Make Your Mark: The Insignia™ Blog - Page 2

By Crystal Stroupe

When it comes to technology, we’ve all had at least one “aha” moment of inspiration: a tiny tweak to your camera for faster snapshots, a minor adjustment to your TV remote for easier channel-surfing, or even an ingenious idea for an entirely new product.  All those thoughts should be collected and used to benefit consumers, right?  Right!  Here at Insignia, we agree whole-heartedly. 

Every day Insignia designs and creates affordable, cutting-edge technology with input from people like you.  Not only do we actively research and investigate consumer demands versus manufacturer supplies, we have our own website for you to post your ideas and comment on other ideas.  Check out Community@Insignia, where you can do your own inventing, read someone else’s suggestions, or check out the responses left by real Insignia employees.  From “Better sound on TVs” and “More streaming content please!” to “I have an idea!” there are dozens of threads already listed, so go ahead and add your own.  Who knows, you could be the one to inspire Insignia’s next big product.  We’re all ears.

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:

Insignia 55” LED-LCD HDTV

• 55” screen
• 1080p resolution
• 120HZ refresh rate
• 4 HDMI inputs
• PC video input
• $1,499.99

With that:

Samsung 55” LED-LCD HDTV

• 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:

Toshiba 46” LCD HDTV

• 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

By Kyle Melnick

Blu-ray: you know it’s the best way to watch movies at home, but do you know why? Well, if you own a 1080p HDTV and want to use it to its full potential, Blu-ray is the truest form of 1920 x 1080p resolution, and additionally delivers the crispest audio with Dolby TrueHD 5.1. A Blu-ray player will also play nice with your existing DVD collection, upconverting the picture to hi-definition.

But the fun doesn’t stop there. With a hard line Ethernet cord or built-in wi-fi capabilities, a lot of today’s Blu-ray players are delivering hi-definition content via the internet. Once you’re connected, you’ll have access to the emerging world of Blu-ray widgets-- one of the fastest growing industries-- and you will be able to connect to your Netflix account to watch hi-def movies on-demand, access additional exclusive content for Blu-rays, link to Pandora to listen to your favorite music on your home theater system as well as provide your system with the latest firmware updates to ensure you have the latest features. Insignia Blu-ray players actually come preloaded with BD-Live, Netflix, and Pandora. BD-Live is really neat – it lets you access special content on a wide range of select blu-ray movies, like behind the scenes commentary, interactive games and much more!

A few pointers if you’re looking to ditch your DVD player and bag a Blu-ray:

• Make sure you remember to pick up an HDMI cable, as many Blu-ray players don’t come with one in the box. Any other connection to your TV will result in a loss of picture quality
• If a newly released Blu-ray doesn’t work on your player, make sure your firmware is up-to-date. If your Blu-ray player doesn’t connect to the internet, you should still be able to download the update on your computer, put it on a flash drive, plug it into the Blu-ray player and update it that way. Firmware updates also make sure you can get the latest bonus content on BD-Live.
• Finally, you owe it to yourself to get a Blu-ray player that allows you to fully enjoy one of the action packed movies like Transformer, Avatar or Ironman. All you need to do then is just turn all the lights off and really enjoy the movie! When you do Blu-ray right, you’ll wonder how you could have ever sat and watched a DVD.

By Crystal Stroupe

Of course we love our Insignia products here at the Make your Mark blog – I mean, not only are they equipped with cutting-edge technology like Audyssey and Zoran, they also leverage their online community (you guys) when designing new products. This means the products they put out have the features you want! But we also understand that you might want somebody else’s word because, well, we’ve been talking about Insignia for a while now.

Lucky for you, the internet is abuzz with the latest offerings from Insignia from leading tech, consumer and lifestyle bloggers! Here are a few things they had to say:

“Insignia is offering a new 5.1 home theater system with Audyssey technology, yes, Audyssey. We love Audyssey.”                                                                         

--Kyle Thibaut, Crunch Gear

“Besides running the thousands of Chumby apps that can do everything from Facebook to live weather, (The Insignia Infocast) looks like it might have a few tricks of its own… Best of all, its features might match up closely to the flawed Sony Dash at a price that's $30 cheaper.”

--Charlie White, Dvice

“If he loves music, then the Insignia Water Resistant BoomBox may be the perfect gift (for Father’s Day)… Let dad listen to his favorite music by the lake or poolside with this water resistant boombox.”

-- Susan McGlaun, I4U News

“The Insignia Advanced Series Internet-Connected GPS – perfect for on-the-run dads and grads both, this handy-dandy device… can reduce drive time by 17 percent over a device without real-time traffic.”

--Natalie Kaar, Northern Virginia Magazine

“(The Insignia 720p HD Digital 5MP Camcorder) is a great handheld camera. It cost very little which makes it that much more appealing. At 149.99 at Best Buy, you can hardly bat an eye before pulling out your wallet. If you are like me and want a small convenient camera, which provides professional quality film making and photography at a low cost. You need look no further.”

--English Twist, Digital Camera Blog

So there you have it – Insignia is a fan favorite when it comes to those in the know. What do you have to say about your favorite Insignia products? Let us know below!

Electronics always get a lot of attention around Father’s Day, as dads tend to be more interested in Blu-rays than blue socks or ties. This past June, Best Buy Blue Shirts coast-to-coast discussed popular Insignia products for dad like the Insignia Digital Camera, Water Resistant Boombox, HD Camcorder, Internet-connected GPS and Blu-ray player.

