by: Ryan Tenney
Some consumers consider a 21? LCD TV to be the perfect size:
for TV viewing and for use as a computer monitor.
Some take it one step further:
they integrate their 21? LCD TV with a home theater PC.
It?s easier than you think, and a home theater PC setup lets you access any media files like digital image files, audio files, and videos.
You can also watch your favorite television shows or DVDs, and you can even use the 21? LCD TV as a computer monitor.
It?s no surprise, then, that some consumers feel a 21? LCD TV is one of the most versatile screen sizes available.
If you watch digital TV on your 21? LCD TV, you could be already taking advantage of the possibilities of Digital Video Recorders (DVR) or TiVo.
You can go one step farther; integrating your 21? LCD TV with a home theater PC setup is the ultimate in versatility.
And it?s not that hard ? here are a few ways available to you.
1.
Buy a PC with the Media Center version of Windows XP and make sure it has a TV tuner card capable of capturing digital signals from your cable or satellite box.
Once it?s installed, it works just like a DVR.
You won?t need to buy a high-end PC to integrate with your 21? LCD TV if you just want to record and play shows and movies ? if you also want to play graphics-intensive video games, you may need a more expensive PC with greater graphics capability.
Just make sure you get plenty of memory.
2.
Upgrade your PC. You can buy a copy of Microsoft?s operating system with Media Center.
Frequently it comes bundled with a TV tuner card you?ll also need.
If you have decent computer skills you can handle the installation fairly easily and your 21? LCD TV home theater PC setup will be running in no time.
3.
If you don?t want to upgrade to a new operating system, a number of software companies produce applications that perform the same chores as Media Center does.
A few are available as freeware, but the features they offer tend to be limited.
You?ll still need to factor in the cost of a TV tuner card ? a TV tuner card won?t be included with the freeware.
Once you?ve decided how to set up your computer, you can integrate it into your home theater system so your 21? LCD TV can handle the video feed you send to it.
A 21? unit is ideal for this purpose; sets that are larger sometimes deliver reduced image quality when the TV signal is sent through the computer.
How you send the signal to your TV is the main hurdle to overcome.
There are many different audio and video options for joining the two; the method you choose will obviously depend on the inputs and outputs available on both your PC and your TV.
Older, standard-definition LCD TVs will have, at a minimum, a composite-video connection (a yellow video connection that's usually accompanied by red and white stereo audio jacks).
Hopefully, it will also provide an S-Video port.
Newer 21? LCD TVs should provide component inputs, and more advanced 21? LCD TVs that are HDTV capable will supply DVI or HDMI inputs.
If you haven?t purchased a 21? LCD TV yet, try to find a model with DVI or HDMI inputs.
Once your computer is connected to your 21? TV you can use Media Center to keep track of your media files and handle your DVR recording needs.
If you want to record TV without using Media Center, similar products on the market can do the job.
For example, SnapStream's Beyond TV comes bundled with many TV tuner cards, so if you're building a home theater or upgrading a machine you already own, you might end up with a copy by default.
And you can take a further step and add the Beyond Media program for organizing photo, music, and other media files, and it does pretty much everything Media Center does.
Beyond TV doesn't support every TV tuner card on the market, so check the hardware specs for your 21? LCD TV before you install it.
Even if you have no interest in recording TV programs, you can still use programs like Windows Media Player, iTunes, and PowerDVD to manage your preexisting media library using software you already have.
Whichever option you choose, make sure you have plenty of hard disk space; once you start recording television programs or watching your home videos on your 21? LCD TV, you'll find you need all the space you can get.
And due to its increased versatility, you?ll find your 21? LCD TV is an even bigger part of your home entertainment system.
About The Author
Ryan Tenney is an author at http://www.wearelcdtvs.com.
|
LCD TV UK
LCD TV UK
by: Roger Wembley
As recently as just a few years ago consumers needed a different monitor or screen for watching movies, for playing video games, or for watching television and for computing.
That?s no longer the case.
An LCD TV in the UK with a TV tuner allows you to enjoy virtually all your entertainment and audio-visual devices from one location, saving you space and money.
If you live in university housing or a small flat, or if you just want to save space, an LCD TV in the UK with a built-in TV tuner is a simple way to accomplish all those goals.
Here?s an example of how versatile a UK LCD TV with a TV tuner can be:
you combine video from a PS2, an Xbox 360, cable TV, a DVD player, and the PC ? all into one LCD monitor.
You can watch TV with picture-in-picture mode while you work on your computer, then with a touch of a button switch over to playing an Xbox or PS2 game.
Finished...
Tvs > LCD TV UK
Plasma TVs And Your Home Entertainment Center
Plasma TVs And Your Home Entertainment Center
by: John Rivers
It seems as if everyone these days is showing off their expensive flashy new home entertainment centers. They?re linked wirelessly to computers, have more speakers than a Rolling Stone?s concert, and cost more than a midsize luxury sedan. They feature DVD players, DVR or Tivo, CD players, MP3 players, and anything else you can imagine. The centerpiece, though, still remains the same: the television.
Plasma TVs have recently been introduced to the market. They are extremely flat television panels which make them very easy to mount on either a wall, in a cabinet or on other specially designed furniture. Plasma TVs are known for their wonderful quality and almost all plasma TVs come already equipped with an HDTV (high definition television) tuner which will allow you to watch all the HDTV channels that have been so widely discussed lately. The quality is amazingly realistic.
