In 1953, the Swanson Company introduced Americans to the TV Dinner. Since that time millions of little aluminum foil trays of chicken, peas and mashed potatoes the consistency of Play-Doh™ have been baked in ovens all over this country. This not only has contributed to landfill problems with all that aluminum going into the garbage, it has wasted energy, since traditional ovens are used to cook these dinners.
Well, the TV dinner has gone digital and the environment will be better for it.There is a new high tech start up company in the Silicon Valley that will introduce a line of TV dinners this week. They promise that the dinners will be both nutritious and environmentally friendly.
The company, DigiEaT Systems (http://www.dietsyst.com/com) is partnering with several TV makers to take advantage of a little known byproduct of the new digital over-the-air broadcasting.Most people don’t realize that over-the-air broadcasting makes use of high frequency radio waves. These microwaves are the same waves that are concentrated in the microwave oven in your kitchen. Concentrating these waves on your popcorn or your TV dinner makes them heat up and cook very efficiently.
DIgiEaT has contracted with LG, the world’s largest Digital TV manufacturer, to develop a TV set that has a special slot into which you can insert the new TV dinners. Gone is the aluminum foil packaging since this would disrupt the flow of microwaves. Instead, all packaging is made of the recycled paper from "TV Guide Magazines" making them very environmentally friendly. Once inserted into the TV, the user will select the cooking time by changing the channel number on the tuner. The higher the channel number selected the faster the dinner will cook. Since it takes more power to transmit video on Channel 48 than it does for Channel 9, these dinners will certainly be popular with Public TV viewers and may even attract new ones to CET/PBS.
DigiEaT and LG plan to have dinners and compatible TVs in stores on April 1st.
Monday, March 30, 2009
Monday, March 23, 2009
What To Do With All That Junk
There has been a lot in the news of late about all the debris floating above our heads. No I don’t mean the rhetoric from Washington, I mean all the space junk that is orbiting our planet. Just a week or so ago, the astronauts aboard the International Space Station had to hunker down in a capsule until a piece of a discarded rocket engine passed perilously close to the station traveling at some 22,000 mph. It seems that what goes up does come down, but in space terms it may take a while. Apparently our near-earth cosmic space is getting very crowed with junk. Just like the NASA guys who need to do a better job of handling our space trash disposal, we earthbound consumers need to do the same.
One of the most worrisome categories of trash is the mountain of obsolete consumer electronic devices that get pitched every day. TVs, cell phones, home computers, ipods VCRs and many other devices with power cords or batteries get sent to the curb for Mr. Rumpke.
Gone are the days when you bought a TV or radio and used it for years, taking it in for repair when needed. Today some people replace cell phones in order to get one that matches the color of their socks. Others must have the latest and greatest. “My phone is newer and smaller than your phone….nya! nya! nya! nya! nya!”
Even in this stressed economy, we are not likely to change our consumption habits. We should however change our disposal habits. Electronic devices and the batteries that power them contain some very bad stuff. Arsenic, mercury, lead and heavy metals are not things we want to pitch into land fills.
There are safe options that everyone should consider when disposing of these items. Some will cost a few dollars but this expense is more than justified by the long term benefit to the planet and all who live here.
In an effort to handle the increased number of TV sets being retired because of the digital transition, the Hamilton County Solid Waste Management District will conduct a TV recycling event from May 1 - December 30, 2009 for residents of Hamilton County, Ohio. The TV Recycling Program will be incorporated with the computer recycling program. Recycling computer equipment will continue to be free. Recycling TVs will have the following charges associated: 60 lbs or less, $10/TV; over 60 lbs, $20/TV.There are several other options for area residents wanting to responsibly dispose of unwanted electronic items. You can call the Solid Waste District at 513-946-7766 or better yet go to the web site where they list several places that will take your old equipment. Some of them will take the items for free. For example, Best Buy stores will take some old TV’s and other items like cell phones and batteries.
One of the most worrisome categories of trash is the mountain of obsolete consumer electronic devices that get pitched every day. TVs, cell phones, home computers, ipods VCRs and many other devices with power cords or batteries get sent to the curb for Mr. Rumpke.
Gone are the days when you bought a TV or radio and used it for years, taking it in for repair when needed. Today some people replace cell phones in order to get one that matches the color of their socks. Others must have the latest and greatest. “My phone is newer and smaller than your phone….nya! nya! nya! nya! nya!”
Even in this stressed economy, we are not likely to change our consumption habits. We should however change our disposal habits. Electronic devices and the batteries that power them contain some very bad stuff. Arsenic, mercury, lead and heavy metals are not things we want to pitch into land fills.
