You can go anywhere in the world and not get lost using the GPS system on your iPhone. You can make calls and even surf the web from anywhere in this world. The iPhone is capable of connecting you via the GSM satellite for taking calls and downloading data. This way you never lose touch with your life. You can download maps instantly in case you are lost and easily find the location you are in. In some areas and countries it is also possible to see the traffic around you and get directions to the destination you are driving to. You get the exact pin point location of where you are and how to get to the destination you want from there. This is one cell phone which combines the GPS, Wi-Fi and the multi touch interface without taking much space or adding inches to the existing cell phone.

These days be it an iPod or iPhone or cell phone it is all about integrating different technologies and different devices together and make one device which is multipurpose. It has become more convenient to use so many things in one iPhone. You can do lot more organizing like set up meetings, handle your professional life, handle all your mails suing the Microsoft exchange and sort them out exactly in the same way you do at your office computer and schedule online meetings. You can also take high quality pictures manage your personal albums and print them through plug and play options. You can use GPS in any country and need not have one installed in your car. Now you can carry your PS in the pocket and never be lost again. View the location maps like you would on Google maps on the same quality. You can use the smart touch screen to navigate through all the menus on your phone without any effort. The iPhone is the biggest small screen in the cell phone market and make use of this smart technology and make your life easier. 3G is known for the best mobile application ever and now you have it available through the iPhone.

A Digital Video Recorder (DVR) / (Personal Video Recorder (PVR)) can be defined as a gadget which records video in a digital format to a memory disk within a device. Digital Video Recorder (DVR) comprises of portable media players (PMP), stand-alone set-top boxes, and software for PCs that permits video recording and playback to and from memory disk. Now certain consumer electronic producers started launching TVs with in built DVR hardware and DVR software.

The only digital video set-up that allows you to record and play in your TV all the high-quality videos you find out or generate on internet or computer is Divx. There are more than 100 million Divx certified gadgets available in the market shipped from major brands, from HD devices to DVR and digital TVs that permit you unlock your video or pictures from the computer.

Digital Video Recorder has the ability to record and play at the same time. DVRs let you to pause (then rewind or fast-forward) the current show you’re watching, and then pick up where you left off. The capability to pause rewind, fast-forward, and record live television with DVR technologies is changing the mode viewers make selections in entertainment. Hard drives and on-screen programming guides are used by Digital Video Recorder (DVR) to let viewers to opt in advance and record more than one program effortlessly. DVRs set the control in the hand of the one griping the remote, controlling live television and recorded programs with the simple push of a button. Digital Video Recorder (DVR) provides audience with better decision power over the viewing options at any time, browsing and picking from a list of their preferred programs. DVR also provides an option of viewing on their own preferred time, and fast-forwarding and there by skipping the commercials. Now almost all the cable and satellite companies offer Digital Video Recorders (DVR) for rental, with a substantial and service fee. Even though these improved cable boxes and satellite receivers’ looks like a good space-saving alternative, buying a set-top DVR is better.

DVRs are capable of simultaneous recording of two programs, recording a program while viewing a different live program, or recording a program when viewing a pre-recorded program. When you are watching recorded video or paused video which has been resumed Digital Video Recorder (DVR) offer button with “skip ahead” feature that’s suitably timed to match with the length of a typical TV commercials. Using Digital Video Recorder live TV shows can be paused, rewind and viewed in slow motion; pre recorded programs can be paused, fast forwarded, or rewind and watched in slow motion.

Using Digital Video Recorder (DVR) recording of programs from radio or television without commercials or announcements is possible which provides the viewer to have the preferred portions of such programming in a continuous sequence. In a normal practice, the entire programming is first recorded and later edited to provide the uninterrupted sequence. This is a time consuming process and requires duplicate or supplementary equipment and extra storage medium for the editing process. DVR uses devices for time delayed recording which monitor the continuous information and reproduce such information after a selected delayed time. Based on the nature of the continuous information, the time delayed recording may vary from several seconds to minutes in which they do make the choice to record.  DVR normally use the MPEG format for compressing the digital video signals.

