Massey Welch Innovative

Two new technologies in the world of TV, DLP and LCD, are now in a stiff competition.

Some People say that there is problem of motion blur in LCD TV. It was correct before few years due to the processors in the LCD projections being slower than those in the DLP TV’s. However, the sets that we are now looking at have a much faster processor in them, and therefore don’t have the type of holdup or rainbow effect that the older units had. Not only that, but definitely like the picture quality is better on the LCD TV’s. In fact, the LCD screen has several benefits over plasma. For instance, LCD screens run much cooler than the average plasma TV, and thus require less power to operate. Plasma TVs run so hot, in fact, that they require a fan to cool them down – which can be noisy. In addition, plasma screens have a tendency to degrade over time, slowly becoming dimmer. LCD screens, on the other hand, run relatively cool, and do not degrade over time. Some Plasma owners, who have used their TVs for a few years now, have already witnessed the dimming of their screens. Also, LCD screens tend to have overall better picture quality, and are typically 10 to 15 percent lighter than plasma

The problem with LCD TV is after given enough time, it appears that LCD panels, primarily those in the blue channel, will degrade, causing shifts in color balance and a reduction of overall contrast. The test did not include a large enough array of test units to draw any conclusions about anticipated rates of degradation under normal operating conditions

There are several unique benefits that are derived from DLP technology. One of the most obvious is small package size, a feature most relevant in the mobile presentation market. Since the DLP light engine consists of a single chip rather than three LCD panels, DLP projectors tend to be more compact. All of the current 3-pound miniprojectors on the market are DLP’s. Most LCD projectors are five pounds and up.

Another DLP advantage is that it can produce higher contrast video with deeper black levels than you normally get on an LCD projector. DLP has ardent followers in the home theater world primarily due to this key advantage.

Thus due to stiff competition both LCD and DLP manufacturing companies are trying to improve the quality and are struggling for but at present DLP is having lead in it.

Keith Londrie II is a well known author. For more information on Satellite TV, please visit Satellite TV for a wealth of information. You may also want to visit keith’s own web site at http://keithlondrie.com/

Tags: dlp, lcd, plasma, TV

When we were children, me, my brother and sister would sit in the family room and do jigsaw puzzles. I don’t want to say exactly how old I am, (my mainly salt and little pepper beard gives a good indication), but back then there was no such thing as cable television. There were only 4 channels that were hard to get, even though you tried positioning the antenna a thousand different ways. You had to be able to make your own entertainment and our family’s favorite was jigsaw puzzles.

My brother and I would make a contest of it, while my sister would calmly find the pieces and fit them into the puzzle. She always completed more of the puzzle than we did, but that didn’t stop us from proclaiming that we had done the most to complete the puzzle.

Now, instead of buying puzzles at the store, I put them together online. I have to tell you, of all the advanced technology out there, the ones that have been put into puzzle games amaze me the most. These are interactive puzzles that allow you to drag the pieces around the screen to form it. It may sound boring, but nothing could be farther from the truth.

My favorite game site, Big Fish Games, has puzzles that come to life as they take shape. There’s one particular game that uses the ocean as a background. You start putting the puzzle together and as the fish shapes are completed, they take on life and begin moving about the screen. Way too cool, as my son would say. Somehow, they’ve managed to give the puzzles a 3D effect, which makes them even more beautiful when they are completed. The details are so fine, that you feel like you are actually in the room shown in the puzzle.

Another of my favorite puzzles blends objects into the picture and you have to find them all in a certain amount of time. Some of the objects are easy to locate, but others are so well hidden, it’s hard to locate them. You can get hints to their location and I am always shocked that I didn’t see them earlier, since they appear to have been “hidden” in plain view. These games are excellent to sharpen your observation skills and provide exercise for your mind. Body fitness is given tons of attention, but little is given to how to keep your mind in shape. Puzzle games are a great way to do this and provide a lot of entertainment at the same time.

If you really want to get on a mental treadmill, try the games that make you find the differences in pictures. It might seem easy, but it isn’t. This weekend my sister is coming for dinner and I’m going to introduce her to these games. Finally, after all of these years, I think I may actually best her at a puzzle.

Gregg Hall is an author living in Navarre Florida. Find more about this as well as puzzle gifts at http://www.puzzleandgamegifts.com.

Tags: Games, puzzles

Cisco CCNA Certification:

Should you take the one-exam or the two-exam approach?

One question I’m often asked by CCNA candidates is whether to take the “one big exam”, or take the two separate exams required by Cisco to achieve the Cisco Certified Network Associate (CCNA) exam.

The question comes up because there are now two separate paths to the CCNA certification. Candidates may take a single exam, 640-811, or two exams, 640-821 and 640-811.

What’s the difference? The two-exam approach involves exams with different topics and therefore different preparation techniques. 640-821 is the Introduction To Cisco Networking Technologies exam. This course does introduce the candidate to Frame Relay, PPP, and other WAN technologies, but goes into little detail. Emphasis in the Intro course is placed on knowing how Ethernet behaves, how different types of cable are used for different purposes, and knowing what cable to use in a certain situation. The candidate should expect some questions involving binary math as well, but they will involve fairly simple conversions.

The 640-811 exam, Interconnecting Cisco Networking Devices, goes into much more detail on WAN technologies. Routing and switching behavior are covered, and the candidate is expected to answer difficult questions involving binary math and subnetting as well. The candidate may also have to demonstrate ability to configure a router or switch via a simulator. Since the ICND exam goes into more detail, it’s generally considered the more difficult exam.

The approach I recommend to a CCNA candidate depends on their background. If the candidate is a relative newcomer to networking, or hasn’t taken a certification exam before, I recommend they take the two-exam approach. This allows the candidate to focus only on the Intro topics, and gives them a strong sense of confidence after passing the Intro exam. That confidence flows over into the ICND exam.

For those who have networking experience, and are very familiar with Ethernet behavior and cable types, I recommend the one-exam approach. This allows the candidate to focus on the more advanced topics they’ll be seeing in the single exam, while spending just a little time reviewing their Intro-level knowledge.

Regardless of the approach you choose, the path to true CCNA success remains the same. Get some real hands-on experience, either by renting rack time online or by putting together your own home lab. Understand what’s going on “beneath the command”; don’t use router commands when you don’t understand what they’re doing. Add to that a true mastery on binary math, and you’re on your way to having the magic letters “CCNA” behind your name!

Chris Bryant, CCIE #12933, is the owner of The Bryant Advantage, home of free CCNA and CCNP tutorials, The Ultimate CCNA Study Package, and Ultimate CCNP Study Packages.
For a FREE copy of his latest e-books, “How To Pass The CCNA” and “How To Pass The CCNP”, visit the website and download your free copies. You can also get FREE CCNA and CCNP exam questions every day! Pass the CCNA exam with The Bryant Advantage!

Tags: ccna, ccna certification, ccnp, cisco, cisco cerfication