Wireless HDTV – Compressed or Uncompressed?

Wireless HDTV continues to be a hot topic in the consumer electronics space. The need for a solution that will finally eliminate audio/video wires is stronger than ever. The TV market is at an inflection point ready to take off, propelled by a combination of major technical and regulatory advances. Flat panel display, LCD and plasma technologies have enabled an amazing offering of elegant TVs that most people want in their living room. HD content is also fueling the demand for HDTVs, with most consumers in the US and Japan having access to a wide array of HD content from TV networks and cable channels, and distributed via terrestrial, cable or satellite broadcasts. In the US this trend is facilitated by the FCC which is making sure through regulation and its influence on cable/satellite operators that HDTV is finally going to happen and on a large scale. Other world markets will follow, including Europe, which already has several satellite providers offering HD programming.

Sporting events such as the Super-Bowl or the Olympic Games see more people rushing to spend thousands of dollars on new HDTV sets. The availability of new HD DVDs will only intensify this demand. This hot market is attracting new players from the PC space such as HP and Dell who hope to take a slice of the TV market from the incumbent TV brands. With such intense competition in this lucrative market, CE manufacturers are investing heavily in differentiating qualities enabling them to offer more elegant designs, better picture quality and more functions. A wireless interface would be a perfect addition to their offerings.

Consumers have shown that they like wireless. The proliferation of cordless phones, Bluetooth headsets and Wi-Fi home networking kits are just a few indications of this preference. Consumers are very likely to opt for a TV with a wireless interface over a TV without one. What is the point of spending so much money on an elegant wall-hanging flat panel TV if its aesthetic appeal is compromised by wires running to the display? To illustrate this concern, one TV manufacturer tells a story about a couple at an electronics store where the wife says: “OK, you can have your silly four- thousand dollar TV, but I don’t want to see any wires running through our living room…”

The need for wireless HDTV is even stronger when it comes to multimedia projectors. The market for HDTV multimedia projectors for home use is growing dramatically. A true cinema experience with a huge picture cannot be matched by TV sets, and the space occupied by these machines is very small. In many cases a projector is not purchased in place of a TV but rather as a complement to it; to be used for special events such as parties and other social gatherings or a ‘night out’ at the home cinema. Although growth is strong, this market is very far from realizing its potential. Perhaps the greatest inhibitor of further growth is the installation difficulty. Having to run video wires across the room to the projector discourages many from purchasing this device. The high prices – as much as several hundreds of dollars – of the long video cables required for projector installation, make the installation experience even more painful. A wireless interface would make all the difference.

It is not surprising therefore, that so many companies have been trying to address this need. Many top TV OEMs have been spending resources on wireless TV technology, while standard bodies and special interest groups, such as 802.11n and UWB, are also targeting this application. Most of the solutions that have been proposed for wireless HDTV share a common assumption: the HD video stream delivered wirelessly is compressed with a typical data rate of 10-30 Mbps. This assumption is based on the premise that video is distributed to the home through terrestrial, cable or satellite...

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Ulead Video@Home 2 User Guide

Ulead Video@Home empowers your TV tuner card with easy-to-use interface and functions. This enables you to instantly view or record TV programs and other video sources (such as VCR, camcorder, and even TV game console) through S-Video and Composite jacks. During recording, the TV tuner card saves the video as video files (video format varies depending on the TV tuner card you purchased) on the hard drive. Thanks to Ulead Video@Home, a variety of interesting viewing and recording tasks are available at your fingertips.

Installing and running
The following procedures show you how to perform the required installation as well as operate the TV tuner card and Ulead Video@Home.

To install the TV tuner card and Ulead Video@Home:
1. Connect at least one video source such as the CATV cable to the TV input of the TV tuner card.
2. Connect the TV tuner card via its connection cable to the compatible jack on your computer.
3. Insert the program CD into the CD/DVD drive.
4. Follow the screen instructions until the installation of the required driver and Ulead Video@Home is complete.

To run Ulead Video@Home:
1. Ensure that at least one video source is connected to the TV tuner card; the connection cable is properly connected; and the TV tuner card is switched on.
2. Double-click the Ulead Video@Home icon on your desktop, or select Ulead Video@Home from the Windows Start: Programs group.

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Detailed Guide to Installing A Solar Electric System

It’s photovoltaic power — solar electric energy — and it harnesses the power of sunlight to supply your home with electricity. Simply put, photovoltaic (PV) systems produce electricity from sunlight through cells that are installed on your roof or elsewhere on your property. PV power doesn’t produce any noise or pollution, it’s reliable and dependable, and it’s renewable so it makes good sense for the environment. For example, a 2.5 kW system will provide about 2,900 kilowatt hours per year and can typically provide about 25 to 35% of an average home’s electricity needs. The more energy efficient your house is, the greater the impact of the PV system.

This is because New York State is offering cash incentives to bring down the cost of PV systems by 40 to 70%. These incentives from NYSERDA — New York State Energy Research and Development Authority — are available to all customers that pay the Systems Benefit Charge to their electric utility. Working with an eligible installer, you could receive between $4,000 and $5,000 per kilowatt for PV systems up to a maximum of 15 kilowatts. The chart below outlines the different incentive levels NYSERDA is now offering.

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How to Size a Grid-Connected Solar Electric System

The easiest way to size your solar electric system is to have a vendor come to your home and perform a site analysis and load assessment. Solar electric vendors have the experience and tools necessary to gather the data needed for the calculations. Most vendors will supply predesigned package systems that range from one kilowatt (kW) for a small energy-efficient home up to 2.5 kW for a large home.

However, if you want to determine the size of the system yourself, the following two-step process will help you to estimate the number of solar panels (sometimes referred to as modules) required, the size of your inverter, and if desired, the size of batteries to buy for backup power. Remember, the goal of the sizing process is to yield a rough estimate of the number of kilowatts your solar electric system should generate. In short, you want to size your solar electric system to meet no more than your whole load on the sunniest day of the year, and rely on some grid power during winter or cloudy days.

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