System Resources and Speed Optimization

System Resource is one of the most common issues which happen among the computers from all ages, regardless of Pentium I or Pentium C2D. This is because resources are eventually having nothing to do with processor speed. The processor speed is the ability to run certain programs which are usually graphic drawing, multimedia production and of course, the 3D games. When we are talking about System Resources, we are dealing with RAM (Random Access Memory) which is the memory chipsets that are installed on the PC motherboard.

In years ago when I was using my old PC, it has a 128 MB ram only and the OS ran is Windows 98 SE. I remembered the obstructive moments when I open many programs at once and keep them running on the desktop. The applications include ICQ, mIRC, Winamp, Internet Explorer, and update the anti-virus definition at the same time. At first, they performing fairly slow but are still productive. As time went by, more resources are consumed by the PC and the message “The computer system is running out of memory” popped up and demanding me to close more applications so that the PC will be performing as normal. To my dismay, I had attempted closing almost application but I can still feel the PC lagging as I could hardly point my mouse to explore around the desktop. Sometimes, I might even observe some trails of the mouse pointer while I didn’t turn the trails effect on. This is called memory leak. The fix this problem, we need to get to the matter of roots which is the memory leak. To solve it, it is recommended for us to shut down the PC and let it reboot so that it can regain the memory resources which almost depleted due to the heavy duty applications running just now. From this point, I had learnt that each application is programmed and they need memory resources in order to carry out their activities. As a result, in order for the PC to run on many applications at the same time, they are quite a few methods of doing so without hurting the PC or the user (lagging system will be frustrating).

One of the methods is to turn off the auto-startup functions of each application which is working on the taskbar (near the time). Normally, we can notice that there are Anti-Virus, Volume, Winamp Agent, QuickTime, JAVA, Download Manager or when worse got worst the Auto-Login ICQ or other messaging software. So, disabling the auto-startup will definitely improve the system to achieve an optimal performance because each application or even a small piece of icon needs memory for their existence. The procedure is as easy as ABC, right-click each icon and go to the settings/preferences/configuration (terms which are usually used might vary according to each software or application). Then find the dialog box of “Auto-login/startup” to disable it permanently. Normally, the saved changes will only take effect once the system is rebooted. Frantically, some of the applications are too stubborn to be disabled so this requires some tricks from the power user to lock them from appearing again. Move your mouse pointer and click on the Start button, click Run and type “msconfig” and approach for the OK button. A new window will pop up indicating the Startup applications on Microsoft Windows, from there align the mouse pointer and drag the name tab of the particular application to get a better view of the overall name before making any mistakes in canceling their operations.

The main quest of this operation is to turn off or uncheck the boxes of the apps which are not so “useful” for the permission of working on the desktop. Please be cautious that denying some of the apps will leave your PC no better performance but serious shortcomings. This happens when some of the important apps like system settings, anti-virus agents, and certain files are required for the Windows to operate properly. So, we need to do it wisely so that the result obtained will absolutely enhance the productivity of Windows and other applications running as well.

Disk Defragmenter is another integrated application for cleaning and managing the “blocks” of each files and folders of the entire HDD (Hard Disk Drive). Normally, we can find Disk Defragmenter on Start, Programs, Accessories, System Tools and the Disk Defragmenter. The term of “defragment” is the process of placing and organizing the files on the storage device by putting them back on the contiguous area available. This heavy process usually takes a lot of time and the time might vary according to the size of the HDD. This is why some of the people articulated that splitting the HDD into two or more drives will divide the HDD space into a few fragments to ease the user to defragment when it is necessary and thus making the job less weary. Defragmenting will aid in the PC performance as when the files and folders (inclusive of sub-folders) are arranged in a tidy manner, searching the files or locating the application executable files will take less time (approx 3 or 4 secs) and this will help make the PC less draggy and hence the PC performance will be raised. I would recommend using the Diskeeper software for the best defragmenting results as this software also came together with a clean up schedule for the user to set the time for the PC to start defragment automatically or the actual date to prompt the user to clean up the fragmented files.

Another way of speeding up the PC to reserve more RAM for higher productivity is to balance between the performance and appearance on Windows XP. This step can be executed by sequels of Start, Control Panel, System, Advanced and Performance Options. With the new window, the user is allowed to select which is necessary in the performance and appearance settings. Unchecking the boxes which are associated with the image quality/ 3D effects of the desktop cosmetic values will give you more RAM and your performance on other jobs will be boosted to a higher degree.

The last resort is to invest some money on the PC which is to spend some cash to get better and more RAM bars to increase the overall RAM so that with the abundant quantity of memory available, more heavy-duty tasks can be performed at high efficiency. Nevertheless, to insert more RAMs onto a piece of motherboard will lead the user to study more about the capabilities of the motherboard beforehand. This is because, RAMs are classified into many types which are the DDR, DDR2 and DDR3. Each type of RAM has its own fixture for each slot available on the motherboard. Therefore, I would say that the differences between the RAMs are actually related to the FSB (Front Side Bus) of the functionality of the RAM. Thank you. (-.-)

SE K800i CyberShot

I bought the SE K800i (K series) in November 2006 and it was the first time I was using an SE cell phone. Before this I had tried laying my hands on Nokia, Samsung and Motorola and this is my first encounter with SE. Is it good or is it awful? Well, eventually I got attracted with the inner beauty of the phone as the outer appearance seemed to be too bulky and heavy to the modern people, especially girls – who prefer setting their eyes on the hand phones which are slim and sleek enough. As for me, I am not saying that I go against the cute hand phones, but I just couldn’t press on the shiny tiny keypads which are so close apart and yet the dimension of each key is so mini which led me to pressing four keys simultaneously when I was trying to press one (maybe my thumb is too fat and I just don’t wanna admit it, aiks…). So, SE K800i is renowned for its capabilities of shooting a 3.2 Megapixel picture and it promises a crystal clear picture and it offers high detail with crisp effect images (according to the cyber reviews). The copyrighted CyberShot^TM is already carved on the front surface of K800 which speaks everything for itself – it is indeed a camera phone. The distinctive camera function is packed with a Xenon Flash technology which generates high power flash beam when capturing pictures in dark and shadowy areas. However, to me capturing using the flash beam all the times will cause the phone to run out of battery in short as the phone draws more power to deliver such a bright wavelength. Furthermore, I am also keen to knowing that the camera is bundled with an auto-focus function which helped the user to capture fine and non-shaky objects by calibrating the focal point so that he can obtain the picture in the best conditions. Pressing the camera shutter button on the right spine will hold the picture for secs and once the system is ready, red light will be blinking to indicate that the picture is ready to be taken. To complete the whole package, functions such as Macro ( the ability to capture something which is very near to the lens without smudgy effects), Image Stabilizer, Red-Eye reduction are implemented in the photo-imaging toolset.