Digital Video Recorder (DVR) often comes with an on-screen guide with alternatives to record episodes and movies weeks ahead, with added features like “record only new shows” or “record each occurrence of this series on any channel at any point” etc. DVR is capable of copying Pre recorded programs computers, DVD recorder, VCR, and handy devices like Portable Media Centers, Sony Play station Portables, iPod etc.

The connectors on the back of the Digital Video Recorder (DVR) are has to be attuned with the connectors of other devices like TV and cable boxes. In case, if the DVR comes by coaxial digital output connectors while the only existing digital input on a home theater system is optical. DVRs can come with DVD recorder, or the other way around. This permits the viewers to make DVD copies of TV shows they have recorded previously with their DVR. Digital Video Recorder(DVR) also permits burning DVDs from other video sources. As the video will not duplicate the same quality DVD recorders are not suggested for copying high-definition programs. Media Center PCs designed to boost music, TV, pictures, videos etc usually comprise DVR technology. Higher-end models of DVR usually include home networking and broadband internet. With DVR connected to a computer you can view pictures and play music. If the show is played on a hi-def TV, the DVRs that hold high-definition recording can play back with the same excellence a show originally looks.
The storage competence level of DVR varies. More Giga Bytes (GB) in a Digital Video Recorder (DVR) means more total of space available for recording. In a DVR, if set at the maximum quality, 1 GB offers roughly 15 minutes of recording time and around 1 hour if set at VHS quality. DVRs can store a lot more video than a VHS tape or a recordable DVD, approximately up to 55 hours of high-definition (HD) video or 300 hours of standard-definition (SD) video depending on the model. Always opt for larger number of GBs when you purchase DVR, and mind the ability to add on extra components.

Future-friendly compatibility and flexibility are the vital factors to be considered when comparing products. You can avail a stand alone DVR or one that’s incorporated into a digital-cable box, DVD player/recorder or a satellite-TV receiver. Depending on the type you choose for a Digital Video Recorder, you might pay for the service as well as the equipment - either a one-time charge or a monthly fee on top of your cable or satellite-TV bill It is advisable to go for a DVR that is friendly with further entertainment devices with which it is supposed to be connected like surround sound systems, cable modems, HDTV’s etc.  The Digital Video Recorder (DVR) has become a revolution and is replacing VCRs and other media for everyday recording of television programs. The Digital Video Recorder (DVR) gives you more control about how and when you watch Television Shows.

1. Running the wires through the walls
2. Actually setting up the NAS

I want to build my own NAS but I am thinking about durability and usability so I am going to get an empty box where I just install my own drives. Once it is all done I should have fast access to all of my media files through the whole house. I probably have around 1.5 terabytes right now but all of my movies have not been encoded into DIVX or XVID.

This project will probably get done in 3 stages. I will buy the switch, cat6, and wall mounts first and run it all. I will just connect that to my computer at that time and save up for the NAS and drives. That will be stage 2 and will be the most expensive (around $900). For stage 3 I will upgrade the wireless capability in the house by going to the N standard. That will only be used for my laptop though so the only expense will be the router.

So be looking out for that article to begin sometime around April. I know it is a while away but it would be hard to do all of that from Afghanistan.

How Big Should It Be?

You can go over board very easy when buying a PSU. That can be costly in more ways than one. Not only will a more powerful PSU cost you more but it may eat more electricity and it could also be less efficient than that smaller PSU. Now I would like to tell you that there are rules of thumb for typical computer builds but in all reality there isn’t. Each computer will have a different power load if the sum of it’s parts are different. It is best to buy a PSU based on how many watts and amps your setup will require. To find that out you will need to make a list of your parts. As an example I will list the parts for one of my computers;

• Motherboard: ASUS A8NE
• Processor: AMD X2-4400
• Video Card: Nvidia 7900GT
• Memory (RAM): 2-1GB Sticks of OCZ DDR 500
• Hard Drives: 3 SATA @ 7200 RPM
• Sound Card: SB Audigy
• Disc Drives: 1DVD, 1 DVD-rw
• Fans: 1 120mm, 3 80mm
• USB Devices that draw power: Keyboard and mouse
• Other: card reader, floppy drive

Once you have made your list you can go to eXtreme Power Supply Calculator and just input the information you have in the easy to use calculator. Pay close attention to each box and make sure you read them correctly. For most of you when you are entering system type it will be a single socket even if you are building a quad core system. It will allow you to enter your processor further down.

