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High Definition Television

Samsung Nv24hd Digital Camera Review

by High Definition on January 22, 2010

The Samsung NV24HD is a 10 megapixel, compact camera. It has a wide angle, 3.6x optical zoom lens. The HD part of its name comes from the fact you can take still photos and movie clips for playback on a High Definition television set.

Why Buy the Samsung NV24HD?
The Samsung NV24HD includes a number of the latest buzz features such as high definition movies and the ability to automatically take a picture if it detects someone smiling. On top of this there is the wide angle lens, a manual exposure mode and the ability to reduce and potentially eliminate red eye. All these features come in a neat and tidy package.

Image Quality Samsung NV24HD test shots

Outdoor 1 (Medium Zoom)
The NV24HD gets off to a promising start. Focusing is good, especially in the centre part of the photo. There is a loss of sharpness towards the edges, but this will only be an issue with very large prints. Colours look good.

Outdoor 2 (No Zoom)
Digital cameras with wide angle lenses can find focusing difficult when no zoom is being applied. This is because it is hard to build perfect quality into such a small and inexpensive lens. Overall the NV24HD does well, although the softer focusing towards the edges is again in evidence.

Outdoor 3 (Maximum Zoom)
The downside of a wide angle lens is that it takes away some of the telephoto capabilities of the lens. In other words the lens is unable to zoom in as close as other 3.6x zoom lenses. Focusing is inline with my first two photos. There is a loss of detail in the darker areas of the photo. This is especially pronounced under the trees to the left of centre.

Outdoor 4 (Building)
I am happy with the sharpness of the photos when the subject has been at distance. Although, as in the first three shots sharpness becomes softer as you move towards the edges of the photo.

Outdoor Portrait
The brightness and focusing are fine, but the NV24HD sure has packed a lot of colour into this photo. The red / orange tinge is overdone for my own personal taste.

Indoor Portrait with Flash
If anything there is too much brightness in this shot as the flash overpowers and covers up some of the detail. As with the outdoor portrait the pink skin tones are overdone.

Indoor Portrait without Flash
Without the flash the camera produces a more natural looking photo. I prefer it to the portrait with flash, although the pink skin tones could be toned down once more.

Colours
My dedicated test for colours shows that the camera is capable of strong, vibrant colour. If anything red tends to have the upper hand here. This may go some way to explaining the strength of the skin tones in my portrait shots.

Macro
When it comes to the amount of detail showing in the macro shot the NV24HD does very well. My original macro shot had a blue tinge to it and the only way I could get rid of it was to use a custom white balance setting. You need to be aware of this if you are looking for a digital camera that you can always use with fully automatic settings. The shot could also do with a touch more brightness.

ISO 400 and ISO 1600
At higher ISO settings the results are pretty standard. At ISO 400 noise is not much of an issue in the lighter areas of a photo, but is already noticeable in shaded or darker areas. At ISO 1600 picture quality in all areas is struggling.

Overall
Perhaps the NV24HD is not the best camera on the market, but it does a decent job in most situations. To get the most out of this camera in terms of picture quality you may need to work with the camera’s settings.

Shutter Lag
Shutter lag times were better than most digital cameras manage. A single photo took 0.23 seconds and five took 7.43 seconds. With flash turned on times were still impressive with a single photo taking 0.45 seconds and five photos taking 12.53 seconds.

Start up time was another plus point. To turn the camera on and take a photo took 2.2 seconds.

You can compare this camera to other models by taking a look at the Shutter Lag Comparison Table.

Style: The design of this range of Samsung digital cameras is different to other brands. There is a raised grip area on the front and the lens unit protrudes as well. The camera is available in black and silver.

Dimensions: 98.5 x 61 x 27mm

Weight: 145.5g

Batteries: Lithium ion. Samsung supply a battery and charging cable with the NV24HD.

Memory cards: Roughly 16mb of storage have been built into the camera. This is enough for around 9 images. To increase the storage capacity you can use both SD and SDHC cards.

Ease of use rating: Very Good. The menu system used is unique to Samsung. I must admit it takes a bit of getting used to, but once mastered it is quick and easy to find and change settings.

Points I like:
Menu system – Start up and Shutter Lag Times

Where it could improve:
Some colour issues

Alternatives
It is not easy to come up with other digital cameras with similar features to the NV24HD. Another compact model with more bells and whistles than normal is the Panasonic DMC FX-500.

Verdict:
The Samsung NV24HD is a bit different to the majority of other compact digital cameras. It has some extra, useful features such as a manual exposure control and High Definition movies. Picture quality is good without really challenging the best cameras. Shutter lag times are also very good.

