Wednesday, February 4, 2009

Romantic Ideas For Valentine's Day

Valentine's Day is when you want to spend time with someone you care about very much. Romantic Valentine's Day ideas are endless, but it is always nice to have a few of them to choose from in case you are at a loss for some simple things to do that say how much you care. Spend your Valentine's Day having fun and add a little romance for that special touch.

A Romantic Dinner - You do not have to go out to dinner for it to be romantic. You can enjoy a nice candlelit dinner at home with a few steaks, some wine, and a special dessert. A nice quiet time at home with just the two of you is more romantic than going out to a busy restaurant.

Valentine's Day Card - Place a Valentine's Day card in an envelope with a stamp on it, then place that card in another envelop, and send it to Loveland, Colorado post office. On the outside of the card, write send this card for me for Valentine's Day. They will open up that envelop and send your card to that address for Valentine's Day. This adds a special touch to an otherwise normal gift.

Rent a Hot Tub or a Fireplace - Although a nice dinner at home is nice. You can finish the night off in a hot tub outside under the stars. Many places have hot tubs or even electric fireplaces for rent. If the hot tub does not impress you, try a fireplace. Romance does not have to be all flowers and candy.

When you think about romantic Valentine's Day ideas, you forget the ones that are quiet and just for the two of you. Romance does not have to be jewelry or candy, but it could be a hot tub or a nice dinner for two. Make it a day neither one of you will ever forget.

You can find even more creative date ideas and romantic tips here: http://www.YourGuideToRomance.com/

Go there NOW and get the book, "101 Romantic Ideas" absolutely FREE!

Tuesday, January 27, 2009

LCD Or Plasma - What it Best Choice For Watching the Super Bowl?

Are you avid sports fan? Looking for that perfect television for the Super Bowl? But you are confused by all the techno jargon and the several different types of TVs available, and you are not all that sure you trust that salesman at the electronics store. Well here are a few tips and facts that will get you on the right track.

First of all, how big do you want to go. Recently Panasonic revealed a new 150" plasma television. If you are looking for something that big, then the answer is easy Panasonic is your only choice. Of course you could buy a high definition projector and a screen, but then I'm not addressing projectors in this article. For purposes of simplicity, I'll assume you are looking for a 50" or larger screen. Bottom line up front - Purchase a plasma and not an LCD; here's why:
LCDs suffer more from motion blur than plasma TVs. They are improving, but plasma screens definitely have the upper hand here. Motion blur is the tendency of the picture to lose resolution where there is motion on screen. Guess what there is a LOT of motion in football. A plasma television would be preferable for any sports watching.

Plasma TVs are simply have better contrast ratios, that is their range between white and deep black onscreen. This is one the most important factors when it comes to overall TV picture quality. While LCD TVs are improving their contrast ration and closing the gap.

LCDs have a narrower viewing angle. A football party will tend to have a lot of people, spread across a room. For this reason the plasma TV is a better Super Bowl TV.

Of course plasma have some disadvantages. First, they can suffer from burn-in, that is where an area of the television "burns-in" if there is a constant image on the screen. This is predominantly a problem is the TV is used primarily for video games or a monitor. In this case we are assuming the TV will mostly be used for sports, so no problem here. Additionally, if you allow your TV to display a variety of programming for the first 12-14 hours of use, this greatly reduces the chance of the set ever developing burn-in Plasmas are a bit heavier, if you are looking to hang your television on your wall, I'd make sure to screw the mount onto a wall stud, but then I'd recommend that for an LCD as well. On the plus side, plasma's also tend to be cheaper, especially as you get into larger sizes, since we are talking big screens here - that is a definite benefit. Plasma normally do not get any smaller that about 42", but again we are talking big screens, so - no problem.
Other considerations :

Look for a 1080p resolution. Most newer sets are 1080p, so it should not difficult for you to find one. As the screens get bigger, the difference between a 720p television and 1080p becomes more evident. Since we are talking big, make sure you get a 1080 set. You may also see a 1080i resolutions, although they have the same number or pixels as a 1080p, they are refreshed about half as often, this can lead to a perceptible flickering. The difference in price is minor, so get a 1080p.

New 120Hz Plasmas. Movies are filmed at 24 frames per second (fps), while TV programming is normally 30fps, since 120 is a multiple of both, they eliminate a slight juddering that can occur when watching movies. Since we are talking sports, you won't get much benefit from 120Hz. If you are planning to watch movies in addition to sports, or perhaps movies about football, you might want to pay a little extra for this, but since Plasmas don't suffer from motion blur as much as LCDs, 120Hz helps LCDs perform better more than Plasma screens.

