时间：2022-09-14 07:59:58
Is a television set an entertainment device, a news portal or an educational tool? Don’t bother with answers. It is all of them and more. When John Logie Baird first demonstrated his television technology in 1926, he wouldn’t have known how the world would embrace his invention, enough for it to be called the “idiot box” for luring millions into passive, sedentary inaction at home. But hold on, just as its technology has undergone huge changes, the television set of today is also capable of doing a lot more than just be a purveyor of moving images. From the bulky cathode ray tubes to the slimmer LCD panels and then to the eco-friendly, eye-friendly LED-backlit panels of today, the TV has changed. It has also segued from being an idiot box to today’s “Intelligent TV”. It can now browse the Internet or play HD content from a USB drive, for instance.
The TV’s evolution has given rise to a number of spinoffs. Some call them TV accessories, some call them TV sidekicks. We call them TV chums, since like friends, things aren’t fun without them around. Speakers, game consoles, pen drives, wireless headsets and a lot more stuff are out there ready to be yoked to the good ol’ TV to make entertainment—and news and education and music and etc—more engaging. Here are some of the best of such products in various categories.
WIRELESS HEADSETS
SENNHEISER RS 170
Price: ` 13,990
If you are one of those night birds that love to watch a good flick in the darkness but are deprived of the pleasure by mates who’d kill you for the noise, then it’s time for you to purchase a good wireless headset. Our recommendation is the RS 170 from Sennheiser. This headset has an 80-metre wireless range, has exceptionally audio qualities and volume control is just an ear’s distance away. These are light and comfortable to wear. Even if you nod off , your ears won’t mind the burden till dawn.
PEN DRIVE
TRANSCEND JET FLASH 4 GB JF560
Price: `700
A very nice-looking pen drive for those who like to flaunt a few blingy things. The JF560 is a retractable pen drive that has 4 GB space on board. It is good for light storage and for people who do not want to dole out too much moolah. Compatible with a TV, BD player and a multimedia hub, it speedily reads, writes and transfers data.
A-DATA 32 GB USB 3.0
Price: `2,600
These days everything, from the TV itself to the peripherals that connect to it like a gaming console, BD player or a multimedia hub, supports USB playback. You can play music, movies and pictures from a USB stick. This one from A-Data has a large capacity that can store over forty-five 700 MB movies. A good option for people who want to store everything at once and not worry about having to delete data to accommodate more. This pen drive is also USB 3.0 ready, which means the transfer of data from PCs and laptops is at super fast rates.
HOME THEATRE SYSTEM
SONY BDV-E870
Price: ` 39,990
What Robin is to Batman, a good surround sound system is to television. The usual scrawny speakers on a TV are good only for the screechy talk shows. To enjoy movies, games and music you need extra speakers and surround sound. Sony’s E870 is one solution—it not only improves the sound experience but is also future ready. With 5 speakers, 1 subwoofer and a Blu-ray player, this 5.1 channel surround sound system can also play 3D movies. With a total output of 1000 W RMS, these audio amplifiers are excellent for medium to large rooms. Even if your TV is not Internet ready, you can enjoy web view with this unit. Just hook it up to your home Wi-Fi and browse video and other content from the web.
DIRECT TO HOME
TATA SKY HD
Price: ` 2,599
Now here is a Direct-to-Home service worth spending your money on. Tata’s offering surpasses expectations. With many producers now adopting high-definition resolution, including Star network, Discovery, National Geographic, sports and movies, it is better to keep pace with the times and have your TV fed with juice from Tata Sky’s HD service. The package pricing is nominal and users can connect up to three HDTVs on one satellite dish. The picture quality of the HD channel is astounding, but even the standard-definition programming boasts very good pictures. Tata Sky HD supports 5.1 channel audio for a true digital audio feel. Your primary connection comes for ` 2,599 for the set-top box, with package costs varying according to your preferences. For every additional TV, Tata Sky charges ` 150 per month, no matter how many channels you have subscribed to on the primary set-top box.
MULTIMEDIA HUB
AMKETTE FLASH TV HD
Price: ` 3,995
Amkette is a brand that is making its mark. Month after month the company has released products that look good and perform better. The latest in the Amkette home entertainment basket is the upgraded version of its Flash TV—now called Flash TV HD. This disc-shaped wonder does it all—plays all kinds of music and video formats known to man. You can attach USB pen drives and external hard drives to it and play media from it. You can even connect USB hubs to link more than one external HDD. What’s more, a remote control and HDMI cable come standard as part of the package.
ASUS O-PLAY MINI
Price: ` 4,400
O-Play Mini is bound to impress you. In addition to its superb video reproduction quality, it has several good features. Weighing just 175 gm you can carry it anywhere, connect external flash drives and SD cards to it and play music, videos and pictures, all through the hi-res HDMI output. The O-Play Mini even supports 7.1 channel surround sound. One of its pleasant tasks is controling digital noise when upscaling DVD video. The media hub comes supplied with a full function remote.
GAMING CONSOLE
MICROSOFT XBOX 360 + KINECT
Price: ` 22,990
There are three gaming consoles in the market. But Microsoft’s XBox 360 edges past its Sony and Nintendo rivals because it has one attachment that the others do not—Kinect. Kinect has become the fastest selling consumer gadget, putting into shade the iPod and iPad. That is not surprising, because what Kinect does is to removes the concept of a game pad from console gaming. It allows your own body to become the controller. Gesture control is the magic here. You can sprint, jump and box and each move your body makes is mimicked on the screen. Many games have been launched for Kinect and more are in the pipeline. A current favourite is Kinect Sports, five minutes of which will leave you huffing and puffing. Now who was it who said that TV promotes passivity?
BROADBAND
AIRTEL SWIFT 1099
Price: ` 1099+ taxes per month
With the current generation of television sets Wi-Fi and Ethernet ready, a broadband connection is a must. The intelligent TVs require a fast uninterrupted Internet connection to stream content. Airtel provides a decent 1 MBPS plan that has a limit of 25 GB on download after which the speed drops to 256 KBPS. At 1 MBPS you can stream any video or playback music without causing exasperation. There are higher speed plans available too. However we strongly suggest that you do not opt for anything under 1 MBPS. Otherwise all you will get on your TV is a “buffering” signal after every two seconds of playback.