Becoming a parent for the first time is such an all-consuming process. In the beginning, it is all about the baby’s health, something which requires nearly constant attention. Later on, as children start to grow and move about on their own, people begin to see their homes as if for the first time. What can be hazardous to a child around the house? After looking about and seeing so many different ways for a child to get hurt, it can be a frightening experience.

However, there is such a thing as worrying a bit too much about hazards around the house. In general, children will show better judgment that people expect. It is the larger things which should certainly grab one’s attention from the beginning, as with television screens and other furniture than is top-heavy. The innovations in television sets have created much larger screens, and even though they are thinner than the older TV models, some equal their predecessors in weight. Part of the reason is the size. Inch-for-inch, the old models will weigh more, but there are a number of excellent flat-screen TVs which are quite heavy, especially the original models, some of which are still highly regarded for the quality of presentation.

How can one make sure that children are not put in danger from television sets? There are a number of devices available to prevent television sets from toppling over onto children, but the first part of the equation should be a verbal warning. Tell children that it is unacceptable to play with the device itself, especially if is situated on a low-standing TV rack. For television sets mounted on the wall well above a child’s reach, there is going to be little to worry about.

However, many homeowners prefer to have a television set at about eye level when they are sitting on the couch. In this case, children will have no trouble reaching the TV stands and thus the danger presents itself. One way to keep the TV in its place is with straps attached to the wall. Adhesives keep the fabric in place while the connection to the TV itself is very firm. This type of device is popular in areas where earthquakes are common.

Another method is a buckle attached to the TV stand. These devices are made with heavy boding glues to make sure the television will not tip over. In some cases, the foundations may take up to 5 hours before their glues have dried, then they are ready to take on the strap which then connects to the TV. After that end is secure, there is further bonding which can take up to 72 hours in total. Nonetheless, the system is almost foolproof, one that can be trusted without reserve.

Accidents are happening all the time and children are certainly not invulnerable to falling appliances. Once the TV gets straightened out, it would be wise to check on other similar items, like a computer monitor or speakers. Whatever device seems to need some securing, the materials exist to keep them in place. No matter how rambunctious children might get, they will remain safe at home.

When it comes to understanding what in the world the differences are between the many different kinds of consumer electronics products on the market, some people have a harder time than they would pinning jelly to the wall. The consumer electronics industry hasn’t exactly helped out in this regard, but rather has hidden itself behind a web of many confusing terms, some of which are redundant, others of which are misleading, and even more of which are perfectly legitimate but totally confusing! For example, when it comes to understanding what is so special about HD TV and what all the different varieties are all about, there are too many acronyms and technical terms for the average person to really have the faintest notion of what distinguishes such sets from the two-decade-old tube they’ve got at home already.

Unfortunately, asking the salesman at your local electronics store is not going to help you out in this regard: you will either be fed a bunch of misleading information (so that the salesman can make some commission this month) or you will simply get nothing, as many people working in these stores don’t have an inkling of what they are selling, and may even be less informed than you are, the person in search of answers. The internet has done a much better job than the industry itself or its salesmen in elucidating the distinctions and properties of HD TV, and what it is that makes this technology different than traditional TV.

The biggest and most notable difference between traditional sets and HD TVs is, quite obviously, the superior image resolution of the latter. But why is this so? This difference is in fact the result of multiple differences all neatly rolled up into one. Though many early HD TV products were designed to use analog signals for broadcasting, virtually all HD TVs now operate strictly with digital signal. That is an important difference, and one that doesn’t necessarily have to do with picture quality per se. Remember, however, that even traditional televisions can read and project a digital signal, so it is not exactly something unique to HD TV—rather, the fact that it uses practically exclusively digital signal is unique.

What HD TV does that is different than traditional TV is that it

1) raises the amount of scan lines being interpreted and projected onto your screen, and

2) widens the aspect ratio being projected onto your screen from the common 4:3 that we all have been using for the last 50 years to 16:9.

This significantly wider aspect of HD TV is very notable and doesn’t have to do with image resolution but rather with the presentation of the image, in this case reminding viewers of a more cinematic, theatrical appearance (hence the association of widescreen with the movies). Let’s study these two basic differences of HD TV in a little more depth, so that people can understand where the differences really lie, and what they mean.

The evolution of television in its early years was largely a story of the improvement and increase in the number of scan lines that devices were using. Basically, more scan lines mean a richer, more defined image. If an image is displayed using fewer scan lines, the detail will be negatively affected, and vice versa. Image scanning is the basic technology that makes television possible, and is known technically as rasterization. When a television set receives an electric signal, the signal is captured by a device (usually a rotating mirror-drum scanner or vibrating scanner) and then the scanned image is projected onto a screen. Traditional TVs use a cathode ray tube to then project the image, whereas HD TVs use a video line system.

In old, traditional TVs, the number of lines was set at 480, with the lines being “interlaced,” meaning the odd lines were projected at one moment and the even lines immediately afterwards—a process that takes so little time it is imperceptible to the naked eye. HD TV has taken things to entirely new levels, with 1080 being the current pinnacle and 720 also being available. Truly excellent image quality can be had by eliminating the “interlacing” of the scan lines, showing them on the screen in one fell swoop. When this is the case, instead of an “i” (for “interlaced”) after the number of scan lines—for example, 480i—a “p” (for “progressive”) is put afterwards, such as 720p. The visual effect of the horizontal lines on the screen, which is exacerbated by interlacing the scan lines, is significantly reduced if not altogether eliminated by using progressive scan lines. Hence, when shopping for a television, look for 480p or 720p, or better yet, 1080p.

