Video

The Mystery of Henry Hoke

JonathanGreen — Thu, 17 May 2012 16:55:11 +1000

Like many readers of ManSpace, we at the Institute of Backyard Studies (IBYS) are big tool collectors. Most Sunday mornings you’ll find us out at garage sales, swap meets or the trash’n’treasure, casting expert eyes over piles of rubbish and junk in a search of that elusive little beauty. A Stanley plough plane from 1923 perhaps... or maybe a Wilkinson folding drawknife is just sitting there, waiting for our loving touch. You live in constant hope of that big find and some days are good.

Denon relaunches core AV receiver line

CF — Mon, 30 Apr 2012 16:50:51 +1000

Available now, the new line includes the 7.1-channel Model AVR-1913 as well as the 5.1-channel Models AVR-1713, AVR-1613 and AVR-1513.

Denon product manager for core products Yoshinori Yamada says, “With the launch of our new core AV receiver line for 2012, we are giving more people total simplicity of setup and operation, access to online music content as well as outstanding audio and video capabilities.”

Airplay in three new models

Denon DHT-1513BA home theatre system

CF — Fri, 27 Apr 2012 08:56:51 +1000

Denon product manager Yoshinori Yamada says, “Many consumers today are looking for a way to enjoy truly great and immersive surround sound with their home entertainment – but they don’t want to break the bank to do it. With the debut of our high-value, high-performance DHT-1513BA system, we are making it easier and more affordable to upgrade.”

New Samsung Smart TV range

Darcy — Thu, 19 Apr 2012 10:52:51 +1000

The new 55" Samsung LED8000 Smart TV

Samsung has recently announced the launch of its latest Smart TV models in Australia, featuring a whole host of new functions and features that most of us are more used to seeing in gaming consoles.

Panasonic 3D Blu-ray home theatre systems

CF — Mon, 16 Apr 2012 16:02:52 +1000

The new models boast a plethora of connectivity features including smart phone remote control, VIERA Connect, enhanced DLNA functionality, Skype video and voice calls, built-in Wi-Fi, Wireless LAN capability and iPod/iPhone/iPad connection.

On the go again!

wrenton — Wed, 11 Apr 2012 14:35:25 +1000

It’s been a while since the last update, but there has been quite a delay with the supply of the steel for the upper level, and once a again it felt like there was very little happening. Quite a few of the wall frames had been completed but erecting these all depended on the steel being in place.

Going back a month or so, the bricklayers did a fantastic job with all the lower walls being completed in just under two weeks. It would have been nice if the steelwork had come along as well! Anyway, the clock cannot be wound back, and, as of this week everyone is back on the job.

Hills Antenna & TV Systems releases ‘talking’ set-top box

CF — Mon, 02 Apr 2012 16:55:30 +1000

The Talking Set Top Box, Hills HD94003G, was developed with the assistance of the Australian Government and Vision Australia. It is designed to enable vision impaired people to navigate through the various digital channels, using a text to speech menu and EPG.

Having a bar of it

JonathanGreen — Mon, 27 Feb 2012 15:36:57 +1100

In the launch edition for ManSpace we asked readers to send in personal stories about their space. Darren Gallagher has answered the call and gives us a first person account of The Flying Sailor Bar & Brewery; his garage retreat inspired by beer, blues music and cool cars: Never a truer word has been spoken since young Tobias talked it up in the 18th century. There is something fantastic about being young and hitting the high seas (which led to being hit from time to time, or from port to port). Having moved around as a lad because of my father’s employment, little did I know that he ...

Like a giant Meccano set

wrenton — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 11:04:51 +1100

With the holiday break behind us the action on ‘The Block’ is picking up. Early January the scaffolding was put in place, then from that point on there didn’t appear to be much happening. However, we were assured there was plenty going on behind the scenes.

So you have at least 3 quotes, now what?

matthew — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 08:57:20 +1100

If you have carefully selected your tender list, then choosing your builder should be relatively easy. If you have read my previous blogs you would have already selected builders that can provide what you are looking for. So once you take this variable out of the equation it comes down to scope and dollars.

What you are trying to do here is get all of the builders to price exactly the same scope. Once this is done you can either just go with the cheapest price, or negotiate with your favourite.

