by Victoria Miller

When HBO's Emmy award winning hit show, Sex and the City, ended its six year run in 2004, I wasn't completely devastated. Sure, I knew of the show. I had caught a few episodes here and there-- whenever HBO ran a monthly special I would subscribe, keep it for a few months and then cancel when the rates went up. So I was familiar with Carrie and Company-- I had seen bits and pieces, sporadically. But it wasn't enough to get me hooked. I had heard of Mr. Big but really didn't know who he was, heard of Aidan but couldn't quite place him. Truthfully, I wondered what a show with the word "Sex" in the title was doing starring a bunch of 30-something women. Late 30-somethings to boot (this is not meant as a criticism--I am the same age as these women, they are my peers).

By the time the highly-touted final episode aired in the winter of 2004, I was in the midst of playing catch up. My sister had HBO and digital cable, which featured on-demand episodes of Sex and the City. We would spend Saturdays watching a couple hours worth of episodes, usually five or six of them. Lunch would be included (usually salads) and the only stress would be keeping my two toddler-aged children out of the room in case Samantha said or did an offensive thing or two (luckily my sister had an ample supply of Legos, board games and crayons).

This Saturday ritual was priceless. Catching up on episodes that I had never seen, leading up to the final climatic episode. The morning after the grand finale aired, I already knew what happened (blame Regis and Kelly for that one). It didn't matter. Seeing it a week later was believing it. I was glad Carrie didn't end up with the Russian. He was intellectual, but boring-- face it, he just wasn't fun. At the time, I never understood Carrie's attraction to Big (I was secretly hoping that the illustrious Aidan would reappear), but after a million viewings (I now have HBO and On-Demand) I now do. Big made her laugh. Big made her cry. Big made her feel. Big had the zsa zsa zsu.

The reason why I miss Sex is that I still feel there is unfinished business that needs to be attended to. The rare times I did subscribe to HBO, I would look forward to the Sunday night airings. If I didn't have HBO, I'd look forward to the Monday morning recaps.

Sunday nights are no longer the same, Okay, that's not completely true-- I enjoy Desperate Housewives immensely. It's just that the four Housewives aren't nearly as interesting as the four girls from SATC. There are too many characters on Desperate Housewives, too many quickie plotlines. Do I care that Bree's son might be gay? Do I give a hoot that Lynette's deaf friends' husband is a cad? It all seems like filler to me.

With Sex and the City, every episode was like a finely crafted jewel. There was no wasted dialogue. No meaningless plotlines. The episodes, which are available in a pricey DVD boxed set(pricey because each season is sold separately and season 6 is actually broken up into two parts), were so well done-- from the cinematography to the musical selections to the first rate writing. All of it was good.

Favorite episodes? I have a slew of them. "A Woman's Right to Shoes" which guest starred Tatum O'Neal (and did you recognizes supermodel Linda Evangelista as the salesgirl at Manolo Blahnik?); " Boy Interrupted" which featured David Duchovny (any episode that showcases Chicago's syrupy "If You Leave Me Now" is A-OK in my book); the episode where Carrie has her book launch party (I forget the title but Isaac MIzrahi has a cameo). Hey-- it's just occurred to me that SATC was so darn good the stars were clamoring to get bit parts on it (correct me if I'm wrong, but didn't the legendary Valerie Harper a.k.a. Rhoda Morgenstern guest as the mother of one of Carrie's lovers in one of the earlier seasons? 'Nuff said!).

When the series ended, there was talk that the cast may reunite for a movie (a theater movie, not a made for TV one). Seeing them on the big screen would have been a hoot. It would have kept us wanting for more and it would have given us the opportunity to find the answers to a few questions:

Do Charlotte and Harry finally adopt their baby?

Does Samantha beat the cancer for good and, even more importantly, does she stay with hunky Smith?


Do Miranda and Steve make it and if so, do they have any more kids?


Do Carrie and Big ever get married and start a family? We know Carrie wanted a baby-- there was a whole episode devoted to that dilemma when she dated the Russian. So, do she and Big ( oops, I mean John) create a Little Big?

The sad truth is, we'll probably never find out. The casts' other commitments and obligations got in the way and plans for the movie were scrapped. So we're left hanging in a way. I know, I know, the final show tied up the loose ends as best as it could. Kudos to Michael Patrick Smith and the rest of the gang for giving us the best ending possible. It's just that we're still insatiable, always wanting more. That's the allure of Sex.

By Melissa A. Popp

One of the easiest way to get a television for cheap is to go to your local college or university and peruse bulletin boards around campus. Not only will you find kids looking for roommates or student selling textbooks, chances are you'll find television and other electronics looking for a new home for dirt cheap. These kids aren't in it for the money; they're just trying to unload unneeded furniture and electronics.

When it comes down to it, you could get a television, DVD player and VCR for well under $100 in one lap around a university in some cases. The television that I use strictly for video games in a 20" flat screen I bought from a friend for $100, knowing that he bought it for more than $350. He even threw in an entertainment stand for it for free and delivered it to my apartment (ok, he even carried it up my stairs, he didn't want me to get hurt).

First and foremost, if you want to take the chance, the object is to circle rounds across a university. Check out bulletin boards, flyers posted in places and take down phone numbers and details. When you get home that day, call and ask about each item, find out what condition it is in and whether or not you can see it in person to test and make sure it works. Since most college kids sell their stuff to other college kids, for the most part, everything you look at should be in very good condition. After all, no college kid wants to get beat up for selling something broken to a football player or wrestler, and this has happened.

Once you get the chance to survey the goods, make an offer that's slightly less than what was advertised. Most of the time, you can talk a college student down quite a bit, depending on how badly they need money or they want the television or other electronics out of their room. If the electronics in question are in a dorm room, they'll be even more willing to negotiate the price, because dorm rooms are often small and sometimes they just need to get rid of stuff.

This is a quick and easy way to get televisions and other electronics for a cheap deal without having to go too far for the best price. Check our your local college or university today! You never know what type of treasure you'll find!

By Melissa A. Popp

Nowadays, split screen televisions are the norm. Most new television, flat screen and otherwise will come with split screen technology that enables the viewer to watch two programs simultaneous, choosing which one will produce sound and which one you watch in silence. This way if the big game is on, and your significant other wants to watch Extreme Home Makeover, you can still catch all the action, just silently, which is all you need to catch the score and see the action.

However, with the advent of split screen technology being built into the television itself, many sports channels are taking advantage of this and shooting film based on this principle. This first came to my attention as I watched a soccer match on ESPN2 a few weeks ago, and lo and behold, instead of cutting to a commercial as I expected when the match slowed down in the middle of it, the screen was split while the game's sound was reduced so that they could show a full audible commercial on the right hand side of my television screen.

I didn't know what to do. I was shocked and awed, to be honest, to see that ESPN would dilute a perfectly good game by clearly shifting focus. I would've rather sat through five to seven minutes, the average interval of commercials, gladly instead of be subjected to this type of quick shift focus of action. I mean, seriously, how do you expect fans to concentrate on a game when a very loud Snickers commercial is being broadcast right next to it?

The first thing I did was see if other people noticed it, and some of my soccer friends online, noted they did with distaste and how it took away from the game. They, too, agreed that if this was used more effectively it wouldn't be such a big deal, but this technique to air commercials split screen and loudly just destroys any respect for the game, because it's hard to continue to pay attention. What's worse is that most of my friends had seen it before and only during soccer games. So far, that's my experience, I've only seen it during soccer games but that doesn't mean it's not happening with other less-than-popular sports.

Now, I've yet to see any other sports on ESPN subjected to this type of commercialization, but it wouldn't surprise me if other less than high profile sports "like curling and bicycling" were also victims of this gross inability to highlight sports, not commercials, that ESPN has obviously taken to using to garner commercial support for their services and livelihood. It truly is a shame that ESPN is taking advantage of a developed technology.

Trust me, I totally understand the point of commercials, without commercials in some instances, many channels might fall off the face of existence. Not to mention that commercials are one of the most lucrative marketing techniques for many business, products and services. Commercials work, too, because every time I see that Coke with lime commercial, that catchy tune makes me want to try a Coke with lime, even though I'm allergic to lime. Go figure! I won't complain about this game, but I'm just curious if no commercials means no commercial breaks. If so, they could still use the split screen technique, and it'll be interesting to see if that's the case today or in the future.

When split screen technology embedded into televisions came out, it was a very good day for televisions, as many times you might be attracted to a sporting event while something else is going on. You might want to watch a movie with the family, watch the news or catch up on the latest stocks for the day while taking part in sports. Many people like to do things while they watch sports, too, whether it be cooking on the barbeque or doing homework, so, the idea that you could also watch something else while watching sports is appealing to these folks at well who may not want to sit down and watch the entirety of a 15 inning baseball game that has been tied for the last 12 innings. Split screen television was made and designed for these people, and those that use it, find it's very effective for their time and their sanity.

Most split screen technology puts the "other" screen in one of the corners of the television so that you don't miss where most of the action has been shot during a show, game or what strikes your fancy. This screen, while at first might seem obstructive, grows on the eye so that eventually it's second nature following what's going on with both "shows." It's sort of like wearing bifocal glasses, where eventually, you're used to using both lenses to see during different situations.