There are safe options that everyone should consider when disposing of these items. Some will cost a few dollars but this expense is more than justified by the long term benefit to the planet and all who live here.
In an effort to handle the increased number of TV sets being retired because of the digital transition, the Hamilton County Solid Waste Management District will conduct a TV recycling event from May 1 - December 30, 2009 for residents of Hamilton County, Ohio. The TV Recycling Program will be incorporated with the computer recycling program. Recycling computer equipment will continue to be free. Recycling TVs will have the following charges associated: 60 lbs or less, $10/TV; over 60 lbs, $20/TV.There are several other options for area residents wanting to responsibly dispose of unwanted electronic items. You can call the Solid Waste District at 513-946-7766 or better yet go to the web site where they list several places that will take your old equipment. Some of them will take the items for free. For example, Best Buy stores will take some old TV’s and other items like cell phones and batteries.
Monday, March 16, 2009
More TV Moving to the Web
Last week we discussed the increasing number of options that many of us have to watch TV programs. Gone are the days when we had to make a pilgrimage to the living room to watch our favorite show. Now more and more we are choosing to watch TV on our home computer.
The number of programs and videos available on the internet is mind boggling and makes the inventory at even the largest video store seem puny. A recent unrelated event in my life highlights this explosion in video content that is only a mouse click away.
One of my interests is music and I play a few instruments and enjoy learning new ones. Over the last few months I had been eyeing a cello that was for sale at the Music Shoppe and a week or so ago I bought it. I figured it was just a bigger version of the violin, another instrument I picked up about 10 years ago. Since I needed to learn some basics, i.e., how to hold it, fingering patterns etc., I went to the internet.
Along with a ton of printed instructions I found a number of video lessons on YouTube and other video websites. One began with the basics of tuning the cello and advanced through some difficult techniques. All were free and available on demand. Now, for sure these instructional videos are not going to make me Harrison’s Yo-Yo Ma (just ask my violin teacher, Connie Kopp) they do provide some good basic information.
It is not just instructional videos that are available. Many us place family videos on YouTube so we can share events like birthdays or vacations with family members spread all over the world. And most TV stations like CETconnect.org have hundreds of local videos for viewing. But there is much more.
Take a look at www.Hulu.com. This site has a many of your favorite network TV programs along with many cable offerings. From Saturday Night Live to the Colbert Report, Hulu offers on demand full length TV programs. All you need is a computer and a broadband internet connection. In order to have access to all the programs you must register and answer a few questions.
Unlike using a Tivo or other personal video recorder (PVR) where you can delete the commercials, Hulu requires you to watch the commercials but in some cases allows you to choose between watching a longer 3 minute version of all the commercials or watching the commercials embedded in the program just as they would be on broadcast TV. This is a nice touch.
Hulu’s growth has been impressive. In an average month they have more than 6 million unique viewers. Not bad for a service that did not exist until 2007. While YouTube still is the leader in online video with some 40% of all video traffic, look for more services like Hulu to emerge satisfying our increasing appetite for watching TV programs when and were we want to.
The number of programs and videos available on the internet is mind boggling and makes the inventory at even the largest video store seem puny. A recent unrelated event in my life highlights this explosion in video content that is only a mouse click away.
One of my interests is music and I play a few instruments and enjoy learning new ones. Over the last few months I had been eyeing a cello that was for sale at the Music Shoppe and a week or so ago I bought it. I figured it was just a bigger version of the violin, another instrument I picked up about 10 years ago. Since I needed to learn some basics, i.e., how to hold it, fingering patterns etc., I went to the internet.
Along with a ton of printed instructions I found a number of video lessons on YouTube and other video websites. One began with the basics of tuning the cello and advanced through some difficult techniques. All were free and available on demand. Now, for sure these instructional videos are not going to make me Harrison’s Yo-Yo Ma (just ask my violin teacher, Connie Kopp) they do provide some good basic information.
It is not just instructional videos that are available. Many us place family videos on YouTube so we can share events like birthdays or vacations with family members spread all over the world. And most TV stations like CETconnect.org have hundreds of local videos for viewing. But there is much more.
Take a look at www.Hulu.com. This site has a many of your favorite network TV programs along with many cable offerings. From Saturday Night Live to the Colbert Report, Hulu offers on demand full length TV programs. All you need is a computer and a broadband internet connection. In order to have access to all the programs you must register and answer a few questions.
