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Satellites in the global positioning system (GPS) don't have a fixed point in space, like the earth does. Rather, they act more like the moon, continuously orbiting around the earth to the benefit of people on the ground. The U.S. Air Force ensures that at least 24 GPS satellites are operational in space at any given time while monitoring their exact position moment by moment.
In comparison to some models on the road the road today, the headlight bulbs in your 2004 Mercury Sable are relatively easy to replace, meaning you don't have to tear apart most of your vehicle's front end to get at them. If one bulb is out, the other will most likely need replaced in the very near future, so it's a good idea to change both headlight bulbs at the same time.
The Logitech Revue is a Google TV digital media receiver that connects to your television set and enables additional entertainment options. Along with controlling your home theater components, the Logitech Revue provides access to the Internet and apps, enabling you to watch streaming Web content as well as your existing TV service. Key features include the receiver unit's design, the wireless keyboard, the Google search options and the included Web browser.
VGA is one of the most common computer video output types, but many HDTVs lack VGA inputs. Most HDTVs have component inputs, but few computers have component video outputs. To connect a VGA output to component inputs for, say, a home theater PC, you can use a cable that's VGA on one end and component on the other. No expensive converter is necessary since both VGA and component use analog signals.
Some Sony Grand Wega television sets use a set of three liquid crystal display panels, a lamp and a screen. They are actually projection systems that are contained in a single box. Like any projector that uses a lamp, the Sony Wega television's lamp eventually burns out, but Sony builds the television so that you can replace it.
Properly connecting your set-top cable TV box to your projector is vital to ensuring a satisfying viewing experience. With your projector properly configured, you can broadcast cable TV channels onto a projection screen, dramatically expanding upon the normal viewing real estate provided by your television screen.
In electronics, "gain" means the factor by which a device multiplies a signal's voltage. For a unity gain component, this factor is one -- not increasing or decreasing an input voltage, but keeping it the same. Although signal processing typically involves amplification, or a voltage increase, a unity gain circuit isolates sensitive circuit elements from one another, preventing interference and optimizing performance.
Unfortunately, there isn't a peripheral designed to make your iPhone work with a monitor, but that doesn't mean you need to give up the idea of sharing the iPhone screen. If you have an HDTV -- which acts effectively as a monitor -- and the Apple TV, you can use the AirPlay mirroring feature to show your iPhone on the large screen. Even if you don't own an Apple TV or own a standard-definition television, Apple produces cables designed to hook up the iPhone (and other iOS products) up to a television.
The global positioning system is arguably one of the most important navigation innovations of the 20th century. The satellite network allows for anyone with a receiver to pinpoint his location on Earth to within approximately 225 feet. This said, the system does have its limitations and is not always 100 percent accurate.
When mounted correctly, outdoor antennas can bring a straight shot to a signal, providing some of the clearest reception to a television set possible. For others, outdoor mountings are required to obtain any signal at all, especially those living in remote areas or countrysides, far from television signal towers. However, there are many challenges to mounting an antenna correctly, including knowing where to place the antenna and how to angle it. Install the antenna incorrectly and even the most expensive equipment will get poor picture quality, or, at worse, no reception at all.
A demand curve is a line on a graph that shows the relationship between the price of goods and the number of consumers willing to pay that price. Learn about the height of a demand curve with help from an investment and finance professional in this free video clip.
Just because your pancakes come from a box doesn't mean you can't make them your own. Learn how to spruce up box pancakes with help from a longtime kitchen employee in this free video clip.
Modern satellite dishes can often be upgraded, modifying the low noise blocker array on the front. This adds more LNBs than the original setup, allowing you to pull in additional satellites as they are deployed without having to add a second dish. Consumer-grade satellite dishes are made for this modularity, allowing periodic changes to the capabilities of the system at less cost and effort than a full satellite replacement.
A digital-to-analog converter box is needed only if your analog TV doesn't connect to a satellite or cable subscription service, such as Verizon’s FiOS cable TV service. A satellite or cable receiver is good enough to make your analog TV compatible with digital programming. Although known for its wireless phone service, Verizon also offers fiber-optic cable TV and Internet service, which is the only fiber-optic cable service available as of February 2012.
