Used computers are available plenty in number. But, the prime concern is that how it will satisfy the needs of the purchaser. The next one is about the functionality of the used computer and the longevity of the computer parts of the used computer. Many people decide to purchase used computers due to a tight budget, but they should not end up buying a showpiece rather than a working piece. This makes it very important to evaluate the used computer before buying it. Evaluation can be done by the purchaser himself provided he has some knowledge on computers and their parts. If not, he can get some help from their friends or relatives who are good in evaluating computers.
The used computer’s physical parts should be inspected thoroughly. First step is to look for any damages and then trying to turn on and off. It should be done by the buyer or by his friend rather than watching the computer sales person do it as it will alert for any glitches. Checking needs to be done to find out if the used computer has an original version of the operating software without which the computer is not worth buying. Manuals, licenses for software applications, discs and fonts should be got along with the computer. The operating system of the used computer should be compatible enough to run the required applications of the buyer. Some times the seller may sell a used computer along with used disk drives, scanners and printers and include the cost of them too. It is not wise to buy used scanner, printers or disk drives as they have peripherals with moving parts which wear and tear with the passage of time and also the cost of them can be deducted making the price of the used computer even lesser.
The speed of the central processing unit needs to be checked. If it is not up to the expectation of the buyer, it needs to be found out if the used computer system can be upgraded for improving the speed and functionality. The entire hardware components should be checked including the keyboard, speakers, monitor, mouse and microphones. It should be if all the hardware components inside the computer like the CD-ROM drive, sound card, number of RAM sockets etc are if present or not and if present what are the components in use. Also it needs to be checked whether it has a provision for adding different type of cards etc.
If the purchaser has already got some computer components like the monitor, printer and so on, the used computer which is bought should be compatible with them. Nowadays used Pentium machines and power PCs are available at very low price. It is not advised to buy a used computer which is very old. Also it is good to find out if the used computer comes with a transferable warranty or service, if so it is worth buying.
The buyer should not end up overpaying as used computers depreciate at a lightning speed. There are many online auctions, which can give the idea of how much people are ready to pay for a used computer. Unfortunately, there is no reputed or unbiased source for knowing the prices for used computers.
Tuesday, September 28, 2010
Samsung Cd Rom Driver Evaluating A Used Computer
Monday, September 27, 2010
Cd Rom Device Driver Resolving “STOP 0x000000CE In Dxapi.sys” In Windows XP Operating System
A device driver is a computer program that uses computer bus or communication subsystem to interact with the hardware components. Each device driver is hardware-dependent and operating system specific. However, if a device driver gets replaced by another device driver (that does not support that operating system), a STOP error message might occur. Such STOP error messages make your operating system unbootable and data inaccessible. After such situations, you need to use an up-to-date and valid data backup to completely restore the lost files. But, if there is no such backup available or it falls short of restoring the lost data, then you need to opt for advanced data recovery software.
Consider a practical scenario, where you encounter the below error message when you start your system where the video adapter has the TV tuner or video capture feature:
“STOP: 0x000000CE (0xHEXNUM1, 0xHEXNUM2, 0xHEXNUM3, 0xHEXNUM4) in DXAPI.SYS
"DRIVER_UNLOADED_WITHOUT_CANCELLING_PENDING_OPERATIONS"
0xHEXNUM1, memory referenced
0xHEXNUM2, value 0 = read operation, 1 = write operation
0xHEXNUM3, If non-zero, the instruction address which referenced the bad memory address.
0xHEXNUM4 N/A”
The four parameters within the parentheses vary, depending on the system configuration.
The data saved in the hard drive becomes inaccessible after the occurrence of the above STOP error message. In addition, you encounter the same error each time you attempt to start your system.
Cause:
The above error primarily occurs if a Windows 2000 version of a driver replaces the Windows XP version of the driver. This replacement can take place without your knowledge when you install DVD or TV tuner software or programs from an older CD-ROM that installs drivers which are not designed for Windows XP.
Resolution:
To trouble shoot and resolve the above issue, you will need to reinstall updated DirectX device drivers that are designed to work with Windows XP. However, if the Windows XP CD-ROM does not contain device drivers for your device, then you will need to take these measures:
Look for updated drivers on the Microsoft Windows Update website.