Unlike using a Tivo or other personal video recorder (PVR) where you can delete the commercials, Hulu requires you to watch the commercials but in some cases allows you to choose between watching a longer 3 minute version of all the commercials or watching the commercials embedded in the program just as they would be on broadcast TV. This is a nice touch.
Hulu’s growth has been impressive. In an average month they have more than 6 million unique viewers. Not bad for a service that did not exist until 2007. While YouTube still is the leader in online video with some 40% of all video traffic, look for more services like Hulu to emerge satisfying our increasing appetite for watching TV programs when and were we want to.
Monday, March 9, 2009
We Are Changing How We Watch TV
Long gone are the days when TV watching was relegated to the family room … Mom, dad, 2.5 kids and Fido all nestled around the 26” Philco watching “Bonanza in living color.” The folks who do the counting, The Nielsen Company, recently published a report about how we watch TV programs. Notice I did not say “watch TV.” It seems that the number of different “screens” used to watch our favorite programs continues to expand. The Nielsen report tracks viewing on traditional TV sets, either off air or cable/satellite-connected, as well as TV viewing on the Internet via computer and more recently on mobile devices like phones. There is no doubt that the way we watch is changing.
The lion’s share of watching is still done using the traditional TV set. For sure the “Rockwellian” image of mom, dad, the kids and Fido is no more, but the average American is still watching more than 5 hours a day. In many case watching is done in combination with other activities from washing the dishes to reading a book. Nevertheless, the time is counted.
What the data show regarding the use of the Internet to watch programs is fascinating. In one year the number of people watching on their computer increased 3.3%. That is 161 million people who watched an average of 22 minutes per month. While this amount of time watching pales in comparison to traditional TV viewing, the rate of growth is impressive. As more and more of your favorite full length TV programs are available on-demand on web sites like www.HULU.com , the numbers should continue to increase. The increase in the number of home computers connected to high speed networks like Time Warner’s “Road Runner” or Cincinnati Bell’s DSL services allows more and more people to have a TV picture displayed on their computer that rivals the quality of the picture on a regular TV set..
So far, the viewing of TV programs and other video material on mobile devices is still quite small but just as is the case with Internet viewing, it is increasing. Many cell phone carriers offer a video option. Again our friends at Nielsen have tracked a very steep increase in the number of people watching TV on mobile phones. Over a period of one quarter the number increased by 9% with a estimated total of 11 million users.
Perhaps the most interesting data relates to “time shifting.” More and more of us are using PVR’s (Personal Video Recorders). Many cable and satellite companies offer PVR packages. Some of us use TIVO. No matter what device or service you use, having the ability to select programs in advance for recording and then watching them when you want is something that seems to be very attractive. Almost 1 out of 3 households now has one or more PVRs. The impact is stunning for advertisers who can have their commercials zapped when the program is watched on a PVR.
For sure, the age of the viewer impacts on the selection of the various viewing options with younger viewers opting for the PVR, Internet and increasingly, mobile options. These trends will be interesting to watch as the current population of “30 somethings” get older.
The lion’s share of watching is still done using the traditional TV set. For sure the “Rockwellian” image of mom, dad, the kids and Fido is no more, but the average American is still watching more than 5 hours a day. In many case watching is done in combination with other activities from washing the dishes to reading a book. Nevertheless, the time is counted.
What the data show regarding the use of the Internet to watch programs is fascinating. In one year the number of people watching on their computer increased 3.3%. That is 161 million people who watched an average of 22 minutes per month. While this amount of time watching pales in comparison to traditional TV viewing, the rate of growth is impressive. As more and more of your favorite full length TV programs are available on-demand on web sites like www.HULU.com , the numbers should continue to increase. The increase in the number of home computers connected to high speed networks like Time Warner’s “Road Runner” or Cincinnati Bell’s DSL services allows more and more people to have a TV picture displayed on their computer that rivals the quality of the picture on a regular TV set..
So far, the viewing of TV programs and other video material on mobile devices is still quite small but just as is the case with Internet viewing, it is increasing. Many cell phone carriers offer a video option. Again our friends at Nielsen have tracked a very steep increase in the number of people watching TV on mobile phones. Over a period of one quarter the number increased by 9% with a estimated total of 11 million users.
Perhaps the most interesting data relates to “time shifting.” More and more of us are using PVR’s (Personal Video Recorders). Many cable and satellite companies offer PVR packages. Some of us use TIVO. No matter what device or service you use, having the ability to select programs in advance for recording and then watching them when you want is something that seems to be very attractive. Almost 1 out of 3 households now has one or more PVRs. The impact is stunning for advertisers who can have their commercials zapped when the program is watched on a PVR.