However, the negative drawback of this phone is that the sound quality is fairly poor. The generated sound is quite clear but lacks of bass. There is a function of Stereo Widening in the Music Player settings but triggering it hardly made any changes. I had tried to improve the bass value by calibrating in the equalizer window by pulling the bass value as high as possible. As a result, the sound is almost the same, high treble low bass. I guess this is because this phone is placed in the list of K series, and not W series. In the W series (Walkman phone) such as W800 and W810i, it came with a bass enhancement feature and again, W810i is built as a music jukebox where W is the copyrighted Walkmanphone products for range of SE phones.

Below is my picture taken using my friend's Samsung SGH-U600 (10.9mm thickness) and edited using ACDsee 8.0 :-

I don’t really like the memory storage as it is too small to hold abundant of MP3, MP4, Themes, Games, Java apps and Images. 64 MB is just enough to store 10 full 192kbps MP3 files (size might vary according to the length of the track). As normal, the higher the bit rate level of the MP3 file, the greater space is consumed to keep them in the phone. By that time I realized it, I went to Low Yatt Plaza to get to know the price for SE Memory Card M2 and it didn’t surprise me as the price can get me another ordinary MP3 player (No brand) which costs around RM 130 for just 256 MB capacity if I wasn’t mistaken. There is no one to blame as the phone was still new and the M2 memory card isn’t high in demand as the Pro Duo’s popularity overwhelmed other memory cards.

Below is my picture taken using K800i and edited using ACDsee 8.0 :-

However, the display of 256k TFT colour screen did impress me and the SE themes are very attractive and lively as there is animated wallpaper in the provided original themes. Each theme came with different interactivity inclusive of the buttons, selected icon effects, menu and even the SMS text screen. These themes are available for download for free at selected websites. However, the “why pay more” is quite a contradictory name because the themes which are purchased online using credit cards usually arrived in a form that won’t disappoint the K800i user. This is because; the free ones are generally created by anonymous people who held the interest of designing their own themes. Nevertheless, some themes are quite special though.

The A2DP function of K800i comes into handy when user wished to connect the phone using Bluetooth wireless technology to be paired with Bluetooth headphones or other products with the same Bluetooth profile. Secondly, this is very useful when the user is driving while he received urgent calls. So, using a Bluetooth headset is also another key advantage for the Bluetooth connectivity.

The PlayNow^TM allows the user to surf the net without using a web browser to subscribe and download the latest MP3 songs available in the market in just 3 clicks. User is allowed to try the sample song titles before decided to pay for it. The price tag is clearly stated on screen and if the user planned of buying it, a “Yes” button will do the rest and the amount of charges will be directed to the mobile phone bill.

Most significantly, 3G connectivity is available in K800i and this phone constructed with an integrated secondary camera which allows video conferencing too. With the connection speed of 384 kbps, web browsing, photo blogging, MP3 downloading and video calling will perform better than ever.

Apple iPod Touch

After all the glorious years of producing MP3 players around the corner, Apple came up with the brilliant black machine (as black as the latest Creative Zen). Introducing the new Ipod Touch (I will refer it as Touch) gives the MP3/4 fans a the biggest joy and anticipation with the new Wi-Fi and Safari internet browser. If these two do not make a big hit in your shopping list, experience the real indulgence of the 3.5” inch Multi-Touch screen with resolution up to 480 x 326 pixels. After all this while many MP4 players are launched with the screen size that never go beyond 1 or 2” would never cater the needs of the music fans that prefer watching their favourite video clips whenever they go traveling in bus, trains, walk or even in their sleep. Touch is something new in the sense of the capacity, which offers 8 GB and 16 GB respectively. It is very normal for HDD-based portable players, but we are talking about flash-based now and this is an eye-opener for every one of us. The wireless technology is according to 802.11 b/g wireless connection and thus allowing the music files to be downloaded or transferred from another portable mp4 player in short time. This MP4 player is the next big thing as not only the screen size is big but the screen is also capable of producing high-detailed and crisp picture quality compared to the other MP4 players. Furthermore, viewing the entire photo album using Touch will seriously help to reduce the feelings of loneliness for the family member who went overseas to further their studies or expand their business.

In the release of its first batch, minor negative critics are directed towards Touch as there are some bugs that affect the system when the user is using the Safari browser while listening to music files. Plus, Touch is not quite “friendly” with the attachment of many in-ear headphones. However, these are the minor defects that will never stop the crazy fans from grabbing Touch in the nearest Apple store. Future fixes are foreseeable and firmware might be released to cope with the bugs.

I never see Touch in person but I would be very pleased to have the chance of listening to the sound quality of it when it is paired up together with a noise-canceling headphone. Noise-canceling headphones had started to draw the crowd around the corner as most of the students or working people are turned back when they planned of listening music on their MP3 players in a bus, LRT, airplane or even an evening walk. This is because even though the previous headphones are built solid and improved in ambient noise from the surroundings, the distortion or noise are still lingering in the ears of the music fans. So, noise-canceling headphones are invented and there is a chipset implemented inside the headphone and powered using li-thium batteries that can withstand long hours.