- If updated drivers are not yet available there, look on the manufacturer's website
- Contact the support for updated drivers, if provided by the manufacturer.
However, if the above resolutions fall short to resolve the issue and data still remains inaccessible, then you need to reinstall Windows XP. A clean install of Windows XP will erase all the data from the selected partition. In such situations, you need to opt for efficient data recovery software to recover your lost data. Such data recovery tools incorporate high end scanning methods to comprehensively scan, recover and restore the lost data from your hard drive. These recovery utilities serve as easy to understand data recovery applications with to-the-point documentation, self-explanatory user interface, automated recovery procedure and advanced recovery features.
Stellar Phoenix Windows Data Recovery is the foremost data recovery application. It provides complete recovery of data from corrupted, deleted, formatted or lost hard drive partitions or volumes. The software is compatible with FAT16, FAT32, VFAT, NTFS and NTFS5 file systems. It supports Windows 7 (currently in RC1), Vista, XP, 2003 and 2000.
Sunday, September 26, 2010
Dell Cd Rom Drivers Guide To Buying Computer Memory
Computer memory is commonly known as RAM, which is an abbreviation for random access memory. This memory card is located in a special place inside your CPU. This is the place where all the information about the applications and data that are currently being used is stored by the operating system. The main function of this kind of memory is to allow quick access to the computer’s processer so that all the applications can be processed quickly.
RAM is by far the fastest type of memory to read and write from especially when compared to the other kinds of storage devices that you will be able to find in a conventional computer. This includes the hard disk, the CD-ROM as well as the floppy disk.
What differentiates this kind of computer memory from the ones mentioned above is the fact that this kind memory can only be used as long as the computer is switched on. In other words it is not meant to serve as memory storage device for you to record your permanent data on. The moment you turn off your computer all the data that was on the RAM is lost. However the moment you turn it on again all necessary files will be loaded onto your RAM in order to be used. These files are transferred from the permanently stored data on your hard disk.
In order to understand it in a more comprehensive manner you can compare computer memory to the short-term memory found in human beings where the hard disk acts as the long-term memory. In this respect the process of RAM is to take care of the workload at hand whereas the hard drive stores the long-term data. Ideally you would want both of these to be working fast so that all the processes in your computer can be completed faster.
You will be able to find different kinds of memory cards for your computer. The first of these is the SDRAM. This is the cheapest memory that you will be able to find in the market however it is also the slowest. Another kind is the DDR which is a very fast and efficient yet cost-effective solution to enhancing your computer’s memory. However the fastest available memory to date is the DDR2.
Irrespective of the particular kind of memory you go for it is important that your motherboard must have the capacity to work in cooperation with the particular type of memory that you use. You will be able to find many different brands that produce motherboards which have special slots for SDRAM and DDR. However these can not be used at the same time which is why you have to make a choice between the two.
The different kinds of RAMs have different operating speeds. Hence it is also important that your motherboard should have the capability to support these speeds. Furthermore RAMs operate at different megahertz and this is also something that needs to be taken into consideration when looking to buy new memory.
Saturday, September 25, 2010
Atapi Cd Rom Driver IDE Hard Drives Explained
Integrated Drive Electronics (IDE) interface in actual practice refers to ATA or AT Attachment. Any drive with a built-in controller is also called an IDE. Many IDE Hard Drives are plugged into a bus connector on the motherboard. These drives are easy to install and require the smallest number of cables because the controller is on the drive itself. No doubt ATA refers to its drive, but IDE on the other hand refers to the type of interface connector i.e. 40 pin in this case. ATA Packet interface or ATAPI is an extension of IDE which permit various devices like CD ROMs to work by using the IDE norms. Through this packet interface such devices are connected directly to an IDE port, but a device driver is needed to make full use of the device, meanwhile a hard drive is originally supported by IDE without the assistance of any drivers.
IDE Hard Drives can be found with most compatible computers, each computer is equipped with a maximum of four IDE devices. If you intend to buy IDE/ATAPI/ATA hard disk drive ensures there is available space for the drive to be connected. IDE hard drives are being used during the early Compaq 386 systems by way of WD controllers. During 1980s the ATA IDE was made as an ANSI standard, so a common design was created, but various areas were left open for different manufacturers for their own commands. Later two drives in the same system were considered as a hard nut to crack.