The slab is in!

wrenton — Mon, 19 Dec 2011 10:46:14 +1100

It is hard to believe, looking at the concrete slab, how much work has gone into getting the project to this stage.

The initial setup was done, and once all the string lines were set out the lower corner of the floor seemed to be so elevated it was difficult to get everything in perspective. The fall of the block seemed to create an optical illusion. However, it was a case of wait and see as the preparations continued.

100+ best movies to show off your home cinema

Darcy — Fri, 16 Dec 2011 16:19:44 +1100

Progress at last!

wrenton — Thu, 17 Nov 2011 11:26:25 +1100

Who could believe that after signing the building contract, not a blade of grass had been disturbed in three months!!

We finally have some action shown in the photos. The clearing of the block has been completed, the cut has been done for the downstairs, and now the foundations have been poured.

What is overscan?

Darcy — Fri, 11 Nov 2011 16:27:30 +1100

Is your investment in technology going to waste?

paul — Mon, 24 Oct 2011 11:23:04 +1100

Are Australians wasting their money? New reasearch from Netgear shows that over 18 million internet-enabled devices in Australia aren’t actually connected to the internet.

PRODUCT NEWS: Epson WirelessHD 3D projectors and iPad/iPhone dock projector

Darcy — Fri, 14 Oct 2011 09:35:06 +1100

Epson recently announced the launch of two new ranges of 3D 1080p home theatre projectors, featuring WirelessHD - and another projector with iPhone, iPad and iPod connectivity.

Quotes, and taking the razor to the plans

wrenton — Wed, 07 Sep 2011 14:31:32 +1000

The three builders quotes have come in and to our horror they are all more than 30% over our original budget. We will now get the razor out and look at where we can reduce the cost of the whole project. We met with each of the builders again and went through in detail all the areas where savings can be made without jeopardising the overall design. They resubmitted their quotations and we have chosen Jake - a local builder who is very keen to build our home. The next step is to complete the Project Building Specifications as required by the Master Builders Association. This is a 30 page ...

Jumping through hoops - permits and builders!

wrenton — Wed, 31 Aug 2011 14:53:39 +1000

Our planning permit was finally approved six months after being submitted to Council. The approved plans state that the works must be in line with the stamped plans, which note that the Manna Gum tree at the front of our property ( on Council land) is to be removed at our expense: The next step in our building project is to meet with our architects and proceed the advanced stage of the design development and working drawings. Further on from there we were presented with our interior design drawings which include all interior specifications including cabinetry, kitchen design ...

A Day Made Of Glass - by Corning

Darcy — Fri, 19 Aug 2011 11:14:29 +1000

A captivating video that looks into the many interesting roles that glass may play in future technology.

Woven vs perforated projection screens

Darcy — Thu, 18 Aug 2011 11:17:32 +1000

When selecting a projection screen, there are some primary factors to consider before you buy. These include acoustic penetration, colour reproduction, contrast, weave and black backing.

Cable management in everyday furniture

Darcy — Thu, 18 Aug 2011 11:02:19 +1000

Proper cable management can make a simple installation look impressive or a high-end system look cheap. Here is some furniture that brings a touch of class to your AV.

What's the difference between SD and HD set top boxes?

Darcy — Wed, 17 Aug 2011 16:02:36 +1000

Any television can display digital channels. This includes Freeview, the free digital television service that comprises all the channels from Australia’s free-to-air broadcasters, including the ABC, SBS, Seven Network, Nine Network, Network Ten, Prime, Win and Southern Cross.

When is a set top box necessary?

HDTV Standards

elisehughan — Wed, 27 Jul 2011 12:42:05 +1000

3D TV

elisehughan — Wed, 27 Jul 2011 10:46:15 +1000

How to calibrate your display

elisehughan — Wed, 13 Jul 2011 14:14:28 +1000

Calibrating your display will depend on your tastes, but can improve the viewing quality of your TV.

Calibration refers to altering the settings on your TV to improve the picture quality that you view it at.

Standby power consumption

elisehughan — Wed, 13 Jul 2011 10:23:24 +1000

Having your TV on standby can increase your power bill.

read more

Energy efficiency of different TVs

elisehughan — Wed, 13 Jul 2011 10:23:00 +1000

Different display technologies offer different levels of efficiency.

