Acronyms and Digital TV and radio May 13, 2009
Posted by ctcoberon in Uncategorized.trackback
- Lately, all the talk has been about Digital TV (including Freeview) and Digital Radio which debuts this month. If you would like to know more about Digital Radio and what Digital Radios are available visit the Gadget Guys website (www.gadgetguy.com.au) and go to the Buyers Guides.
- With all this new technology coming our way many articles on the subject are using a range of acronyms which can be confusing so, in this article I will try and explain what some of them mean. For example, LCD stands for Liquid Crystal Display or what most of us call “a thin flat screen display”, which can be either a TV or a computer monitor. Today, there is very little difference between the two (TV or computer monitor) as both can come with the same array of plugs or connections and most LCD TVs can be used as a computer monitor. The only major difference is the TV has some extra electronics in the form of a digital or analogue tuner.
- The common ports or connectors found on most modern day TVs and computer monitors are HDMI, VGA, DVI, RCA and RGB. HDMI stand for High-Definition Multi-media Interface and is the preferred port or connector for most audio visual devices. VGA (Video Graphics Array) is the blue 15-pin connection on the back of the computer, LCD monitor and the TV. DVI (Digital Video Interface), this is normally a white rectangular connection found on most computer graphics cards, LCD monitors and TVs. RCA ports or connectors are the Red White and Yellow ports found on most modern TVs and computer monitors. The Red and White ports are for sound, and the Yellow is for video. On the TV the RCA ports can be identified as being the AV (audio/video) ports i.e. AV1, AV2 and AV3. If your TV has only the White and Yellow ports, to connect it to a Set-top Boxes you will need to purchase an audio adaptor ($5 to $10). RGB is a type of component video signal consisting of three signals (Red Green and Blue) carried on three separate cables and thus provides a high quality analogue signal.
- If you happen to be in the market for a new TV – where is a good piece of advice – make sure the TV you choose has a number of HDMI ports i.e. three or more, this way, you will future proof you TV, as and when, newer devices are released that have HDMI ports. The HDMI port carries both audio and video via the one plug and play cable, it does not get any simpler than this when connecting devices like PVRs, DVD Players, Blu-Ray Players and or Recorders to your TV.
- There are two other acronyms; with Digital TV its DLNA (Digital Living Network Alliance – a coalition of computer and consumer electronics companies that was formed to ensure interoperability in the home networks). And with Digital Radio its UPnP (Universal Plug and Play, a networking architecture that provides compatibility among networking equipment, software and peripherals of various vendors that are part of the Universal Plug and Play Forum. As you can see DLNA and UPnP mean the same thing and they have the same goals.
- Finally, in the months PC Authority Magazine there is an excellent article on “Why you’ll want Digital TV and what hardware you need.” The article covers the need for a PVR (Personal Video Recorder), and some of the models available, including how important the EPG (Electronic Program Guide) could be for some households.
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Samsung LN32B460
Great LCD television – noticeable contrast ratio upgrade versus last years A-series 450’s. Easy set-up, very light, amazing color reproduction, very clear, sharp, and low glare. Wonderful LCD television for a great price!