Because each drive has its own controller and both drives usually operate over the same bus. With the introduction of ATA, two drives were able to operate in a chain, thus, primary drive became the master and the secondary drive became the slave. IDE hard drives can be differentiated by a master or a slave with a jumper on the drive itself. While purchasing a second IDE Hard Drive you should stick with the same manufacturer to avoid unavoidable problems because of the compatibility issues involved. For example if you use Maxtor hard drive, choose a second hard drive from the same manufacturer. Sometimes, it could happen if you choose a different manufacturer’s IDE hard drive; it will not work on the same cable but will require a separate cables.
Apart from its interface, it is important to look for the transfer rate of the IDE hard drive. Long transfer rates means slower speeds of your computer while transferring larger files. While buying the IDE hard drive look for specifications like Rotations per Minute (RPM) i.e. 5,400 or 7,200 RPM. 7,200 RPM is ideal today.
Because of its older interface IDE hard drives generally carry a higher price tag like that of Seagate Barracuda 7200.10 1TB, this drive supports incredible space on a IDE interface. There are various manufacturers involved in making IDE Hard Drives like to name a few, Seagate, Hitachi, Western Digital, Toshiba and Iogear, they come in varying sizes ranging from 250GB to a whopping 2TB.
Toshiba Dvd Rom Driver New Netbook Computers - Colorful, Compact And Lightweight
Laptop computers have basically succeeded common desktops in the home and home office. Now there is an even more compact laptop that is replacing the way we compute on the go. These new netbook computers are transforming into the newest trend in mobile computing.
There are many different selections on the market. Getting a netbook that satisfies your individual needs is a difficult task. Selecting a netbook computer requirements to be done with just as much care as if you were buying a desktop or a new laptop computer.
It is vital that you do the research before deciding on what to purchase. Browse around for the best offer. Check out the latest electronic buying guides for ratings and netbook features.
Most brands that produce laptop computers also develop the more compact netbook. Compaq, Dell, Acer, Asus and Gateway are the more common brand names. Check into each of these companies individually.
Figuring out the features you think you might want is the first step. Netbooks generally have the same functionality as a standard notebook. There are some components that do not come with the netbook. Be certain you know what your potential netbook computer comes with.
One such feature that is not included in the basic netbook is the CD-ROM drive. If you're looking to be able to watch a movie or listen to music through CDs, the netbook may not be suitable for you. At the same time, you can purchase a small device that plugs into a USB port.
The other matter faced by users is space. They want to know how much can fit on their small computer. They also want to know if an upgrade on memory is available. They will want to know what sort of applications will run smoothly on it.
Users generally consider their netbook computers an extension of their primary computer. They like the portability of the device. Netbooks are generally designed to perform tasks that require minimal memory. More expensive netbooks can house more applications and do more.
High end netbooks generally come with more features. These features are designed to make the notebook obsolete. Web cams, extra memory and, longer battery life are just some of the features you can get with a higher price range.
In a world where being able to take things on the go easily is turning into more common, the netbook computer is set to outlast the regular laptop. There is a call for more compact products. When you explore your new netbook options, don't forget to ask the most crucial question of all: Is the netbook right for you?
Friday, September 24, 2010
Cd Rom Device Driver Troubleshoot Common DVD Rom Driver Problems With These Simple Fixes
The DVD rom is a device that has become quite common place in entertainment PC's all over the world, and if you think about it, in normal and business PC's as well, simply of the fact that they can actually hold more data than their CD counterparts and have the ability to deliver much higher quality multimedia as well, no matter what the use is for. Troubleshoot Common DVD Rom Driver Problems With These Simple Fixes is an article that looks at the common problems that people all over the world have faced with the DVD, and some of them might actually seem familiar to you.