When I entered all of my information it told me that I needed a 410 watt PSU. For most, if you went by this and got a 500 watt, it would suffice and probably last for quite a while, For me because I not only overclock my processor but I also overclock my video card plus run the PC at 100% for extended periods of time I try and get a little bit bigger PSU.

Which Brand

Now that you have a base line to start with you should look for a good brand PSU and a good outlet to buy it from. Remember, the PSU is an important part of your system, if it goes out it can and will take out other parts of your PC. A few of the name brands that I trust are;

• Tagan
• PC Power and Cooling
• OCZ
• Corsair
• SilverStone

Now this isn’t a complete list of good PSU’s by far but these are some that I have heard good reviews on or have personally used and had good fortune with. I currently have two OCZ power supplies and one Silver Stone that has served me well for a few years. One of the OCZ power supplies was purchased back in 2004 and has seen some very hard duty and still stood up. Now I have also heard good things about Enermax so I purchased one to try it out. I am not sure what went wrong but my wife’s computer went out and when I went home on leave (currently in Afghanistan) I found that the PSU had went out and I believe it also took the processor with it and no telling what else. Now I am not sure what happened exactly, could have been a power surge or anything else but at this time I just can’t recommend them.

When  choosing a PSU from one of these manufacturers, you may notice some like SilverStone offers PSU in the lower price range (below $50). Don’t go there! It may be a quality PSU but you want something better.

Where To Buy

I personally shop from two places, Newegg.com and Tiger Direct. They are not the only two places out there but they are who I use for all of my computer parts. They usually offer the best prices and service. They also get the stuff to you in a timely manner.

Reviews

Make sure that once you have pinned down a couple of different products check the retailer for reviews on that product. You can also check out Tom’s Hardware, Bittech, and Hardocp for reviews on certain products. Don’t forget to google them either, you may dig up some good or bad stuff on what PSU you are looking at. You also want to look for consistency in the product reviews. The PC world is full of fanboys and they will down grade a product they don’t like just because they like another better.

Sum It Up

If you do your homework and follow these steps you should find a PSU that will serve your needs for years to come. I hope you enjoyed reading this. If you have any questions or just want more information on computers I would suggest you drop by one of the forums that I like, Blazing PC, you will find a lot of friendly people there willing to help you with any computer problem (or some non computer related problems) you may have. Until next time thanks for reading Media Tech Review.

Computer Usage

The first question you have to ask yourself is “what am I going to use the computer for?”. The answer to that will determine a number of things from operating system, hard drive space, power supply, graphics card, and so on. For me my computer will have multiple uses; heavy gaming, productivity (web sites), and media storage being some of them. So when I take all of that into consideration it will help me choose the parts that I am going to buy.

Cost

What you can afford to spend is just as important of a factor in building a computer as what you are using it for. For the computer that I will be building I know I could accomplish all of my goals while still building a computer for a cheap price just by sacrificing a little on performance. Now that doesn’t mean I would by cheap parts that may not last very long, it just means that I will choose a lower end item that still fulfills what I need it for. You can also buy parts that can perform better than stock just by doing a few tweaks but that is for another article.

Parts

Once you know what you are building it for and how much you can spend then you can start compiling a list of parts. Here is where you are going to decide Intel or AMD (processor), then what style motherboard to use (on board graphics or external, Intel or AMD compatible). If you chose to go with on board graphics then you probably are not looking to game with the computer (or design graphics) but make sure you purchase a board that has an expansion slot so that you can upgrade to better graphics later on. You will want it to be of the latest technology so that you will have a better chance of installing the latest graphics card later on. Once you have decided on your motherboard then you can decide on what type of case you want. The motherboards fit certain cases and you want to buy a case with ample room for the motherboard, psu, and all of your drives and expansion cards. The cases come in many styles and purpose built for many things from a small portable (shuttle style) to an HTPC case made to be a part of a Home Entertainment system. What ever you chose remember that a good case may be the platform for many computers over time and not just the one you are building now so choose wisely.

