Digital Television (DTV) Converter Boxes

Lisa — Fri, 09 May 2008 02:52:12 +0000

Are you ready for February 17, 2009? That is the day that full-power television stations will turn off analog channels and begin broadcasting exclusively in a digital format, in compliance with The Deficit Reduction Act of 2005. Broadcasting in digital format will free up parts of the airwaves for future services by entrepreneurs. With DTV, we may also see improved services from TV stations also include enhanced closed captioning, better pictures and sound, and multicast programming.

So what does this mean for you? If you have:

Antenna on Analog TV: you currently get free broadcast television signals through antennas on television sets that are equipped with analog tuners. You do not subscribe to cable, satellite or a telephone company service provider. You can upgrade to DTV by following one of three steps by February 17, 2009:

Purchase a DTV converter box
Purchase a digital TV set
Subscribe to a cable, satellite or a telephone company service provider

Antenna on Digital TV: you currently have a TV with a digital tuner and are able to receive digital signals broadcast by television stations. You continue to receive your free programming with no monthly fees.

Cable Television and Satellite Service: you currently have a television in your home that is connected to a satellite, cable or telephone company television service. You should not be affected by the transition.

If you need to purchase a DTV converter box, there are many different brands available. You can also take advantage of the coupon available to everyone who needs to purchase a DTV converter box. Visit the TV Converter Box coupon website to order yours! This coupon is worth $40 that can be applied toward the cost of eligible converter boxes for US households.

Other resources for DTV transition information:

Save the date! Get ready for February 17, 2009!

Watch Your TV from Virtually Anywhere – Slingbox

Lisa — Wed, 30 Jan 2008 17:34:07 +0000

With a Slingbox, you can really watch your TV from virtually anywhere in the world. Slingbox is a clever device that allows you to watch your home TV— including HD content — and all its programming through the Internet!

With Slingbox you can watch your TV on your cell phone, on your laptop, at work (don’t tell the boss), or on the road. So now you can watch your DVR, digital cable, satellite receiver, or DVD player wherever you see fit. Really, just about anywhere you want. All your favorite shows, news, and sports. If its on your TV, you can watch it anywhere. And it has great video quality – that is Slingbox, the high-tech secret you’ve been waiting for.

Now, Slingbox is not for me. Yes, it’s a clever device for sure but I can’t imagine being somewhere like Rome Italy, amongst the magnificant ruins of yesterday, with a burning desire to watch my home TV or DVD player. But, hey, that’s just me!

Which Slingbox is perfect for you?

Slingbox PRO is perfect for you if you need all the multiple sources of video input and optional HD. If not, it may be more than you need and you’ll pay more for all that extra video gear. If you don’t need all those bells and whistles, go for a more simplified version. If you are a hardcore Slinger, then Slingbox PRO is for you!
Slingbox SOLO is perfect for you if you want to use just one video input source and optional HD. Keep in mind that the cell phone and PDA viewing software costs extra and there is no built-in wireless networking support. It also monopolizes the device that is attached while viewing. At a lower price Slingmedia Slingbox SOLO is a great device to stream your home TV to various Internet connected devices.

How Does Slingbox Work?

Simple. Slingbox is a small box that connects your cable or satellite set-top box, and then to your home router. Slingbox then takes the incoming TV signal from the set-top box and encodes it on the fly into a Windows Media video stream.

You install some special software on your computer (desktop or laptop) and then you can access that TV stream. You can be in the next room, or another country. It really doesn’t matter with Slingbox.

What do you need? A Slingbox (of course), router, and fast connection at home to upload the video stream. You’ll also need a good Internet connection (300Kbps) to access this stream when you are outside of your home network.

The faster the connection, the better the video picture quality. Slingbox uses a new breakthrough technology called SlingStream, which dynamically adjusts the video quality for a brilliant viewing experience. Many factors are taken into consideration, like your network bandwidth, SlingPlayer device, video content, and video input type.

SlingStream then goes to work automatically adjusting video bit rates, compression levels, frame rates, and other settings to provide you with a quality video viewing experience.

Buy Slingbox:

Smart Home Gadgets » Home Theater

Digital Television (DTV) Converter Boxes

Watch Your TV from Virtually Anywhere – Slingbox