DVD drivers are one of the most safe and secure devices in the computing world today, and this is because of their simple and basic parts, and the fact that their installation is one of the easiest as well. Like the computer monitor, they are self installed and plug and play, right from the moment that their connectors are jacked into the motherboard, and this is the real good thing about the DVD rom. One of the main things that you need to know about is just you are going to be able to understand how the process is going to work. For one thing, the DVD has a basic generic driver that is already either preloaded into its small memory chip, or Windows will use its own basic drivers to get the functionalities of the DVD working.
There is a reason why the DVD has its own set of drivers and this is because they are not all made the same, and some of the have some pretty nifty functionality of their own which can make them extra special. What is meant by that is the fact that some DVD;s on the market have extra features and security systems that allow you to add layer protection or make use of better storage and burn functions as well, and they need their own set of driver instructions. Because of this, problems might arise, and you might not be able to rely on the simple drivers that Windows can provide, and what you might need to do of course is to just get on to the internet and then find the drivers, or the updated drivers for your system.
Sometimes, manufacturer's find a specific problem with their DVD's and certain config and they will release fixes to resolve the situation and this is what you need to take advantage of. Troubleshoot Common DVD Rom Driver Problems With These Simple Fixes is a really simple step into the land of the known, and you just need to be a little more adventurous when it comes to finding out how to fix the really simple problems. This is not the case when some code has been broken or the transistors on your CPU start to malfunction, it just is that the software drivers have a problem and they need to be replaced, sort of like the spark plugs on an engine.
Thursday, September 23, 2010
Cd Rom Driver Updates Bluetooth Driver Installer - How To Install A Driver For Your Bluetooth Device?
If you have Bluetooth peripheral devices like mobile phone, GPS, PDA or headset, probably you won't need to install specific Bluetooth drivers on these devices – the software is built-in and ready for use. But if you want to connect them to a PC, you may need to install a Bluetooth driver for your Bluetooth devicein your computer. To installaBluetooth driver for your Bluetooth device, there are three methods:
Method one, install a driver on the disc that came with your Bluetooth device
Step 1 Insert the disc to your CD-Rom drive.
Step 2 Wait for a moment and see if the program can launch automatically, if not, you can double-click My Company and CD-Rom drive. Then there will launch the program or open a file folder. If a file folder opens, look for the file such as setup.exe or run.exe and double-click to open it.
Step 3 Follow the install wizard to set up the driver. When you finish the installation, restart your computer.
Method two, Windows XP Service Pack 2 and above, Vista as well as Windows 7 come with a great number of Bluetooth drivers, so you can download and install aBluetooth driver from the Windows update website.
Step 1 Start – All Programs – Windows Update
Step 2 In the Internet Explorer page, click Find Updates and wait for Microsoft to search for available updates. Install the high priority updates if there are.
Step 3 Connect your Bluetooth device to the PC.
Step 4 Click Start, choose Run, input devmgmt.msc and click OK to open the Device Manager.
Step 5 Expand Bluetooth Devices and find out this device.
Step 6 Right click it, select Update Driver, choose Install the software automatically and click Next, and then Windows will update the driver automatically.
Method three, if the Bluetooth driver you installed on the disc is outdated and you can not find the available updated driver from Windows update website, or if you want to simplify the complicated and time-wasting search for updated drivers, you can try a good PC driver manager tool. Just with several clicks, PC Driver Helper will automatically search the Internet and manufacturer's website for updated Bluetooth driver and other computer drivers that are specific to your Bluetooth device, your computer's operating system and compatible with the PC's hardware components.
Wednesday, September 22, 2010
Samsung Sn 124 Driver Lithium-Ion Battery Sales Set To Rev Up Thanks Mainly To E-Bikes And Scooters
Interest in electric vehicles (EVs) and plug-in hybrids has come on strong over the past year or so, pushed relentlessly by carmakers promoting a newer, greener generation of transportation. As the Chevy Volt, Ford Transit Connect Electric, Nissan Leaf and others trickle out into the marketplace over the next year, it's clear that they will go only as far as their lithium ion batteries can take them.
Help may be on the way, per a report released earlier this month by Boston's Lux Research projecting a massive wave in spending on energy storage technologies over the next five years. More specifically, the firm predicts the market for batteries, supercapacitors and fuel cells for transportation, as well as storage, distributed generation, and transmission and distribution technologies for the power grid will more than double from $21.4 billion in 2010 to $44.4 billion in 2015.
