a happy face to indicate light heartedness. This helps the reader to understand intent and meaning. These smileys are created with simple keyboard characters and visually show a face on its side. The simple smiley face is done with a colon and closed parenthesis :) or by adding a dash for a nose :-). A variety of letters and punctuation marks can give the look of a wide variety of facial expressions. Some programs, including AIM and Microsoft Word, may recognize the smileys and automatically convert the text into a small graphical smiley. Here is a sampling of emoticons below.

:-) .......... smile or happy
o:-) .......... angel (smile with halo)
:-( .......... sad or frown

:-# .......... with braces
{:-) .......... with toupee
8-) .......... with sunglasses
;-) .......... winking
:-D .......... laughter or wide smile
:-o .......... surprise
:-x .......... kiss

More Texting Possibilities

For those wishing to chat with more than one person, a community called Twitter can deliver updates to a network of friends. It makes it easier to let everyone know about that itch on your foot - or just ask, "wassup?" It can make friends near or far feel close. It can even be used to make new friends through its established community. You can chat by using a phone's SMS, message entry from the Twitter site, or an instant message from AOL Instant Messenger (or other supported IM program). It takes texting to the next level.

In addition to communication with known individuals, SMS can be used to gain quick access to information on-demand through resources such as Google’s new SMS service. This service uses an abbreviated search query message that is sent to address 466453 (‘GOOGLE’ on most devices). Examples of information that may be accessed include business listings, weather, flight information, sports scores, movie times, and stock quotes. For example, if you want to find out what sushi bars are in Beverly Hills, simply send the text “sushi 90210” to 466453. Something similar to the following will appear on your cell phone:

Local Listings:
Sushi Dokoro Ki Ra La
9777 Santa Monica Blvd
Beverly Hills, 90210
310-275-9003

For more details, you can visit Google.com/sms. While the Google service is free, all standard text messaging charges will apply. See store for details. Side effects are rare and may include drowsiness and bloody nose. If your erection lasts more than four hours, contact us and we'll submit your name for the regional semi-finals.

So do you still think text messaging is just for teenagers? It has become more than a fad and has transgressed social and age boundaries. Since it has been popularized far beyond the early adopters, it has become important for each of us to begin to understand the language that supports it. It may not be literature, but it may end up being the most significant change in communication since the rotary dial telephone. B4N. ;-)

Pain in the Aspect! Why Does Brad Pitt look more like Jack Black on My New HDTV?

One word: Aspect Ratio (okay, that’s two words). The consumer electronics manufacturers and motion picture industry have teamed up to bring you a point of confusion regarding the simple task of watching TV. Black bars and stretched images give unexpected results for new TV buyers. As the public moves toward embracing the new High Definition Television (HDTV) standards, some peculiarities with screen sizes given unexpected results. The HDTV standards brought us three new features: (1) higher resolution pictures that provide greater detail, (2) surround sound output that can be directed up to six speakers, and (3) a new aspect ratio for the screen. It is the "strange but true" topic of the aspect ratio that is tackled here.

First of all, the aspect ratio is not the size of one’s buttocks in relation to one’s overall height (in the sense that Jennifer Lopez would have a higher aspect ratio than Paris Hilton), but rather the relationship of your TV’s width to its height. The standard aspect ratio that has been used on TVs since their inception has now changed with the new HDTV standards. Original TVs had a 4:3 aspect ratio, which means for every 4 inches wide, they are 3 inches tall. This gives the appearance of a rectangle that is almost as tall as it is wide – close to a square. This ratio may also be written with reference to a single unit of height, or 1.33:1 (4 divided by 3 = 1.33). In contrast, the new HDTV standard uses a 16:9 aspect ratio or 16 inches of width for every 9 inches of height. This ratio, also known as 1.78:1, is much broader and is referenced as a widescreen format.

The reason for the move to the wider screen is to provide a much more theater-like experience. Back in the 1950s, the motion picture studios were fearful of television’s ability to erode the attendance at movie theaters (sound familiar?). In response, the studios changed the aspect ratio on movies from 4:3 to a much wider stance. This allowed movie-goers to feel much more immersed. It is not until recently that a wider aspect ratio has been brought to the home. Now, thanks to HDTV, we have the widescreen 16:9 format.

According to a Consumer Electronics Association (CEA) study released in April 2007, about 28% of U.S. households have HDTVs (see TVweek.com). Despite this growing number, only a small percentage of channels available on cable and satellite provide HD programs. A clear majority of the programming is still in standard definition with the original 4:3 aspect ratio. Most television content providers are showing less than 20 HD channels, often amounting to less than 10% of its programming. So if we must live with it, how do we display a 4:3 program on a 16:9 television? There are three basic ways to do this. The first method is to zoom the picture and crop the top and bottom. Be careful, though, because close ups can give Clint Eastwood a flattop. The second method is to s-t-r-e-t-c-h the picture to fill the screen. This is what makes Brad Pitt look like Jack Black. Lastly, you can maintain the full image and 4:3 aspect ratio by showing black bars at the side. This is called a pillarbox effect. For those concerned about preserving the original image without distortion, pillarboxing is the best alternative.

So it would appear that we have this aspect ratio thing understood. Now I can go out and spend $5,000 on a 50-inch HDTV for my bathroom. Since I usually watch movies from my bathtub (I call it my “pruning” time), I’ll also plan to hook up a DVD player to it. This will allow me to show widescreen movies on my widescreen TV: a perfect match. I will purchase G.I. Jane, featuring the best bald-headed chick since Ripley in Alien 3, and pop it into the player. To my surprise, I will not have escaped the annoying black bars. The bars have merely rotated ninety degrees and pushed themselves to the top and bottom. What the…? Does this TV need to go back to the manufacturer? Not so fast.

The movie G.I. Jane is presented in a 2.35:1 theatrical aspect ratio. The motion picture industry now has a few different standards, many of which are even wider than 16:9. The 1.85:1 ratio is another popular ratio for movies, but much closer to our TV’s 16:9 ratio. When you display a video with an aspect ratio wider than 16:9, you get black bars at the top and bottom, giving a letterbox display. So let's review. We have a 1.33:1 standard aspect ratio (aka 4:3), a 1.78:1 HDTV widescreen ratio (aka 16:9) and several theatrical aspect ratios such as 1.85:1 and 2.35:1. Whew!

Now here’s the bad news. When you have a 16:9 widescreen TV and display a standard definition program in 4:3, the black bars on the side mean that 25% of the screen you recently purchased goes unused. When you watch a movie filmed in the 2.35:1 ratio, the black bars are at the top and bottom, but again 25% of the screen is always black. The 1.85:1 ratio is the closest to 16:9 and translates into a mere 4% loss. Those other numbers are pretty big, though. This is like buying a car that can only use three tires on most roads? It’s the price we all pay for the variety of aspect ratios out there. Now you know why I consider this topic a “pain in the aspect!”

Despite all of this complexity surrounding aspect ratios, the HDTV standards do bring many benefits to those who upgrade their equipment. In the near future, high definition 16:9 programs will be prevalent among the viewing options. We will eventually be much happier as we use 100% of our television screen and Brad Pitt will look like…well…Brad Pitt. Then the only worry we have left is watching our dessert consumption so we don’t increase our own body’s aspect ratio. The last thing we want is to develop a personal widescreen format. A pillarbox shirt is not slimming.