Tuesday, December 2, 2008

Best New TV Technology Implemented By Comcast

By Rachel Smith

The technology that's been developed over the past decade or so has made a big difference in how we view and enjoy TV and one company that's done a good job of embracing and executing the technology is Comcast.

One type of technology that Comcast has really excelled at implementing is video on demand. Video on demand essentially gives TV viewers the ability to choose various kinds of video clips from an archive of content. Once a program is chosen, the viewer can begin watching the video clip right away without having to wait for it to air like with normal TV. Comast implements video on demand technology through two different services. The primary one is its pay per view service which is called ON DEMAND. With ON DEMAND a viewer selects a movie from a list of recently released movie titles, pays for the movie and can start watching the movie right away.

The second kind of video on demand service from Comcast is called Premiums On Demand. Premiums On Demand is a subscription service that provides access to content from premium movie channels like HBO and Showtime. This content can be accessed whenever the subscriber wants at no charge in addition to the subscription fee. That makes Premiums On Demand a great example of video on demand technology.

Another newer technology that Comcast provides for its subscribers is HDTV. HDTV, which is short for High Definition Television, is a new TV format that was created to provide a way for movie buffs to watch major motion pictures in the comfort of their own homes while getting the full enjoyment of the movie. This is made possible by the fact that HDTV has a wide screen aspect ratio of 16:9 just like the screen in a movie theater, a high resolution picture, and features Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound for an audio experience a lot like what you'd get in a commercial movie theater. Of course a special HDTV set and sound system are necessary to enjoy HD programming, but Comcast can supply the programming to go with your selection of equipment.

One type of technology that Comcast makes available as part of its hardware options is the digital video recorder. A digital video recorder, or DVR for short, is a high tech way to make sure that you don't miss your favorite TV shows. Basically, a digital video recorder can be programmed to record movies, TV shows, sports event, and anything else that you want to watch when you aren't around. It's a lot easier to program than a VCR and since it stores the recorded programming on a built in computer hard disk, you won't have to worry about video cassette tapes either.

Comcast's user friendly software also provides a huge leap forward in user friendliness. Not only does it make a DVR much easier and more intuitive to program, but it also makes deciding what to watch much easier. For example, the on screen program guide will tell you what's on each channel in an easily understood chart format that virtually eliminates the need to channel surf. Parental control software will also go a long way toward helping to keep your kids from accidentally stumbling onto inappropriate programming.

TV technology has made a lot of strides forward in recent years and Comcast is one of the companies that puts that technology into practice.

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