So what is Freesat?
Freesat is a joint venture in the UK between BBC and ITV television destined to be a satellite alternative to freeview. The advantages of Freesat over terrestrial television are in the number of channels and the quality of the broadcast.
The service launched to the public on May 6 2008. Upon launch, the available channels included all BBC and ITV channels (with the exception of ITV2+1), most of Channel 4s channels, as well as channels from broadcasters such as Euronews, CSC Media Group, Al Jazeera and Chello Zone. Copying its launch issues at the end of the last century, Channel Five was notably absent from the party, as were channels from MTV, BSkyB and UKTV.
Currently, Freesat has 147 radio and television channels on its books. Although the adoption of more channels is going slightly slower than they had predicted, there are numerous more entertainment and music channels on the horizon.
There are a number of channels broadcast on Freeview which Freesat does not have access to. These are (at the time of writing): Smile TV, Quest, Partyland, National Lottery Xtra and teleG.
To get Freesat, you will need a satellite dish. If you don't already have one then you will be able to get one from any of the numerous satellite shops around the country. Installation of a satellite dish generally costs in the region of £80. Once you have your satellite dish installed, you will need a digital receiver box. These units pick up the digital signal from the satellite and relay the picture to your television. They can cost anywhere from £50 to right up and over £800 and you generally do get what you pay for when it comes to features and quality.
Features to look out for on your Freesat box are HD channels, Surround Sound, the ability to pause, rewind and record both HD and SD television programmes and interactive programme guides. Again, though, the more features you want, the more you will have to fork out.
If all of this is very new and sounding a bit technical to you, then you would be best to visit your nearest satellite TV specialists for a chat. Most places are very happy to point you in the right direction for your equipment and have demos so you can try before you buy.
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Pimp my Lorry
When you spend more time in your lorry than you do at home, it's only natural to want to make it into a comfortable living environment. But did you know that some of our country's lorry drivers have installed stylish portable fridges and cookers and even Christmas trees to make their lorries more loveable?
In the US, truck accessories and truck beautification are a major commercial industry, so much so that in February last year a trucking version of the popular MTV show 'Pimp My Ride' was launched on cable channel CMT called 'Trick My Truck'.
In the show, the Trick My Truck team surprise a deserving truck driver and transform their run-down truck. They aim to remodel each truck driver's vehicle by incorporating truck accessories with themes and luxuries associated with their personal lifestyle and needs. The show is so popular that it now has its own spin-off. Named 'Trick My Trucker', it gives the truck drivers themselves makeover - beauty experts shave off unsightly beards, dye their hair and help them get into shape.
In the UK, lorry drivers are now well on the road to catching up with their transatlantic friends. While they may not have as far to travel (at least not all at once), the majority of our lorry drivers are just as keen to soup up their vehicles with cutting edge devices and lorry accessories. One Birmingham lorry driver told me he has recently installed a Christmas tree with fairy lights, because "it can get lonely out there on the road on your own".
Meanwhile, gadgetry such as sat navs, laptops and mobiles, often linked together and with specific docks, have become commonplace. CV radios are a must, as are PDAs hooked up to flat screen monitors for easy reading. Some lorry drivers have swanky TVs with integrated DVD and Freeview and specially designed aerials fitted to their cabs. For the outside, there are a number of new must-have lorry accessories including spotlights, air horns and chrome steps.
But the most sought-after lorry accessories are the creature comforts. Fridges, microwaves, toasters and portable cookers with pots, pans and utensils are becoming more popular for fine dining on the road, as well as luxurious sheepskin seat covers and air-conditioned seats.
For that real living room feel, one learned lorry driver I spoke to has installed a set of shelves with books about the best cafes in Britain!
Freeview Digital TV television mobile phone
Further Reading
How to Choose Which HDMI Cable is Best For Your Equipment
We seem to live in a world of acronyms today and HDMI is just another one of them. When we are looking for the correct HDMI component we are, in fact, looking for a High Definition Multimedia Interface cable. It does not really sound as exciting when you put it that way though.