Once the person who uses split screen gets use to it being on their television, they are more apt to using it more frequently, especially when it comes to sporting events. This might make it easier to take the strain of such split screen commercials programmed into programs, but overall, even the most diehard split screen fan will bulk at such a deceptive tactic, because it's not what they are used to watching at all.

In fact, it goes against the spirit of true split screen technology and cheapens it with commercialism. Such is the way with television nowadays, though; channels are more concerned with making money than showing the programs that keep them alive. Unfortunately, this is the toll commercials have taken on television, and now even the blessed split screen television technology has fallen victim to such cheap marketing tactics that take away from games and most likely will take away from primetime television when it gets the chance.

One of the things that makes built-in split screen technology effective is that sound is cut off completely on the lesser program. This means you can devote your entire attention to listening to the other program when you turn away to view the latest news headlines or get the game's score. With the ESPN split screen technique, your attention is diverted to both, often the commercial winning out sound wise, which makes it hard to focus on both, which is the whole goal of split screen television technology.

What's the point of using split screen if you can't adequately focus on both events at the same time? After all, that's what it was designed, implemented and marketed for when created for televisions.

Let me tell you, right now, my favorite Major League Soccer (MLS) team D.C. United is playing against Kansas City. I'm listening to the game, my back to the television, and as I write this, I wonder how many split screen commercials ESPN will subject me to during the game. It's about to start, and I'm already cringing. (On further listening, it's an uninterrupted game today, thanks Radio Shack!)

This brings up an interesting point: While many sponsors can prevent commercials from interrupting a game, this typically happens with either big name teams or big sports. Soccer isn't a big sport in America; it's more of a cult sport, even though it's gaining in popularity. I see very few games, like today, that actually get to run commercially interrupted. Typically, many games get shown after they are played, because ESPN or ESPN2 is pre-empted with more popular live sports, sometimes, even poker.

Now, this type of split screen isn't always negative, as I've painted that picture. It can also be used positively to highlight aspects of a game, either through interviews with players or coaches. I've seen Fox and ABC use this very effectively, especially during very high profile games, such as the Super Bowl. Fox is very good at using it during NASCAR events, during the race, when they listen in on split screen while watching the race to drivers and their pit crews to see what's going on if they notice something is happening during the race. These techniques are very effective for giving the fans a better insight into that particular game, event or race.

I happen to like this type of split screen and is gives you insights into things you wouldn't have known otherwise during sports, and sometimes, I just like hearing what players and coaches have to say about a particular moment during a big game as it plays out and they aren't taking part in it. If ESPN utilized this more, instead of commercials, it might be much better for the quality of their broadcasts.

Split screen television technology was a breakthrough for the television industry. It took years to develop and a lot of hard work to make effective. It took quite a lot of convincing to get television watchers to take a chance and purchase a television with the feature, and now that television viewers use it, they see what a great asset it is to the evolution of television. It's a sham such outlets as ESPN are beginning to use that technology against the sports viewer, and it's a shame that other channels will eventually follow in their destructive wake.

Written by James Fohl

Have you ever been looking around your house for the television remote control? Has your search gone on for several days, and you have not the slightest idea where that remote has gone? Because of the lack of the remote, have your television viewing habits really been affected?

Lots Of People Loose Their Remotes

Don't feel too bad about your situation. After all, the same problem affects thousands of Americans everyday. Whether the remote accidentally fell in the trash can, and is on its way to the city dump or its scattered in thousands if pieces in your front yard due to a tragic lawnmower accident you have the ability to easily replace it.

Twenty years ago if you lost your remote, then you would really had a problem. You would either have to call up the manufacturer and pay some big money for a replacement television remote, or you would just have to do without a remote and use your fingers while you sit a few feet away from the radiating television tube.

Replacement Remotes Are Available At Cheap Prices

Fortunately today several companies exist whose primary products are replacement remotes for your electronics. While such remotes have existed for about ten years now, today you can go into any major discount retailer, such as Wal-Mart or Target, and pick up a replacement remote for under ten dollars.

Whether or not these remotes are better than the original remote can be pushed open for debate. The replacement remotes usually give the user the ability to control a wide array of different electronic devices. From DVD players, to VCRs, to television sets, even the cheapest replacement remote can usually control four devices.

Still, while this can be very convenient for users, the fact that universal replacement remotes do not have every button of your old remote can be very frustrating. What is worse is the fact that some labeled buttons do not do their labeled function. This seems to really be a problem with remotes containing "Menu" or "Options" buttons. Without this functionality, users will experience problems down the road whenever they try to adjust their electronics' options.

Other buttons for specific TV features, such as commercial skip are no where to be found. While this can be a problem for most users, remember that these replacement remotes are made so that you have a remote that provides you with the basic abilities of your old lost remote.

Prepare To Spend Some Time With Your Replacement Remote

Another downfall of the replacement remotes is the fact that the user must program a specific code into the remote before you are able to actually use it. While this may sound fairly easy, just go ahead and think about how many different brands and styles of television sets have been released. While some brands of television sets will work after trying only one code, some other TVs (especially older ones) will drive you crazy as you continuously enter in non-working codes.

Still, you usually only have to ever enter code into the remote one time, but if you ever find yourself needing to enter the code back in, at least you will already know the specific code you need.

Replacement remotes will never be better than the original remotes that they were produced to replace, but still the cheap replacement remotes will save people who have lost their original remotes from a lot of headaches.

One of my pet peeves is television commercials for horror movies. I find it extremely unfair to be unable to avoid seeing images of devils, ghosts, and homicidal maniacs hacking people to death while watching my favorite sitcom.

I do not enjoy horror movies. As a teenager my friends and I would sit around on a Friday night with a huge bowl of popcorn, viewing the latest dead people eating innocent truck drivers or school teacher turned rock star, slasher film. My friends, I believe enjoyed the sensations of shock and fear they experienced when watching scary movies. I, however, could be found shielding my face from the really gory parts and wishing it was all over. I continued to watch the scary films I hated because my friends enjoyed them and I enjoyed being with my friends.

I left my teenage years behind many years ago and am no longer so influenced by what my friends want to do. I will tell anyone whether it’s a friend, my husband, or even my mother, that I do not enjoy and will not watch any horror movies. I tell them they are free to watch and enjoy the movies as long as I am not in the room and as long as they do not share any of the gory details with me later.

I do not enjoy having scary images in my mental rolodex. I do not enjoy having nightmares about some half decaying man eating my toes. I get scared if I hear strange noises after watching a horror movie. Yes, I am an adult, but I still get scared! I can’t seem to rid my mind of disturbing images until it has been at least a few days after viewing the scary movie. To avoid being a full grown adult sleeping in her room with the closet door firmly shut and all the lights in the house turned on, I simply do not watch horror movies.

Unfortunately, I cannot seem to totally avoid these horrific images. I sit down on my couch to watch my favorite television shows only to have my television shows interrupted by commercials about a little girl possessed by a ghost with a very bad attitude. I reach, as quickly as possible, for the remote to change the channel, but to no avail. I am always too slow and manage to see at least part of the ghastly commercial. If I fall asleep on the couch, which I very often do, I am done for. I am almost guaranteed to wake up to the sight of some demon floating over some poor unsuspecting guy’s bed with evil deeds in its nonexistent heart.

Why do television networks fail to take into account my personal feelings regarding these types of commercials? Well, unfortunately, I am just one person in a society that seems to really enjoy horror flicks. My feelings just do not matter to the networks. I will just have to continue closing my eyes and plugging my ears when a scary commercial comes on, all the while hoping for the day when technology will allow me to block all scary commercials from my television set.

We all have our TV moments. By this I mean moments in our lives when TV makes a huge impact in our lives, usually something unforgettable that affects us for the rest of our lives. And if we are to be honest with ourselves, these moments are not always positive. In fact most unforgettable things in our lives tend to be of the negative sort.

The distinct TV moment for me came when I as about 10 years old. In those days there was not much choice on TV on a Saturday night, where I used to live then. On this particular Saturdays as most, I settled in with anticipation to watch the Weekend movie for the day, "Dracula," they had announced, it would be, without giving too much details. They talked about some murders though and I suspected that it might be a good detective story. The sort that I had already started developing a taste for.

Dracula. As a 10 year old then, I had never heard of the man and I had no idea what it was going to be all about. What I was worried most about was that it would end up being some old boring classic movie. This particular TV station had developed a reputation for some pretty boring classics in previous months prior to that fateful night. I was not yet at the age of starting to appreciate "Singing in the rain."

Mostly I would watch TV with my two brothers and sister, all younger than I was. But for some strange reason I do not quite remember, they were all very tired that night and went off to bed one by one, leaving me all alone in the imposing living room to watch the movie, that I hoped would be exciting with plenty of action.

After the endless ads, finally, the movie started. The music score sounded okay for the sort of TV movie that I was expecting and it gave me some hope that it would be a good movie. I sat up expectantly waiting for my dose of Saturday night TV excitement. It was never to be.

Four scenes into the TV movie, and my heart had started pounding very violently and hard against my chest.

