Frequently Asked Questions - NOT LIVE
Frequently Asked Questions
Q. What size TV should I buy?
It all depends on the size of room that you have and of course how much you have to spend. There's no point splashing out on a huge screen TV if your seating arrangements are that close to the TV that you can't get experience the best quality that your TV has to offer. Ideally your TV should be placed roughly 2 to 2.5 times the screen size away from where you sit. For example a 50" TV, you should sit about 9-10' away from the screen. You can sit closer for DVD or HD material but standard definition material will be hard on the eyes if you get any closer than this.
Q. What HD content can I get for free?
If you have a TV, set top box or Windows Media Centre tuner card which is Freeview HD (i.e accessed via your TV aerial) you'll currently be able to you watch BBC HD, BBC1 HD, ITV 1 HD and Channel 4 HD. Freesat HD (which is accessed via a satellite dish) is also currently broadcasting BBC HD, BBC1 HD and ITV 1 HD, Channel 4 HD and NHK World HD, but be aware that an S2 type tuner card is required.
Q. What is overscan?
The term comes from the days of CRT Televisions when the scan lines that drew the image literally scanned over the edge of the viewable part of the tube, most modern flat panel TV's have a method for eliminating it, giving a more accurate picture.
Q. What's the cheapest and easiest way of playing my iTunes music in the living room?
If you already have an amplifier and speakers in there then all you need is a docking station for your iPod that has audio outputs, simply connect those to a spare input on your amplifier.
Q. What's the difference between something like Boxee compared to a cheaper streamer like the Western Digital HD Live?
Media streamers have vastly different capabilities and the main advantage of the boxee is that it has hundreds of applications available, which can be easily installed, and allow access to additional online content, things like iPlayer and NASA.TV.
Q. I've decided to go for a Sonos S5. What else do I need? All my music is currently on my desktop hard drive ?
Your PC will be connected to your router to allow internet access , so all that is required is to simply cable your Sonos S5 to your router, if they are not close to each other, homeplug is an ideal solution.
Q. What is VOIP?
VOIP stands for Voice Over Internet Protocol and is feature in some of the more advanced routers. If you're looking to make calls over the internet this is the feature for you. Routers enabled with VOIP technology enable you to use your regular household phone over the internet to other VOIP phones, or even to regular landlines. This can be a great way of saving money on your phone bill especially if you are calling friends and family overseas with the added bonus of not having to sit in front of your PC or laptop wearing a headset! The Draytek Vigor 2710Vn router is just one of the routers which features built in VOIP.
Q. What does VPN mean?
VPN stands for Virtual Private Network. Routers with the built-in VPN feature give you the ability to access your home network from anywhere with an internet connection. To put it simply you could be at a friends house and want to access something on your home network, for example your latest holiday photos, with a router featuring VPN you can easily do this without worrying about security or having to use a third party service which forces you to store your documents on someone else's server. Routers which allow VPN access, such as the Draytek Vigor 2820Vn ensure that your connection is password protected and encrypted so wherever you are in the world you can access your files safely and securely.
