|
|
-
If you are arriving at the blog after watching the story on high definition television, welcome!
I’ve posted a link here to give you some credible information about HDTV and what to consider when you buy a new television.
http://www.crutchfieldadvisor.com/S-GsVGjcC65zF/learningcenter/home/tv.html
Also, in February of 2009, all broadcast television will switch to a digital signal.
That means your old TV won’t be able to get a signal off the air without a special converter box. The government is going to pay all or part of the cost, if you need to buy one and here’s a link to that information.
http://www.ntia.doc.gov/dtvcoupon/PreparingForTheDTVTransition.pdf
Also, the following email was sent to me by Brad Parsley, of Audio-Video Artistry. He’s an expert on home theatre systems and has some good advice.
Mr. Harper-
I didn’t hear back from you so I figured that our setup wouldn’t be quite right for your story and that’s ok. I did, however, want to just follow up with you on explaining the difference between 720p and 1080i as you never know what kind of information you’re likely to hear. My opinion is that ultimately there is no real difference and that’s the most important thing for the consumer. Dwelling too much on HD resolution is to miss on what you are really buying a television for- the picture quality. Resolution won’t matter near as much as the type of technology, processing ability, and grade of parts used.
First, all sets are required to be compatible with both 720p and 1080i. The way to understand these numbers is to understand frames per second. We’ve all seen a movie filmstrip- 24 still images (24fps) rolling by per second are perceived to our eye as an actual “moving picture”. Television operates at 30 frames per second. With 720p (progressive), 720 horizontal lines of resolution are displayed in each frame every 1/30th of a second. With 1080i, the 1080 lines of horizontal resolution are interlaced, which means every other line is displayed every 1/60th of a second to achieve the standard 30fps. A newer format called 1080p displays all 1080 lines at once but will not be a standard in broadcasts for the foreseeable future.
How do these compare in quality? Virtually no one will see a difference although technically the fact that 1080i is interlaced means that fast motion images (sports) will have motion artifacts that result in jagged edges. Here again, the quality of the set and the way it is set up will have a much greater effect on these types of artifacts. Any good set should be professionally set up with color corrective measuring equipment to really look its best. Most consumer TV sets out of the box have their pictures optimized by their manufacturers to sell in a retail environment. Psychology studies show that people are drawn to the brightest sets when they are looking at 40 different options. For this reason, makers will ramp up all the settings to outshine the tv next to it. This kills the picture quality and introduces displeasing artifacts. People are amazed at the comparison of a tv out of the box and the same model properly calibrated.
You asked about the difference between plasma, lcd, and rear projection (which covers rear projected lcd, dlp, crt, and more). First, don’t buy a set for it’s HD picture!!! Buy the set that looks best with non-hd material. This is the best tip there is. HD will look better than what people have at home on virtually any set. Consequently, they buy for price, get the set home and realize that it looks absolutely horrible for lower resolution pictures. I would imagine that big box retailers get a ton of returns for that very reason. The majority of what we watch on TV (and DVD!) is still not HD. Buy the set that looks best with the worst source you will be viewing on it. Good luck on finding that demo in the retailers though.
Rear projection is chosen when people want a lot of set for little money. They do HD pretty well but non-HD is less than stellar compared to better plasmas and LCD’s. Setup and calibration is critical in getting the most from these sets.
Plasma and LCD are primarily chosen because they save space and provide options for placement in a room that traditional sets could not do. Unlike rear projection, these sets do not have their picture bounced off a mirror so they produce cleaner images with rich color and superior black levels. Plasma will have a smoother picture and deeper blacks. Better plasmas will be the undisputed champs when it comes to non-HD sources. LCD’s will be more resilient if kids (or adults) are playing video games on them. Images don’t burn in like they may with plasma. So, there’s a bit of a trade off. Finally, your viewers may have heard myths regarding plasmas. They don’t need any routine maintenance and their displays have a 60,000 hour half life. That’s 8 hours a day for 20 years! The power supply will give out before the display does.
I hope this information will help with your story in some small way. I think it’s great that you are attempting to educate the public on this and I hope your viewers glean some helpful info from your story. If I can be of any assistance, let me know.
Brad Parsley
Audio Video Artistry
1680 Century Center Parkway, Suite 17
Memphis, TN 38134
cell 901.601.6254
fax 901.373.2461
office 901.373.2444
www.avartistry.com
|
-
Ok... so, MLG&W has the worst customer service rating of any utility in its category. A recent J.D. Power & Associates survey puts it dead last in customer satisfaction.
The Edmund Ford scandal, political favoritism, outrageous customer bills, some stunningly incompetent management and abusive customer policies have taken a huge toll on MLG&W's image and have cost ratepayers millions of dollars.