One way to take advantage of a surround sound system in a home theater is to arrange the furniture appropriately. Otherwise, you may not get the full sensory experience from your favorite moves, television shows or music videos. The location of your furniture should coordinate with the correct placement of your speakers. In general, if you can see the television screen well, you will enjoy the full acoustics benefits of your surround sound accessories.
Modern television antennas, whether roof, attic or set-top mounted, offer the ability to pull in quality digital television broadcasting. Faulty antennas or antenna connections may cause various types of sounds and noise. This manifests in various forms of feedback including hum, static and popping. Any or all of these problems must be diagnosed and repaired to maintain a quality viewing experience and to potentially prevent speaker damage.
A TV that stops working properly without warning can be very frustrating, no matter what the problem is. If your Akai TV has no sound and you've ensured that it's not just turned down or muted, one of a few common issues is likely causing the audio to fail. In many cases, you can correct these problems in just a few minutes.
The Channel Master 4228 is a well-respected antenna, with reported 100-mile ranges under ideal conditions. These antennas are of the Gray-Hoverman variety, which is a modified bow-tie antenna with a reflector. The overall design is not particularly complex, allowing the industrious do-it-yourselfer to make a solid replica of the 4228 at reduced overall cost.
The global Denon Corp. produces a full line of high-end audio-video systems, home theater systems, headphones and accessories. Though the company's products span from speakers to iPod docks, Denon's receivers -- including the AVR-3310CI and AVR-3808CI audio-video receivers -- make up the bread and butter of its offerings. Ultimately, the choice between the two will be based on individual preferences, needs and budget.
An organization called the Society for Motion Picture and Television Engineers, or SMPTE, defines methods for "motion imaging" or video and television signals. The SMPTE 310M standard was created to define the process for modulating and transmitting Motion Picture Engineer's Group, or MPEG-2 container groups or transport streams for use when television stations converted from analog to digital broadcasting.
Adjustable antenna arms are often placed at 45- or 90-degree angles relative to the antenna mounting surface. Most commonly found on "rabbit ear"-style indoor dipole antennas, these antennas should not be restricted to only two orientation positions. Proper digital television reception indoors can be challenging, so making sure your antenna's orientation is good for most if not all of the available channels in the area might involve frequent repositioning.
Modern digital television broadcasts tend to be more directional than analog TV signals of the past. As a result, most of the successful HD antenna installations tend to involve a large "roof rake"-style antenna pointed in the vicinity of the area's broadcast towers. Not every environment allows this orientation, necessitating the use of an omnidirectional antenna. Winegard's MS-2000 is widely regarded as the best amplified omnidirectional TV antenna and has been in production since the mid-1990s.
If you have no further need for your VHF television antenna, rather than throwing it away, you can disassemble and convert it for 2-meter ham radio use. In most cases, only a few additional parts are required, since the original assembly has nearly everything you'll need to accomplish the conversion.
Your Samsung DLP television accents your home theater or living room with a high-definition picture and Dolby digital surround sound. If you cannot hear any sound with the TV, you may have the Internal Mute mode activated. You also cannot hear audio if a connected device malfunctions or if you are using the wrong settings.
Ford’s 1994 F-150 is a member of the ninth-generation of F-Series trucks and the fourth-generation of F-150. The 1994 F-150 uses halogen headlights with replaceable bulbs. The bulb fits in a headlight housing instead of using a sealed beam. The front marker and turn-signal bulbs are mounted in a housing that wraps slightly around the fenders. You must remove the housing to replace the marker lightbulb.
The Dazzle Digital Video Creator 100 simplifies the process of capturing, transferring and editing your videos. If it seems as if there's a lot to learn about the Dazzle DVC 100, don't worry. With a little patience, you'll be crafting custom movies in no time.
A digital signal processor (DSP) is a specialized type of microprocessor chip that works with audio and other types of signals. When programmed with the right software, it acts as a signal filter. DSP-based filters have better performance than their analog counterparts, and because software defines their characteristics, you can program the same circuit to perform many different tasks. Different mathematical treatments, or algorithms, define the type of filter the DSP becomes.