What it actually is in layman's language is an interface to transmit uncompressed digital data for audio and visual. It is one of the really new inventions as it only started in the 21st century. Since that time it has grown in popularity at an amazing rate. So much so that in January 2009 it had been installed as a base in 600 million HDMI devices.
There are, however, lots of different variations in their specification. The basic specifications are defined as 1.0 thru to 1.4. Whilst it is possible to use and connectors and cables, to get the optimum performance level you need to find out which are the correct ones for your particular device.
There are four connector types - Type A, Type B, Type C and Type D. They are not all the same size and one other major difference is the number of pins that each one has.
The HDMI cables do not have a maximum length assigned to them. In fact, their make up is much more important to the quality of sound and picture that they will give us. There are Category 1 cables which are the standard ones and Category 2 cables which are high speed cables. You will find the cables are named like HDMI cable 1.3 to reflect the different basic specifications they will operate for.
On any cable HDMI will support any TV or Video format and up to 8 channels of digital audio. HDMI is electrically compatible with Digital Visual Interface (DVI) signals so it is not necessary for signal conversion, there is also no loss of video quality when a DVI to HDMI cable and adapter is used.
HDMI has been introduced to the gaming community in a big way recently. When you connect an Xbox you will need an Xbox 360 HDMI cable for a PlayStation 3, a PlayStation 3 HDMI cable and for a PS3, you will need a ps3 HDMI cable.
The major supplier of HDMI cables is Monster and they are also manufactured by Belkin, Panasonic, Phillips and other leading television manufacturers.
You can now see some of the things that you need to consider in your quest to find the right cable.
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Further Reading
- How does my DVR know the HDMI cable is plugged in? | Bob Tells All
- Tech Tracker : Why You Should Never Pay More Than $10 For HDMI Cables
What You Need to Know About Plasmas and HDTV
The electronic and entertainment worlds are buzzing about High Definition Television and the incredible picture quality it will bring, and how HDTV will change the way we watch television. But what exactly is it?
While HDTV isn't widely available yet in the UK, most new television sets on the market today are HD ready, meaning that they'll be able to broadcast in high definition as soon as it becomes more widespread.
It isn't just live television that will benefit. DVD formats are currently available like Toshiba's HD-DVD and Sony's Blu-ray, so you'll be able to watch your favourite films in high definition straight away. In addition, the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 are HD compatible, and Sony is just one manufacturer to launch HD camcorders.
The technology behind HDTV is pretty simple. Where normal televisions use 576 visible lines, HDTV sets have 720 or 1028, making for exception clarity and depth. The pixels in each line are also closer.
HDTV comes in two formats:
1. 720p - an image made up of 1280 lines along the horizontal by 720 vertical. It shows the whole image in one frame and is the smoothest type.
2. 1080i - an image made up of 1920 horizontal lines and 1080 vertical. It is displayed as two fields that are interwoven, and is more detailed than 720p.
If your screen has at least 720 horizontal lines you'll be able to watch both formats but 1080i footage will be scaled and therefore lower quality than if you had a 1080 line screen.
When you're choosing your television, make sure that they display the HD ready logo. Make sure you do your research - find out if the model you want is compatible for both formats, as many are only 720p ready.
Once you've decided on your , the next step is choosing a screen. A plasma screen is the best way to view HDTV. Also known as a plasma display panel (PDP), this type of screen contains thousands of tiny cells which hold mixture of neon and xenon gas. Electricity turns this gas into plasma which then reacts with phosphors to give off light. Plasma screens are better than LCD screens for HDTV thanks to superior brightness, faster response time, larger color spectrum, and wider viewing angle, although technology is quickly closing the gap.
Picture quality depends on the broadcaster as well as the quality of the television. Freeview, which broadcasts in 576 lines, can be viewed on a Plasma or LCD screen, but the quality won't be as high as Sky which broadcasts in 1080 lines. It's a case of waiting for HDTV to become more widespread, but with your new HD ready television you'll be ready for the revolution.
