Author: Rick

Posted on

Manage Your Podcasts in iTunes

If you use iTunes and need more control of your podcasts, click on the Settings… tab at the bottom of the iTunes Podcasts page. This gives you the ability to choose download and retention settings. You can set a default and per-podcast setting.

Set a default podcast setting that applies to most of your podcasts, by first choosing:

Podcast Defaults

The individual control of podcasts was added a year ago in iTunes 8 but most people didn’t notice the addition. Now you can, for example, automatically keep only the latest of your news programs while keeping all of your story podcasts.

Some podcasts are released in batches. For example, NPR’s Dianne Rehm’s Friday News Roundup podcasts are released two at a time on Friday.  Therefore I set it to Download all instead of the most recent one. If I only downloaded the most recent, I would miss one of the shows.

Podcast Settings

You might also want to Download all if you only sync occasionally and want the most recent files, instead of the most recent podcast and an older podcast from when you last synced.

I find that if you change a podcast to keep only the Last X number of episodes, this does not go into effect immediately, but it eventually goes into effect after a podcast is refreshed.

Posted on

Buying a Home Theater Projector

Why you should buy a home theater projector

Screen size. For the ultimate large screen (100+ inch) theater experience, a front projector is the only solution under $80,000. There are large LCD, Plasma, and rear-projector televisions, but none over 100 inches that can practically be purchased or fit through your door.

Why you should not buy a projector

  • Lighting. Ambient light from windows and lamps immediately washes out a projector’s colors and dark details. To have a proper picture with correct colors and darks, you need to be able to completely control the light in that room, for example, by having heavy drapes on the windows. This creates a theater environment but can be impractical for casual viewing.
  • Installation. Projectors need to be mounted properly and focused so that there are no distortions. A screen also needs to be installed for best picture quality.
  • Maintenance. Projector bulbs need to be replaced every year or two, depending on usage and bulb life. Some projectors also need to be vacuumed for dust periodically.
  • Noise. Fan noise can be loud and irritating on some models.

Researching a projector

projectorreviews.com

  • ProjectorReviews.com by Art Feierman. Art has by far the most in-depth reviews of home theater projectors. People in forums anxiously await his reviews and refer to him when making arguments for projectors. Manufacturers sometimes send him test units prior to producing projectors. His daughter helps with the photographs and his friend Mike helps with calibrations.
  • AVS Forum’s Projector’s Under $3000 page. As with other home theater gear, AVS Forum has intelligent discussions of projectors by shoppers and owners of the equipment. They also have forums on projector screens and making your own DIY screens to save money.
  • Projector Central. Not as detailed as ProjectorReviews.com, but another resource for reviews.

Some things to consider

  • 1080P versus 720P resolution. Three years ago, 720P resolution was much cheaper than 1080P. But as with LCD TVs, projector manufacturers are putting all their effort into 1080P which can be purchased now for $1000.
  • Brightness. Ambient light in the room can be somewhat compensated for by a brighter projector.
  • Noise. If you are sitting close to the projector, you will want one that is relatively quiet, below 30db.
  • Bulb replacement. Look at replacement bulb costs as well as how many hours of life you can expect for a bulb.

My current favorite

A TV is a personal choice depending on your needs, room environment, and budget. My favorite at the moment is the Epson Home Cinema 8100 (see a review at ProjectorReviews.com) because it has:

  • Brightness while maintaining good colors. Many other projector’s brightest mode will create much poorer colors.
  • Shadow detail better than cheaper 1080P projectors.
  • Quietness. 27db or less. Cheaper 1080P projectors such as the Optima HD20 and Vivitek 1800 are significantly louder. Panasonic makes quieter projectors, but they are not as bright as this Epson.
  • Good warranty and long bulb life. Epson is easy to work with if you need a repair.

Epson 8100 Projector

Runner-up

I also recommend the Mitsubishi HC3800. It uses DLP technology instead of the Epson’s LCD, which leads to these trade-off’s: Pros: great colors, smaller body. Cons: louder fan, minor rainbow effect which some people notice and some don’t (caused by the DLP’s spinning color wheel).

Where to buy

As with other electronics, there are better deals if you shop online instead of going to Best Buy. I usually start at Amazon, but there are many online stores that will provide competitive pricing.

Posted on

Test LCD Monitor For Dead Pixels

Software to help find dead pixels

When you get a new monitor or laptop, it is good to see if there are any stuck or dead pixels. The easiest way to find problem pixels is to display solid colors and look over the screen. You have to look at it yourself since the software can’t actually detect if there is a hardware problem with the monitor.

This free software displays solid colors for you to find dead pixels.

For Windows – Dead Pixel Tester

For Mac – PiXel Check

PiXel Check

What if you have dead pixels?

Dead pixels can sometimes be fixed by gently massaging them in a circular motion. In my experience, this works about 20% of the time. Most manufacturers will accept returns if you have a certain number of dead pixels.