It is all still so vivid and my mind, like it happened just the other day and not several decades ago. The first scene started with some girl walking towards some dark alley, she disappears into the dark and what follows is a blood curdling scream. The next scene shifts to some hospital somewhere where the team of doctors wonder why the body has been sucked clean of any blood and decide to keep the hole thing secret until they can get more details.

It just got worse and worse.

In retrospect this was excellent movie-making. Keep the audience in suspense, do not show them too much. Instead show them just enough and leave the rest to their imaginations which are bound to conjure up something much more real and frightening. They just showed you little bits of the Dracula. Bits that mattered like the fangs sinking into the juicy white neck and so on.

About 10 minutes into this TV movie, I did what I had never done before on a Saturday night. I switched off the Television and fled to my bedroom where I remained shaking like a leaf in fear and with my heart still pounding violently against my chest.

It did not matter that there were several other people in the house at that time. The TV movie had made it clear that Dracula got you when he wanted to and nothing could stop him. I was convinced that nobody in the house would save me from Dracula if he was after me and somehow I was convinced that he was shortly after watching just a small part of that TV movie.

That nightmare remained with me for a long time and nightmares with Dracula continued for many years after that. On countless nights I would wake, dreaming that I had been running and with my heart pounding. My parents never thought to ask me hat was causing me the nightmares and I did not dare volunteer the information. I did not want to even talk about it. It was too scary.

Just goes to show you the sort of impact that one little TV movie can have on a young life.
It seems that many other people have had a similar experience in their lives, especially with horror movies on the tube when they were young. The other day my son described a very similar experience he had when he was about 9 years old. He had never talked about it until now, hen he was 15 years old.

Oh yeah, TV moments can be quite something.

by Eliza Ferree

With Mother's Day just around the corner you may be trying to figure out what type of items would go into a Mother's Day Movie Basket. Here are a few examples:

Is your mother a movie nut? Can she tell which actresses or actors played in which movies? Is she the one that would win at trivia?

If you answered yes to any of the three questions then these will be just right for you.

Movie Mania
Items to include:
Go to a local movie rental and buy a GC
Popcorn
1 liter soda
favorite box of movie candy
basket

The Tear Basket, is for the mom that loves to watch those tear jerker movies.
Items to include:
Steel Magnolias
Fried Green Tomatoes
any movie that would make mom cry
box of tissues
flavored tea or coffee
chocolate
basket

The Horror Basket, is for the mom that loved watching Freddy.

Items to include:
basket
maybe fake blood to put a smile on her face
scary movies, maybe Nightmare on Elm Street, Halloween, Urban Legends, The Grudge, etc
a mask might work
popcorn, for those times that it'll fly into the air.
Teddy bear so she can cuddle when it gets too scary

The Mommy Basket, this is for the mom that loves to watch movies about kids.
Items to include:
basket
candles
bath stuff, trust me any mom that spends her day with her kids would love to relax in a hot tub.
Cheaper by the Dozen, Pacifier, Beethoven, Big Daddy, etc anything with kids in it that'll be funny.
Maybe even a box of crayons and a coloring book to bring back the days.

These baskets don't have to be full of all types of movies, just one or two that she might like and if you really aren't sure just add a gift certificate to a movie rental that she would frequent. You know your mom best so if you think chocolate would work better than popcorn get it. If your mom already has a movie on this list go into the section and find one she might not have. It's the thought that counts after all and your mom will know that you went looking for something that is just right for her.

By Mylea

How many times as parents have you set down with the family to watch a movie, everything is going fine then boom, a sex scene. Have you ever noticed how hard it is to get your remote control to work when you are trying to fast forward through something potentially not suitable for your children to watch. Wouldn’t it be nice if we did not have to view a movie first in order to know in advance to fast-forward through parts of the movie.

One family man starting what he calls movie sanitizing, he would purchase DVD’s for his family’s viewing edit, and clean the movie up that way his children can enjoy watching the movie without parental supervision. One example given was the movie Titanic, which to me is an absolute classic. What he did was take out the sex scene in the car and that way anytime the children wanted to re-watch the movie they could. Evidently, friends and family wanted him to do the same for their movies and it developed into a little business for him. Well, Hollywood does not like this idea at all.
In defense of the scriptwriters I can understand how they may have concerns about a piece they have written altered by some unknown entity. As with anything done for the purpose of good, someone can always find a way to turn it into something bad, and who would get the blame? He whose name is on the work, this I truly understand.

The idea of movie sanitizing definitely appeals to me personally, because sometimes I can be sitting and enjoying a very good movie and then an unnecessary scene will pop up out of no where. Of course, it is the writer’s choice if he deems it necessary, and then again, maybe he doesn’t, but he knows this is what the majority wants to see, these are the scenes that add a little umph, do they really? Well that is not for me to say, but I will say that I hope Hollywood would come to some kind of agreement with this business owner that will allow him to continue. Maybe they could have an agreement that specifies exactly what can and cannot be done to their movies in the sanitizing process and anything beyond that would have to have additional written consent from the powers to be

Understandably the moviemakers are about making money and they know that sex sells, they know the bloodier the better. Today’s generation want the whole effect they want nothing left to the imagination, and that is their prerogative. Moviemakers often market these consumers. They know if they give them what they want they will keep coming back. On the other hand, if they were to allow their movies to be independently edited by a select group of entrepreneurs that agree to their terms in carrying out the process, just think of the additional audience they would capture increasing sales even more.

Written by James Fohl

If you are looking for the ultimate computer to make your own DVDs, then stay clear from Windows computers, for DVD authoring is Apple territory.

Apple Not Only Produces Fantastic Looking Hardware, But Their Software Is Top Notch Too


Apple makes some of the nicest looking computers around. However looks aren't everything, and Apple quickly realized this, and began developing specific computer software that would take sophisticated computer tasks and make them simple, and dare we say fun.

The suite of computer applications that Apple bundles with every Apple computer is called iLife, and of course it is not available for Windows. iLife is basically a package of applications that allow you to do fun stuff with your computer. It comes with iPhoto, which allows you to manage your digital photography collection, along with iTunes, which is declared the number one online music store in the world.

iLife Is Apple's Complete Suite Of Computer Applications Made For The Average User

Not only does iLife come with photo / music software, but it also comes with tools that allow you to construct your own personal DVD from scratch. iMovie, iDVD, and GarageBand are three applications that can turn literally anyone into a film producer.

Let's start with iMovie, the ultimate program for taking footage from your camcorder and turning it into pieces of professional work. iMovie allows anyone to add graphics to their movies, as well give the user complete control over the movie. iMovie is the principle application users need to know how to use in order to successfully make their own DVD movie. Fortunately, iMovie, like all the other Apple software programs is so easy to use even small children can use the program (and they do everyday in schools all across America).

When Your Masterpiece Is Completed, Make A Menu And Burn Your Movie Onto A Disc With iDVD


Once a movie is constructed with iMovie, the next step is to design a DVD movie menu and all that fun stuff. iDVD gives the user complete control over menu design. You can select what kind of music you wish to have played while the menu is being shown, and what picture you would like displayed in the background. When you are completely finished with designing your DVD's menu you can easily burn your DVD onto a blank DVD disc with a couple very simple mouse clicks.

After your movie has been burned onto a disc, you can watch it in your home DVD player, or show it off to your friends and relatives, and see their reactions to your wonderful piece of work. When they ask you how you did it, you can simply tell them an Apple helped you out.

All The Software You Need Is Included With The Computer

The great thing about Apple computers is the fact that all the software you need to make a DVD of your last vacation or whatever is already on the computer. It's not like your average Windows computer where you have to buy several pieces of software, and install them all just to achieve the same results that Apple provides out of the box.

So if you are looking for a computer that allows you to make homemade DVDs of all those special events in your life, forget about Dell, Gateway, and all of those other Windows computer vendors. Instead, go towards Apple. Sure, they are a bit more expensive, but Apple computers are ready for DVD creation as soon as you get them out of the box and turned on.

Written by James Fohl
April 29th, 2005

If you know anything about the original Star Wars trilogy, then you probably know that George Lucas (the creator the Star Wars universe re-released the films in theaters with added special effects in late 1996, early 1997.

But were you aware that for the recently released DVD edition of the original Star Wars Trilogy Mr Lucas decided that he was going to modify the movies even further? Not only did his team manage to make the movies more crisp and sound ten times better, but the team responsible for bringing the original Star Wars trilogy also threw in a lot of extra special effects.


All Kinds Of Special Effects Have Been Added To The Classic Trilogy

While most of the added special effects were added just to make this wonderful trilogy of movies look even more bolder, some of the added effects have specific reasoning for their inclusion. The major case and point is because Episodes I, II, and soon III have been released, and no matter how you look at it these movies affect the original trilogy.

These changes occur primarily in Return of the Jedi, and The Empire Strikes Back. If you remember The Empire Strikes Back, you will no doubt remember the Emperor that Darth Vader is speaking to in the hologram looks nothing like the Emperor from Return of the Jedi. Thankfully with the new DVD release, George Lucas and his team were able to successfully place everyone’s favorite Emperor’s image over the old one.