Start your search for a plasma screen with Panasonic, in my opinion they hit the sweet spot between price and quality. You will get your money's worth, and they make some of the best plasma screens available. If money is not an issue, and you want the best possible TV for the Super Bowl, I recommend the Pioneer Kuro Elite TVs they come in 50" and 60" and have what most video experts consider the very best picture on the market, and an excellent speaker system.

Roger Sandoval is an audio / visual and home theater enthusiast.
For great buying advice and reviews visit http://www.dreamhometheater.net

Saturday, January 24, 2009

Samsung LN46A550 46" LCD HDTV + $200 NFL Gear GC $1049.94 Free Shipping

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Samsung LN46A550 46-Inch 1080p LCD HDTV Review

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Samsung LN46A550 LCD HDTV : Detailed Info, Features.


Editorial Reviews


Manufacturer's Description--March 24, 2008

Samsung's 550 Series is a perfect way to step up to Full HD 1080p resolution. A fast 5 ms response rate produces smooth-motion scenes for sports and action movies, and a dynamic contrast ratio of 30,000:1 makes for deep blacks and crisp lines (15,000:1 in 32-inch and 37-inch models). Superb connectivity and networking with a USB port and 3 HDMI 1.3 ports with Consumer Electronics Control (CEC) means these HDTVs play well with all of your other electronics. Easily enjoy MPEG and JPEG files stored on external devices by connecting through the side-mounted USB 2.0, turn your LCD into a full-scale home viewing gallery, or connect your MP3 player for a dynamic audio experience.
Key Features
* New -- 30,000:1 dynamic contrast ratio: up from 15,000:1 on 2007 models (15,000 on 32-inch and 37-inch models)
* New -- Fast 5ms response time: down from 8ms on 2007 models thanks to a new high-speed liquid crystal

Features

  • Full HD 1080p Resolution
  • Wide Color Enhancer
  • 3 HDMI Inputs
  • USB 2.0
  • HDMI-CDC
Customer Reviews

Incredible Value and Performance
The Samsung LN46A550 was at the top of our list for quite some time while we researched the quality and value of Flat Panel LCDs that were in the 42 - 46 inch range. While other TVs may have done slightly better in terms of price, the quality of Samsung televisions have surpassed even Sony in recent years as they consistently rank as one of the top brands. This TV is no different.

We were not in need of all the bells and whistles that are advertised on the later models of the Samsungs, such as the 120Hz refresh rate. This feature may smooth out intense sports action but as the human eye can only process a 60Hz refresh rate, the 120Hz will often tire your eyes out after viewing too long (this is why looking at an LCD monitor for a computer too long tires your eyes out).

As for its performance, we could not be happier. The Dark Night on Blu-ray played via a PS3 hooked up with HDMI 6FT / 2M Super High Resolution Male to Male Cable by Eforcity looked absolutely stunning. The 1080p resolution on this TV is incredible. People may complain about artifacts and pixelation while watching TV but that issue (which I have experienced) is not the TV itself. The fact that it can play Blu-ray movies at full 1080p resolution flawlessly indicates that the problem lies with the video source. The free HD channels I get as a Time Warner subscriber in NYC look amazing, but they do get a bit pixely sometimes during intense camera movement and action. This is also added to by the fact that even channels that are supposedly broadcasting in HD are using compression techniques that lower the quality on the subscriber's end. Unfortunately there is nothing to be done about it but wait for HD to become the standard. Everything still looks great and I do not regret this purchase in the slightest. Even the sound quality surprised me (it may not be 5.1 surround but it was better than I expected after reading people's reviews here).

Excellent TV
This TV is great, Ive had it for a month and a half with no problems whatsoever. The color/tone was perfect straight out of the box for me. It is also extremely quiet and doesnt give off any heat (I have it in a very small room and the temperature in there and the rest of the house is the same). I also really like the matte finish of the screen. This tv sits directly across the room from a window where the glare was tterrible with a normal tv but it is significantly reduced with this one. That is one way this tv is actually better than the A650, which has a glossy reflective screen.

I use it for over-the-air HD tv which looks great (if you have a strong signal on your antenna) and blu-ray movies, but the thing i use it for most is my Playstation 3. These two were made for eachother! The games look stunning even though most of them are only 720p. This TV doesnt have the 120Hz refresh rate like the A650 (which Ive seen because my parents have the A650). The 120hz refresh rate is nice for nature programs, animated movies, and sports but I actually do not like it for live action movies and tv shows. I feel like it looks like you're on the film set, which sounds good, but it really makes it look fake to me for some reason. Videogames currently only output at 60Hz so the 120Hz refresh rate makes no difference for them.

Overall I am extremely happy with this TV and would definitely recommend it to anyone looking for a nice HDtv, especially if your budget is a little tight.

Great hdtv
Great tv for a reasonable price. Excellent picture quality. We have a surround sound system and it truly is like being at the movies.



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