How Do You Work This Thing?

I’ve worked in the satellite and cable industry for a little over two years. Before I ever joined the work-force, my mom would call me to program the VCR, fix the reception, or just help her work her way through the menus. As television entertainment becomes more high tech, consumers find themselves floundering in the vast whirlpool of gadgetry.
There are a number of quick fixes for everything from a blank screen to those pesky bars on your High-Def TV.

Television manufacturers and broadcast companies have, in recent years, supplied a number of self-help options to customers. The more a customer understands, the more satisfied they are with the product. One of these self-helps can be found right on your TV.

It’s called a V-chip, and with it, you can prevent your children from scarring themselves with programming you consider off-limits. The beauty is, you don’t have to look for it. Just pick up your remote and select the button that takes you into the menu. This is labelled Menu, Setup, or Settings on most remotes. Once there, check the bottom and top of the screen for tips on how to navigate. Some use arrow keys, others use the channel and volume keys. However it’s done, pay attention to those tips.

Look for the V-Chip or Parental Control settings. Once you have it highlighted, you have to open the menu. Again, this can be different for each TV. Some remotes have an Enter button, some you simply hit the Menu button again. Often, this will simply put you out of the menu. Don’t panic! This is trial and error, after all. Once you get back to the menu you want, try another method of entry. If no Enter is available, and the Menu key backfired, try your arrows. Right is often the key in these cases, especially if your remote is universal, designed to control a VCR/DVD player as well as the TV.

Once you find what you want and open the menu, you simply choose the level of programming you want accessible. In most cases, you’ll be asked to enter some sort of code.
Don’t underesitmate the kids! They are growing up in a technical world. Make it something they’d never thinkof. Not their birthday, or your birthday. Often, using the same PIN as your bank card is a sure way to keep the kids in the dark about your codes.
Unless you trust them with that sort of thing.

With the onset of High-Def TV, several new issues have arisen for the consumer. In the excitement of purchase, some may have neglected to actually learn how to work the thing. The back of a High-Def TV is a daunting sight to behold. There are numerous slots, holes, and plugs for all manner of things. Audio, video, stereo, mono…DVI, HDMI…you can just feel the ulcers pump away.

Don’t fret. If, unlike me, you don’t care to thumb through your user’s manual, there are several simple things to make sure you get the most out your in-house movie screen.

First, getting the picture right. The difference between High-Def TV and regular TV is in the picture. Digital television is broadcast in tiny pieces, called pixels. These pixels fit together like puzzle pieces to form your picture. They shift and reform hundreds, sometimes, thousands of times per second. It’s simply refreshing itself, to give you a smooth viewing surface. Standard TV is shown in 480dpi (dots per inch). HDTV is shown in 1080dpi, which makes the picture sharper and clearer.

A common issue consumers have with HDTV is the aspect ratio. Standard TV ratio is 4:3. Meaning, your screen is filled. You know that little disclaimer on videos that states the movie has been formatted to fit your TV? I hate that. I prefer widecreen format. Why? It shows the movie as it was supposed to be viewed…on a big screen. You don’t lose the side view. HDTV is more in line with movie screen ratios, 16:9, keeping the balance, of course. Most TVs are higher than they are wide. HDTVs are wider than the are high, like a movie screen.

However, if you get those black bands on the side, they can burn into your screen. To remove them, go into your HDTV menu with the remote. Look for Modes, Aspect, Settings, Preferences. Once there, you have choices on how you want the picture to show. Movie, Standard, Stretch, and Fill are some examples of what you’re looking for. Once you have that, pick an HD broadcast program and break out the popcorn!

For mor einformation on V-Chips and Parental Controls, please see FCC V-Chip. For information about your High-Definition Television, please see How HDTV Works.