All of it is why MLG&W is one of the hot button topics in the current race for Mayor. Right now we're asking all of the candidates what changes they would make at MLG&W on day one, if they're elected.
What would you like to see done about MLG&W? What would you do if it was in your power to make changes? What would you tell Herenton, Morris, Chmuney or Willingham to do?
Go ahead, sound off. Leave your comments and we'll use some of them on the television as we cover this story.
|
-
MLG&W has done it again, sent another outrageous bill to an unsuspecting customer.
This time the victim is a senior citizen on a fixed income and the bill is $6,200.00.
Why? Because the man’s gas meter has been broken for the last four years and nobody at MLG&W noticed it until now.
MLG&W ranks dead last in its category in recent J.D.Powers customer satisfaction survey. I wonder why?
And what to do about the utility is also a hot topic in the current race for Mayor.
So, let’s hear what you think. What would you tell the candidates for mayor?
Leave your comments and we’ll share some of them on Eyewitness News Everywhere on the television as we continue to cover this story.
I know you have something to say and the people who want to run this city ought to hear it.
|
-
Southaven, Mississippi is a nice place. I’ve been there and know a lot of nice people there, but I gues it has a dirty little secret. It must be a town full of liars.
I mean, how else do you explain Mayor Greg Davis’ push for a new ordinance to make it a crime to lie to a city official? (but only during work hours)
Of course, when we uncovered this story, my first thought was, does it apply to what politicians tell voters?
The sign says, “Welcome to Southaven.” I hope they’re not lying about that.
|
-
Tigers star… Tigers big man… but not big enough to take responsibility for the trouble he starts? That seems to be the picture that’s coming into focus at the moment.
Dorsey’s name keeps coming up in reports of bar fights, but he’s always long gone by the time the cops get there. Looks like the same with the fight at Plush Club. Eyewitnesses accounts indicate it was Dorsey who started the trouble when he jumped on a bar inside the club.
This time though, it looks like he took off while a couple of his fellow players caught the handcuffs. Now, that should do wonders for team play.
What's your take on all this?
|
-
If the charges in her latest drunk driving arrest are true, this is a woman clearly out of control. She was driving on a revoked license. Are the judges really waiting for her to kill somebody before she is finally locked up?
What do you think is going on here?
|
-
-
We’re working on a story on how much of your money it will cost for former state senator John Ford’s ongoing legal defense.
Ford once earned nearly $400,000 a year. But now that he’s convicted of bribery, he claims he’s broke. So, he’ll need taxpayers to foot the bill for his defense against even more federal corruption charges in Nashville.
Of course, there’s also the appeal of his conviction in Memphis. We’ll have to pay an attorney to handle that, too.
Whoa… wait a minute… appeal? Isn’t this the same John Ford who tearfully stood before Judge Daniel Breen and said, “I accept full and total responsibility for my actions and I want to take this time to apologize.” Isn’t that kind of like finally admitting you did it?
But less than an hour after claiming remorse, he started his appeal... which he is absolutely entitled to do under the best system of justice in the world.
He doesn’t want to go to prison. Nobody does. However, a person who really accepts responsibility for his actions, also accepts the consequences. Ford didn’t do that. He’s still looking for a way to weasel out.
John Ford hasn’t accepted responsibility. He stole from the public trust and now he’s sending you the bill… like he always has.
|
-
In talking with the Shelby County Medical Examiner this afternoon, she says forget the fans, they won't really solve the problem. She says fans might make you feel better but they don't cool the body down enough to make any difference.
Dr. Chancellor says the real issue is body temperature and that people in homes without air, MUST get to someplace that is air conditioned for a few hours to reduce their internal temperature.
It looks like the real effort for the next few days needs to be looking out for people in the neighborhood who may not have air and making sure they can get to someplace to cool off for a while. They can request a free ride from MATA by calling 2-1-1, but you know that's not going to cover everybody... and there are many elderly people who just simply won't ask for help. So, check on your neighbors.
|
-
The high today is forecast to be 106 degrees… We now have a report of a sixth heat death in Memphis and this time it is not an elderly person. The man was 32 years old and living in an apartment without air conditioning. Somehow he wandered out into the front yard and that’s where people found him collapsed on the ground.
Obviously there is a desperate need for fans. Volunteers for the Commission on Aging are out on the streets right now delivering donated fans to the elderly who need them… shut-ins… people without transportation… or simply can’t afford them.
I know there are a lot of people who want to help and we are trying right not to organize a fan drive for tonight’s newscasts. Its not done yet, but we have people working on it. We’re going to try to find a central location where it’ll be easy for people to drop of a box fan.