Each time before we try to get something for us or for our loved ones, we will usually seek the best warranty and service for that particular product. So, iTunes is here and be at their best service for the users to subscribe the latest mp3 and download it around the clock. This means, the iTunes is operating 24 hours in 365 days. This is absolutely convenient for the people who are working late shifts to be able to get their hands-on the latest songs and be the first one to rate it!

iPod Touch is also very user-friendly and offers more interactivity compared to the 1^st and 2^nd generation of the Ipod Nano. Browsing the music, video and photo album is learnable at your fingertips. As usual, the Touch came together with the software and standard earphones I guess but it is recommended that getting the best earphone/headphone to be paired with the jukebox will give you the promising quality that u will never expect. Oops! Did I miss out something? Yeah, just want to say that Touch can play 22 hours of audio and 5 hours of video.

Speaking of the artistic design, full black and with the dimension of 0.3” thickness, many of us will never expect the storage capacity can go 8 and even 16 GB. It is totally amazing and with the built-in Wi-Fi support, everyone can get the latest mp3 songs wirelessly when it comes to music. I wish I can have one of these glorious portable audio players. Thank you. (0.0)

Bluetooth vs Wi-Fi

Bluetooth is a short range wireless technology for connecting different devices or matching up among the electronic products with Bluetooth connection. Bluetooth is generated using the radio frequency and the connection is unlicensed. In other words, setting up a password for protection is unnecessary in most of the Bluetooth-ready devices as the high level security is not needed. However, to gain access into other people’s cellphone usually will request the user to key in the specified password to set up the OBEX transfer files. Once the user keyed in the password correctly, he will be entitled to view the data shown in the other person’s hand-phone. To transfer the files, both of the users must come to an agreement by win-win situation.

Bluetooth is different than Wi-Fi although some people might say that their operations are based on the same radio frequency. Yes, this statement is very concise, but the characteristic among themselves are different from each other although the functionality is very similar. As for Bluetooth, the furthest reception for connectivity is usually much shorter than Wi-Fi which is in the range of 1-10 metres and the maximum range is 100m. Unlike Bluetooth, Wi-Fi connection can go beyond 100 metres using 802.11 G/N connectivity. For instance, a Wi-Fi consumer can use his laptop in the dining hall to view the wireless networks available around the house while the router is placed in the study room on the second floor. In other words, the range of the Wi-Fi connectivity can be very far from the source (router/modem) and the position can be a few blocks away (a few walls will never come between the connectivity).

Secondly, setting up a Bluetooth connection is very simple compared to the Wi-Fi connection as the user needs to purchase a router like LinkSys, NetGear and D-Link with built-in modem (advisable) and learnt the methods of configuring the router in the OS. Normally, the connection procedures are already bundled together with the modem during the purchase. If they are not inclusive in the box set, have no fear as maybe the installation manual is already saved as a PDF format in the CD given in the box. I am not quite sure why, but maybe the manufacturer attempted to cut down the cost on the product by not printing them in booklets or guides. With the newly bought router, the user is expected to plug-in the router into the network port of the PC and install the drivers on the CD. Later, entering 192.168.1.1 (for D-Link) and 192.168.0.1 (for NetGear) in the search bar of the following web browser (regardless of Mozilla FireFox, Microsoft Internet Explorer, Opera, Safari and so on). Consequently, configuring the router via the web page is done step-by-step dependent on the local network settings. Username and Password are the key items in the content materials. DSP and the IP (IP address is one of the Internet protocol for identifying a particular PC or domain name on Internet) addresses are also compulsory for setting up a LAN/WAN.

Furthermore, the security level for Wi-Fi connection must be taken heavily as most of the laptop users have a lot of important information related to business or law content stored in their notebooks. So in order to lock the information before getting hacked by other computer freaks, setting up a password database will be a very wise idea. Moreover, the protection is also recommended to disallow other people around the area to log into the internet using the user’s account. Unlike Wi-Fi, Bluetooth speed is not fast enough if the user wish to transfer bulky data from one PC to another PC via Bluetooth connectivity.

However, when short range connectivity is demanded, Bluetooth is more than enough. This fact can be proven as with the new released of the latest video game consoles with Bluetooth controllers. These controllers are operated using the Bluetooth reception which is located in console transmitter.

Bluetooth adapter or USB dongle is quite expensive in the early release of the Bluetooth support on the cell-phones a few years ago. People prefer transferring the files via Bluetooth compared to the traditional IrDA which needs two devices with Infra Red dongle. So, the IrDA’s connectivity is not only pricey but also not convenient as the Infra signal will be interrupted if the dongle is displaced or moved carelessly by the user. Furthermore, the data transfer speed will put a headache to the user if the user is transferring MP3 files and the connection broke up in the midst of the uploading process.

Finally, I would say that there are pros and cons in every aspect of connectivity as stated above but the tech is improving into more and more advance stage when WiMax and WiMedia are in high demand.

Epson CX5500 (AIO)

I recently bought the Epson CX 5500 which costs around RM260 at the PC Fair. The main point of attraction to me is the capabilities of printing 5760 x 1440 dpi (the resolution for printing which means dots per inch) and the black shiny surface (full black finish is my favourite colour). Furthermore, what else can we expect from RM260 to get an AIO (all-in-one) which comes together with a printing,scanning and a copying device all under one machine. Before setting my eyes on this model, I had already made a survey on Canon, Lexmark, HP and Samsung.

I had already kicked Lexmark AIO series out of my list as the design is too dull and I was quite suspicious about the AIO price tag as it seemed to be too low and it even came with a fax function. Moreover, the price for the ink cartridge is quite heavy to me compared to the Epson’s INKdividual technology which places the price for each ink cartridge sold separately which only costs around RM22. If the user knows the way to get cheaper prices at retail shop, he might even got it for RM19 or RM20. The INKdividual also topped the reasons in my shopping list as it is a budget-savvy material to me. I can change the ink cartridge separately which means I only replace the one that needs to be replenished while leaving the others to dry out first. This method not only saves big bucks in my pocket but also maintain the durability of the ink. Sometimes, ink might get dried up or unable to perform as usual as the user didn’t print for months. So, replacing the ink individually will maintain the “freshness” of the ink and also more economical.