The market for electric vehicle energy storage technology will nearly double from $7.7 billion this year to $14.5 billion in 2015, and batteries will be a major part of this growth. Surprisingly, electronic bikes (e-bikes) and scooters, as opposed to plug-in hybrids and EVs, will drive the biggest growth for vehicle batteries in the next five years, lead author and analyst Jacob Grose said in a press release. Sales of e-bike and scooter batteries are expected to surge from $6.4 billion in 2010 to $10.9 billion five years from now.
Whereas lead-acid batteries are most common today in transportation devices (they're found in 93 percent of China's e-bikes, for example), demand for lithium-ion batteries will grow nearly three times faster than for lead-acid moving forward.
That's good news for those interested in buying a plug-in hybrid or EV because lithium-ion battery performance will need to improve rapidly to make these vehicles appealing to all but the most hardcore greenies. Chevy says the first-generation Volt (a gas/electric hybrid) will travel about 65 kilometers on a fully charged battery before the gas engine kicks in. The Transit Connect Electric and Leaf (both fully electric) are expected to run for about 130 kilometers and 160 kilometers, respectively, on a full battery.
The truth, however, is that no one really knows exactly how long these batteries will last in real-world driving conditions, when air conditioning, portable GPS units and other electrical devices are competing with the motor for battery juice. Nor do the car companies know how much a battery's performance will degrade over time, after it's been charged and recharged hundreds of times. With most of these vehicles taking anywhere from four to eight hours to fully re-charge (at least until there is a fast-charging infrastructure), some in the auto industry admit that fully-electric vehicles might be better suited as a family's second car, the one that runs around town as opposed to the primary vehicle gets its owners to and from work in the suburbs.
To change this, money needs to go to research that can improve lithium ion batteries' ability to rapidly charge and discharge as well as stay safe under intense operating conditions, all while lowering the costs of the batteries.
CHEAP Items: External laptop battery PDA battery Camera battery
Tuesday, September 21, 2010
Lite On Cd Rom Drivers Is The Pace Of Technology Making Us Stupid?
A huge attention span is the hallmark of genius.
The biographies of men like Thomas Edison and Nikola Tesla reveal that they were so fascinated by their experiments that they worked almost all day and all night in a state of fascinated excitement.
Conversely, a short attention span is a sign of stupidity.
Our world will never again see the essays of men like Henry David Thoreau, rich in metaphor, similes, and cascading rivers of prose.
It is moving too fast, and its events are being communicated to our bedazzled brain in sound bites and media blitz.
The internet itself, when it comes to the subject of literacy, is a huge paradox.
On one hand, the pace of technology causes the user to quickly grow weary of slow dial-ups and slow loading web pages, our nervous systems responding to 5 to 10 second pauses with the impatience of drivers stuck behind a red light.
On the other hand, the plethora of information, running to billions of web pages, with each search word literally offering a million or more possibilities on a search engine, is staggering.
The word "Henry David Thoreau," on Yahoo Search Engine for example yields 1,900,000 results.
Unfortunately, those of us who habitually dabble in this new frontier are becoming increasingly less likely to develop solid study skills, which involves developing a large enough attention span to process, comprehend, and implement ideas.
Our hard drives are filled with e-books not read, software files not opened, and digital projects not completed.
Unfortunately, these habits of subject illiteracy are not confined only to this new media of global communication, but spills over to all other aspects of our lives—from channel surfing to grocery shopping, from responding to the question of a friend to designing a new business plan.
Quick is in, and slow is out. Brief is hot, and long is the kiss of death.
The person with the fastest pitch wins the sale.
The faster you move, the more you can get done.
While all this may have its merits, the human brain, the three pounds of spongy mass, which has more circuits than the most sophisticated telephone exchange in the world, is becoming increasingly less efficient.
Our eyes need time to scan and our ears to hear and our brain to sort out the true from the untrue, fact from fiction, and to draw elaborate models of how things are put together and work in harmony.
