eCoustics.com tv articles

PC World's Top 10 How-To Videos of 2009

Mon, 30 Nov 2009 14:55:00 -0500

How to wipe a hard drive clean, coax a wet gadget back to life, install Windows 7, and calibrate your HDTV are some of our most popular videos.

HDTVs for the Holidays: No Bad Time to Buy

Wed, 25 Nov 2009 08:00:00 -0500

Steep price declines over the past year plus the usual Black Friday madness make this a good time to buy--but even if you wait, you're apt to find great deals throughout the holiday season.

HDTV Buying Guide: Shopping Tips

Tue, 24 Nov 2009 22:45:00 -0500

Looking for a flat-panel HDTV? Our comprehensive guide will tell you all that you need to know. Keep these shopping tips in mind when you're browsing the store aisles.

HDTV Buying Guide: Making Sense of the Specifications

Tue, 24 Nov 2009 22:45:00 -0500

Before you purchase an LCD or plasma flat-panel HDTV, read our comprehensive buying advice to learn what features to consider.

HDTV Buying Guide: Select the Right Flat-Panel Technology

Tue, 24 Nov 2009 22:45:00 -0500

Before you drop hundreds or thousands of dollars on the wrong flat-panel HDTV, read our comprehensive breakdown of everything you need to know. Our HDTV buying guide might just help you save some money.

Millions of HDTV Sets Still Without HD Service

Tue, 24 Nov 2009 07:40:00 -0500

Remove Internet TV from Your Windows Media Center Channel Guide

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 09:38:00 -0500

Windows 7 offers the best Media Center experience yet, but what if you don't want those Internet "channels" cluttering up your program guide?

HDTV Motion: The 120Hz Difference

Mon, 16 Nov 2009 17:00:00 -0500

How much difference does a higher refresh rate make to your high-def viewing experience? Our testing gives some answers.

Does 120hz or 240hz Really Make A Difference?

Fri, 13 Nov 2009 09:45:00 -0500

Carla Rowland wants to know the refresh rate's importance when shopping for an HDTV

In-Flight Entertainment on a Netbook

Wed, 11 Nov 2009 16:30:00 -0500

Here's how to make the most of a low-powered PC, be it a netbook or humbly equipped business machine.

Online Viewing of Movies and TV Shows Doubles

Wed, 11 Nov 2009 15:37:00 -0500

Calibrate my HDTV

Mon, 02 Nov 2009 09:54:00 -0500

Alex Goldstein wants to know the best way to adjust a new HDTV

Turn Your TV Into an Entertainment Center

Tue, 13 Oct 2009 13:15:00 -0400

You can use your Windows 7 or Vista PC to watch and record programs--just add a TV tuner. Also, create a music playlist.

Copy Windows Media Center TV Recordings to Your iPod

Fri, 09 Oct 2009 17:37:00 -0400

As long as you're running Vista or an earlier version of Windows Media Center, there's an incredibly easy way to convert TV shows for viewing on the go.

Add a TV Tuner to Your PC

Wed, 07 Oct 2009 15:37:00 -0400

Your PC can do a damn fine TiVo impersonation. All you need to do is outfit it with an inexpensive TV tuner.

Add More Storage for Windows Media Center TV Recordings

Tue, 06 Oct 2009 15:37:00 -0400

Too many good shows, not enough space on your hard drive? No problem: Add a second drive! It's easier than you think.

Stop Windows Media Center from Using Your Entire Hard Drive

Mon, 05 Oct 2009 13:54:00 -0400

Left unchecked, Windows' DVR features can eat up your entire hard drive. But there's a simple way to limit storage availability.

TV on the Internet

Mon, 05 Oct 2009 11:00:00 -0400

Warren Kernaghan asked where on the Internet he can find television programs comparable to what's on cable

How to Cancel Cable and Get TV on Your PC

Thu, 01 Oct 2009 03:00:00 -0400

At the beginning of September, I walked outside the house with a hatchet in hand and chopped the single line of coax that kept my household wired into the universe. I severed the cable TV.Not literally, of course. That would have been pretty stupid – especially considering that our house kept the cable Internet connection as part of Plan B: Watch only what we could retrieve from the Internet. One connection, one bill.More literally, all three members of our household gathered up...Read | Permalink | Linking Blogs

Turn Yourself Into a Simpsons Character

Tue, 22 Sep 2009 11:34:00 -0400

It's free, it's fun, it's the Simpsonize Me site. Just upload a snapshot of your face to create a Facebook-ready Simpsons makeover.

Fall Video Game Preview 2009

Fri, 18 Sep 2009 03:00:00 -0400

The holidays are almost here, and you know what that means – we can feel our thumbs tingling already. Thank an impending deluge of high-profile fall PC and video game releases, which signal the end of the industry’s annual summer drought.Set to arrive amidst a blaze of flashing light and cheerful virtual fanfare blaring from every self-respecting player’s desktop or HDTV, what’s not to love? Apart, of course, from the impending havoc each of the following options are all but bound to wreak on your monthly budget, persona...Read | Permalink | Linking Blogs

What is 10-bit Color?

Mon, 14 Sep 2009 10:40:00 -0400

Yaseen Abdalla wants to know what 10-bit color means in an HDTV's specs

LED Behind the LCD: Understanding LED-Backlit HDTVs

Thu, 10 Sep 2009 03:00:00 -0400

You've heard about LCDs. You've heard about plasmas. Maybe even you even understand all the pros and cons between them. But what are all these "LED televisions" we keep hearing about?With the crop of LED-backlit HDTVs announced at this year's Consumer Electronics Show finally starting to hit the streets in force, it's a question we hear a lot from budding home theater shoppers. Blame the acronyms. While yesterday's consumers had to make a simple choice between CRT and rear-projection television sets, today's consumers are confronted with plasma, LCD, DLP, OLED, and laser televisions. And now, the age-old...Read | Permalink | Linking Blogs

IFA Report 2009

Tue, 08 Sep 2009 03:00:00 -0400

Berlin, Germany—Think of the annual IFA electronics and appliance fair as a little bit CES, a little bit giant shopping mall. From September 4 through 9, over 1,200 exhibitors showed their latest wares to European retailers who cut deals so they can have the latest goodies on shelves in time for Christmas. Unlike the Consumer Electronics Show held annually in Las Vegas, IFA is open to the public for select days. Hoards visit the exhibits so they too can see and handle the latest cool gadgets. Also unlike CES, firms also show their appliances, large and small. So along with a zillion flat-screen HDTVs and cell phones, we strolled past refrigerators, washers, dryers and more coffee makers than you’d see in 10,000 Seattles....Read | Permalink | Linking Blogs

Tales From IFA: The European CES

Thu, 03 Sep 2009 03:00:00 -0400

This week I’m at IFA, which is the European equivalent of CES. It is just getting off the ground as I’m writing this, and we’ve already had the first set of product announcements. Sony is making a rather large and impressive statement at this show, and it intends to lead again in TVs, eBooks, and even has a potential Macbook Air product coming. But I saw a number of other cool things at the Showstoppers event the first night, and at the press briefings, and we’ll talk about them this week.Sony: We’re Back and We’re PissedSony had one of the most impressive presentations I’ve seen them do in a long time. Leading with 3D, they showcased a number o...Read | Permalink | Linking Blogs