As...
Plasma TVs And Your Home Entertainment Center
Tvs > Plasma TVs And Your Home Entertainment Center
Top 3 Tips For Buying An LCD TV
Top 3 Tips For Buying An LCD TV
by: Amy Metz
I want a larger screen and so do you. There is absolutely no reason for this wanting except for the feeling of power that a large screen gives you. I have no idea why it is, but we all seem to want a larger screen for our TVs these days. The question is, how to get a good deal on an LCD TV without paying a fortune. Let?s give you our top 3 tips on buying an LCD TV.
1)Don?t buy a used one if you don?t have to. The funny thing about these TVs is that their prices drop significantly every month and that if you just wait a little longer, the price you?ll pay for a new TV is probably not going to be too far off from the price that you are going to pay for a used one. A little patience might actually save you some dollars here.
2)Compare features, not just prices. One of our favorite places to go to compare prices on LCD Tvs is ConsumerReports.org. Consumer Reports was rating different items way...
Top 3 Tips For Buying An LCD TV
Tvs > Top 3 Tips For Buying An LCD TV
Guide to Buying a Flat Screen TV
Guide to Buying a Flat Screen TV
by: Nathan James
If you?re ready to invest in one of the fabulous new flat screen televisions that everyone is talking about these days, there are some things you should know. There are several different types of flat screen technology, and it?s important you understand the pros and cons before you spend thousands of dollars on a TV.
Most people buy electronics as a long term investment, hoping their TV will last them for many years to come. By understanding the basics of flat screens you are much more likely to make a wise decision.
Plasma versus LCD
The two major types of options when it comes to buying a flat screen TV is plasma or LCD (liquid crystal display). Plasma televisions are more expensive than LCD televisions, but the vast difference in price seems to be getting smaller. However, if you?re looking for a massive flat screen TV, plasma is often your only option. The larger the LCD, the...
Guide to Buying a Flat Screen TV
Tvs > Guide to Buying a Flat Screen TV
Madonna says "TV is Trash". Here are the Top 10 Reasons to Trash Your TV
Madonna says "TV is Trash". Here are the Top 10 Reasons to Trash Your TV
by: Katherine Westphal
Madonna raised some eyebrows when she declared that "TV is trash" and that she does not let her children Lourdes and Rocco watch TV, save one movie on the weekend. Madonna: "We have TVs but they're not hooked up to anything but movies. TV is trash. I was raised without it. I didn't miss anything. TV is poison."
Getting rid of the family TV is not as horrible as it may sound. In fact, not allowing her children to watch TV is perhaps the best decision Madonna could make as a parent. It was certainly the best decision I made for my children and me. Here are the top ten reasons why Madonna is right:
1. Heavy TV watchers are twice as likely to be obese.
2. Average US parent spends only 38 min/week in meaningful conversation with children.
3. TV viewing in young children is associated with ADHD symptoms later on.
4. Viewing TV violence...
Madonna says "TV is Trash". Here are the Top 10 Reasons to Trash Your TV
Tvs > Madonna says "TV is Trash". Here are the Top 10 Reasons to Trash Your TV
Madonna says "TV is Trash". Here are the Top 10 Reasons to Trash Your TV
Madonna says "TV is Trash". Here are the Top 10 Reasons to Trash Your TV
by: Katherine Westphal
Madonna raised some eyebrows when she declared that "TV is trash" and that she does not let her children Lourdes and Rocco watch TV, save one movie on the weekend. Madonna: "We have TVs but they're not hooked up to anything but movies. TV is trash. I was raised without it. I didn't miss anything. TV is poison."
Getting rid of the family TV is not as horrible as it may sound. In fact, not allowing her children to watch TV is perhaps the best decision Madonna could make as a parent. It was certainly the best decision I made for my children and me. Here are the top ten reasons why Madonna is right:
1. Heavy TV watchers are twice as likely to be obese.
2. Average US parent spends only 38 min/week in meaningful conversation with children.
3. TV viewing in young children is associated with ADHD symptoms later on.
4. Viewing TV violence...
Madonna says "TV is Trash". Here are the Top 10 Reasons to Trash Your TV
Tvs > Madonna says "TV is Trash". Here are the Top 10 Reasons to Trash Your TV
Guide to Buying a Flat Screen TV
Guide to Buying a Flat Screen TV
by: Nathan James
If you?re ready to invest in one of the fabulous new flat screen televisions that everyone is talking about these days, there are some things you should know. There are several different types of flat screen technology, and it?s important you understand the pros and cons before you spend thousands of dollars on a TV.
Most people buy electronics as a long term investment, hoping their TV will last them for many years to come. By understanding the basics of flat screens you are much more likely to make a wise decision.
Plasma versus LCD
The two major types of options when it comes to buying a flat screen TV is plasma or LCD (liquid crystal display). Plasma televisions are more expensive than LCD televisions, but the vast difference in price seems to be getting smaller. However, if you?re looking for a massive flat screen TV, plasma is often your only option. The larger the LCD, the...
Guide to Buying a Flat Screen TV
Tvs > Guide to Buying a Flat Screen TV