Sometimes when reading a novel from another century, like Victor Hugo or Honorè de Balzak, for example, where the characters move slowly and ponderously through the plots, feeling deeply the movements of their destiny, in touch with the depths of moral and philosophical complexities, it seems we are evolving to become a different species—a dazzled and bewildered one, where superficiality is the norm, rather than the exception, and where we are almost completely losing touch with what it means to be human.
Monday, September 20, 2010
Toshiba Cd Rom Drivers 20 Ways To Increase Acer As07B41 Battery Life
Mobile computing has got better with lighter components, better chips and faster processors. But the Achilles heel of a laptop has remained its battery. So here are we are going to look at ways to increase laptop battery life.
Such as acer as07b41 battery
Modern graphic intensive operating systems and resource hungry applications are cutting down the life of your laptop's battery every day. The average battery life per continuous use still stands at a maximum of three to four hours. So, a fast depleting battery could very swiftly put the crutches on your ‘mobile' road trip.
Falling just short of carrying an extra pack of batteries in the back-pack, are several ways to keep the juice flowing through the batteries.
1. Ship shape with a defrag
Regular defragmentation helps to arrange data more efficiently thus making the hard drive work less to access the data. The quicker the moving hard drive works lesser is the load placed on the acer as07b41 battery. Thus, your batter can last longer. The effect is minimal, but this efficiency goes hand in glove with hard drive maintenance.
2. Kill the resource gobblers
End the background processes that are not vital. Monitor the resource usage through a ‘Ctrl-Alt-Del' which brings up the Windows Task Manager (in Windows). If you're not on the internet, it is safe to shut down the immediate non-essential programs running in the taskbar like the antivirus and the firewall. Weed out unnecessary programs running as start-ups by launching the System Configuration Utility from Run – Msconfig – Tab: Startup. Uncheck the programs which you don't want to launch and reboot the computer once.
3. Pause the scheduled tasks
It may be a defrag or a virus scan, but make sure it is scheduled for a time when you are near a power outlet. If not then nix them for the moment.
4. Unplug external devices
USB devices are the biggest drainers of acer aspire 5720 battery power. Unplug all external devices like an external mouse, PC cards, Wi-Fi, external speakers, Bluetooth and even an attached iPod.
5. Empty the CD/DVD Drives
Even if you don't intend to use it, don't leave any CD/DVDs as leftovers in the drives. A spinning drive sucks battery power like a sponge.
6. Go local
Desist using the DVD/external drives while running on laptop batteries. Shift the content to the hard drive or run using (free) virtual drives like Pismo File Mount or even Microsoft's Virtual CD ROM Control Panel.
7. Lower the lights
The LCD screen of a laptop is another huge power sink. Calibrate the brightness to the lowest level you can tolerate using the Function key toggles or using the Display Settings applet in the Control Panel.
8. Kill the sounds
Mute the speakers and try avoiding the use of multimedia software to maximize the acer aspire 5720 battery life. Installed sound schemes also drain a battery perceptibly.
9. Rid the screensaver
To maximize battery life by a little, switch off the screensaver.
10. Visit Power Options
Get familiar with power management through the ‘Power Options' applet in the Control Panel. Both XP and Vista come with advanced power management features which shut off components like the monitor and/or the hard drive after specified intervals. This again depends on the chosen ‘Power Schemes' (for XP) in the same applet. For instance in XP, ‘Max Battery' under Power Schemes can be selected for maximum battery optimization.
Similar settings can be found under ‘Mobile PC' in the Control Panel of Vista.
11. Turn off the looks
Today's OS's like Windows Vista come with features like ‘Aero Glass' which are resource guzzlers. One can turn it off and go for the ‘Classic' appearance which consumes less power. In Vista, click on Desktop – Preferences – View Colour – Appearance – Classic Appearance and Windows Basic graphical interface. In XP it's – Display Properties – Theme – Windows Classic.
Linux and even Macintosh are better optimized for longer battery life.
12. Hibernate is better than Sleep
In the Stand By mode (or sleep mode), the computer turns of the hard drive and the display but memory remains active while the CPU slows down. This draws on the acer aspire 5920 battery. In contrast, hibernation mode is better because the computer saves the current state and shuts itself down completely thus saving power.
