Technology In the 3D World

The world of 3D technology has taken off, especially in television and movies. 3D movies have been around for some time now but the latest innovation that has recently been introduced is the 3D television, which has just has just hit the market in the past year. The TV’s will require particular glasses in order to view the images in a three dimensional perspective.

The three dimensional television will allow viewers to feel as if they are literally involved in the action. An example of the TV’s amazing capabilities would be like if you were literally at a professional baseball game. If you were watching it on the 3D television you could feel as if the pitch was coming at you. You would be able to see the dust fly up from player’s cleats and you would feel as if you were playing in the game yourself.

The manufacturers of this innovative product include Mitsubishi, Samsung, Sharp, Sony, LG, and Panasonic. Like previously stated, each TV comes with glasses that are mainly battery powered. These glasses sync to the television just like a remote control would.

All this new technology in the world of television is great, but like with any new product, this new 3D TV has its drawbacks. One main drawback is the simple fact that one must actually go about wearing the glasses while watching the TV. Television sets only come with two pairs of glasses, so if you have a large family that intends on viewing the TV, extra glasses will need to be purchased. This is something that can get rather costly, depending on the amount of people you have in your family.

Something that has been surfacing in the technology world is how Samsung has partnered with Hollywood so that when a 3D film airs in Theaters, you will be able to view it from your home 3D television as well. This technology will at first be limited, but should take off as time goes on.

The way the 3D television and glasses work is actually quite interesting. We see depth when images from our left and right eye merge into one. To re-create this process in high definition, TVs must refresh the picture 120 times a second with alternating frames for the left and right eye, which tricks your brain into seeing only one image. Most TVs are fast enough to do this, but in order to be 3D capable, TVs must include a converter chip and software to break down the signal and separate the left and right images. An infrared beam syncs the glasses with the screen to produce the final 3D effect.

The technology in televisions has gone above and beyond to ensure a great 3D experience to viewers. The TV is a wonderful new innovation and will only get better as the years go on and technology increases.

Is Prime Appealing Enough to Shutdown Netflix?

There are many Internet-based movie rental and TV series subscriptions available, which have become very popular in the last few years. Many people have noticed the closing of many movie rental stores, like Blockbuster. These closings are due to the more convenient way of receiving and watching movies or TV series; one of the most popular and well-known subscription services that has somewhat directly shut down movie rental stores is Netflix. Just as technology has changed so many things in the past decade, we are now seeing the effect that technology has on movie rentals.

Netflix allows subscribers to view movies and TV shows unlimitedly for $7.99 a month, or around $96 a year. People watch these rentals over the Internet on their TVs with a Play Station 3, Xbox, or Wii gaming system; viewers also have the option of streaming the rental on a computer. Another service that Netflix offers to subscribers is the unlimited rental DVDs that they mail to the subscriber for rental without due dates, and therefore no late fees; this service is $2 extra per month. Blu-ray is available on Netflix. In order to allow potential subscribers to try it before buying it, they allow a free 1-month subscription that entitles each Netflix service to be used.

Amazon has recently put out a product called Prime that allows unlimited, instant streaming of movies and TV shows. It is $79 a year. The videos are capable of being viewed on computers, TVs, Blu-ray players, and many other TVs that are able to connect to the Internet. HD is available for Prime. This membership has other benefits than just movies and TV shows for a cheap price per year; it entitles members to fast 2-day shipping on Amazon products. Prime, like Netflix, entitles potential members to a free 1-month trial.

There is not much of a difference between Netflix and Prime. Both services allow unlimited, instant streaming of movies and TV series, and both require Internet connectivity. The costs are slightly different, with Amazon’s Prime being $17 cheaper per year. It also gives members extra benefits, while Netflix services only include movies and TV series. Netflix has a wider library than Prime does, but both offer new releases, which is a common category of movie rentals. Neither service has commercials or ads in their videos, yet both services provide HD streaming.

An interesting topic is what will be the next big subscription service that beats out Netflix. Will it be Amazon’s Prime? There is much hype about Prime, but is there enough of a difference in it, including its extra benefits, to encourage people to subscribe to Prime instead of the so well known Netflix? And, is Prime appealing enough to draw Netflix subscribers away from Netflix and onto Prime?

Because there is such a small difference in Netflix and Prime, the best way to decide which subscription is right for each individual’s lifestyle is to try out the free trials on each of the services. Some households might not have the correct TV components to work with one service, and therefore the other service would be the right option for them. The movie and TV series may also be slightly different, therefore getting a feel for each of the libraries would be a great way to decide which service is a better personal fit.

Although Amazon’s Prime is not yet appealing enough to take over what Netflix has become, it has high potential to become the next “big thing.” Just as Netflix ended Blockbuster’s business, Prime may be the next Internet-based movie rental subscription that outruns the huge accomplishments of Netflix.

The Pros vs. Cons of the Apple TV

The Apple TV sold in stores today is not the same as the original Apple TV idea. The original Apple TV has been discontinued and Apple has started selling the black second version. Many people have a distorted idea on what the Apple TV actually is. The Apple is NOT like a TV that you would originally think of. It's a small device about the size of your palm that allows you to do certain things not applicable on a normal television set. The device connects into your TV and you can control what you watch from a remote, MacBook, or iPad. You can rent HD movies, watch Netflix instantly, rent TV shows, and stream photos and music from your computer to your TV.


We'll start with the pros of the Apple TV. One of the pros is its small and sleek design. Tech savvy people are everywhere these days and demanding the "coolest" devices with unique and easy to use designs. The size is small and extremely fast in speed. Another plus regardig the Apple TV is consumer friendly interface. The interface is easy to use and navigate through. Along with the interface, the remote is very simple to use and navigate through the interface. The upgrades of different ports including an HDMI port allow easy connection between the Apple TV device and the newest and latest technology in televisions. The Apple TV streams the data from the Apple TV onto your television set rather quickly and without problems. In addition, it is also cheaper than the mac mini.

Now for the cons of the Apple TV. For one, it has limited capabilities. It cannot play CD's, DVD's, or record programming such as a DVR would do. The different connection cables (for example, the HDMI cord) have to be purchased separately. This cord is basically needed in the attempt to connect the Apple TV with your own television console. In addition, the Apple TV is not compatible with older televisions which may cause a problem for some people. The processor cannot be updated so if there were to be a new version to come out, you would just have to buy the product all over again at a pretty high price, leading to our next point. The Apple TV may seem relatively expensive to some regarding its capabilities. Presently, the Apple TV costs $99. In addition, when streaming from Netflix, the resolution is dependent upon your Wi-Fi connection and therefore data could be lost. Also, the DVD rentals are said to come out the day it's released but that seems not to be the case. At times, it takes up to a month for a new movie to come out. One last negative about the Apple TV is consumers simply do not know about the product. Apple could do a much better job in putting this product into consumer's minds when out purchasing a TV or looking into a Netflix account.

The Apple TV would suit different people in different ways. If your extremely tech savvy and like immediacy and the latest movies and apps, then the Apple TV may still be lacking. On the other hand, if you are a consumer just looking for a "cool" and sleek toy to watch a couple movies and TV shows here-and-there, then this may be the perfect device for you!