Wireless HDMI Kit
Q: I am thinking of buying a wireless
HDMI kit, but is there a standard for this technology?
A: Unfortunately, there
are some competitive standards. Some use sole form of Wi-Fi to send video from
the room, but they often compress movie before sending it. This may lead to reduced
quality when there are many moves on the screen. You can find unsmooth replay
or cubic artifacts there.
Another main system is
Ultra Wideband (UWB). It has shorter range than Wi-Fi but has much larger data throughput. It allows video Full HD such
as Blu-ray to be transferred without compression. However, transmitter and
receiver usually need straight and uninterrupted vision to work well.
Some kits provide HDMI port
on transmitter and receiver so that it can be used with any product, but others
have USB dongle as a transmitter, which means they can only be used to send
video and audio from laptop or PC.
Replace ADSL router
Q: I have ADSL internet connection, and
need to replace router, but the model I want does not have modem ADSL. What is
the best way to connect it to the internet?
A: Modem that is not
ADSL we mentioned is a cable modem that has an Ethernet WAN port instead of
ADSL port. To make router connect to the internet, you need to plug it into the
ADSL modem with Ethernet port or ADSL router. ADSL modems with Ethernet ports
are very scarce; you had better use cheap wireless ADSL router as a modem. Most
ISPs provide a free one, but TP-Link TD-W8951ND ‘s price is $45 from
www.amazon.com
It is not important no
matter what standard it uses – just make sure it supports PPPoA and ADSL2+. Set
up ADSL router to connect to your internet connection, and plug it into cable
router’s WAN port with an Ethernet cable. Go to ADSL router’s setting, check
whether DHCP has alreally opened, and disable wireless connection and firewall.
This makes sure it does not cause interference with cable router’s wireless,
and you only have to configure firewall on cable router for services such as
playing game online.
What is XQD memory card?
XQD is the inheritor of CompactFlash, and
has been launched recently by CompactFlash Association. Unlike SDXC and SDHC
cards, which keep similar sizes and shapes to the old SD cards, XQD will use a
completely new design. XQD has the thickness nearly equal to CompactFlash, but
the new cards will be narrower and shorter, so they look like SD card more than
current CompactFlash card.
CompactFlash Association announces XQD
would be dramatically faster than CompactFlash or SD card since it would be
based on PCI Express interface in stead of the old PCMCIA interface used in
CompactFlash. We still have to wait to see whether camera producers accept XQD
or not.
Choose camcorder
Follow these steps to find your ideal specs:
Sensor: 1/6-inch CMOS
Zoom: 10x optical
Port: HDMI and USB
Screen: colored LCD
Storage form: flash memory
Accessory: remote control
The folowings are only recommened minimum specs:
1.
If you want to shoot basic
family videos, you should buy a camcorder using basic flash memory with the
price of approximate $220. It will create good results in almost all light
conditions. Test battery life, it is good when lasting 90+ mins.
2.
Most camcorders are specified
as HD, but this is not an instant promise of image quality. You had better skip
the number of pixels the sensor has, and focus on its main size. The smallest
sensor’s size is usually 1/6 inches, and increases gradually to about 1/2
inches. Larger sensor improves image quality and allows you to shoot the
footage better in weak light condition. Another choice often used by Panasonic
is a camcorder using three small sensors in stead of one large sensor to create
excellent image quality.
3.
Most camcorders base on the flash
memory or memory card to save video. Many producers create a series of nearly
similar models although more expensive models have preset flash memories. In
general, it costs less to buy a version that only has camcorder’s memory card
and a few 16GB memory cards than to invest in a model with preset flash memory.
Camcorders using hard drive and DVD are outdated, and certainly will no longer
be produced.
4.
If you are shooting
something more important than a familiy holiday, you will want more features. A
good manual focus allows more flexible shooting while flash base and microphone
input allow using external microphone, which improves sound quality so much.
5.
If you are really
serious about making video, buying a few more accessories will create distinction
for the last video. Tripod will bring you better results than spending much on
large sensor. Standby battery is essential to shoot long, and some video
adjustment apps will help you create more impressive results.
