PCinfospace

If you try to play a Blu-ray disk in a CD or DVD player it will not work. Their physical size is the same but they are not forward compatible. That is to say you can not play new media or technology (such as Blu-ray) on older players such as CD or DVD players. However, manufacturers make Blu-ray disk drives backwards compatible with all CD, DVD formats. This means you can play or record on older media, such as CDs and DVDs,  from a Blu-ray disk drive or recorder.

The reason Blu-ray was invented was due to the need for much better quality pictures for upcoming TVs and Computers. High definition was the thing of the future at that time.

The name Blu-ray came from the underlying technology, which utilizes a blue-violet laser to read and write data. The name is a combination of “Blue” (blue-violet laser) and “Ray” (optical ray). According to the Blu-ray Disc Association the spelling of “Blu-ray” is not a mistake, the character “e” was intentionally left out so the term could be registered as a trademark.

The correct full name is Blu-ray Disc, not Blu-ray Disk (incorrect spelling)
The correct shortened name is Blu-ray, not Blu-Ray (incorrect capitalization) or Blue-ray (incorrect spelling).  The correct abbreviation is BD, not BR or BRD (wrong abbreviation)

The competing product for Blu-ray, known as HD-DVD, lost the war on High definition readers and writers. Movie makers now produce their movies on DVD and Blu-ray. HD-DVD is no longer produced. However, some manufacturers still make players available that can read these disks because some people have the HD-DVD movies. This may eventually go the way of eight track tapes.

Every manufacturer has their way of competing. Some may have a different combination of CD, DVD and Blu-ray players and/or recorders. This makes it mandatory to know what you are buying. If you don’t understand this technology it may be best to do some research or ask somebody that knows what is going on. The Internet has a wide range of information available also.

The reason you should upgrade to Blu-ray is due to HDTV.  Seeing high-definition (HD) video on an HDTV will produce an incredibly sharp picture with vivid colors. HD offers many times the amount of detail as standard-definition (SD). That’s where Blu-ray comes in, it offers up to 50GB of storage capacity and enables playback, recording and rewriting of HD in all of the HD resolutions including 1080p. 1080p is the shorthand name for a category of HDTV video modes. The number “1080″ represents 1,080 lines of vertical resolution (1080 horizontal scan lines), while the letter p stands for progressive scan (meaning the image is not interlaced). The format also supports high-definition audio formats and lossless audio. Its main uses are for storing high-definition video, PlayStation 3 games, and other data.

If you want to play or record Blu-ray movies on a computer you need a Blu-ray disk drive. They are higher priced than older media but should come down in price as demand increases. Many types of players and recorders have been produced to be used on the new High Definition televisions.

Equipment needed to play and record can get very complex and very expensive. It is better if you talk to somebody that understands what is available and what you “really” need. Even cables are different than in the past.

Be sure to check out these great deals !!

Unfortunately no! It is not possible to record one program and watch another if you have a single converter box. The best option is to get one box for each device.  It is also ideal to have one antenna for each device.  See antennaweb.org for the best antenna for your area. If the antenna signal is strong enough, an antenna splitter can be used.  If you have more than one converter box in one room or close to each other it best to get them from different manufacturers so that each uses a different remote. That way if somebody changes a channel on their box it doesn’t affect you.  Instead of purchasing a converter box you could buy a Digital TV.  They have their own tuners so you will not need the converter box.

COST SAVING NOTE !!
You can keep you cost down by trying the equipment you have before you buy anything.  Don’t let people talk you into anything.  Your old antenna may be good enough.  If you have have Cable or Satellite TV you don’t have to do anything. This is only for those that still want to use antenna along with the old TVs.  You do not need a converter box in that case.

Suggestion
If you don’t understand any of this ask around.  Many people have already made the switch including me.  You shouldn’t have to call any experts here.  There should be somebody that will help you get set up. FREE !! or pretty much so.

