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Advancements in Entertainment Technology

As digital video technology gets better, so does the demand for a greater home entertainment experience. Today, consumers have a variety of entertainment technology advances to enjoy, including TiVoŽ, high definition television (HDTV) and digital video recorders (DVR).

High Definition Television
More and more people are turning to high definition television, making it many viewers' television-watching mode of choice. To meet the ever-increasing demand for HDTV, many television stations are making shows available in HD format. Usually, the stations have completely different channels on which they broadcast the high-definition shows, due to formatting problems that could arise from running high-def and analog programming on the same channels. Some people predict that with the huge demand for HDTV, regular analog broadcasts will cease by the year 2009.

The difference between standard television and HDTV is in the resolution: A regular analog television has a resolution of 704 by 480 pixels, while an HDTV can have a resolution as high as 1,920 by 1,080 pixels. There are four different types of HDTVs on the market:

• Direct View HDTVs: Also known as tube TVs, direct-view HDTVs have the traditional curved screen, due to their use of cathode-ray tube (CRT) technology. These models have been nearly replaced by flat-screen HDTVs.
  
  
• Flat-Panel HDTVs: Very thin, very clear and, in some cases, very expensive, flat-panel HDTVs come in two forms: plasma and liquid crystal display (LCD). Plasma televisions run the risk of having images permanently etched onto the screen. While LCD HDTVs don't face this risk, they do produce lesser-quality images than plasmas.
  
  
• Rear-Projection Microdisplays: These sets come in three types: digital light processing (DLP), LCD and liquid crystal on silicon (LCoS). DLP produces excellent color uniformity but can also produce rainbow effects. LCD produces no rainbow effect, but the black colors are not as good as they are on DLP. LCoS has the potential to be the best of the three, as it has quality colors. It is, however, somewhat expensive.
  
  
• Front-Projection HDTVs. Front-projection HDTVs usually project images onto a place, such as a blank wall. They come in two forms: DLP and LCD. DLPs can be very bright but can produce a "rainbow effect." LCDs are less expensive and not as bright as DLPs.

What is TiVoŽ?
TiVoŽ stands for "television input/output," and, in case you haven't heard, TiVoŽ has been a sensation in digital video recording (DVR). DVR records television programs and places them on a computer hard drive rather than on a VHS tape or DVD.

TiVoŽ and DVR provide users with many more features than conventional recording devices. For example, TiVoŽ provides users with a device and service that network together. This makes recording as simple as selecting a program off of a scheduling grid. TiVoŽ can also detect a user's favorite shows and can suggest programs the user might want to watch. For example, if you are a TiVoŽ user who enjoys Grey's Antaomy, the device might suggest ER. Another very popular tool is the Time Shift function, which allows viewers to pause live transmissions and watch them later.

DVR on your PC
TiVoŽ does not have the monopoly on DVR entertainment. In fact, there are many DVR devices, including the ATI All-in-Wonder Radeon, which works off your television but is operated by your PC. As the lines blur between PCs and TVs, experts are predicting a surge in PC/DVR technology.