Before You Buy - An Xbox 360 by Mark Redd
Before purchasing the “next generation” video game, there are a few things that should be taken into consideration. The Xbox 360 is the latest attempt from Microsoft to control the giant that Sony has dominated for the past several years. With a three-core IBM processor at it’s heart, this thing... For those that chose to be a bit more dollar wise, the $400 Xbox 360 includes the system with chrome details, a wireless remote, a wireless controller, HD component cables, and the 20 GB hard drive. ... The core, at a suggested price of $299, includes the system, a wired controller, basic video...

Security Camera System - Buyers Guide by Robert Moskal
Although the application of CCTV security have not changed very much over the past years, the tools and equipment have significantly. Cameras became smaller, cheaper and better, but the major breakthrough happened in recording equipment. Therefore many customers shopping for complete CCTV... Motion detection will allow recording video from each camera only when motion is detected; this is great for extending video recording time. ... Most video processing is done by hardware, therefore eliminating system crashes, video is also stored on hard drive in digital format.

Building A Computer From Scratch by Richard Horton
Safety The first thing you should do before beginning any project is to be safe. When dealing with electricity is dangerous. By now your probably telling me that I'm stating the obvious, but many people try building their own PC and burn up their hardware, or worse, their home. ... Since there is only one disk it is master(you really only need one disk 320gb is more than enough) If you wish to connect more than one CD-ROM "type"(DVD, CDR, DVDR ect..) Drive then use a dual IDE cable and set one of the drives to master and one to slave Then connect the cable from the two drives to the...

Home Theatre Buying Guide by Jeffrey Lawrence
Planning Watching a movie in your own home theater is a great way to escape reality without leaving the house. But before forging ahead with a home theater construction project, you’ll need to put serious time into planning the system. The biggest decision will be what room to put your home... Receivers A receiver is arguably the most important component in a home theater system, switching audio and video signals, driving the speakers, and performing a number of other essential tasks. ... Analog audio and video, digital audio and video, computer connections — just name it and it’s there,...

DreamBox All In One CCTV Solution by Efrat Levi
DreamBox (DB) Short Description DreamBox (DB) is a real time synergetic multimedia surveillance system for homeland security and general CCTV use. DreamBox, with its built-in ETX Pentium and 11 DSP’s, processes information such as video, audio and data. ... Additional Built-In Recording Features: •MPEG4 or H.263 video compression technology - full D1 (4 CIF), 30/25 FPS (NTSC/PAL) per input •Synchronized playback of audio and video •Localized and/or centralize archiving possibilities •Connect hundreds of distributed DB units and record thousands of channels simultaneously...

What Apple Could Learn from Microsoft: Front Row Versus Windows Media Center by Daniel Dwase
While the iMac G5's software interface for multimedia – Front Row – is new to the Mac platform. Windows users have had similar tools – in Microsoft's Windows XP Media Center Edition – for a couple of years now. Is it possible that, as Front Row matures, it could learn a thing or two from Windows? ... Straight to video Front Row gives you easy access to movie files and video podcasts stored on your iMac, and to movie trailers stored on Apple's servers. ... Microsoft recently announced that Media Center PCs with CableCard support will appear by Christmas; those systems should be able to...

Desktop Computer Basics by Dave Stewart
When buying a computer it helps to know some basic information about components and processes. Hopefully these explanations will give you a better understanding of how a computer functions, and enable you to ask the salesman some productive questions. ... Graphics Card The Graphics card or Video card provides, as the name suggests, the video output from your computer. ... For those that use their computer to play games a seperate video card is a must. ... However these are very low end graphics solutions, and will only be useful for those not wishing to do anything but basic word...

Power and Your PC by Jason Kohrs
The power coming into a computer is the most critical component, and it may be one of the most overlooked. It is just taken for granted that it will always be there and working properly. A top of the line processor and ultra powerful video card do nothing if a system does not receive the ample,... In addition to protecting from electrical surges, some devices include extra features such as conditioning to filter out line noise and ports to protect other lines such as cable television, telephone, and networking.

Laptop Accessories - Any Good Notebook Accessories Out There? by Mike Singh
There is a wide range of accessories available for laptop notebooks that make working with your notebook computer so much easier. These accessories range from mini hubs and mini zip drives to security locks. All accessories are add-ons to the basic laptop notebook sold and are designed to meet... TV card bus A great device for people who travel with their laptop, this accessory allows your laptop to receive and record TV, video and also to be used as a radio receiver. ... Bluetooth Wireless USB Adapter This is a simple plug-in component that allows your computer to become a wireless...

Selecting a Portable DVD Player by Jason Flowers
Selecting a Portable DVD Player If you want to watch a movie while travelling by road, or while undertaking air travel, or if you want to keep your children occupied with a movie for the duration of a long drive, bring your portable DVD player along! ... A component video output separates the different video signals, and maintains high colour fidelity and image quality, all of which go to produce a picture of high quality. ... Comparing Video Outputs First, get to know the types of video output the player can support.