You will be able to record using your VCR just as you did before.    If you are hooked to cable or Satellite you will not need to do anything. What if you don’t have Satellite or Cable? You will need to purchase a converter box.  This box converts digital signals to analog (older) signals. You will be able to record any channel that you can get on the converter box.  SEE: www.dtv2009.gov or call 1-888-388-2009 to get answers and to get started. The complexity of the setup may depend on the area you are in and what channels you want to watch.  In some cases you may need two antennas if you want to watch one channel and record another.  If you want to watch a station without moving the direction of the antenna you can get away with using a splitter. How do I set up my VCR? I will briefly describe it.  Wow! now you will have yet another remote to deal with.  Tune the VCR to channel 3 or4 (follow instructions shown in the converter box manual), and set you TV to display video from your VCR (this is the remote for your TV not for the converter box).   The biggest problem I have been seeing is that people try to do this physically on the TV.  You need to use your remote.  These days most if not all the setting are on the remote. Now pick up the new remote for the converter box (not the one for the TV) . Click the menu button and scan for channels.  Mostly I found that the instructions in the manual are pretty good and even come in English.  Would you believe that?

With the elimination of Analog signals  it is  important to have a TV that will accept Digital signals.

A crisper sound and clearer picture is the objective. Although the old CRT tubes will still give you a picture, the quality of the sound and picture will be less.

Both Plasma and LCD TV’s are flat and thin. This gives you the ability to put them almost anywhere. You can even hang them on a wall if you want to.

Plasma TVs will be HDTV ready when they are sold. The range in sizes go from 42 to 63 inches at this time but other smaller sizes are available. All Plasma TV’s are wide screen and have an aspect ratio of 16:9.

LCD TVs tend to be somewhat smaller. The computer monitors are normally small but can be used for a TV if need be. In fact you can buy a HDTV card for your computer and use it as an HDTV. Availability of channels will depend on reception in your area.

PRICE
The price of LCDs are normally lower for the same size Plasma screens. However a very large size LCD monitor can be very expensive.

Other differences
* LCD televisions have lower contrast levels than plasma televisions, meaning that they have a harder time reproducing dark colors and grays
* LCD televisions have slower response times, sometimes creating blurs during fast-paced action sequences in movies or in sports
* LCD televisions have a narrower viewing angle, but can be easier to view in well-lit rooms
* LCD televisions run cooler than plasma televisions
* Plasma televisions are of lower quality when paying lower prices

This gives you some idea of the differences. I heavily recommend that you ask a lot of questions when you shop. Check prices in more than one store and look for deals especially on the Internet.

I feel I need to write this article because to many people get memory mixed up with storage.  I am not going to reinvent the wheel here.  I have put some links to sights that I feel explain the subject pretty good.  If you buy something off their sites so be it.

Memory is your working space.  If you didn’t have memory you couldn’t even type a letter, run a program or anything else.  It is the life blood of why computers work in the first place.

The main kind of RAM in today’s computers is  Synchronous Dynamic RAM (SDRAM).  However, numerous types of RAM exist.  This is due to the fact that computers keep changing.  Technology changes so fast that it is all but imposable to keep up with.  You need to be sure what type of RAM you have in your computer before you upgrade.  Types of memory

What if you run out of memory (RAM)?
This would not be good! The first thing you will notice is that it gets difficult to get anything done.  It slows down everything you are trying to do. When this happens the program you are running will attempt to find memory any place it can get it.  The only place to go is  the hard drive.  This is called paging.  The problem is that it will attempt to access areas of the hard drive that are already being used.   Certain programs can take up a lot of memory and once in a while it is a problem when your trying to work with a lot of programs at a time.

How can I solve this?
There are two things you need to look at.

• How big is your hard drive? If your hard drive is almost used up this could be a big problem and may in fact cause a crash if there isn’t enough room to start with.

• Can you add RAM?  Hopefully your motherboard will allow you to add more RAM.  Put in as much as you can afford.  This is the single best thing you can do to upgrade and improve the performance of any computer.
• You should close any programs your not using. I feel this is important.  It may make your day a lot easier because it will speed up the program you are actually working on.

What if my computer is still slow?
You may have a Virus.  This is the main cause of this symptom.  There are numerous other possibilities but this is the big one.  Spy-ware is also a possibility.  If you feel you have run out of energy trying to figure it out I feel you need to take it to an expert in your area.

For more detail there is a lot of info on the web.  I like this one: How stuff works