Once you have decided on a case then you can choose the video card, ram, cd rom, and any add in cards that you want (sound). Plus go ahead and decide what hard drives to buy.

Hard Drives; These need to be at least 3-4 times bigger than your current needs. This may sound like a lot but you can run out of hard drive space fast. The thing is hard drives are getting cheaper by the day and right now you can buy 1.5 terabyte drives for around $150. You could also get a pair of terabyte drives for under $200. That would probably do you for a little while.

CD/DVD/BluRay; Only you will know if you need one or two of these, BluRay or just DVD, and a burner or just a player. The main thing is, make sure you are buying quality stuff because these will stop working quick if you buy cheap stuff. another thing to look at is what interface you are going to use. Right now you might as well go with SATA because IDE while still a viable choice is slowly becoming obsolete.

RAM; If you choose a 64 bit operating system you can really get as much RAM as your computer will hold but if you are going 32 bit (unless something has changed that I don’t know about) you can only use a little under 4GB. Make sure you buy good quality and buy it in pairs. You also need to make sure that it is compatible with your motherboard because there are a few types of RAM out there these days.

Video Card; This is going to be an expensive part of your build or a cheap one. It is according to what you want to with you computer. You could go with the onboard graphics or spend a ton of money on multiple video card setups. Just make sure you are buying what you need to accomplish the task. You don’t have to go overboard. The naked eye can not tell the differecne between 55 fps and 90 fps so you may not need that $1000 video card setup. Those are for people who love to bench mark their system and try to squeeze everything out of them possible. If you bragging rights get it but if you just want to play your games then go for the more sensible video card solution.

Processor; Going back a little I am going to just touch on this. Make sure you get one that will handle what you need to do. They can be very inexpensive today and you have a lot to choose from. I was you though I would go for a quad core solution because of the cheap price and the ability to multi task easily.

Power Supply; Once you have everything else then you can figure out what size power supply would serve you best. You really need to make sure that the power supply that you choose is a quality unit because this will be the backbone of your system. Many good systems have been ruined by cheap power supplies.

Operating System

This is the topic that is probably the most debated. Should I use Windows, Linux, or port Mac OSX over to my PC? Do I want 32 bit or 64 bit software? Vista or Windows XP or hundreds of versions of Linux. What programs am I going to use and what OS works with them. The whole computer will be useless to you if you make the wrong choices. It can also be expensive, you can spend from $0 to $300. Most will just choose Windows XP or Vista 32 bit and that’s fine. It is one of the more compatible but it will cost you anywhere from $80 to $300 but the one good thing is there are a lot more people that can help you out if you have problems down the road.

Peripherals

Well now you get to choose how to finish the computer off. What monitor, mouse and keyboard plus anything else you may need (speakers, microphone, web cam, and headphones to name a few). These are the kinds of things that make the system whole and completely usable. Choosing a dual monitor setup or a great set of speakers, wireless keyboard and mouse, printers and scanners will all help you get the most out of your system. All of these can get expensive so be wise when shopping for these and if you can use what you can from your old system. I am going to reuse my gaming mouse and keyboard, my speakers, and my headphones with mic. I will probably buy a dual monitor setup though. It will get expensive but it will be worth it. Not only will it be good for gaming but it will help with my website work also. I can have the page I am working on open on one monitor and my other files on the other.

Stuff Not Covered

For those of you that are experts at this, sorry this article isn’t for you, it’s geared towards people that are a little newer to it than me and you. That is why you may have noticed I didn’t cover cooling and a few other items but for a lot of people just building a simple setup trying the stock cooling for the newer processors is sufficient if used within normal operating circumstances. It is when you start overclocking the processor that stock is no longer a viable cooling solution. I also didn’t cover figuring out how much voltage uses so that you can figure out how big of a PSU you need. For the most part for those running a single video card and not running a ton of drives, a 5 or 6 hundred watt psu should suffice. If you are a power user though you may need something bigger. Later on I will go over a lot of the different pieces to a PC and how to choose quality parts.

Make sure to come back often and see what other stuff is here to read. I will try and write plenty of stuff so stay tuned for more. Thanks for reading Media Tech Review.

Author James Terrell

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