High Definition Codecs

If you have Directv with HD channels and are viewing it on a high definition television set then you need to make sure you turn off your native setting.  The native setting does not make the picture better but makes it look worse.

Next you need to go to your settings, to high definition, to resolution, and uncheck all the boxes expect 1080p if your tv supports it.  If not then only check 1080i .  This will make a great improvement and display your television in true high definition.

I kept wondering why my tv was looking as good as others until I did what I described above.  Its like getting a new television for christmas.

Next Thursday is the start of the Consumer Electronic Show.  With all the hundreds of thousands of participants, the one big company that will not be show casing their product will the Apple.  Apple has its own show where they introduce their products.  They do not do that anywhere else.  So it will be interesting to see what new products are introduce and how the show proceeds while the big boy is not there.

AT&T announced that they will be expanding their Wi-Fi access to their subscribers in the cities of New York and San Francisco.  The move is designed to add extra data capacity in those two areas cause there is heavy iphone usuage and help divert some of the load off of their cellphone network.

In New York, the hot spots will be in Time Square and the Embarcadero waterfront district in San Francisco.

The zones provide fast data service for AT&T subscribers and divert traffic from the company’s cellular network. Many AT&T smart phones, including the iPhone, connect automatically to AT&T Wi-Fi when it’s available.

If you were lucky enough to get a  Kinetic as a add on to your existing Xbox or got the complete combo 4g or larger size harddrive for Christmas, here are some things you need to know to fully enjoy your game console.

1.  An absolute must is getting an Xbox Live membership.  It takes your gaming and entertainment to another level allowing you to play online against other people, chat, watch and download movies and music and so much more.

2.  Get an extra controller and go with a wireless battery so that your controller can be used wireless.

Those are the two absolutely things you must get.

After many years of waiting, Star Craft 2 was finally released on July 27, 2010 to a legend of avid fans.  The reconnaissance report on the game have been favorable.  The beta release of the game was also met with a lot of enthusiasm.  So it wasn’t a big surprise when sales of the game met with strong sales in the first few days of the game coming out.

It remains to be seen if the new version will have the same level success as it predecessor.  Time will tell.

Internet Explorer 6 was finally put to rest this weekend.  The web browser is survived by Internet Explorer 7 and IE 8.  The web has evolved in the last ten years, from simple text pages to rich, interactive applications what include video and voice.  With these new technologies, older browsers could not run many of these new features.

Even today, with IE 7 and IE 8, there is wild complaints that these two more modern broswer are too slow.  Today IE 8 commands 22.5 percent of the market.

Reuters – Sony Corp’s (6758.T) PlayStation 3 outsold Nintendo Co Ltd’s (7974.OS) Wii in March for the first time in 16 months in Japan thanks to hot new PS3 titles from Sega Sammy (6460.T) and Capcom (9697.T), a game magazine publisher said.

Reuters – Nintendo is rolling out the next generation of its popular handheld gaming console in the United States on Sunday, pitching the product as more of an all-purpose social and entertainment device.

PC World – When Mary Poppins talked about turning chores into games it’s a good bet she didn’t expect Casmobot.

PC World – Disclaimer: The following notes are the random ramblings of a heavily medicated journalist, trying to fight whatever alien flu he contracted while covering the 2009 Game Developers Conference.