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Panasonic reopens Plasma Concierge to the masses this holiday season

by Darren Murph posted Dec 7th 2007 at 9:26PM


Read enough horror stories lately to get you all scared about diving into the world of HDTV? Fret not, as Panasonic is reopening the phone lines to its toll-free Plasma Concierge service during the holidays. Usually, this line is reserved for those who already own a Panny PDP, but starting today, absolutely anyone can ring up the help line for a little one-on-one Q&A about flat panels. Reportedly, those on the other end will be happy to field any general / technical questions you may have, and unlike last year, the service will remain open until February 3, 2008 -- a full two months longer. Hit the read link for the digits, and be sure to grab some paper and a pen before you just start rattling off inquiries.

Calling the shot: mounting / not mounting flat-panel above fireplace

by Darren Murph posted May 20th 2007 at 4:09PM


While the question of hanging your new flat-panel above the fireplace or mantel has been around for years, it's about time the issue was actually tackled and looked at from a safety and feasibility standpoint. Admittedly, there are literally dozens of factors that can go into making said decision, and while no answer will be right for everyone, hopefully the following will lend a hand in easing your frantic mind. Granted, the more affluent homes that are often showcased in marketing promos make hanging a TV look like child's play, and while you may be able to cough up enough dough to let an experience installer come in and handle the dirty work for you, there's quite a few things (and alternatives) to consider. Of course, safety concerns surrounding recalled TV mounts, heat generated from a raging fireplace, and the actual wall material should be inspected first and foremost. Additionally, you should certainly consider just how difficult running every last cable (present and future) from your components below through the wall will actually (not) be, and for those working sans an AV cabinet, you might want to ponder just where you'll be placing those game consoles, receivers, and media players without ruining the overall allure. Still, there's no denying the attractiveness of a flat-panel HDTV hung neatly on a living room wall, but be sure and hit the links below and do a little planning of your own before pulling the trigger.

Read - HDInstallers - Safety Concerns
Read - Audio / Video Interiors mounting walkthrough

Popular Mechanics cranks out another ten HDTV myths

by Darren Murph posted May 20th 2007 at 2:33PM


Truthfully, it's quite sad that these top ten lists of HDTV myths keep popping up, as it just reinforces the sad truth that many folks are still mystified by the prospect of HDTV. Nevertheless, Popular Mechanics has doled out its own version of the woefully popular rundown, and making the cut are the ever popular tall-tales that an HD set-top-box is somehow required to receive any HD programming, a 1080p TV is unquestionably superior to a 720p counterpart, and that an HDTV will magically convert all programming to stunning high-definition. Additionally, we shed a tear just thinking of those who still believed that all flat-panels are indeed HD-ready and that pristine video quality is only channeled through stupendously overpriced cabling. A few newcomers to the list involved 1080p panels that actually can't accept 1080p signals from a scaling player, and the unbelief that HD video can't be recorded onto standard DVD-Rs. Of course, there's no shame in being duped by a unintelligible big box employee or just not being up to speed on the HDTV minutia, so take a few and hit the read link if you're looking to clear up any lingering HD haze.

[Photo courtesy of Chris Eckert/Studio D, thanks Matt]

Panasonic opens up Plasma Concierge service to the public for the holiday blitz

by Darren Murph posted Nov 28th 2006 at 2:09AM

If your tiresome Black Friday campout left you incensed at that fellow ahead who snagged the very last HDTV that you had been eying, take heart. Panasonic feels your pain, and is opening up its exclusive help lines to help you deal with the hassles of searching for the perfect plasma. The company's Plasma Concierge service -- which opened earlier this year -- is stocking up on customer service representatives to field any questions you may have, regardless of whether or not you own a single Panasonic product. The program is open to the public through December 31st of this year to craft "customized flat screen profiles," determine which set would be better suited for your room, and even tips on mounting and wiring. So if you're befuddled over where to get some reliable, free information (aside from the site you're currently ogling) on which plasma to pick up this holiday season, give Panasonic a ring, but be sure to dodge those sure-to-come sales pitches while you're at it.

eMediaLive: The Authoritative Blu-ray Disc & HD DVD FAQ's

by Matt Burns posted Aug 1st 2006 at 1:55PM

We try our best here to answer every question our readers throw at us. But sometimes people just want to learn on their own,and boy do we have a great resource for you. eMediaLive has had a Blu-ray FAQ section on their site for sometime now, but they also, just added a HD DVD version of it a few weeks ago. If you every have any questions about ether format, like how HD the construction of HD DVD-ROM, -R, and -RAM are different, consult this guide. We really don't think that this should be called a Frequently Asked Questions though. Do you see the question "What is the BD-R/RE AV format" as a question that is asked too often? Although a valid question and this is a great list of answers, we think these FAQ's should really be called The Ultimate Blu-ray /HD DVD Information Location. Has a nice ring to it, don't you think?

[Via HD-Insider]

Read - Blu-ray FAQ
Read - HD DVD FAQ




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