Not only that, but in Return of The Jedi, the Anakin we all know and love from Attack of the Clones and Revenge of the Sith has his image pasted over the old Anakin Skywalker during the Force ghost scene.

Not Only Are There Visual Changes, But Also Audio Changes As Well

These are just a couple of the many visual changes George Lucas and his team have performed on the DVD transition of the Star Wars trilogy. But just as many visual changes were produced, a lot of audio changes were also implemented into the DVDs.

The most noticeable is the fact that Boba Fett’s voice was re-recorded, so that his voice would be the same as his father, Jango Fett. After all, if Boba is a clone of Jango, then should they not both have the same voice? That’s George Lucas theory, and exactly why the audio was re-recorded by Jango Fett’s actor, Temuera Morrison.

Whoever Said It Was Right; You Can’t Please Everyone

With all of the changes and additions that George Lucas brought to the original Star Wars trilogy with the release of this DVD box set, you would think almost every fan in the world would be happy. Unfortunately a great number of Star Wars fans found the new additions to be ‘appalling’ and wanted Lucas to release the trilogy on DVD unedited. Just take a look at all the reviews of the DVD set on Amazon, and you’ll see all the bickering that it taking place.

If you are a die hard Star Wars fan, you too will probably get a little ticked off at all the changes George Lucas and his team did to these movies. If, however you just like the Star Wars movies than you will be in for quite a surprise as Lucas was able to take an old set of movies and make them seem a little more modern.

Written by James Fohl
April 28th, 2005

A lot of people declare RCA as a pretty bad brand of consumer electronics. Although almost everybody has heard a horror story about an RCA electronics product, such horror stories pretty much exist for every electronics company.

Why RCA has been hit hard can be discussed for decades. What should be said however is that RCA is just as fine an electronics company as any other. Take a look at their television sets; they are feature rich and even have lower price tags than some of the televisions manufactured by companies nobody has ever heard of before.

Back in January when I was shopping for a new nineteen inch television set to replace my ten year old RCA, just about everyone I had talked to told me to avoid RCA at all costs. While they themselves never had a problem with an RCA unit, they told me the so called horror stories that had plagued their friends and family.

They told me that RCAs have high failure rates. Not to sound like a negative writer or anything, but isn’t that the way it is with pretty much all electrical devices? My laptop computer has been returned to the factory twice, while my MP3 player was dead on arrival. I am quite confident this is why manufacturer’s provide warranties with their products.

After telling the salesman about the warranty, they quickly told me that it was only for ninety days. My philosophy on the whole ordeal is that if something is going to break, then it is going to break within the first two months or after several years of service. Still, I took full advantage of the store’s extended warranty program (two years for fifteen dollars).

Five months later, the twenty inch flat screen stereo RCA television I had purchased for a mere hundred twenty eight dollars is working wonderfully. It’s an excellent replacement for the old ten year old nineteen inch RCA that was replaced due to the lack of stereo, as well as RCA inputs.

If you find yourself in a store staring down at a flat screen RCA television that has all the features you want, but are deciding not to purchase it because of the horror stories you have most likely heard, stop and think about your warranty options. If the unit is dead on arrival, you can take it back to the store and get your money back. RCA currently offers a ninety day warranty on their television sets, which while it is not as long as other companies, is still a warranty. Many stores also offer extended warranty programs that will extend the manufacturer’s warranty for a couple years. This is the best option for those who feel really compelled to buy an RCA television, but don’t wish to get burned, supposedly like all the other people from the RCA horror stories.

I guess I will never truly understand why so many people have a thing against RCA. For me, they have provided me with two wonderful television sets that have never failed to perform. While I do not have any plans to go out and buy another replacement television any time in the near future, I do strongly believe that I will go out and purchase another RCA television when the time comes.

Written by James Fohl
April 28th, 2005

If you have been paying attention to the media in the past month, then you have probably heard something about the latest Star Trek television series, and its abrupt cancellation. Star Trek Enterprise is shown every Friday night at 8:00 PM Eastern Standard Time, and every Friday it finds itself in the very last position on the viewing rating scale.

Why Has So Much Attention Been Given To The Cancellation Of A Mediocre Show?

For a show that has already had four seasons, many people are wondering exactly why there has been so much attention devoted to the cancellation of a show that, for the most part, should have been cancelled a few years ago. After all, the ratings for the show are absolutely terrible, and most people that watch the show ask why the show is even still on.

The reason the show is still on the air is due to the work of the die hard fans of Star Trek, known as trekkies. Last year around this time, several organizations started popping up all over the internet with the goal of saving the show for another season. While organizations such as SaveEnterprise.org had managed to get a fourth season of their show, the extreme efforts of the organizations failed to secure a fifth season.

If you asked any die hard fan of the series if the fourth season has been any good, they will immediately reply with comments such as "Of course!" and "Best season ever!". This is primarily due to the fact that after last season's fiasco, Paramount hired a new team of writers in high hopes that they would be able to turn the show around.

New Story-lines, New Writers, New Everything Can't Save A Show When Nobody Is Watching

And they did just that; write explosive new story-lines that really actually made the show watchable. The only problem that still remained was the fact that the show had a very small audience. UPN also refused to really spend much money advertising Enterprise, and thus Enterprise's fourth season pretty much declared itself as the last season.

Still despite the official statement of cancellation from Paramount and UPN, die hard fans still continued with their organizational efforts to save the show. The fans quickly mounted protests in front of the offices of Paramount and UPN but gained nothing. Then some fans came up with an idea to collect money from the fans and pay for a fifth season; something that has never happened before with a television show.

Although Paramount quickly told the money collectors that the decision to cancel Enterprise was final, the die hard fans continued to press on. Eventually however fans stopped donating money, and the SaveEnterprise campaign officially ended their stance.

Four seasons of a mediocre show are enough, especially when the show comes in last place of the ratings almost every single week (and the weeks it did not come in last, it came in next to last). The producers of the show have realized this, and it is time for the fans of the show to realize this. Perhaps after a few years of hiatus, Star Trek will come back, but until then the die hard Trekkies are just going to have to accept that Star Trek Enterprise is not coming back, and they are going to have to find a new activity for their Friday nights.

Written by James Fohl

Supervising Your Child's Television Habits Is Very Important

If you have small children in your household, then the chances are pretty good that you have several television sets in your household. It's not always possible to keep a close eye on your child's activities, and anyone who has watched television in the past decade can quickly realize that paying attention to children while they watch television is extremely important.

Television Today Is Full Of All Kinds Of Programming That Is Not Suitable For Young Children

Go ahead and turn on your TV, and spend a few minutes channel surfing. You are almost guaranteed to see sex, drugs, and violence. Television has drastically changed in the past twenty years, as literally hundreds of channels now provide content. It's nearly impossible to know exactly what is on all of these channels twenty four hours a day.

The Government Has However Stepped In To Combat This Situation

Thankfully the government has realized this and has called for action. While plans were in session for several years, it wasn't until the TV Parental Guidelines system was put into action before anything really happened.

The TV Parental Guidelines system looks like a simple rating system. At the start of every TV show, a small rating is displayed usually in the upper right hand corner. The rating system indicates what age group the specific TV show is intended for, and if the specific TV show has any sex, violence, or drug usage in it. The ratings are listed in detail below, as they were taken directly from the FCC's printable ratings guide;

TV-Y (All Children -- This program is designed to be appropriate for all children.) Whether animated or live-action, the themes and elements in this program are specifically designed for a very young audience, including children from ages 2-6. This program is not expected to frighten younger children.

TV-Y7 (Directed to Older Children -- This program is designed for children age 7 and above.) It may be more appropriate for children who have acquired the developmental skills needed to distinguish between make-believe and reality. Themes and elements in this program may include mild fantasy or comedic violence, or may frighten children under the age of 7. Therefore, parents may wish to consider the suitability of this program for their very young children. Note: For those programs where fantasy violence may be more intense or more combative than other programs in this category, such programs will be designated TV-Y7-FV. For programs designed for the entire audience, the general categories are:

TV-G (General Audience -- Most parents would find this program suitable for all ages.) Although this rating does not signify a program designed specifically for children, most parents may let younger children watch this program unattended. It contains little or no violence, no strong language and little or no sexual dialogue or situations.

TV-PG (Parental Guidance Suggested -- This program contains material that parents may find unsuitable for younger children.) Many parents may want to watch it with their younger children. The theme itself may call for parental guidance and/or the program contains one or more of the following: moderate violence (V), some sexual situations (S), infrequent coarse language (L), or some suggestive dialogue (D).

TV-14 (Parents Strongly Cautioned -- This program contains some material that many parents would find unsuitable for children under 14 years of age.) Parents are strongly urged to exercise greater care in monitoring this program and are cautioned against letting children under the age of 14 watch unattended. This program contains one or more of the following: intense violence (V), intense sexual situations (S), strong coarse language (L), or intensely suggestive dialogue (D).

TV-MA (Mature Audience Only -- This program is specifically designed to be viewed by adults and therefore may be unsuitable for children under 17.) This program contains one or more of the following: graphic violence (V), explicit sexual activity (S), or crude indecent language (L).