Like any appliance, different types, brands and styles of televisions consume electricity at different rates. The kinds of things that will affect consumption in particular are size, display technology and even how new it is on the market.

read more

How to connect your set top box

Darcy — Tue, 12 Jul 2011 16:08:56 +1000

Most set top boxes offer a number of different connection options.

The change from analogue to digital TV transmission means a dramatic increase in the number of set-top boxes. Here is what to look for and how to install it.

Step 1: Get a good set top box

read more

Projector screens

Darcy — Tue, 12 Jul 2011 09:56:06 +1000

In larger home cinema setups, projector screens may be a permanent fixture.

What is projector screen?

A projector screen is a flat surface used to display video from a projector. Projector screens often use a fabric with a special reflective coating to improve picture quality.

read more

Set top boxes (STBs)

Darcy — Tue, 12 Jul 2011 09:22:59 +1000

What are set top boxes?

read more

Projectors

Darcy — Mon, 11 Jul 2011 15:54:15 +1000

Projectors are ideally suited to home cinema setups.

What is a projector?

read more

HDTVs

Darcy — Mon, 11 Jul 2011 13:17:41 +1000

read more

Set up your home video system

Darcy — Mon, 11 Jul 2011 11:52:44 +1000

read more

Acoustic transparent projector screens

elisehughan — Thu, 07 Jul 2011 14:11:56 +1000

By placing speakers behind the projector screen, you can maximise the space in your home theatre.

read more

Projector screens and the moiré effect

elisehughan — Thu, 07 Jul 2011 11:56:04 +1000

Flashing lines across the screen display the moiré effect.

read more

TV wall mounts

elisehughan — Thu, 07 Jul 2011 11:04:11 +1000

read more

Screen size

elisehughan — Thu, 07 Jul 2011 10:15:16 +1000

The size of your screen can impact how far back you're going to have to sit.

As much as that massive TV will give you bragging rights among your mates, you also want it to look great in your home. A TV that's not suited to the size of the room can make your room look too spacious, or even too cramped - and may not deliver the best possible picture quality.

read more

Aspect Ratio

elisehughan — Thu, 07 Jul 2011 09:35:34 +1000

Pillarboxing is one way to view 4:3 format on a 16:9 screen.

Photo courtesy of Kenneth Lu, used under the CC BY 2.0 license.

If you're watching TV and you find that the actors are too short, tall or blo

read more

Screen resolution

elisehughan — Wed, 06 Jul 2011 16:25:59 +1000

Resolution refers to the number of pixels on the screen.

read more

What's better: LCD, LED or Plasma?

elisehughan — Wed, 06 Jul 2011 14:47:42 +1000

Different types of televisions offer different advantages, but also differ in terms of cost.

read more

Viewing angle

elisehughan — Wed, 06 Jul 2011 13:47:12 +1000

View you TV on the wrong angle and you could lose some of the picture quality.

Where you place your TV will no doubt be based on where in the room it fits best, but have you considered what direction your set faces?

read more

What is my TV's ideal viewing distance?

elisehughan — Wed, 06 Jul 2011 12:31:01 +1000

Your screen size and resolution will dictate how far you have to sit from your TV or projector screen.

How far you sit from your television screen or projector screen will depend on how large the room actually is, what type of TV or projector you have, and the size of your televi

read more

How to recycle a CRT television

elisehughan — Wed, 06 Jul 2011 11:14:43 +1000

CRT TVs left in landfill contribute to lead contamination.

Beside the fact that they're now an outdated technology, CRT TVs take up a lot of room in your home - especially if you're not using them.

read more

Energy star ratings and labels for TVs

elisehughan — Wed, 06 Jul 2011 10:32:25 +1000

This MEPS label shows an example of a 3.5 star energy rating.

read more

Which TV should I buy?

elisehughan — Tue, 05 Jul 2011 14:41:16 +1000

Which TV you buy should depend on size, resolution and quality.

read more

What is home video?

elisehughan — Tue, 05 Jul 2011 14:40:15 +1000

Home video means far more these days than it did a decade ago.

Home video refers to any visual aspects of your home entertainment system, and may include things like HDTVs, projectors and projector screens, Blu-ray players and streaming video systems, to name a few.

read more