DirecTV access cards are small computers that carrying programming, purchase records and account information. Should you acquire a DirecTV decoder that still has the old card on board, wipe the details from the card to prevent confusion between your account and the previous account. Reprogramming your DirecTV access card is a straightforward operation.
An antenna truss is a supporting structure that holds an antenna mast upright. A properly designed truss supports the antenna against wind and minor impact. Making an antenna truss for your ham, FM or high definition antenna is often as straightforward as placing a supporting pipe in the ground, anchored by properly placed guy wires for increased lateral support.
Liquid crystal display projectors use high pressure lamps, projecting bright, high definition images on the screen. The lamp is the only user-replaceable item in the unit, typically lasting around 3,000 hours. The projector has internal timers and sensors that not only know the elapsed life of the existing lamp, but whether one is or is not present at all.
A digital-analog converter (DAC) amp is an electronic device that provides high-fidelity sound for computers with average listening facilities or none at all. A DAC turns the data in MP3 and other music files into audio signals. The DAC amp bypasses the computer’s internal sound circuits and develops enough power to drive headphones to comfortable listening levels.
If you have analog CCTV cameras, you cannot connect them directly to your network; you need an analog-to-IP converter to convert the analog video from the CCTV cameras to digital video that IP surveillance software can decipher. Using an analog-to-IP converter is cheaper than replacing your current analog cameras if you want to upgrade your security cameras to IP technology. After converting your cameras, you can view your surveillance video feed over your home network.
A mobile television receiver is an external device that transmits live TV signals to a variety of mobile computing devices, such as smartphones and tablet computers. These receivers take in TV signals through the airwaves and transfer them to a computing device using Wi-Fi technology. Mobile television receivers work only with broadcast signals that are designed specifically for mobile device viewing.
When you first looked at the Heathkit or Hallicrafters ham radio kit you got for your birthday years ago, you were hooked. Since then, you’ve probably cobbled more than one piece of ham gear together. Now, you find that you need to switch between two antennas. You can buy an antenna switch box, but if you have some spare bits and pieces, such as coaxial sockets or a junction box, hanging around, you’ll have the satisfaction of having done it yourself, once again. You can even add a frequency counter.
Choosing the right type of Internet service depends on your location and typical usage patterns. On first glance, satellite Internet provider HughesNet might seem more attractive than wireless Internet, but careful analysis of your situation helps inform your choice. Both HughesNet and standard wireless Internet providers have advantages in terms of price, speed and coverage.
Motorola developed the Serial Peripheral Interface (SPI) as a tool for microprocessors and peripheral devices to communicate with each other. For example, it can connect the processors to clocks, ports and sensors, with the central processor as "master" and the devices as "slaves." A single SPI can control multiple devices.
Switched digital video (SDV) is a technology that delivers cable channels to subscribers. Internet Protocol Television (IPTV) is one of the systems compatible with SDV technology. IPTV uses the Internet protocol suite to transmit TV signals. This stands in contrast to other systems that use cable, terrestrial or satellites to transmit video signals. However, IPTV is not the same as Internet TV.
A "noisy" HDMI connection from your Acer Aspire R1600 to an external display can produce a distorted image or a buzzing sound through your speakers, caused by an improper connection, faulty components, software or outside interference. You should be able to narrow down the cause of the problem before purchasing any new equipment or contacting customer service.
Digital television has brought TV antennas back into fashion. Picking up a local broadcast digital signal gives you first-rate picture quality, without the ghost signals and other problems of analog, over-the-air broadcasts. To bring the signal from an exterior antenna to your television, however, you must connect the two with a cable.
Bulletin board systems, commonly known as BBSes to the tech savvy, served as the predecessor to the Internet for many home computer users. Though BBS systems used analog modems and standard telephone lines during their heyday, modern and future bulletin board systems use digital Internet connections to facilitate connections from around the world.