The Ratings Are Encode For The V-Chip

Not only is the small rating displayed on the screen, but it is also encoded into the broadcasting signal. The reason it is encoded into the broadcasting signal is for televisions equipped with the v-chip technology to be able to take advantage of the rating.

V-Chip is just a generic term for a television set's ability to decode the above rating signal and block the viewer from watching that specific content. All kinds of television manufacturers have their own version of the whole V-chip ordeal. While some call the feature V-Chip, others have fancy names such as Guardian or TV Protector, however they are all the same pretty much.

The reason why they all do the same thing is the fact that the government ordered that all television sets manufactured after January 1st, 2000 had to ship with the V-Chip technology in one way or another. If you find yourself with an older television set without the V-Chip, and do not wish to go out and spend fortitude of cash on a new television set, than you can go out and buy a box top set that will add V-Chip technology to your current television set.

So if you are a parent concerned with your child's television viewing, than perhaps you should investigate in V-Chip technology. Remember, if you already own a television set made after January 1st, 2000 than you have the ability to deny access to specific television programs. All you really have to do is find the instruction booklet and look up how you activate the V-Chip. If however you have an older television set, then perhaps it is time to go out and purchase a new television, or at least a V-Chip box set.

In 1963, I sat on the floor of my cousin's living room and colored while around me, the adults watched the funeral procession of John F. Kennedy. I was four years old. There is no way I could have known the significance of that event, but I can still clearly see that television in my mind. I can still clearly recall, as if it were yesterday, how sad I felt for that little boy because he looked so lost and alone.

I am a part of the first generation who grew up with television as a daily part of our lives. There is no doubt that we were - as individuals and as a society - profoundly affected by what my dad used to call 'the idiot box'. I have seen wonders I could never have imagined, shared in griefs that I'd never have known, laughed myself sick over total inanities and been touched by the writing and acting of literally hundreds, if not thousands, of people.

In many ways, my life has been defined by television. At six, I knew that it was bathtime when Chet and David said good night. By thirteen, I could stay up till the News at Eleven. Sunday nights meant Ed Sullivan, which my grandmother watched faithfully because she loved Topo Gigio. Later, Saturday nights brought me John Belushi, Gilda Radner, Chevy Chase and the rest of the Saturday Night Live crew. As simplistic as they seem today, I learned valuable lessons from The Brady Bunch, One Day at a Time, The Facts of Life and Family Ties. I learned negotiation skills in the battle for control of the channel knob (I'll do the dishes for three days for your half hour!).

Those were the small defining moments, but there were larger ones as well - moments that brought an entire nation together, glued to our televisions. In 1969, I watched 'one small step for a man..'. In 1986, I watched with stunned awe along with millions across the country as the space shuttle Challenger burst in an eerily beautiful explosion in the beauty of a winter sky. In between, I prayed with millions and held my breath as rescue workers attempted to free a little girl from a well half a country away. Other moments were as surreal as those were touching - the long-distance slow-motion police chase of O.J. Simpson comes to mind.

Television has contributed new words and concepts to our language. Slo-mo, instant replay, Nielsen ratings, sweeps week, infomercial. And it goes on - just last week my 15 year old snorted in disgust at something I said, and commented, "That's so after-school special, mom." The scary part was - she was right. I am a product of my upbringing - and part of that included the daily fare that poured from that little blue screen.

Miniature portable televisions have been around for a long time. I remember when the Sony Watchman, with its tiny screen and black and white picture, was released in the 1980s. I thought it was the coolest thing ever, and I wanted one very badly. I thought it would be so much fun to be able to watch Tom & Jerry while waiting for the school bus or while sitting at the dentist office. But they were also very expensive at that time, so I never got one.

As would be expected, technology has changed with time. These days, instead of longing for a miniature portable TV, I can just watch my cell phone. Actually, it's my husband's cell phone. And I can only watch it if I happen to be in Japan. You see, my husband does a lot of business in Japan and spends a lot of time over there. So much time, in fact, that he needs to have a separate cell phone so that his clients can reach him when he is on one of his extended business trips. He replaces his cell phone frequently, and I just love examining the features on each new model. His latest phone, which he got a couple of months ago, has a built-in TV tuner that allows him to watch local television channels for no extra charge. He can either use headphones to listen to the broadcast, or he can just listen through the phone's speakers. The picture, of course, is in color. The phone itself was very cheap because this television reception capability in cell phones is not new in Japan. My husband paid less than $20 for it, and says the picture quality is terrific!

I like the idea, and I hope it catches on here in the United States. I know that some phones have a separate subscription service that allows customers to pay an extra monthly fee in order to receive special television programming, but I haven't heard of any phones that allow customers to watch VHF and UHF channels for free. Having a built-in TV in my cell phone, which is a device that I carry around with me all the time anyway, would be very convenient. The TV phone would be very useful on camping or backpacking trips where it's better to travel light. It would also be great to use at sporting events so that I can see instant replays or listen to the game commentary.

When I was a kid, I never would have believed that I would someday be able to watch TV on a cell phone. I would have thought that was something that could only be found in science fiction comic books. This is yet another reason why I love technology!

Times sure have changed. When I was growing up, we owned a 19" television set and had access to about 8 channels (that included PBS and some fuzzy channels that would come in only when the TV antenna was set just right).
We didn't get cable until 1980 and even then the same 3 movies were shown over and over again. The TV Guide was paper thin, and I don't think we even had a remote. We didn't need to: with so few channels there was slim pickings to begin with. Nowadays the TV Guide looks like a catalog:- it's so jammed packed with program listings. Still, why am I so nostalgic for the television programs of yesteryear?

Saturday morning cartoons-- They used to be a major event complete with Friday night specials every fall which would showcase the new Saturday morning lineup. HR Puf'n'Stuf. Sigmond and the Seamonsters. Land of the Lost. Shazam. Not to mention classic cartoon shows like Scooby Doo's Laff a Lympics and Superfriends. How about The Groovy Ghoulies? Short lived, but still memorable. And I loved that wacky Hong Kong Phooey. Even the Brady Bunch kids had their own cartoon. Back in the day, PBS ruled. I loved The Electric Company and Zoom (I hear Zoom is back but I doubt it's the same).

These days, I'm hard pressed to find any cartoons on Saturday mornings. I subscribe to digital cable and have over 100 channels to choose from, yet I still can't find a decent cartoon on a Saturday morning. Not to say that children's programming of today doesn't have its merits-- my kids love Dora the Explorer, the Backyardigans and Blue's Clues. It's just different today. Children's programming seems to be geared toward preschoolers. I'm not really sure what the 7 to 10 year olds are watching, but I hope it's not MTV.

MTV-- Back in 1981, when MTV braved the airways with their first video, the Buggles' "Video Killed the Radio Star", I was mesmerized. I was at just the right age-- high school, and a huge music fan. I was glued to the TV from day one, watching the 5 videos that MTV seemed to own over and over again. Back then they had real VJ's:not like the hosts today that just report the news. The 1981 VJ's--- Alan Hunter, JJ Jackson, Nina Blackwood, Mark Goodman and Martha Quinn, were so hip! They'd lounge around in colorful studio with a huge mug of coffee, Martha wearing some crazy earring like a huge helicopter in one ear, and they'd chat with you. Like they do on the radio. Now days, MTV is pretty much a succession of reality shows and true life documentaries. You have to be up real late at night to catch any actual music. And when you do catch some, make sure your kids aren't in the room. The videos of today aren't quite as innocent as the Duran Duran clips from the 80's.

Sitcoms: What has happened to the sitcom? Family shows like the Brady Bunch, I Love Lucy and The Dick Van Dyke Show? Shows with innocent plotlines and canned laughter. If I could make a wish list of shows I wish they'd bring back, I'd be here all day. Petticoat Junction. Dennis the Menace. Hazel. The Lucy Show. All good, clean, corny fun. With the exception of Friends and the King of Queens, I can't think of a single sitcom today that has really clever writing. Okay, maybe Everybody Loves Raymond:I've never watched it but I hear it's good. The sitcoms today are full of sex and double entendres; the networks seem to think that's what the viewers want, but I know I wasn't polled. I'd rather watch a corny family show like Full House any time.

Police shows-- I love the police and detective shows from the 70's. Starsky and Hutch. Policewoman. Even Miami Vice from the 80's. Nowadays, there's still lots of dramas, most of them starting with the prefix CSI. I'll take a silly police show from yesteryear any time-- bring on David Cassidy Man Undercover (does anyone remember that show? Another classic that saw its demise way too soon)!

The news:Just a few decades ago, the news didn't seem as scary. Sure, the world has been in turmoil all along, but it wasn't always right in our face. An abundance of 24-hour news channels has brought the world's problems right to our doorstep:live, any time of the day or night. Frankly, it's too much. The graphic images, the live footage, the interview after interview of crime victims' family members. It's too much news.

Talk shows: Oh Phil Donahue, where art thou? I loved Phil, and I thank him for opening the door for Oprah Winfrey. I love Oprah. I admit it. But she's been on the air for over 20 years, so she doesn't count. I don't have to mourn the loss of her just yet. What I do miss are some of the fluffier talk shows from the past. Mike Douglas. Dinah Shore. Many talk shows of today tackle serious topics or showcase dysfunctional families who have no business spreading their business on national television: frankly, most of them should be sitting in a therapist's office instead. There are a lot of trashy shows on the air, masquerading as legitimate talk shows. Jerry Springer, you don't fool me for a minute.