Front View

Back View

Top View

Sample Menus

Samsung Digital Camera Reviews

Cameras.co.uk

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Advice on Choosing the Right Surveillance Camera – Part 1

by High Definition on January 20, 2010

With so many choices of surveillance cameras in the market, it is very easy for a consumer to get overwhelmed and confused in choosing the right surveillance camera for their needs. Whether you are purchasing a security camera for a home, business or government application, there are some basic things that any purchaser should know in order to make a well informed decision. In this article we will cover the first of a series of topics to help educate someone that is researching the purchase of a surveillance system. The main topic for part one of this article series is camera resolution.

It is very important to understand what resolution means when shopping for a surveillance camera. CCTV (closed circuit television) cameras range in resolution from 330 TVL (television lines) to 600 TVL. For color resolution, CCTV cameras max out at 560 lines, however you can get black and white CCTV surveillance cameras in 600 TVL. IP surveillance cameras are now available in much higher resolution (up to 5 megapixels in resolution). What does this mean when planning a system?

In the United States, regular broadcast television (not high definition) displays 480 lines of resolution, so it is possible to purchase CCTV cameras that can capture equal to or greater resolution than television. Obviously the higher the resolution that you choose, the more detail you will see in your surveillance video. High definition television (HDTV) displays either 1080 or 720 lines of resolution depending on the channel and the type of HDTV that you have. In order to get higher resolution from surveillance cameras, the only choice is IP based megapixel cameras, which connect over an IP network instead of closed circuit. IP mega-pixel cameras are much more expensive than CCTV cameras. Prices for a quality CCTV camera range from $69 – $499. Mega-pixel cameras range from about $599 – $5000. For high end applications that demand ultra-high resolution megapixel cameras can capture surveillance video at more than twice the resolution of high definition television.

In my experience, some people that are shopping for a surveillance system have an unrealistic expectation for what a surveillance camera can capture (especially a CCTV camera). I will go in to more detail about lens size and types in the next article in this series but I must touch on it briefly now as it is so closely related to resolution when planning your system. For this example, we will use a 3.6mm lens which gives you about a 90 degree field of view outward from the lens. Some people think that if you take a 480 camera with a 3.6mm lens that you will be able to get a clear picture both of an object that is 20 feet away and an object that is 80 feet away. This is very far from the truth. While the 3.6mm lens will easily pick up the object in detail at 20 feet away, it cannot pick it up at 80 feet away also with the same 3.6mm lens. In order to pick up the object at the further distance, one must either use a larger lens that would make the image more zoomed in or use a high end megapixel camera that would allow the operator to zoom in digitally without distorting the picture. Digital zoom is possible with high end megapixel cameras, but not with normal resolution CCTV cameras. This will lead us into the next article in the series which will be about understanding and choosing the right lens.

This article was written by Mike Haldas. CCTV Camera Pros specializes in government, business and home surveillance systems. Please visit www.cctvcamerapros.com to read the rest of this article series and to find additional resources on video surveillance systems or call 888-849-2288 to speak to a pro.

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How Will You Get HDTV?

by High Definition on January 18, 2010

With the ontogeny popularity of HDTV, more and more viewers are moving to high definition television. And to keep up with this, broadcasters are at a faster pace than ever making high def programs.

Since there’s a deadline of Feb 17, 2009 for all broadcasters to shift to HD, the popularity of this fashion of shifting has grown. Individuals stuck with their old television sets that are not compatible with this new technology, have to get themselves a digital-to-analog converter or purchase an high definition antenna!

If you decide on buying a HD tv, then it is prefererd that you do considerable research to know what exactly is acquirable in the marketplace and what you need to obtain out about hd.

Once you have purchased your set, you will need to decide a cable system that offers you digital cable service and that Hi def comes part of their assemblage. Be knowing tho’ that if you opt a Cable/Dish provider to get high def you may be billed more for your local stations.

The common fee for getting your local hd stations via your provider is around $10/month over and above your normal program. The simplest and cheapest way (free) of getting high definition delivered to your house is via an antenna. That’s right , just the initial expenditure of an hdtv antenna will be all that is spent to acquire your hd signals!

The choices you have for an HD television are astounding. You have plasma, LCD (liquid crystal display), DLP (digital light processing) or LCOS (liquid crystal on silicon), all of which are types of monitors.

Don’t forget the type of displays also…rear projection, front projection and flat screen will be choices you’ll find when shopping for a tv. Many HDTV consumers like the wall display monitor, be it the plasma or the LCD.

But be ready, you will pay a price for these high definition sets, particularly the large screens of 55″. If you are hunting for something less expensive and not willing to compromise on the caliber, then look to LCD displays that are 42 inches or less in size.