With a native panel resolution of 1920 x 1080 pixels and a whopping 3 HDMI input connections, the 42" Vizio E470VL LCD TV offers a wide array of support for all of your high-definition devices. Problems with selecting from the Vizio E470VL's many input sources may stem from problems with your auxiliary devices, your cable connections or the front panel of your TV.
Converting a digital optical output, or TOSLINK, to an analog RCA input requires a digital-to-audio converter. A DAC changes binary code from the digital optical output from your TV into sound waves that can be played from your stereo system. You may want to play your TV through your older 2.1 stereo system with only left-and right-channel RCA audio inputs. However, many flat-screen TVs are equipped only with a digital optical audio output. A commercial DAC comes in handy in this situation: it converts the TV's digital optical audio signal to high-quality analog stereo sound. Although the converted sound may…
Connecting external speakers to a TV is a relatively straightforward process, provided you have the necessary adapters. You can connect most TVs to a stereo receiver using RCA connectors. Audio connectors are paired so you can hear the sound with two speakers in stereo. Some TVs come with a headphone jack that can be used for any set of computer speakers. If your TV doesn't have a headphone jack, you can purchase an inexpensive adapter to connect computer speakers to the RCA connectors.
Whether you’re hiking through the wilderness or just exploring a new urban landscape, global positioning systems are an essential tool that you probably take for granted -- until you lose signal, that is. The United States Air Force owns and operates the sophisticated satellite network and ground-based controllers that make GPS possible. As it is a government utility, all U.S. taxpayers contribute to the upkeep of the GPS satellite infrastructure. GPS devices are increasingly prevalent; even smartphones typically include an onboard GPS receiver with software to make it work. For in-car navigation, many consumers choose a dash-mounted or built-in device…
Ever since Sidney Harmon produced the first integrated high-fidelity receiver in 1953, the primary function of a receiver in an audio system has not changed much. Essentially, the receiver is the heart of your audio or home entertainment system, and it allows you to route sound from multiple source players to speakers connected to the system. A digital audio-video or A/V receiver performs the added function of routing video signals from one or more player devices to your TV set. Thanks to modern advances in sound technology, many digital A/V receivers are now capable of performing additional functions, such as…
At the heart of most home entertainment centers is the receiver. The primary function of the receiver is to route signals between common audio components (and in some cases video signals), and to amplify sound sent to the speakers. In addition, most receivers contain an AM/FM tuner that allows you to listen to radio stations over your stereo speakers. While a simple stereo receiver usually only amplifies sound and lets you pick up radio stations, many modern audio-video receivers offer much more functionality, permitting you to connect your TV, DVD players and even your computer or an MP3 player.
High-Definition Multimedia Interface, or HDMI, is fast becoming the de facto standard for high-resolution video connections between source players and HD TVs. The compact HDMI interface offers a quick and simple way to connect devices and deliver a true digital HD signal. In most cases, HDMI provides the most convenient solution and the highest quality video signal link for modern video devices. However, a few key points should be considered before you purchase an HDMI audio-video receiver. Along with the easy connection and high-quality video signal, there are potential disadvantages to HDMI – and it’s possible that you might not…
Many Americans enjoy the freedom mobile phones and laptops afford them outside their home. Being free from wires allows them to communicate and explore the Web from just about anywhere. However, many of the same people still live with a jungle of wires in their homes. Personal computers, game consoles, stereo equipment, network gear and other devices often help to contribute to an unsightly gang of wires strewn across the floors and walls. If you want to tame the wiring beast in your home, integrate wireless technologies and smarter cable management to clear the clutter and break free from the…
If you would like to have a TV in your work space, but you have limited space, combining a desk with a television stand can provide a space-saving solution. Although you can purchase combination desks from a variety of online retailers and furniture stores, you can also build your own desk to meet your space requirements. You can build a combination desk using common carpentry tools.
On several TV models, after you replace the lamp, the lamp counter or hour meter should be reset. If this important last step is missed, you may see inaccurate lamp expiration reminder messages on the screen. The lamp indicator light may also stay on to alert you that the lamp has burnt out. The worst-case scenario is that you end up replacing a good lamp when the lamp hour counter reaches its set limit. With a few tips, you can save your money and increase your TV's entertainment life cycle.