Good shows gone too soon: It seems whenever a good show comes on, it ends up being cancelled. About a decade ago, ABC aired a realistic teenage drama called My So Called Life. It starred Claire Danes, Bess Armstrong and Jared Leto. The scripts were lyrically written and believable. The acting was superb. Yet ABC yanked it after only 19 episodes. A darn shame. These days, good shows often get copied and then ruined. Take all of the reality shows, which started with Survivor and now have sunk a slow as Fear Factor (complete with bug and cow brain eating). ABC destroyed the Regis Philbin hit game show, Who Wants to be a Millionaire, by airing it one too many times in the primetime slot. No longer fresh, the show became stale and predictable. The Bachelor was a decent premise, until we tired of watching strangers make out with each other; then it just became gross and certainly not romantic.

Today, a bevy of channels:There wasn't always a Lifetime Network, and this is where I think television has moved in the right direction. There are so many networks today that everyone can have their own channel. The women get Lifetime and Oxygen. The men get ESPN. The kids have Nickelodeon and the Disney Channel. If you love home improvement, turn on the Home and Garden network. If you love to cook check out The Food Network. Looking for documentaries about washed up celebrities? Check out E. Yes, there is a channel for everyone, as long as they're showing what you want to see.

Gone are the 13 and 19 inch TV's from years ago. Replaced with 42" plasma flat screens, televisions from even a few years ago look archaic. The huge new TV's, coupled with the zillions of cable and satellite channels should mean we always have something to watch and we can watch it in style. Sadly, that's not the case. I think we have so much now that we are overwhelmed. Too many choices, too many decisions.

And so, as I sit here and wish for classic shows like Little House on the Prairie Room 222, and Nanny and the Professor I know that I'm not alone. I'm missing television and I'm missing it bad. I think I'll go read a book-- or at least the TV Guide.

Written by James Fohl

Have you ever found yourself completely bored, and looking around for something to do? Whether you were in a doctor's office waiting for your appointment to begin, or just sitting out in your car waiting for a friend, we all have found ourselves in situations where we are simply bored out of our minds.

A Dream, Or Is It Real?

Have you ever looked at your watch while in such a bored state, and think to yourself "Boy it would really be cool if this watch had a little television built into it!", but quickly dismissed the thought?

With all of the new technologies available it is really quite crazy that people are not walking around with little television sets strapped onto their arms. A quick look into technology reveals that small portable televisions and even cell phones with television capabilities already exist.

Twenty Year Technology At Its Finest

But what would happened if I told you that a small watch with a television was already on the market some twenty years ago? Would you believe it, or dismiss it as some kind of crazy joke. After all, the electronic technology that existed was extremely pale in comparison to today's electronic wonders.

Enter Seiko With The TV Watch

A watch with a small built in television screen did however exist in the 1980's, and was produced by the Japanese Seiko corporation. Declared as the first ever television watch, it was released in 1983 not only with a 1.25 inch tall television screen, but also with a built in FM radio tuner.

The TV Watch as it was known was quite a piece of technology. Although the LCD screen of the television was the actual watch, an external tuner / battery pack had to be carried in a shirt pocket. It was about the size of a portable cassette player and provided most of the functions (as well as power) for the small television set.

When the TV Watch was first released, it did not really meet Seiko's expectations in the whole sales department. While it was really a fantastic piece of technology, it had an insane pricetag attached to it that concerned many potential buyers. It gained some popularity through its creative positioning in such movies as Dragnet and Octopussy.

Collectors Still Go Crazy For The TV Watch Wonder

While its been a long time since Seiko has produced the TV Watch, there still exists an underground of users who enjoy collecting and discussing the TV Watch. In recent years, Seiko's TV Watch has really become a collector's item, as TV Watch items found on popular internet auction sites, such as eBay, will have closing auctions that reach several hundred dollars in bids.

Pretty much every person who has ever owned a Seiko TV Watch considers the item a novelty. There really was no practical usage for the device considering there was no possible way to utilize cable television signals, along with the fact that the thing drained batteries faster than the average first grader can say the alphabet. Still, the many collectors of this wonderful little gadget will continue to stand by it, mostly due to the fact that it was the very first, and one of the very few television watches.

Written by James Fohl

DVDs have really become popular in recent years for a wide variety of reasons. Of these reasons, probably the most important reason is the fact that DVD players are relatively cheap. Just go down to your local electronics store, and you will see that you can purchase a feature rich DVD player from an unknown Chinese manufacturer for less than forty dollars.

Cheap DVD Players Provide A Cheap Way To Play DVDs
While these cheap DVD players are not the greatest in build quality, they still provide the capability to play the thousands of DVDs that are available to purchase. It is because of this reason that the budget DVD players can be found in millions of American homes.

DVDs Have Many Features That Are Not Found On Old VHS Tapes
DVDs are far more advanced then the old VHS tapes they are out to replace. While DVDs may not be as durable as the old VHS tapes, DVDs are overall better sound / video quality, as well as give the user the ability to quickly fast forward / rewind through movies. Not only do DVDs provide easy digital navigation access to the user, but also nifty little menus that provide the user with the abilities to watch special bonus features such as movie trailers, and cast / crew bios.Because of the enhanced capabilities of the DVD movies, it is no wonder why so many different kinds of content exist in DVD media that have never existed in VHS cassette tape format. The most popular of these new kinds of content have to be the complete seasons of popular and not so popular television shows.

In Recent Years, TV Shows Have Found New Homes With DVD Box Sets
Within the past three years, all kinds of television shows have exploded onto somewhat expensive boxed DVD sets. They usually contain about twenty to thirty specific episodes, and are pretty cheap when you look at the total cost of each individual episode.

From the latest Star Trek series to Survivor, literally every new television show has its own boxed season sets. While the producers of such sets are able to put a complete season of a specific television show on seven DVDS, it was never really logical to release a complete season of the show on VHS tapes for a long list of reasons.

Thankfully though, the menu system of the DVD players is probably one of the biggest reasons why such boxed season sets exist. With the menu systems, users can easily select which episode of as specific show they wish to watch without having to rewind and fast forward through hours upon hours of footage.

DVD Box Sets Are Packed Full Of Extra Content
Not only do you usually get a complete season of a specific television show in the boxed DVD sets, but you usually get all kinds of special features. From cast and crew biographies, to interviews of the producers, to artwork, a lot of the special features will really appease die hard fans of the shows.

While newer television shows seem to be making a splash with their DVD season boxed set releases, older television shows are making even bigger splashes. All kinds of older TV shows from the 70's, 80's, and early 90's are being released everyday. Really, if you have a favorite TV show that is not on television anymore, than go look to see if they have released the series on DVD; I'm pretty sure that if they released Mister Ed (the talking horse) and the complete series of Knight Rider on DVD, then pretty much all classic television is available on DVD.

Like Everything Else In This World, There Are Some Downsides
The only major downside to buying the DVD box sets are the prices. While the older television shows can be purchased for around thirty dollars for a complete season, newer TV shows are pretty expensive. Take a look at any of the Star Trek DVD seasons, and you will see what I mean. A hundred dollars for a complete season of Star Trek? Thanks, but no thanks.. considering there have been so many seasons and series of Star Trek I would have to sell my right arm to afford all of them.

Still die hard fans of these television shows do not really care about the price, they just want to have every episode of their favorite television show, and no one can blame them, So the next time you are in a video store, and you see the television series on DVD take a look, and maybe you will find your favorite TV show of all time waiting for you.

By Mylea

The evolution of television shows through the years has spiraled in a downward motion. In just a few short years it seemed, my television viewing habits had almost cease to exist. There had been a time when in the break room at work a favorite series was an important part of the everyday conversation. That was when you could openly discuss the things you saw on television. Then something happened, I don't know exactly what but smut, filth and violence took over. The sad thing is, it wasn't just in adult television viewing but it had managed to filter its way into the lives of our children as well.

The use of the rating PG had become questionable and in some cases down right objectionable. When I accompany a niece or nephew to a movie, thinking it is safe for their little eyes, that is exactly what I expect. Sadly, some writers had decided in movies for children that are written well enough to stand on their own, they needed to add sexual innuendoes for the adults present. The thinking was, let's entertain the adults with the kids by adding content that only they would understand. Why? If you really think about it, the movie is intended for children, where there are children the adults will follow. Therefore, the content added is unnecessary.

Then there is the violent actions that keep so many glued to their televisions week in and week out. For many, even this is not enough young and old alike pay big bucks to view violent movies, the bloodier the better. I overheard a group of teenagers that had just finished viewing a rather violent movie exclaiming how disappointed they were because there was not enough of action shown. There use to be a time when we saw someone being beat up or shot on television we would cringe. That time seems to have disappeared. Most are so desensitized to the viewing of violence until I have to wonder just how they feel when they watch the news and hear all the real world violence that are happening around us. When they watch news documentaries of war and all those whom we love losing their lives in such a violent way. How can you glorify this type of viewing for pleasure when in fact for some this is their reality. Some reason saying, this is just viewing for pleasure, harmless not hurting anyone, that they would never actually do what they are viewing. True, maybe for the majority what is viewed will never be acted upon, but those are not the ones that worry me. Rather it is the few that do, and without any remorse.

