By Chris Kirwin
With football season approaching, the building excitement is almost unbearable by your team’s first kickoff. As a Detroit Lions and Michigan Wolverines fan, the anticipation has been better than ever. But how do you enjoy (or agonize, depending on your team) every weekend of pigskin from August through February? With all the new television technologies currently available, it can be tough to figure out as a sports fan what you should look for when purchasing a new TV. That’s where Blue Shirts come in.
There are two main factors when picking out the best television for football season. The first is size – for football fans, whether it’s linemen, stadiums or televisions, bigger is always better. With televisions, there is more to size than bragging rights. Most cable and satellite providers now have dedicated channels that show multiple games in smaller sizes at the same time. For example, if you have the 55” Insignia LCD, you could be watching four games that are each approximately 24” televisions, all on one screen. If you shrink that down to a 22” screen, you are watching four games on 8” televisions. So getting the right size – preferably as large as your room can comfortably accommodate – will allow you to enjoy more games at once.
The second factor to consider is technology (Plasma, LCD, LED-LCD). When watching sports, you want to make sure that your television can keep up with quick motion. For those of you leaning toward LCD or LED-LCD televisions, 120Hz technology such as Insignia® Motion 120Hz will help keep your picture smooth regardless of how fast the running back makes it down the field. For those of you leaning toward plasma, the 600Hz refresh will keep the fastest receiver in view when he’s running for a deep ball. With each of the technologies, the higher the resolution, the sharper the picture – so if it fits your budget, go for the maximum 1080p resolution.
When all is said and done, picking out an HDTV can be complicated, but narrow down your choices one step at a time and you will find the set that is right for you. Geek Squad Agents can help get your new HDTV set up and come time for the playoffs, you’ll be the most popular guy or gal on the block . Happy hunting and enjoy the season!
So you bought an Insignia 5.0MP HD camcorder to film your sister’s wedding, child’s recital and your friend’s party, but it typically stays in the drawer unless there’s an event that needs to be filmed. We at the Make your Mark blog think that’s as bad as buying premium cable and only watching Wheel of Fortune or buying a laptop to play Spider Solitaire. There are hundreds of great uses for a flip-cam, but in the interest of time, here are the top eight:
8. Vlog: Creating a Vlog (video blog) can be an easier and more fun alternative to blogging. Just record yourself talking about whatever topics interest you, upload the video onto your computer and post it on a popular video sharing site or blog network that supports video.
Some good sites to set up a vlog are Tumblr and YouTube.
7. Create a timelapse video: Timelapse videos are easy to make and look amazing when complete. Just find a subject that moves or changes slowly, like the stars on a clear night, a traffic jam or a shadow moving across the ground in the afternoon. Then just steady your camera on a flat surface or with a tripod and leave it on.
Once you’re ready to create the video, upload your video and follow the online tutorial here. Most basic video editing software will allow you to change the frame rate and create your video.
6. Film funny, everyday occurrences: Whether you’re familiar with the Bob Sagat or Tom Bergeron version, America’s Funniest Home Videos (AFV) is still going strong after 21 years on air. By keeping your flip cam rolling during everyday interactions, you’ll be much more likely to capture your family and friends’ tumbles, funny comments and other comedic misfortunes. And submitting your own funny videos is now easier than ever – just go here, click on the link to upload and you’re all set.
For a general idea of what types of clips will get you on AFV, read this post.
5. Create/Add to an Internet Meme: A “meme” (pronounced meem, like cream) is used to describe a concept that spreads swiftly via the Internet. Rickrolling, double rainbow and Will it Blend? are all video memes that have gained viral popularity and spawned imitations over the past few years. To jump in on the fun, make your own tribute or imitation video. Or if you think you have something funny or strange enough to be its own meme, film it, post it and hope it takes off!
4. Film yourself doing what you do: Whether it’s a golf swing, a basketball shot, a piano concert or card tricks, recording yourself and watching it back can help you eliminate bad habits and idiosyncrasies and develop the perfect technique. For sports form, compare your video with other online videos of professionals doing the same thing or take it to an expert who can help analyze your form. For card tricks and other illusions, use the camera to simulate your audience – if when you watch it back, you trick yourself, you’re ready!
3. Autotune your friends: Seen the Autotune the news videos? It’s not hard to get that effect on your own videos. Just film your friends or friends talking, load it onto your computer and use one of the many free, legal autotune programs to make them sound like they’re serenading you.
You can download free PC software here. Also, here’s a tutorial on how to autotune audio using Garageband, a program that come preloaded on most Macs.
2. Apply for reality TV shows: Big Brother, Amazing Race or even Wipeout all have one thing in common – video auditions. Grab your flip cam and make a creative, zany video telling show producers why you would be right for their next season or series. Be sure to follow the rules for submission – we’d hate it if your video was tossed out for being a few seconds too long.
For more information on how to make a winning Reality TV audition tape, click here.
1. Showcase your talents and get famous: You know you’ve said this in the last 6 months: “How is Justin Beiber famous? I have way more talent than him!” Beiber was actually discovered when a talent agent clicked on his YouTube video by accident! He is now worth millions and a household name at 15. Use your flip cam to showcase your talents, upload to YouTube and get discovered.
By Aaron King
With the dizzying array of HDTV and Blu-ray options available today, it’s easy to get caught up in the minutiae of design, digital comb filters and DVI inputs that you’ll never use. While some technophiles may think they need a quarter of an inch thick screen and to connect their HDTV to everything from their computer and stereo to their overhead lights and internet-connected refrigerators, most of us care about the basics: picture quality, sound quality and value.
That is why the Insignia team of developers listens to customer and employee feedback and gives you the options and feature on our products that you will actually use. The specs of Insignia HDTVs and Blu-ray players match up very favorably to industry-leading companies like Samsung, Sony and Panasonic. Insignia got what it takes under the hood to perform as well or better than the best televisions on the market today
Compare this:
- 55” screen
- 1080p resolution
- 120HZ refresh rate
- 4 HDMI inputs
- PC video input
- $1,499.99
With that:
- 54-5/8” screen
- 1080p resolution
- 120HZ refresh rate
- 4 HDMI inputs
- PC video input
- $1,999.99
Compare this:
Insignia 550 Series 46” LCD HDTV
- 1080p resolution
- Insignia Motion 120Hz technology
- SRS TruSurround Sound system
- Audyssey Dynamic Volume
- 4 HDMI inputs
- PC video input
- $787.99
With that:
- 1080p resolution
- 120HZ refresh rate
- 2 speakers with simulated surround sound
- 4 HDMI inputs
- PC video input
- $899.99
Compare this:
Insignia Internet Connectible/Wi-fi built in Blu-ray player
- Plays Blu-rays with 5 times the resolution of standard DVDs
- Upconverts DVDs to 720p, 1080i or 1080p
- Built-in Wifi
- Preloaded with Netflix, Pandora and BD-Live
- $149.99
With that:
Panasonic Internet Connectible/Wi-fi built in Blu-ray player
- Plays Blu-rays with 5 times the resolution of standard DVDs
- Upconverts DVDs to 1080p
- Built-in Wifi
- Preloaded with Netflix, Pandora, Youtube and Picasa
- $249.99
-
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