With the DURAbrite technology unleashed, printing gets better and better and the printouts on papers will make it water-resistant. It was displayed where the printout was dipped into the water bottle and the ink is still fresh and vibrant. The DURAbrite afford to make the printout last for years to come.

To me, the printing speed is relatively slow compared to normal 1-in-1 printers. I am not quite sure why is this happening but you can write me a comment to guide me on this. Hehe…. As for the scanning quality, it is a 600 x 1200 dpi and the copier button ease all the pain as there is no need to turn on the pc and connect the printer via USB cable for copying colour sheets as it is too tedious sometimes.

The paper feed method isn’t my cup of tea as it generates fairly high noise during the paper feed time. Maybe it is due to the friction force and the printing noise level is about 47dB which is quite high when someone does the printing job in the middle of the night. The Canon AIO Pixma MP160 price is competitive to Epson CX5500 and the only thing that drew me away from it is the silver finish which I am actually quite bored of that colour for years already. I am not quite sure about the printing quality that the Canon Pixma MP160 can give but I guess it is a quite powerful machine as I am also using Canon Pixma ip1000 at home.

Overall, I would say that the Epson CX5500 is sometimes quite frustrating when it comes to the printing speed and the noise level created. However, with the price of RM260, I found out that it is quite OK (laughing foolishly…..).

Mozilla FireFox 2.0

Mozilla Firefox has been a popular web browser in the new era today. It only takes FF (FireFox) for a while to stand as the No.1 web browser in CNET Editor’s Review. With the new release of Mozilla FireFox 2.0, the internet junkies had gain a peace of mind as the internet browser is more secured than ever before. Plus, more add-ons and extensions are created from the people around the world to enhance not only the interactivity of the freeware but also the functionality and the practicality of the entire program.

I started to use FireFox since long time ago when I found out that it is less vulnerable to malware or viruses. Furthermore, the loading time for the software is slightly faster compared to the Microsoft Internet Explorer 7.0. I recalled the problematic times when I used to surf the net using IE. Once in the blue moon a message will pop-up in front of your pc indicating that one of the IE script is crashed and requested me to decide either clicking the Send Report or Don’t Send. I got irritated when all my tabs and important website addresses went missing when I tried using the IE after the incident. I had to spend some time to recollect my mindset in order to acquire what I had lost from the previous searches. As for the FF2, this is no longer trouble as the FF2 now consists of a function which is similar to System Restore Point in some of the highly-rated anti-spyware applications nowadays. In the brand new Restore Session in FF2, it will be able to track and restore the latest tabs which the user was placing before leading to the browser crashing process. So, this is actually so convenient as the user will never get more frustrated as to force himself to break his own brain by recalling those websites he was surfing.

The spell checking system is upgraded and better than ever. With the usage of this feature, the user will never waste another minute by preparing a big encyclopedia beside the laptop while handling some bombastic words on the internet or hesitate to type in the words in their blogs when they had thoughts and the anticipated feelings that the word is a misspelled word. With the aid of this new feature, blogging and searching will never put the user down.

The friendliness of FF2 is also incomparable when various OS users are worried that the utilization of other operating systems such as Mac and Linux will obstruct them from laying their hands on this fine internet browser. Yes, absolutely no obstacle, FF2 is supported on these entire operating systems well.

Before the launch of FF2, I was basically using the previous version which of 1.5. That time I decided not to make further upgrades as I am not quite sure whether the process of uninstalling and upgrading will be done without any heavy effort. However, when I tried to try on the add-ons and extensions for the FireFox, some of the add-ons require the latest Mozilla FireFox version which is the 2.0 onwards. So, it left me no choice but to brave myself to click the FireFox2 setup icon. I found out that it wasn’t as bad as I thought and the process ran well without any circumstances. It automatically helped to wash out the old version and kept the users’ bookmarks and important info alone in the folder.

I began to like this masterpiece as it also assisted me in transforming all the Chinese characters in to English by installing the “translator” plug-in. It came into handy when I heard that Maxthon is another web browser which performed quite well when it comes to language support and translation. With the new plug-in that works jointly with FF2, I never encounter anymore problem when searching the websites that are encrypted in Chinese or many other foreign languages as the new plug-in will also work by putting up another tab for the translation. So, any changes that are unsaved on the web page before the translation will be reserved as the previous tab.

Themes also put a facelift to the FF2 web browser. Many themes are released for free downloads and there are a lot more to come from categories of OS, Miscellaneous, Compact, Modern and many more. These themes come in screenshots and previews so that the users are allowed to steal a few glances of the brand new look before downloading them to their flavour. There is also one theme called Vista-aero which transform your web browser interface into the IE7 which is quite alike.

Another famous add-on is the Forecastfox which already speaks for itself. This add-on will generate another status bar below and will display a few icons indicating the current weather, temperature, and also for the following days. These measurements are taken from the Accuweather. Configuration of this add-on is as easy as ABC, just type in the area code or you can even search in the list to specify your area and let it do the rest for you.

Firebug is also notable which opens a programming console indicating the HTML and CSS codes for the current page. This gives the user more knowledge when dealing with web page materials.

All these add-ons can be found at https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/ and they are free for download. Thank you (^.^)

BluRay and HD-DVD

The name of tremendous BluRay disc was derived from the using of the Blue Violet laser wavelength technology in producing the BluRay. In our traditional ( I dun really like using this term) CDs and DVDs, they are all created using the red laser technology and they differ not only in terms of the colour but as well as the value of the wavelength. The BR (short form for BluRay) is designed and engineered using 405nm wavelength ( nano means x10^-9) whereas the CDs and DVDs are manufactured using the 780 and 650nm respectively. The hypothesis is proven to sound true as the shorter the wavelength the more digital information can be stored in a disc. I am not quite sure whether this applies to every one of us, but my opinion is the storage capacity doesn’t matter. The main concern is the functionality of BR to store and the ability to playback high-definition video and audio clips. There is already a controversial battle between the BR and the HD-DVD format in our world today, and my own opinion is storage will never become the factor of victory between them. Ok, lets start the engine! As everybody knows the limitation size of the DVD5 (Single-layered) ceased at 4.7 GB while the DVD9 (Double-layere) stops at 8.5 GB. Speaking of the storage capacity of thr 4.7 GB DVDR, the majority of the DVD-Rs do not really allow the user to burn data which exceeds 4.45 GB and above. The answer is inevitable, but it is definitely true according to my friend who is an pc expert. Using the Nero Burner 7.0 Ultra Edition allows you to over-burn the data on the particular CD once the system configurations are tuned up accordingly. But over-burning is not advisable as it will hurt your important files on the CD. If the case worsened, every info on the CD will be crashed and damaged.