13. Get the most…work on the least
Working on too many programs while on the as07b31 battery is a sure fire power drainer. Keep use of graphic intensive applications to a minimum. Working on a spreadsheet consumes much less than playing your favourite game. To increase the life of the battery open just one or two programs concurrently.
14. Ram in more RAM
Adequate RAM reduces the load on Virtual memory which by default resides on the hard drive. Though every extra bit of RAM uses up more power, it increases overall savings by short cutting access to the power hungry hard drive.
15. Keep it clean
A laptop with blocked air vents will generate more heat thus reducing the life of the acer as07b71 battery. Clean the air vents regularly to keep operating temperatures low. Allow for open space around the vents for air to circulate freely. Keep the area around the laptop clean to avoid entry of dust.
16. Temperature is a silent killer
Undue heat kills off a laptop battery slowly but surely. Avoid leaving the laptop under direct sunlight or inside a closed car.
17. Avoid the memory effect
A problem more for the older Ni-MH batteries than for Li-Ion batteries on which most modern laptops run. Memory effect relates to the loss of battery charge when they are repeatedly recharged after being only partially discharged. It can be prevented by discharging the battery fully and then completely recharging it. Li-Ion batteries on the other hand have no problems with partial discharges and re-charges and complete discharge is never recommended for this type.
18. Update software and drivers
This sounds a bit incongruous but then newer drivers and software are often designed to be more efficient (and hopefully less resource hungry).
19. Use the right adapter
Ensure that the adapter you use to charge the laptop battery is an original one or one with the correct specifications. A mismatch in the wattage could cause an overload thus damaging the laptop and the battery.
20. Pack it up
If you don't plan to use the laptop on batteries for quite some time, ensure that the charge is nearly 40 percent – remove the batteries and store it in a cool place.
A typical lithium ion battery has an overall average life of 2-3 years. With some care and caution, its mortality can be delayed.
Have you found your own way to increase acer laptop battery life of your laptop? Share the ‘life giving' tips with us in the comments.
Sunday, September 19, 2010
Lite On Cd Rom Drivers How To Resolve “FAT FILE SYSTEM” Error Message
FAT (File Allocation Table) file system provides a mapping between the logical storage and physical location of the hard drive data. It contains an entry for all files stored on the hard drive that restrains the address of the file’s initial cluster. Corruption of FAT file system primarily occurs due to operating system corruption, improper system shutdown, malicious software like virus and more. After the FAT file system corruption, the data stored in the hard drive becomes inaccessible. In such situations, if no backup is available, you need to recover the lost data by using efficient Data Recovery Software.
For example, if you have two different drives in your system – FDD (Floppy Disk Drive) and MO (Magneto-Optical) drive – that have non-unique volume serial numbers and similar files, you might encounter the below STOP error message:
“STOP 0x00000023 (Parameter1, Parameter2, Parameter3, Parameter4)
FAT_FILE_SYSTEM”
The four parameters in the error message differ with computer’s configuration.
Cause:
This above error message mainly occurs because the FAT file system driver is unable to recognize the two drives and hence the media in your system. As there are various differences between the types of these media, you encounter the above error message. Another major cause for the error message can be physical disk problem or IRP (Input/output Request Packets) corruption.
Resolution:
To resolve the above STOP error and access the data, you should take these actions:
- Make sure that there are no file system integrity issues by running chkdsk(Checkdisk utility) command with different switches as /r and /f.
- Stop all file system filter drivers like backup utilities, virus scanners or firewall software.
- Update all disk, tape backup, CD-ROM or removable device drivers to their latest versions.
- Verify the file properties of the Fastfat.sys file to ensure that it matches the present version of the operating system.
- Apply the Hotfix solution provided by Microsoft.
However, if all the above steps fail to resolve your problem, then the best possible solution is to reinstall the operating system. A clean reinstall of the operating system will delete all data from the selected hard drive partition. In such situations, to completely recover the data, you should use effective Data Recovery Software.
Such Data Recovery Tools perform complete recovery and restoration of lost data from a formatted hard drive. These user-friendly Data Recovery applications can be easily implemented due to their largely graphical interface and to-the-point documentation.