These things don’t cost very much… as little as ten dollars, usually no more than 18.
That’s not much to help save a person’s life. We’re working on details right now.
In the meantime, if you want to know how to do something yourself, here's the info:
The fans generally cost anywehre between $12-to-$18 each.
The Aging Commission of the Mid-South needs donations. They prefer you donate a 20” box fan, but they will also take cash. If you would like to donate a fan, call (901) 452-0340. They are also looking for volunteers to deliver the fans. To qualify for a free fan you must be 65 or older or an adult with a disability.
Keep watching here and on the television and I’ll let you know the details ASAP
|
-
Jdavis1957 writes:
Hey, Cameron,
This blog is getting old. Where have you been? I've been missing your wit! Surely there has got to be something out there that you're just itching to talk about!
OK, I know I’ve been slaking and I could bore you with a bunch of lame excuses. But that’s what they’d be… lame.
I’ve actually been kind of wrestling with what this blog ought to be. Oh, it’ll always be a sounding board for what’s on my mind, but I’d like it to be more of a conversation, too. So, you may start seeing some shorter and more frequent posts along with the usual commentary pieces.
Anyway, let me hear your input and feedback. You know it is always appreciated here.
|
-
Here's the information on how you can help senior citizens without an air conditioner who need a fan to cool off.
The fans generally cost anywehre between $12-to-$18 each.
The Aging Commission of the Mid-South needs donations. They prefer you donate a 20” box fan, but they will also take cash. If you would like to donate a fan, call (901) 452-0340. They are also looking for volunteers to deliver the fans. To qualify for a free fan you must be 65 or older or an adult with a disability.
The also need volunteers to help with deliveries.
|
-
Our viewers are smart people who won’t hesitate to let us know what they think about the news and the way we report it.
We get a lot of comments, some by letter, but most by email. (I'm referring to comments made directly to us, outside of the blog.)
I like the interaction and always try to respond to those who include their name and a way to contact them.
Funny how that breaks down though… Viewers with compliments, suggestions and concerns, almost always use their names and many times even leave a phone number.
On the other hand, those who want to trash us for something are too often simply cowardly about it by hiding behind an anonymous email or unsigned letter.
So, here’s the deal.... If you include your name, you’ll get a response and your message will get the respect it deserves. If you don’t, it will also get the respect it deserves… and I think you know what I mean.
|
-
We can all probably agree that abandoned homes and apartments are a scourge on Memphis. Anybody who has to live next to or near one of these dumps knows they a crime breeding blight that festers like an open wound until it infects entire neighborhoods.
If Mayor Herenton, city council members, or state lawmakers lived by one, you know something would be done about it. But they don’t. So, it takes forever to get these places torn down and cleaned up. In fact, some of them fall down under their own weight first.
There’s no excuse for it, none. But there are two explanations. One, the law doesn’t have any teeth in it and, two, there’s no serious political will to change things. So, keep that in mind when election day rolls around.
The excuse from the politicians and bureaucrats is always the same, private property rights. Well what about the private property rights of the people who live next door?
I believe deeply in private property rights. They are a fundamental building block of our nation and woe unto anyone trying to take them away from me.
But there is a simple solution to this problem. Establish a viable standard for the minimum allowable condition of buildings and enforce it with a bulldozer. Put the onus on the owners to maintain their property. Hello, property owners… that’s called personal responsibility. Right now, city workers have to spend years pushing paper and locating owners who’ve left their mess for the taxpayers. Why should the city have to chase these people down?
Make the law very clear and very loud. Your property stays up to code. If not, you get a couple of notices and the opportunity to start fixing things. If you don’t the city sends in the wrecking crew, you get the bill and the city places a lien on your empty lot until you pay it. You don’t pay, you forfeit the land.
You see, it is really not that difficult and nobody’s private property rights are violated, so long as they exercise the responsibility that also comes with our constitutional rights.
|
-
After listening to the police recordings, I’m struck by a couple of things.
First, in the radio call Sammis says a “suspect” has been shot. He’s always said he thought he was shooting at a suspect with a real gun. Maybe he didn’t yet know it was a 12 year old with a toy. So, does the radio traffic support Sammis’ story? On the surface, it would seem so.
But the radio call comes 34 seconds after his partner Jimmy Evans placed a cell phone call directly into police dispatch. Evans refers to the shooting of a “subject.”
Both “subject” and “suspect” are common police speak and the difference could mean nothing. Why the phone call before the radio call?
When WMPD dispatch called the Arkansas State Police for assistance, it certainly doesn’t sound like anybody back at headquarters knew a child had been shot.
All of this may just be the fog of confusion in the moments after the shooting, but it does need an explanation.
|
|
|