Some blame those who write the shows, but as much as I hate to admit it, it really is not their fault. They are in the business to make money, we as individuals have to make responsible decisions as to what we will view. Because the demands are high for television shows with crime and violence, the writers keep on writing trying to give the audience what they want. So it is up to us if we want this to continue or not.

Then there is sex. Sex everywhere, it seems that an individual cannot wash their hair, chew gum, drink a popular soft drink, brush their teeth or even eat a burger without thinking sex. Television commercials use to be the part of the television program that you listen to while getting a snack out of the kitchen, but no more. Commercials have become just as entertaining captivating and holding the audience's attention the best way they know how, sex. What better way to engrave your product name into the minds of the consumer than to leave a memorable picture etched into their psyche? The reaction they want is, I have got to get me some of that', and it works. Sure, television is ever changing but there is still hope that what was once a wholesome source of entertainment can once again be pulled out of the dumps.

How do you run a successful TV show for a couple of decades despite stiff competition? And in the fiercely competitive (shark infested is a better word here) US market at that?

And how do you keep on going even when a show that appeals to the animal instincts in humans starts to compete head to head with you?

How do you keep going over the years even as TV shows come and go, some of them sensational hits?

I am of course talking about the queen of day TV Oprah Winfrey.

My wife and teenage daughter never miss her show and so the other day I sat down with them to try and analyze, figure out and find the "secret" or the "key" behind her success.

Let me tell you something about myself here so that you understand this obsession of mine with finding out the "secrets" behind success stories.

You see I write business articles and booklets for a living. These days I tend to specialize on the rather popular subject of using articles to advertise web sites online. I naturally graduated into this from years of earning a living writing second rate how-to booklets that despite sluggish sales kept the bread flowing towards the family dining table and the sharks at bay (at least most of the time.)

So I am naturally looking for a new secret to help me construct my next big "how to" booklet or article.

I figured that I would learn something from Oprah and that I would be able to apply it to my life and business even if it was not able to yield a valuable how-to booklet idea.

So there I was seated watching my first Oprah show in I don't know how many years. My wife and daughter were excited at the prospect of seated there with them when I was supposed to be locked away in my study working.

It was about this family in Africa where a single mother with Aids could not access medical attention and Oprah had reached out to them. Doesn't sound like the most unique topic, does it? But in the lady's hands it gripped me and glued me to the show. It all ended too soon and there were tears in my eyes at the end of it all. Yes Oprah magic had worked on me, just like it still works on millions of other TV viewers all over the world.

Yep. Despite the man I was there I was with tears trickling down my cheeks. Can you imagine that? That's Oprah.

Later I tried to analyze it all.

What was it?

Was it the unique human interest angle she applied to all topics and subjects that she handled? Or was it just the woman's amazing personality that seemed to reach out to everybody individually?

By the way, I did not find a single tip to use for my business or even to help spark a single idea for yet another of those second rate how-to booklets of mine.

Still I enjoyed the show. Actually I enjoyed it very much.

I guess the lesson is that Oprah is herself and her unpretentious self reaches out to you. I guess it is simply the fact that Oprah Winfrey was born to do the Oprah Winfrey show. It is her destiny, her reason for being here, and that is why she is such a success.

So it is as simple and as complicated as that, we just have to find out the reason why we are here in this life... at this moment in history.

My husband and I were rearranging our entertainment center the other day to accommodate some new external speakers that we bought. When it came time to hook the speakers up, we discovered that our power strip didn't have enough room for yet another plug. We had to move something out of the entertainment center. After thinking for a moment, my husband suggested moving the VCR to the spare bedroom. "Anyway, when was the last time you used it?" he asked. I honestly couldn't remember. So, he took it away.

It's hard to believe that just a few years ago, I couldn't imagine giving up my VCR so easily. But the popularity and affordability of DVD players and digital hard disk recorders these days makes VCRs all but obsolete. They are becoming the 8-track players of our generation! I really cannot think of a situation in which I would need my VCR for either playing or recording purposes. When we go to the video store to rent a movie, we always get DVDs. When we purchase movies for our home collection, we always get DVDs.

We don't need the VCR for our archived media, either. Over the course of the last year or so, my husband and I have slowly been converting our old home movies to DVDs by means of our computer. This process takes a long time (mostly because we are not experts and have to frequently refer to various tutorials), but it is really worth it. Not only are we saving our memories in a more durable format, we are also significantly reducing some clutter in our home. Who knew how much room videotapes could take up?

Our digital hard disk recorder has successfully supplanted the VCR as our must-have electronic toy. The digital hard disk recorder works almost like TiVo, but with perhaps a more limited range of functions. We can record programs to the hard disk without having to use videotapes or DVDs. When we come across a program that we want to save, we can then burn it to a DVD (which is a feature of the unit and doesn't require additional equipment) and keep it. Also like TiVo, the digital hard disk recorder allows us to pause or rewind live TV programs, or to review a segment in slow motion. I'm not too familiar with TiVo, but I think one of the differences between TiVo and a digital hard disk recorder is that TiVo has a search function that allows the user to find a bunch of similar programs to record. But then again, TiVo requires a monthly subscription fee whereas the digital hard disk recorder doesn't. Any way you look at it, having a digital hard disk recorder means I don't need a VCR to record my favorite programs.

So as technology continues to develop and advance, some of our formerly indispensable appliances are quickly becoming outdated. If just a few years ago I couldn't imagine life without my VCR, I wonder what the future holds for my other favorite electronic goods? Which items that I use today will still be an integral part of daily life 5 or 10 years from now? Only time will tell!

In the late 1980s, my family and I tried an experiment: We put the TV in storage for a year, to see what would happen. It was our own idea, because we've always liked to challenge ourselves and grow. Sure, it was a little radical, but it also seemed like a game. Could we really live for a year without any TV?

At first, it was a good thing. We read more. We played board games. We went out for walks together, and we did more things as a family.

But, before long, I found excuses to slip into the storage room. We lived in Florida, and it was important to stay aware of storm warnings. Our radio reception wasn't great, and we soon realized that we didn't enjoy reading the newspaper for current events and weather reports. That's what I told myself, anyway.

Besides, I didn't watch actual television shows, just the occasional weather update. And, nobody else in the family watched the TV at all, so the experiment seemed to keep "on track." I felt a little guilty when I lingered to see the conclusion of the commercial breaks after each weather report. But, I did my best to live without TV; after all, my experiences were part of our year-long experiment, too.

At the end of the year when we brought the television back out and plugged it in, I had very mixed feelings. I realized that we'd never watched very much TV. We'd always used common sense, watched shows with our children, discussed what we watched, and rarely watched "too much" TV. Why had we thought that this experiment would be so significant? Was it more to impress our friends with how radical we were? I'm still not certain.

As we resumed television watching, I saw how important the programs were for my children. TV shows brought the world to my children in ways that books never could.

Sure, the reverse is true: Books give a depth of experience that extends far beyond the two-dimensional TV screen.

But, it's an important balance to keep in mind. Watching no TV at all was no better than the over-use of the television in other homes. I was glad that we'd tried living without TV, but we'd have learned the same lessons if we'd turned it off for a month.

My life was richer with television shows, too. I watched biographies and history shows on cable stations, and followed-up by taking related books out of the library. My children and I learned about the lives of Olympic swimming hopefuls, and that gave us greater insights when we went to a local pool to see some of these same people compete locally.

And, when TV shows from my childhood were re-broadcast, I could share them with my family. Suddenly, my kids understood how different life was when I was growing up.

What I learned in that year is that television isn't the evil influence that some claim. In fact, I think that the TV is a vital part of growing up, and it enhances our lives in ways that we may not realize.

I'm glad that we lived without television for awhile, just to see what it was like. But, I can say without hesitation that extremes are foolish in either direction, and television--in moderation and with parental supervision--is an important part of family life.

by Eliza Ferree

When I was younger I never would've thought I'd EVER be watching Barney day in and day out. But the fact is I do, I'm the mother of three children that absolutely adore that purple dinosaur, and the youngest one still does. Granted now the oldest one says he doesn't, I've caught him a few times watching the videos with his sisters. When I found out that I was pregnant with my first child I was babysitting a little boy, he always watched Barney. I learned by watching that little boy and the videos that the shows were actually educational. Not to mention they would calm him down when he was starting to get restless. The tunes were even catchy and easy to remember, no, I probably couldn't sing very many songs from them now though but I could've back then. My children can sing every song though without missing a word, my youngest one year old sings with him as he sings those magical songs that make her smile. This just goes to show you that children do learn from watching that big purple dinosaur that we call Barney.