Type of media storage	Single-layered	Double-layered
BluRay	25 GB	50 GB
DVD	4.7 GB	8.5 GB
CD	655 MB - above	Unknown

The BR can store up to 9 hours ( 540 minutes) of HD media storage on a single-layered version (25 GB). As for the 50GB version, approximately 23 hours of data can be saved in the digital disc. Can you ever imagine that you are actually watching a movie of 50 GB! You must be wondering about this question “Do I really get what I really want since that I had already bought a BluRay player with RM4999?” Actually, no deceit, you can really experience the home theatre quality in terms of both picture and sound quality as the picture generated can go up to 1080p (1920 x 1280 Progressive). I really hate to say this…. But you are entitled to watch Casino Royale BluRay title with FULL HD!

Normally in the movie making procedure using BR formats, the director will usually compile the entire movie in a BR 50GB and with the left-out space he will insert the bonus features comprising commentary stuffs, HD trailers, sound clips, featured wallpapers, behind-the-scene action events, and so on using the SD quality. This is to ensure that the viewers will be able to get the best image and sound quality through out the amazing action-packed BR titles. But don’t feel bad if you are really a serious viewer who takes the bonus features seriously especially on those the-making-of(s) as they are all implemented in the SD format. The good news is, although they are all saved as SD formats in order to save more space for the movie, the source is still HD. Yes, this is the part where most of the consumers turned their back away from the HDMI DVD players giving the excuses that they do not own a proper HD-ready TV. In reality, although you will never view it in HD quality but your HDMI DVD player will upconvert the image and sound quality to a near 480p format and the output doesn’t really matter as the source is the key point here. Let me put it in another way of explanation, even if you bought a FULL-HD LCD TV and positioned it in front of you, it is pointless if you are watching the ancient VCR video tapes and direct the source into the HD output. Yes, you might as well get improvement, but think twice, does it really fulfill your enthusiastic dreams of watching cinema-like movies? So, the source always come first and the output second.

Below is the picture of LG Super Blu Player which is able to play BluRay and HD-DVD using one ultimate machine.

Normal CDs and DVDs are exposed and vulnerable to scratches and abrasions caused when the user misplaced them everywhere when they finished watching movies or listening to music. So, the new BR is released with the scratch-protective layer coating which helped to reduce scratches and physical damage to it as in the hope to protect the consumers’ property. TDK has already came up with the BD-RE with the popular surface coating technology (DURABIS) which aid in preventing serious scratches and contaminants that will be the harmful agents of the consumers’ data. Please visit www.tdk.com for more information on DURABIS.

The on-going development is foreseeable and there is no doubt that the BR disc can achieve greater future. Up until now the scientists and engineers had invented a BR with Quad-layered, Six-layered, and even 10-layered feature. In mathematics, multiplying 10 layers of data storage with 25 GB per layer will give you 250 GB! Are you serious? A 250 GB of BR is already on par with a Hard Disk Drive with 250 GB and compare the size for the both of them…… scary…

BluRay disc players can playback MPEG2, H.264 and VC1. Mpeg4 didn’t get involved in the list as Microsoft had already copyrighted the format for their own usage. I would end this article by saying that BluRay is such a magnificent media storage and I will sometimes test myself, how good if I can foresee the future that what comes after BluRay goes……

Interlace and P-Scan

Interlace

I did something silly by looking for the word “interlace” in the WordWeb dictionary. It displayed the meaning of interlocking together or twisting to form a bond. However, Interlace in the video quality consortium refers to the twisting of the overall image from the top left side to the bottom right side to form an image on the odd-lined basis. This step is repeated for the same direction but on even-lined basis to complete the whole picture. The Interlace system is implemented in our traditional CRT (Cathode Ray Tube) TVs which works on the frequency of 50 Hertz ( Frequency means the total cycle per second). To calculate the time required per cycle we can use the F = 1/T formula where F stands for frequency and T is the seconds required. So, the interlacing method was invented in decades ago in order to enhance the picture quality of the movie formats without consuming much bandwidth. With more bandwidth spared, the TV can be connected to other electrical devices such as the VCR, VCD and LD players without having loss of image signal. Due to the time required for the interlacing to carry out the whole action by displaying the picture from the top left to the bottom right, flickers and twisting occurs. Flickers means the “hiss hiss” sound and sharp noise generated on the image quality. As a result, rectangular-shaped or dotted lines might appear on the TV screen if you examine carefully towards it and you might as well observe rough scan lines on the frame.

Progressive Scan (P – Scan)