For sure, the age of the viewer impacts on the selection of the various viewing options with younger viewers opting for the PVR, Internet and increasingly, mobile options. These trends will be interesting to watch as the current population of “30 somethings” get older.
Monday, March 2, 2009
Hurry Up and Wait for DTV
Well, by now I had hoped that I wouldn’t be writing any more about Digital Television and I would not be at all surprised if you were wishing the same thing. For more than two years I have been periodically discussing the end of analog broadcasting which was to have happened at the stroke of midnight, February 17th. In the Late 90’s our leaders in Washington had decided that all full power TV stations in the US would broadcast exclusively in digital format. As you know by know, a week or so before that cut off date, Congress and our new President decided that the US TV viewers were still not ready for the switch. They drew a new line in the sand for midnight June 12th. So what happened?
First of all, unless you live in a cave with no TV at all, you could not have missed the saturation of TV spots, on-screen text messages and almost weekly newspaper columns warning you that if you receive TV using an antenna and analog TV you needed to make some changes. Well, according to surveys, some 10% of us did not pay attention and were not equipped to continue to watch TV after the switch.
Adding to the ill-prepared populace’s frustration, the Federal program that was to provide coupons toward the purchase of set top DTV converters ran out of money leaving millions waiting to buy the required devices. And the icing on the cake was that many who had purchased a new TV or set top converter were having problems getting them to work properly.
So where do we stand in Cincinnati? All full power TV stations, except Channel 64, are continuing to broadcast in both analog and digital formats so your old unmodified TV will still work. All local stations plan to cease analog operation no latter that June 12th. Some may decide to go off earlier in April or May.
What should you do? If you are a cable or satellite service subscriber you need do nothing. Those services will do all the conversion for you. If you have a new digital TV with an antenna and it is currently receiving the digital channels, you too are in good shape. You need to do nothing.
If you are still receiving TV using your old set and an antenna (indoor rabbit ears or outdoor roof top) you need to act. Of course you can subscribe to cable or satellite, or buy a new TV. The least expensive way to assure that it does not snow on your TV screen on June 13th is to get a DTV converter. When you get it, connect it right away. All your favorite programs and many more are being broadcast locally in digital. There is no reason to wait. By connecting it now you will see right away if you need to adjust your antenna or get a new one.
If you have not requested coupons or (AND THIS IS NEW) if your coupons expired before you used them, you can request them now. The new stimulus bill added funds to the Coupon Program. You can request two $40 coupons per household on line at www.dtv2009.gov or by phone at 888-388-2009.
It is unlikely that the deadline will be extended again, I think, perhaps, maybe, who knows?
First of all, unless you live in a cave with no TV at all, you could not have missed the saturation of TV spots, on-screen text messages and almost weekly newspaper columns warning you that if you receive TV using an antenna and analog TV you needed to make some changes. Well, according to surveys, some 10% of us did not pay attention and were not equipped to continue to watch TV after the switch.
Adding to the ill-prepared populace’s frustration, the Federal program that was to provide coupons toward the purchase of set top DTV converters ran out of money leaving millions waiting to buy the required devices. And the icing on the cake was that many who had purchased a new TV or set top converter were having problems getting them to work properly.
So where do we stand in Cincinnati? All full power TV stations, except Channel 64, are continuing to broadcast in both analog and digital formats so your old unmodified TV will still work. All local stations plan to cease analog operation no latter that June 12th. Some may decide to go off earlier in April or May.
What should you do? If you are a cable or satellite service subscriber you need do nothing. Those services will do all the conversion for you. If you have a new digital TV with an antenna and it is currently receiving the digital channels, you too are in good shape. You need to do nothing.
If you are still receiving TV using your old set and an antenna (indoor rabbit ears or outdoor roof top) you need to act. Of course you can subscribe to cable or satellite, or buy a new TV. The least expensive way to assure that it does not snow on your TV screen on June 13th is to get a DTV converter. When you get it, connect it right away. All your favorite programs and many more are being broadcast locally in digital. There is no reason to wait. By connecting it now you will see right away if you need to adjust your antenna or get a new one.
If you have not requested coupons or (AND THIS IS NEW) if your coupons expired before you used them, you can request them now. The new stimulus bill added funds to the Coupon Program. You can request two $40 coupons per household on line at www.dtv2009.gov or by phone at 888-388-2009.
It is unlikely that the deadline will be extended again, I think, perhaps, maybe, who knows?
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