Best bet for entry level Blu-ray players

So if you're checking out some base level Blu-ray players, here are some basic comparisons between three of the major brands out there; Sony, Panasonic, and Samsung. Each of these brands have a player in the $299 and $399 range. So where to go? They all will play blu-ray, upconvert, have HDMI 1.3, and output 1080p. The differences are small, but may save you some time.

The Panasonic's and Sony's have a 1 year warranty, while the Samsung's only come with a 90 day (must have been too much to spring for a whole year of labor coverage). The Panasonic $299 model, BD35, is all set for BD live, while the Sony(BDPS350) and Samsung (BDP-1500) are BD-live ready, meaning a firmware upgrade will be needed before this feature will work.

The big difference between the $299 and $399 levels for all brands is audio decoding for Dolby true HD and DTS HD. All brands offer a 7.1ch analog out, which will work with most receivers purchased in the last 10 years or so. Here the only standout seems to be the Panasonic DMPBD55 because of its 192/24 D/A converters. Sony and Samsung aren't sharing what D/A's they're using, which leads me to believe they skimped here. My vote goes to the Panasonic 35 and 55 models, with Sony following up in the second spot with the 350 and 550, and Samsung takes the rear with the 1500 and 2500.

Digital Converter Box Setup

This video will quickly show you how to setup your digital converter box.
Remember:
-you will only need a digital converter box if you do not have cable or satellite
-the transition will take place on February 17th 2009, so be ready!
-digital is better because it is clearer, it is possible to receive more channels, and you will never have static

If you have more questions then let us know by leaving a comment!

Holiday Shopping Guide

This is our first video for our new video series called "Inside Ike" This episode contains helpful information about what to look for this holiday when shopping for yourself, and for gifts, enjoy...

Fun Web Video

We made this one for fun, let us know what you think ;)

Bluetooth

Bluetooth is a pretty awesome wireless capability, primarily used on cell phones. You can "pair" a bluetooth cell phone with a bluetooth device by
1) going into the bluetooth menu (usually found in the "connections" menu) and turn bluetooth on
tip: if you're pairing the phone with a headset then all you must do is hold down the main call button to activate it
2) then in the same menu there should be a "search for devices" which will find all of the bluetooth devices in your area.
3) once the device that you're looking for comes up than select that device and select "pair"
4) most times it will ask for a password so enter that.
tip: usually the password is "0000"
5) now you're ready to use the bluetooth device.

Bluetooth headsets are becoming very popular because of the convenience of driving in your car and being able to talk on the phone (in many states it is illegal to talk on the phone while driving if you're not using a bluetooth headset). This technology also has great uses for sending information to a computer, or using a bluetooth home phone with your cell phone, to eliminate the need for a home phone service. If there are any other questions or comments about bluetooth and what it can do, or how to use it, post a comment!

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Electronic Guidance

We know electronics are confusing...that's why we are here!  Tell us what you need to know.  Is there something on our website that is unclear?  Do you have questions that aren't answered the site?  Are you trying to do something and need a little bit of clearification?  Whatever your needs are, write a comment and let us know and we'll answer your question right away so that we can improve our site to better help you!  

The G1

I never want to miss a moment of life on the internet so I'm all about Blackberry's, and iPhone's, and of course now the G1.  After playing around with it, it seems to perform pretty well and it has some nice features to it.  Not a lot of apps yet, but the web browsing worked really well, a good picture viewer and Mp3 player, Google mapping is awesome on it, and the quick e-mail access it offers is really nice.  The downside to me is that it relies on the QWERTY keyboard (keyboard with a computer keyboard layout) with no option of on screen keys.  It is also short of the multi touch recognition so you can't use two fingers to zoom in and out.  Otherwise the price is right, and the data plan (the requirement to get internet, e-mail, gps, and texting) is very reasonable.  I am curious if anyone else has opinions, feel free to post!

GPS

With GPS, or Global Positioning Systems, starting to enter the realm of reasonably priced electronics, their popularity is sure to grow even more this holiday season so it's about time we get to know them.  What's the difference, is there a quality difference between prices or brands, What features do I need; these are all questions faced when looking through the overwhelming assortment.  Different units are made with a different intent in mind: some for the trails/water, some for the motorcycle, and most for the car.  Nearly all GPS's are touch screen LCD's (liquid crystal displays) which means that they can be effected by the cold and sometimes by heat (they are best not left outside during the winter).  Most GPS systems rely on a built in mapping system (usually created by Navteq) combined with satellite communication to show your position and your destination.  They all of built in "points-of-interest" (some have more than others) that include things such as restaurants and gas stations that you can find by name, or category while on the road. 

Features:

 - One feature that starts separating the prices of units is "text-to-speech." This allows the GPS to announce the names of streets so that you do not have to take your eyes off of the road.  

 - As you move up from text-to-speech, the next feature usually found is "bluetooth." Bluetooth conveniently allows you to make hands free phone calls by the GPS having complete wireless access to your phone (can be useful in states where it is illegal to hold a handset while driving).  This way you can call your contacts, or phone a point-of-interest before arrival without touching your phone. 

 - FM Transmitters are built in some units which allows for bluetooth, or any Mp3 player function, as well as the voice prompts of the GPS unit to be transmitted to your radio over an FM frequency such as 88.1. 

 - Traffic / Weather Information can be found on some GPS's with MSN mapping, or with FM Recievers.  This allows you to see any road work, traffic, or weather problems that may be causing a delay.  On units with MSN mapping, it also allows you to check gas prices, and movie times. (some units are capable of this feature but require additional hardware)

 - One of the newest features available is "speech recognition" which does just as it implies; recognizes what you say.  With this feature you don't have to touch the screen to tell the GPS what to do, you verbally tell it what to do.  This feature is available on a wide price range of GPS units from different brands, but is best with the Garmin Nuvi 880.

These features are usually added the the GPS units in the order listed above meaning that you must pay a premium to get the "speech recognition" and Traffic information.

Brands:

Two of the most popular brands are Garmin and TomTom.  Both of these manufactures make a wide range of high quality GPS units.  Magellan has the distinction of having AAA Roadside assistance built in for AAA Members.  There are many other manufactures such as Cobra, Mio, Harmon Kardon, etc.  available which will function, but usually not as efficiently as Garmin and TomTom.  One value GPS is the Insignia brand GPS which has many features available at a very competitive price.

Map Updates:

Map Updates are a good idea in order to get the newest maps available.  Some companies, like TomTom have "mapshare" programs for readily available updates, while others, like Garmin, release new maps once per year.  (You should expect to pay for newer maps)

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