Some of the highlights include:

• Scott Tavegia, a Best Buy Blue Shirt manager in Timonium, MD (near Baltimore), explaining the capabilities of the Insignia internet-connected Blu-ray player with WBAL-TV NBC 11.

“When you don’t want to run out and rent a movie, you can use the Insignia internet-connected Blu-ray player to look in your Netflix queue and stream it in hi-def right to your hi-def TV!”

• Mike Setti, a Mobile Manager Blue Shirt from Fredericksburg, VA, waxing poetically with WRC-TV NBC 4 about the Insignia Advanced Series GPS.

“This is our Insignia Advanced Series GPS – what makes this different than most others GPS units, and what customers really like is that this is actually an internet connected GPS. It will not only give you weather updates, but also local gas prices and even the traffic as it’s happening in real-time. It will actually guide you to the shortest route based on traffic. It runs on battery and can connect via Bluetooth, and has all kinds of features customers love.”

• Joe Lieberman, a Blue Shirt expert from the Ocoee store in Orlando, speaking with Jacquie Sosa of WOFL-TV FOX 35 about five great gifts for dad. As you can see from the picture, Joe is a big fan of the Insignia Blu-ray player.

“The big thing this year is internet connectability. With the Insignia Blu-ray Player, if you’re a Netflix customer, you can actually pull up your Netflix account directly on the Blu-ray player, where you can look through all the movies they have to offer and watch them in hi-definition without ever having to get on your computer!”

Couldn’t have said it any better ourselves, guys! Great job!

By Joseph Huberty

I'm a huge sports fan - whether it's baseball, basketball or bowling, I love watching and participating in as much as possible. My favorite team is my hometown San Diego Chargers - who proudly sport the Best Buy blue and yellow - and I am a very active surfer and scuba diver in my free time.

One of the things I really enjoy about blogging for Insignia is the sport connections. For all you racing fans out there, I'm sure you're used to seeing the lime green blur on Sundays. AJ Allmendinger, driver of the number 43 Insignia/Best Buy car in the NASCAR Sprint Cup series, is currently ranked 22nd overall and has three top-10 finishes so far this season. He's looking to kickstart a strong second-half of the season at Chicagoland this weekend, so be sure to cheer him on to the checkered flag Sunday!

If baseball is more your thing, Insignia has that covered too. As the official HDTV of the Minnesota Twins, Insignia has over 450 HDTVs located throughout the stadium, with sizes ranging from 32” all the way to 65”! These televisions are part of Insignia's new Commercial Series line aimed at entertaining the masses with exceptional high definition picture quality at sporting venues, pubs, restaurants, hospitals and other professional settings.

Right now, the Twins are at 44-37 and are in second place in the AL Central, just one game behind the Detroit Tigers! Twins fans and Insignia fans alike are pulling for a postseason run this October.

So for all of you sports fans in the Insignia Community, who's your favorite team/athlete? Let us know below!

Joseph

Mobile Manager

Best Buy Store #1187

Encinitas, CA

Joseph joined Best Buy’s Media Department in 2005, and has also had experience in Home Theater, Computers and Customer Service, and has worked with the Best Buy for Business program. Joseph now serves with the Best Buy Mobile department as a Mobile Manager.

He currently works at store #1187 in Encinitas and attends California State University at San Marcos, where he is studying accounting. In addition to being a technophile, Huberty is also an active surfer and scuba diver.

Chris

Magnolia Home Theater/Home Life Supervisor

Best Buy Store #417

Novi, Michigan

Chris joined Best Buy in 2004 as a part-time Home Theater associate in Ann Arbor, MI.  Originally from Big Rapids, MI, Chris has gone on to hold a variety of different roles at Best Buy throughout the metro Detroit area, including as a media representative appearing on the local Fox and NBC affiliates.

Chris graduated from the University of Michigan – Ann Arbor with a BA in Sport Management and Communications and is planning on pursuing his MBA in the fall of 2011.  In his spare time, Chris loves listening to music, watching movies, playing his guitar, enjoying the outdoors and spending time with family.

Kyle

Home Life Specialist

Best Buy Store #1766

Oldsmar, FL

Kyle joined Best Buy in August 2008 to work in the Home Theater, Appliance and Gaming departments at store #1766 in Oldsmar, FL. Originally from Las Vegas, Kyle has lived all over the U.S. and even spent several years in the Philippines due to his father’s job as an air force pilot.

Kyle is an expert in all gaming and home theater, including the latest advances in LED and 3DTV technology. In his spare time, he loves playing video games and flying real aircraft with his father.

Crystal

Operations Manager

Best Buy Store #1155

Charlotte, NC

Crystal began her Best Buy career in New York City as a Customer Assistant and BlueShirt Spokesperson in October 2007.  Since then, she has represented Best Buy in such periodicals as the New York Times, Cosmopolitan, and aMNewYork and has made several television appearances including Good Morning America, CBS Evening News, CNN, and BBC. 

Currently, Crystal works as an Operations Supervisor for Best Buy in Charlotte, NC.  She loves reading, gardening, and watching the latest BluRay releases with her family.  She holds a Masters Degree in Vocal Performance from UT Knoxville, and hopes to one day have a successful operatic career while continuing to enhance people’s lives with technology at Best Buy.