In the Progressive Scan (I will refer it as P-S for easy navigation), the process that completes the entire picture is exactly as same as Interlace mode, but differ in terms of the speed and simultaneous framing. For this time, the P-S will lock the whole picture from the top left to the bottom right both on even and odd line frames at the same time. The job was executed simultaneously so that the flicker will never appear on the TV screen. To perform this task, our TVs at home must have the function of 100 Hertz picture enhancement function as the higher the frequency, less probability that the flicker will actually take place. If we apply the same formula of F = 1/T at this time, we will get a twice lower in seconds. This means that the machine is successfully producing a lower response time of image. Response time is the key advantage in P-S especially we are viewing an object in motion. For instance, when the gunman fired a bullet or when the football was projected hastily, we might not be able to see the object clearly on normal 50 Hertz Interlaced CRT TVs as there are still flickers and pixels break-up (“Pau Kak” in Chinese). In the P-Scan, the picture quality is smoothened and thus providing a non-flicker frame. This means, the P-S can come up with a more detailed picture clarity compared to the Interlace even though they are both benchmarked using the video clip with the same resolution. The other advantage of P-S it the capability of activating the anti-aliasing function on the video. We usually heard about the anti-aliasing thingy in our computer 3D card but not knowing how it actually works. I was also uncertain about the anti-aliasing technology in the past when I was playing some 3D games but I only realized that putting the anti-aliasing to 0 or x2 will help to make the game less laggy compared to x4 and x8. Anti-aliasing is also known as intentional blurring which is invented to reduce the twitter effect on the graphic material. So, by putting up the best filter effect on the video, the image quality can be improved by reducing the flickering effect. Furthermore, with the P-Scan support on our TVs, we can watch our favourite DVD collections up to 480p quality. 480 means (640x480 Progressive Scan). With the additional Progressive Scan-ready DVD players, we can actually watch our DVD movies with high detailed image quality and also more crisp picture. Even though we are watching DVD5 (Single-layered DVD), we can still have the image quality upscaled to reach 480p. Once again, I am not saying that we can gain the HD format of the particular DVD title, but we can still see improvements on the show. And of course, if we insert a DVD9 (Double-layered DVD), we can experience the ultimate picture clarity of 480p.

DVD5 and DVD9

Please notice:- DVD5 and DVD9 are different not only in terms of cost and the storage capacity, but there more differences behind the scenes. In DVD5 we only enjoy the movie which consumed up to 4.7 GB whereas in DVD9 we got to savour the superior image quality of 8.5GB with more crystal-clear TruSurround sound mode. Plus, we can also notice there is a huge difference that lies in the DVD movie menu where in DVD9 the JAVA applications are more mature and realistic that offers greater satisfaction to the viewer. Moreover, DVD9 provides more menu features including extra commentary of the movie, trailers, the making of, games and wallpapers too. With the higher capacity of 8.5GB the movie is less compressed and the compression theory is also same when we are converting a Wav. File into a MP3 format.

LCD and 3LCD

LCD

Nowadays, LCD display monitors and TVs are getting higher and higher in demand. Frankly, if you have ample of free time, you can visit the nearest electrical store to check out there are LCD TVs which are mushrooming around the shop. The same thing happens on the computing industries, where LCD monitors are getting cheaper and cheaper nowadays. Compared to 6 years earlier, I remembered my uncle bought an IBM 15” monitor for about RM 3500. I was shocked and traumatized as RM3500 can get yourself a Full Set of Desktop PC, complete with 512mb ram and a GeForce 4MX grahic card at the moment. Well, life is like that, when the LCD market grows bigger and bigger, you can even see LCD display on children toys nowadays. Let me put it in another way, we can see LCD displays on watches, cellphones, Astro decoder, TVs, digital alarm clock and so on. LCD stands for Liquid Crystal Display. Based on the facts on www.howstuffworks.com, many people will get puzzled and wondering why Liquid and Crystal can be merged together since they both appear to be solid and liquid. This is a contradictory name if we put Liquid and Crystal together. In the study of Physics, a solid state is the state where molecules are tangled up together and they hardly find space to move. This is why when we try to deform it or burn it the shape will never change in form. Whereas the liquid state is the state that always flow and the molecules will roam freely. It seems to be a contradictory name but they both neither appear in solid nor liquid form.

How do LCDs work? To principles of LCD are subjected to light polarizing between two polarized glasses. When we turn on our LCD monitor, electric current will flow through and heat up the liquid molecules to twist and move around. The two polarized glasses are oriented and positioned in such a way that they are facing 90 degrees to each other. Not only that, but they are required to be in the same vector ( vector means same magnitude and direction ). A voltage drop in the circuit will activate the light beam to penetrate through the two polarized glass. The beam that penetrated the first glass will guide or bring the light into another polarized glass accordingly. The light molecules will react and they will align themselves to twist and vibrate based on the signals received. So, the polarized glasses are actually “co-operating” to display the complete image on the monitor screen.

3LCD

3LCD means three polarized glasses are merged or combined into a single sheet of glass and when the light strikes on the crystal display, the molecules will arrange themselves in pixels form which are comprised of 3 sub-pixels which are the RGB elements (Red, Green and Blue). The 3LCD concept is based on the active matrix technology which is considered to be a better LCD tech compared to the passive matrix technology. In passive matrix technology, it creates an image with a slower response time and less crisp image quality compared to the active effect. Active matrix is commonly known as TFT (Thin Film Transistor) where we usually can see in the specs of the new laptops available in the market nowadays. Don’t get surprised when the LCD is actually built of transistors. As the matter of fact, they are really transistors but the size of them are too minute and couldn’t be detected by human vision without a magnifying glass. The 3LCD uses the active matrix technology.

So a HDTV with 3LCD support usually will put you glued to that television and this is not because of the TV programme, but due to the state-of-the-art image quality which is so crystal-clear and sharp. It is so high-detailed that sometimes some of the viewers will generate incredible imaginations of entering into the TV programme. Below are the main positive properties of 3LCD technology which results in:-

• A brighter picture, lighting conditions wouldn’t affect the image quality
• Natural colors colours are vivid and gives a picture perfect effect
• High detail which put the picture in HD and offers a very crisp and crystal clear pic.

What is HDMI ?