Yesterday, my 4-year-old daughter came into the room singing something that for the life of me I couldn't understand. I thought at first she was just singing the words wrong but as I listened closely I didn't recognize ANY of the words. "Honey, what are you singing?" She looks at me with that mom you should know type of look, "It's I love you, Barney sings it." I sit for a second and contemplate what to say and quickly correct her, "No that's not." She gets that stubborn look when a child REALLY knows what they are talking about, "Yes it is mom, it's in Spanish." Oh, I think to myself, maybe she's right, it did sound different to me. How did I not pick up on that? I smile to myself as she walks off with her head held high, she had learned from Barney and he'd taught her to sing a song in Spanish. I knew he taught about feelings, friendships, colors, numbers, alphabets, caring and family but I had no clue he would teach her another language.

About an hour after this brief conversation with my all knowing daughter I decided to take a peek through some of the videos we had, I didn't remember seeing this one and I would've remembered. Wouldn't I? Believe it or not, after watching the sixth Barney video we owned I saw it, it was at the very end of one of the tapes. There is a mom tucking her daughter in for bed and together they sing the goodnight song and I love you, yep in Spanish.
I do allow Barney in my home and this is the reason why.

There are many things in this world, which we would not be able to watch in real time during the life span that is allotted to every one of us! However, some of them we will be looking and enjoying! There will be times when these things will accrue different emotions rather than giving pleasure, and no wonder some of them will be sad and grief-giving.

The things that we would not be looking or watching are many and perhaps the number is countless. But due to the present and available sources of communication and transmission, it is possible to watch some wonders of this world; and television, no wonder is one of the best resources available for that matter. It is quite a good time that we have TV with us, and it has become almost a necessity sort of thing.

Though there are debates about the bad effects of TV on children, there are still some good things that can make it a good prospect for educational and knowledge based pursuits. There are channels that can help to watch, understand, and learn about different things of this world, and these channels make television a real pleasure. To learn topics about science, engineering, music, historical places, ancient civilizations, wild life, sea-life, and number of other things, is a real good thing, and this matter can not be learned through books only! The difference between shooting the sight and transmitting it all over the world, is a real challenge, and not wonder that people enjoy it and, thus, the challenge pays an appropriate dividend.

There are other channels also that are geared more towards entertainment and leisure programs, but you can choose a variety of your liking out of these. And apart from this normal stuff, there are News channels, which can provide you latest happening around the world.

So at the end we can say that television is a good invention of science and technology, and can positively help the humanity if used in a proper manner!

I still remember that day when a friend alerted me, without giving me too many details that something terrible had just happened in New York City. I remember it all so vividly, like it all happened yesterday and not almost four years ago.

I happened to be on my way home and I switched on the Television immediately I entered the house.

The image that lit up the Television screen immediately it came on was that of the twin towers and what looked like smoke coming through a burning window on one side of one of the towers.

And then suddenly, without any warning a passenger plane came into view moments before it plunged into the other tower. I remember thinking to myself, "Oh my God, that is a passenger jet, and there must be passengers onboard. What the hell is going on?"

I watched my Television screen in dumb shock. This was clearly no movie. And anyway, who would have such a sick mind in Hollywood or anywhere else where they make those movies, as to even imagine such horror? And yet it was all very real and happening. Actually unfolding on Television right before our very eyes.

My wife who was at home came into the living room and did not say a single word. She who has never been lost for words (except on the day that I proposed to her about 20 years ago, but then that is another story for another blog post.)

The drama on the Television screen continued to play out like some terrible nightmare dream that was refusing to end and ultimately the magnificent World Trade Center started tumbling down. An important solid land mark of our nation an indeed for the entire world, was literally wiped out of the skies in one horrible morning. And we all saw it on Television.

I cannot quite imagine this thing happening in the age of radio. What would have happened? Would somebody on the spot have been explaining it all to us? Maybe we would not have quite believed them. How, when it was a problem believing the Television pictures?

This was worse than the sinking of the Titanic in some icy waters in the Atlantic that people came to learn of from some newspaper headlines long after it had all happened.

It would also have not been possible to beam the radio comments in English all over the world to many different parts of the globe where they do not even understand English. Television pictures have no language and can be viewed by people who speak different languages without any problem.

I dare say that the war on terror would have been that more difficult to win without Television. It would have been that more difficult to get world opinion to sway on the side of the war against terror.

That was the single world event that has changed the world we live in the most, in recent times. It ushered in terror at a level and intensity, previously unknown by man. And with it, the war on terror.

Right from that first stranger-than-life, unbelievable news clip from New York, the war on terror has unfolded before our very eyes. And it has all happened on Television.

And all indications are that Television will continue to play a major role in the war on terror. Actually it is the very stage where the drama is being playing out to the world at large, and a lot of world opinion has been formed from Television images.

Despite all that has been said about propaganda and the fabrication of public opinion using Television, the truth is that Television pictures do not lie. The twin towers coming down before our very eyes was hard to imagine, let alone believe, but it happened. And there were those who claimed responsibility for it. These are hard facts. There is no propaganda about it or the colossal number of lives that were lost.

And mostly the world seems to be united in one thought. Our planet has become a much more dangerous place to live in and the war on terror must be fought and won, somehow. The methods to be used and intensity, with which it is supposed to be fought, may be in contention. But everybody agrees that for sanity an indeed mankind to prevail and survive, the war on terror must be fought and won.

With a bit of luck, most of us earthlings will see our dream of victory come true on the same Television where this terrible war broke out with a new intensity for the very first time on that unforgettable September 11th morning.

The other day I went through an experience that I am sure many other parents have been through at one time or another. Let me start from the beginning. I went over to this video rental store where I usually frequent and got some VCD that I was sure my young son would enjoy. The guy is in his early teens and loves action movies and fast cars like most kids his age, I suppose.

Now the problem with this rental place is that there's a new girl who is very polite but not very helpful.
From what I have gathered so far, she hardly watches movies herself, which completely disqualifies her for the job.

So whenever I am selecting anything to watch these days, I can not expect too much help from her. From
the brief synopsis on this particular VCD, it looked harmless enough and seemed to be all about this
car-racing gang. The sort of high speed thrills and fast cars that my young son thrives on and loves to
watch. Just like many other kids his age, I suppose. In retrospect, I must admit that I did notice a
picture of a woman on the vcd cover, but she was fully dressed, by modern standards at least.

So I got home and just as I predicted, it was one of the first VCDs my son chose to play. I went off to do
something else in the house. Then, a few minutes later, as I was passing the living room I noticed something strange. My son had the volume turned off but was watching the movie. This was very strange indeed, because I always have a problem getting him to keep the volume down. Now here was a case where he seemed to be enjoying this movie with no sound at all.

I stopped and looked in asking him why he was watching the movie with no sound. He reckoned that he was doing a quick review, he does that sometimes. So I said it was okay and went off again to do something else. When I came back into the living room much later, my son hands me over the VCD and tells me that it's all porn. "There are fast cars, alright dad, but it is all porn. They are even doing it on the moving cars." I was shocked beyond words; it was one of those very rare moments where I had nothing to say to my son.

I kept aside the VCD but later sat alone to review it. It was not really porn but there were plenty of pretty
steamy sex scenes and a lot of nudity; definitely not the sort of stuff I would have liked to have my son
watching.

In fact shortly after I started reviewing it, I had to turn the sound off. Didn't want anybody in the next
room getting the wrong idea. Not my son and not my wife or the other kids. I figured that it was made by these guys who wanted to cash in on sex and fast cars to make their terribly-made third-rate trash popular. They seemed to have a sex scene after every two or three badly-acted scenes.

My son had watched it all, but knowing that I would most probably come across the VCD's contents sooner or later, he had just made sure that he told me before I found out for myself what the contents were. Clever guy and no marks for guessing where he's inherited his brains from.

We have never discussed that particular movie again to date. Not that anybody is embarrassed or anything. Only that neither if us has anything to say about it.

Of course I am a lot more careful selecting VCDs, videos and so on, but the damage is already done and
there really is no guarantee that even with my increased vigilance, it ill not happen again.

I have not told his mother about the incident yet. Please do not ask me when I intend to do so.

One evening I pressed the power button to turn on the television and nothing happened. Instead of immediately realizing that the TV was broken, I first made sure it definitely would not turn on by pressing the power button on each of the five remote controls lying in various spots of the living room. It was definitely broken. My husband and I moved the 36 inch TV out of the entertainment center and on to the floor. We replaced it with the slightly smaller 27 inch from the bedroom.

We debated for several weeks' weather we should set the TV out for the trash, have it repaired, or attempt to repair it ourselves. In the meantime, it continued to sit on the living room floor. My dog discovered the new fun activity of throwing her hard nylon bone around the living and then finding where it landed. We feared she might hit the broken TV with the bone and break it more (if that is possible), so we covered it with a blanket to cushion the screen.

I went out one night with the girls after several weeks of having a broken TV, covered with a blanket, on my living room floor. I was shocked when my husband called me and told me he fixed the broken TV! He had become bored and decided to open it up and take a look. Apparently something was burned up, so he just wired around it and now it seemed to work just fine. I questioned his methods of fixing the TV and he attempted to assure me that it was perfectly fine and would not start a fire and burn down the house. I am still not so sure. It has been several more weeks and we now have a functioning TV sitting on the floor, still covered with a blanket, but with a Playstation 2 hooked up to it. The bedroom TV is still in the entertainment center. I guess that is what procrastination can do to you.