In the end everyone crossways the country will eventually have to make the transformation to HDTV! Either by choosing to get the high def signals via their Cable/Dish organization or as likely most of the 30+ million consumers with the old-fashion type analog antenna will choose to get up on their roofs and trade it out for the new designed HDTV antenna.

Jim Williams Audio/Video enthusiast, Gamer, Traveller, Writer and a Historian addict that recommends you check out the new
HDTV antenna
RV Antenna

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Getting A HD Program Is Not Hard To Accomplish

by High Definition on January 18, 2010

My all-time favorite show…”The Sopranos” is a great drama. I can’t tell you how often I live vicariously through the families on this show. The best part about is that I can watch it in high definition because the high definition channel A&E just started running the episodes which used to only be on Home Box Office.

The other wonderful thing about it is I don’t have to pay anything extra for my high quality picture channels. I recently purchased an antenna that looks like a picture frame and gives me the crisp clear picture I love about high definition television.

I heard about it from my friend. She said that her husband found it and tried it out in their RV. When they were travelling the midwest on their vacation they said that it was awesome how a little frame could get such great reception. They went through the back roads of Kansas, Ohio, and Nebraska with no disruption in their signal.

The best thing about it for them is that since it is a picture frame, it’s also a nice piece of dacor in their RV. So I decided since I have a high definition tv I would give it a try. I bought one and hung it on my wall. As soon as I turned on the tv, it picked up all the stations in high quality picture.

The next time Sopranos came on; I was so thrillful because it was so much fun watching it with the vivid display. The colors are so luminous that the actors look like they are coming out of the screen. When there are action scenes, you really feel you are part of the action. It’s simply awing.

I placed a picture of my family and me at our last vacation in Las Vegas in the picture frame antenna. No one even notices that it is an antenna; they just comment on the beautiful image and move on. The other day I had a get-together and my tv was the talk of the evening.

I bought several movies and everyone was affixed to the screen. Several people even jumped at the action film I rented, it looked that genuine! I wish they had come out with this a long time ago because it’s definitely worth the investment of the TV and antenna.

Not too far off, I will be able to view all of my shows in high definition because of the big switching happening on February 17, 2009. I can hardly wait!

Jim Williams recommends that you take a look at one of the few HDTV antennas on the market that actually works!
Resources: Detroit HDTV antennas RV antenna

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Reality Shows Make For A Fun Evening

by High Definition on January 17, 2010

Actuality shows have taken over and I must acknowledge that I am a actuality show freak. Alright, what is better than looking into people’s lives and and finding out all about them.

Oh, and let’s not forget all of the drama that takes place within the shows. It’s not only fun but it keeps

you from creating drama in your own life. My recent actuality show favorites are Rock of Love with Bret Michaels and Flavor of Love 3.

There is nothing trashier than these two shows and

I love it. Every Sunday and Mon, I use my nighttime to sitting down in front of my tv staring at the silly stunts the girls have in store for their man.

High definition television is the uncomparable innovation because not only do I get to follow trashy reality shows but also I get to observe them in high

calibre image.

HD makes you believe like you are right in the mansions with them. The colors are so pure and clear.

It’s nearly as if the people are talking to you in your family room when they narrate the latest drama that has taken place.

Nothing beats a HDTV when you are looking for quality television programming. I am also fortunate that I found out about HD signals through an antenna.

My friend discovered high definition antennas that can be placed in your home or on the roof. It receives the same signals as our satellite company provided us but without the monthly expenditure.

I am interested in saving a few dollars. I tried it out and I am so thrilled I did. My channels are crisp and bright. My regular channels which will be high definition channels on Feb 17th look even better than they did before.

By the way, if you did not know, on February 17, 2009 all channels are required to transfer only these signals. This means that people who do not have service through their cable or satellite company will have to either get it or buy the antenna.

Like I said, I love actuality shows and now with my TV prepared to go, I will be able to view it for numerous years to come. Hopefully, reality shows will stick around for a little longer.

I know that it’s just a fad right now and will someday be replaced with some other new popular type show. Until then tho’, if there is a reality show out there, I am watching it.

Jim Williams recommends that you take a look at one of the few HDTV antennas on the market that actually works!
Resources: HDTV antenna Commercial Bar stools

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Evening TV Shows Are Getting Outrageous

January 16, 2010

Actuality shows have taken over and I must admit that I am a reality show nut. Okay, what is better than looking into people’s lives and learning all about them. Oh, and let’s not forget all of the drama that
takes place within the shows.

It’s not only diverting but it keeps you from [...]

High Definition Television

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