The “progressive” scan line innovation has added a third category of TV sets, known as Enhanced Definition TV (EDTV), obviously in addition to traditional (or tube) TVs and HD TVs. EDTVs are incredibly crisp and are frequently confused for high definition televisions, even though they have absolutely no high definition technology built into them.

As far as the widening of the image is concerned, this is one of the more highlighted properties of HD TVs that many consumers have found incredibly attractive. The wider viewing really gives a sense of being in the cinema, and in fact helps contribute to the higher definition of the images. HD TVs usually have a wider possible viewing angle than traditional TVs, and are more versatile when it comes to room lighting (aka you can see well in a wider variety of lighting conditions). Furthermore, given their higher resolution, HD TVs reduce the amount and severity of image blur, a truly unpleasant phenomenon that is particularly prevalent when watching sports games and other programs with lots of movement. So, to recap, it is important to understand that there are a variety of technical properties to HD TVs that make them able to provide a higher quality image—not to mention the fact that most HD TVs allow you to connect a wider variety of media, including digital files.

If you are dedicated to getting the most out of your home’s AV equipmet, please visit our website to see our range of speaker stands, TV stands & equipment racks.

The steady forward march of television services has been underway since the middle of the twentieth century: first came color TV, then came cable, then came satellite TV, then came VCRs, and today, behold the HD DVR.  What in the name of all that is holy does that stand for?  The acronym HD DVR stands for high definition digital video recorder.  In short, it is a nifty little box that will revolutionize the way anybody watches the TV with the many cool features and functions it has.

An HD DVR allows the customer to record video inputs, generally routed through their cable or satellite TV service, in high definition format (and, of course, standard definition too).  That is the most basic function of an HD DVR.  But the magic comes in exactly how you can do so, and how much you can record!  Having been around on the market for a few years already (previously in the simpler, non-HD capacity), this little box of miracles permits several great features that have completely changed how and when people watch the tube.

First of all, you can set up a calendar of recording events.  Though all of the following details mentioned throughout the article vary from model to model, the better models should contain almost all of these features.  A good model HD DVR ought to permit you to schedule up to an entire week of recording events, and sometimes even more.  Today it is common to find boxes with capacity to store 20 hours of HD video, and around 180 hours of standard definition video.  Of course, you can improve your video capacity with a DVR expander, and some folks have boxes that can record over 50 hours of HD video.  Another great feature is the ability to record two video inputs at the same time: that means that you don’t have to choose between what would otherwise be competing broadcasts…pure bliss!  This is thanks to the presence of dual tuners in the DVR.  And there are even more benefits to having dual tuners: you can watch a show you already recorded while recording two shows now being broadcast, or you can watch one show and record it and another at the same time!  Really, the dual tuner has created some serious changes in TV-viewing habits.  Who knows if multiple tuners won’t form part of the HD DVRs of the future?

The next great benefit of the HD DVR, like any DVR, is the ability to pause live TV.  This is the most popular feature of the box, hands down.  It doesn’t matter if you programmed a recording of the live TV you’re watching in the moment, since the DVR itself records whatever channel is on the screen, no matter what.  How many great sports moments have been lost in the past because somebody walked in front of the screen, or you had to get up and use the restroom or check on the food in the kitchen?  With an HD DVR, you can pause it, and forget about your worries!  And what happens if you paused it a second too late?  You can rewind live TV, too, of course; if it’s being recorded, you can clearly go back and see what came before.  And once the toggle advances further to the right, you can fast forward as well.

The fast forwarding function  has also created a groundswell of change.  Whatever a person has recorded with their HD DVR, they can watch without commercials…that’s right, no annoying advertisements!  With the fast forward button, all your favorite shows and movies will be able to be watched without the bothersome interruption of commercials.  Some people can’t believe that it’s true, since we have all been preconditioned to believe that the whole TV experience revolves around and relies on commercials.  Not so, thanks to this brilliant little box.

The recording options get a little more complicated, and understanding the details can help maximize your use of an HD DVR.  A major tool that comes with virtually all DVRs is the on-screen program guide, which enables the viewer to find out weeks ahead of time what will be on, and assist them in choosing what shows to record.  Then, there are some really cool search options available for identifying what to record.  You can enter your favorite actor’s name, and record all the upcoming movies and shows the he or she will be in.  Or you can search by keyword and find all the results that it’s included in, and narrow your search from there.  You can put in the name of your sports icon, and get all the games that athlete will compete in.  Search by director, producer, title, or just about anything you want.  You can even go ahead and select an entire season of any given show and your HD DVR will automatically record every episode right through the end of the season.  Think of the convenience that means for most people, who leave the home early and get home late and simply don’t have the time to watch their favorite shows when they’re broadcast—and may not even have the time to remember to program the recordings, one by one.  It’s a whole different story when it’s all stored away in a little box on top of your TV, intelligently recording all the favorites you specify.

Really, the HD DVR, like it’s ordinary DVR ancestor, is all about breaking with useless, obsolete TV traditions, in favor of a more flexible and comfortable TV experience.  It’s about following your own rhythm and choosing according to your own interests.  Why, if you can get all of your favorite programming stowed away and ready for you at any time, commercial free, would you ever want to go back to being a slave of the regular TV experience?  Most people today seem to be pretty keen on getting a DVR if they don’t already have one, and the whole marketing strategy behind the TV industry seems set for some pretty serious changes.  And if you can have it all in HD, why not?  

Please visit our TV stands page to see the products we offer that compliment HD-DVR technology.