HDMI, HDMI and HDMI around the globe…. What exactly is HDMI and what is the association of HDMI support with HDTV and other electrical consumer products that are related? Before this, I had some part-time working experience at Sony Style, so I did learn some stuffs about HD and SD format. Together with my own personal interest of doing researches and surveys about the field of Science and Technology, I come up with this simple piece of info about HDMI. Actually, HDMI is the abbreviation of High Definition Multimedia Interface which is a standard of transmitting HD (High Definition) signals from one source to the destination or output. I believed that all of us came from the SD (Standard Definition) world, which means that we had watched long hours of movies on CRT TVs ( Cathode Ray Tube TVs ). In our traditional CRT TVs( hopefully it isn’t ancient yet ), the standard which is employed on the TV screen is SD ( Standard Definition ) meaning that our TV receive analogue quality signals from the VCR or LD ( Laser Disc ) to the TV itself to be broadcasted on the TV screen. Analogue signal is whole lot different than the Digital signal in terms of the data transfer speed and the definition ( quality ) of it. To simplify this phrase, to turn on the PlayStation 1 or 2, we need a supply of cables mainly comprised of Yellow, White and Red which are classified into L&R (Left and Right Stereo) and a Video cable. These colourful cables are known as analogue cables and they transfer signals from the input ( PlayStation ) to the output (TV). However, day by day the technologies around the globe continue to bloom and grow in massive manner, which also led us into a more digitalized entertainment universe. As a result, the new PlayStation 3 is unleashed and offers the HDMI support. In other words, our analogue cables of PS 1 and 2 are evolved into a single digital HDMI cable which holds and transfers the signals in both audio and video formats in the same route. HDMI is much improved and the technology of HDMI is implemented in almost every digital electronic product including the BluRay Player, HDTV, Camcorders (Handycam), Laptops, DVD Players and the most popular gaming console, PlayStation 3. Every single item stated above is capable of displaying High Definition image and sound quality.

In the historic moments, our electrical products are connected via L/R Stereo where we found them most on the Mini Hi-Fi ( Mini Compos ) where the signals are sub-divided into the left and the right sound. So, this explains why there are two speakers which are attached to the amp of the mini-hifi. Later, the Video cable is transformed into a higher degree of engineering science, which is the S-Video. This S-Video cable looks like a rectangular head connector where people intended to show the display of cellphone or laptop on the TV screen. Later on, Composite/Component cable of RGB ( Red, Green and Blue) cables are invented in the aim of digitalizing the output of the AV (Audio/Video) source. These cables are quite pricey if you have the interests of buying Monster Cable THX RGB Cables. I am not quite sure about the price tag in the other countries, but in Malaysia, they usually cost about RM250 and above merely for the component cables. Monster Cable is renowned for its capabilities of producing extremely high sound quality due to the state-of-the-art technology and the 22K Gold plated tip of the connection. This is the main reason why Monster Cable bagged numerous prestigious awards from the editors’ reviews. Subsequently, Optical cable was announced to be released which holds the sound signals in a single optical cable which is built using the technology of Fiber Optics ( Wow, we are dealing with lots of cash now…). Fiber Optics are invented and implemented in the medicine and human health industries in the hope of scrutinizing the organs of a particular patient in order to do medical analysis and interpretation without further operations. So, in an Optical cable, Fiber Optics is employed to transfer the signals optically from one end to another end. My Father bought home 3 different kinds of Monster Cable products earlier ago namely, RGB, Optical and Subwoofer cables. I remembered that was the first moment in my life of laying my hands to grab the cables with full of curiosity. My Father taught me that the cable is optically-designed and he took a torch light to shine the light on one end of the cable and he asked me to observe that emitted light actually passes through the cable optically and escape out from the other end. From that point onwards, I knew that these cables couldn’t be curved or twisted as it would damage the optical materials internally.

HDMI is advantageous when it comes to the friendliness of the product. This is because the product is very user-friendly when it comes to cable connection for TVs. Before this, we need to read or skim through the installation manual of either DVD or PlayStation manuals before connecting the wires into the wrong inputs to avoid the unnecessary consequences from happening. With the new interface of HDMI cable, every audio and video signal regardless of how many channels are bundled into a single digital cable. So, plugging the one and only HDMI cable from the DVD player to the TV will be a piece of cake. Secondly, HDMI offers extremely high bandwidth roughly 4.85 or 5 Gbps of data transfer rate. This implies that regardless of how many DVD, BluRay or PS3 players we had connected them to the HDTV, we still have plenty of bandwidth to be spared for more HD products in future. Thirdly, HDMI can support up to 8 channels of audio (7.1 – 7 Speakers and 1 SubWoofer) in the purpose of activating the HD DTS to obtain the cinematic sound quality with full surround so that the viewer will never spend more money to visit to the nearest cinema. Plus, with the co-operation of JAVA Sun Microsystem, the BluRay DVD titles will include a very special high-end interactive menu for the user to do more beyond just watching the movie only. With the technology of BD-J (BluRay DVD Java support), the viewer can enjoy the goodies of the extras such as HD movie trailers, mini games, commentary video clips, sound clips and a lots more.

Many consumers could hardly find the point of getting HDMI DVD player since that they couldn’t afford to get another brand new LCD TV with HD ready. If that is the case, getting a brand new HDMI DVD player doesn’t really affect the decision of getting a new TV. This is because, a HDMI DVD player is capable of upscaling/upconverting the signals of a normal DVD movie in order to achieve near 480p (640 x 480 Progressive) so that the image quality can be improved. I need to rephrase this, I didn’t say that we can get HD image quality, but we emphatically can see improvement on the TV screen. Last but not least, changing everything from SD to HD requires a lot of investment, so we are opt to change it at our desired pace.

Creative Zen V Plus

As we all know, Creative Labs had a great history in the making of MP3 Players, from the Nomad to the Zen series. Compared to other brands, Creative MP3 players are hardly to be defeated unless the competitors are Apple Ipod, Iriver, Cowon and so on. So, when we are dealing with portable audio players, we need to make sure we know from the top to toe before paying to get the player we demanded. For instance, we need to reconsider whether we really need a flash drive or a hard disk drive for storing audio and video files. The difference between the flash drive and the hard disk drive must be taken into serious account. A flash drive is the memory storage in our daily portable storage, which is the Pendrive. A flash drive is basically smaller in terms of memory space but it offers a higher data transfer speed which holds the highest priority when transferring bulky audio or video files. On the other hand, a hard disk drive is usually larger in terms of the size which results in lower cosmetic values ( Creative Zen Vision ). No offence, but do we really dare to carry a big bulk machine to the outside world with the simple aim of listening to MP3s? I don’t think. So, the storage capacity of the Creative V Plus is based on the technology of flash drive.

Before we get down into serious business, allow me to summarize the differences between the Creative V and Creative V Plus. The “Plus” word definitely add some “plus” values to the latter product which provides a FM radio tuner and a Video Playback function. However, the price is almost the same, adding another $30 bucks more you can have the V Plus if you are thirsty for video playbacks.

Well, the V Plus is actually an MP4 Player that came in solid and tough appearance. According to some MP3 enthusiasts, the new V Plus is the smaller size of Creative Zen Vision. Therefore, many people will definitely go for the V Plus as not only the size is smaller, but the price is also much lower compared to the hard disk version of Vision. The benefit of the V Plus over the Ipod Nano 2^nd Generation is that it offers FM radio and a better Video Playback quality. The V Plus also allows the user to orient the screen display from the horizontal to vertical degree by simply configuring the screen settings. In comparison to the Ipod Nano 2^nd Generation, they both offer a 1.5” inch display which is fairly good for the users to view video or picture playback ( still not good enough to offer satisfaction while viewing Mpeg4 ). The V Plus varies in colours which are also dependent on the storage capacity which classified into 1,2,4 and 8GB where 8GB version only come in black colour ( which is my favourite colour ). Moreover, V Plus is better than Ipod in terms of the power battery. The music playback function in the Ipod Nano can last up to 15 hours continuously whereas the V Plus can take it to a higher degree which is 20 hours of music playback.

V Plus is highly-rated in the sense of the cosmetic values. V Plus is not only cute but it can really cater the needs of MP3 enthusiasts where the design is splendid which results in solid, hard, tough, simple and most importantly not a fingerprint magnet anymore. So, the users won’t be having a hard time to wipe the smudges on the player’s surface while holding it in their palm for long periods.

Fortunately, the functionality of V Plus is simpler compared to other MP3 products where the user can easily perform the drag-and-drop style while transferring the audio, video and pictures into the player or vice versa. However, the V Plus is also bundled with its multimedia software for transferring, editing, ripping and converting audio or video formats. There is also a ZenCast which is quite similar to the PodCast that allows the user to preview, subscribe and buy MP3 online so that they will receive the latest and best streaming audio quality of MP3 songs. The ZenCast works 24/7 around the clock. In other words, the service is available in selected countries around the world at anytime.

The V Plus music playback works on MP3, WAV, WMA and so on. I bet you must be puzzled and having a peculiar thought on your mind, “ Why do the MP3 players still play WAV files since that the WAV file size is so big ?”. Well, sometimes, the hardcore fans of music prefer transferring Wav. Files from the CD into the player without converting them in the first place. This is to get the best quality of the song because when there is no format conversion that took place, so the respective song will experience lossless quality and zero percent compression. So, this the main reason why Wav. Files are still in high demand of making the MP3 players.

On the other hand, speaking of video playback this V Plus can play Mpeg4, AVI, and other sorts of Audible formats. Don’t worry that your Mpeg files are too big to be transferred to the player as the software which is bundled together will ease you in developing your own favourite videos by helping you to convert the formats into the desirable ones.

The picture playback which works on JPEG and BMP files are quite user-friendly as well. The process of playing the pics are so user-friendly that everyone from all walks of life will hardly encounter problems in transferring and viewing the pics on the display using either slideshow or normal show. The user is also permitted to create folders and sub-folders via PC on the Windows Explorer in order to organize and manage the family album or friends album easily. Nevertheless, the user must need to know that the bigger the mega-pixel / resolution of the picture, the bigger space consumption. Let’s say, I am using Canon Powershot A570 to take a 7.1 Mega-pixel photo of a family, the output of the image will take approximately 4 or 5 Mb per pic. Caution : Please be noticed that it doesn’t mean that higher mega-pixel will produce sharper and more crisp images. For this I will explain in the photo imaging section later.

So, the Creative Zen V Plus is also capable of storing 32 scannable presets of radio tuner in the player. So, the user can tune in to from the least to the most favourited channels worldwide and store them into presets for listening convenience. The USB transfer speed is 1.25 MB per sec for each data transaction on the PC synchronization.

My experience of buying MP3 players

I previously bought a MP3 player in 5 or 6 years ago if I wasn’t mistaken. The brand of the MP3 player is known as Targa and it is in a bolt shape. The design and aesthetic values did help in my mood of purchasing it as the Apacer series turn me back from laying my fingers on the power button. However, the maximum storage capacity of the Targa MP3 player was only 128 Mb. Unfortunately, approximately 3-4 Mb had been consumed by the player by producing folders, sub-folders, and some are used up for system configuration – settings for the overall system. So, it costs me for RM360 when I bought during the time, where the MP3 players started to gain recognition in the world of electronic gadgets.

As time went by, I made another dent in my wallet by buying the Creative ZEN Neeon 1Gb MP3 player. The size of the player is so slim and the weight is merely on par with a feather ( am I exaggerating ? aiks ! ). The LED display of the player is subjected to only two colours which are the Laser Blue and Orange. The overall face colour of the player is a two-tone black and blue depending on the storage capacity. The good of the player is very slim and the barely weight a few ounces. The music quality is average as the sound can be boosted up to the max volume but offering some distortion effect. The other point is that the LED display is too small, scrolling the wheel in order to browse through the songs available did stir up my mood of listening to music. Furthermore, uploading the quantity of songs to approximately 1Gb will slow the whole machine down. This is because, when I bought it as an empty player, the loading is quite pleasing, but adding tracks into the machine will take some time for it to finish loading every song in the storage in order to display them for the user to browse.

The glossy finish of the MP3 player is giving me an eye-sore. The glossy and shiny surface of the player is not COOL at all ! The surface is another fingerprint magnet and whoever removed the protective tape to get a firm hold of the player will also produce smudgy spots on the casing. The greatest weakness is that the MP3 player is easily scratched even though you thought that you put in a great effort of covering your favourite gadget against all the vulnerable damages. This player definitely came without scratch-protective coating. The theory applies to the Epson 3-in-1 (AIO) CX5500 ( Asian model ) which I am currently using. So, buying MP3 players take great effort of doing surveys and researches on the internet or getting feedbacks from friends so that you won’t waste another minute sitting on the couch to flashback all the silly mistakes that are committed.