Windows Data Recovery is the finest Data Recovery solution with most advanced features like RAW Recovery, Drive Imaging and more. It natively supports more than 300 diverse file types. It is compatible with FAT16, FAT32, vFAT, NTFS and NTFS5 file systems. It supports Windows Vista, XP, 2003 and 2000.
Saturday, September 18, 2010
Philips Dvd Rom Drivers China's Auto Electronics Market And Development Opportunities For Analysis - Red Diode Laser Module 670nm
2003 World vehicle production growth of less than 3%, of which 80% of the increment from China, China's auto electronics industry's rapid development has caused a global automotive electronics industry's attention. This overview of the Chinese automotive electronic technology and market status, the difficulties and development trend, and automotive power management devices and technology development, these elements contribute to automotive electronics design engineers, technical, marketing and sales manager, as well as automotive semiconductors China's automotive electronics suppliers to seize the opportunity to develop. Automotive electronics products into two broad categories:
1. Automotive electronic control devices, including powertrain control, chassis and body electronic control, comfort and alarm systems. 2. Car automotive electronics devices, including automotive information systems (car computer), navigation systems, car audio-visual entertainment systems, automotive communications systems, vehicle networks. China's auto electronics industry development direction and face difficulties in Currently, China's automotive electronic systems manufacturers have a certain economy of scale, they are by and or restructuring, etc., into the matching system by the depot, and will gradually enter the international market, supporting high-end cars. The development of automotive electronic equipment is the rapid development of China's auto electronics industry is one important direction.
In contrast, China's automotive electronic control systems of industrial level and R & D capability and abroad still a big gap. In the face of adverse market environment, China's scientific and technological personnel has not stalled. With the energy situation becomes increasingly tense, the China National "863" plans to actively promote electric vehicles and fuel cell vehicle research in the field of electronic control systems, automotive electronics research and industrialization focused on: 1. Information: speed tables, engine speed table and the fuel gauge will be set of the network, diagnostics, and digital display features on the integrated touch screen LCD replaced and, through the vehicle dynamic information system of "expert think tank" to achieve on-site diagnosis, road autonomous navigation, electronic maps, vehicle location dynamic display and track playback; 2. energy-saving technology: high-speed driving, when turning the steering wheel is very easy, Slow turning a corner, hit the steering wheel is very difficult, which will increase about 2% of the fuel consumption.
Newly developed electric power steering system is expected to do the opposite, so that labor-saving and safe driving, and save energy. 3. Comfort-oriented: At present, motor vehicle air-conditioning is driven by a multi-purpose machine, the temperature thanks to the driver manual control, energy problem is serious. Automatic air-conditioning systems and intelligent air-conditioning systems R & D will automatically collect vehicles inside and outside temperature, humidity, sunshine and speed and a series of signals, according to a certain mathematical model calculations, automatic adjustment at any time in order to get the best air-conditioning operation mode.
These three studies will take the lead in fuel cell vehicles on the application, and subject to conditions, the gradual conversion of traditional cars. In addition, the Chinese Ministry of Information Industry will focus on supporting the development of six automotive electronic products: a unified computing platform cars, electric controlled fuel injection system ECU, vehicle traffic monitoring and recording device, car audio and video navigation system, automotive semiconductor devices and special chip, intelligent transportation systems.
At present China's emerging automotive electronics enterprises in the industrialization of research and products, the main difficulties facing are: the requirements of the international standard system do not know enough, automobile plant and the emerging automotive electronics manufacturers to top-down, according to vehicle electronics product configuration requirements work on projects of business model is not fully established. Due to lack of demand for vehicle traction, automotive electronics manufacturers have developed their own functional prototype of the product only to the vehicle factory acceptance test, the test was sought after the supporting manufacturers, China Automotive Technology and Research Center, a senior engineer said that as the test times less and the reasons for the high cost of the product to withstand the test of time relatively short, in the stability and security difficult to meet international standards.
At the same time, due to automotive electronics and vehicle matching highly relevant, the emerging Chinese automotive electronics enterprises to scale, it is difficult out of the joint venture business model, so easily be controlled vehicle factories. A combination of these two reasons, it might hinder China's auto electronics companies launched in a short time to meet market demand for products and grow. The R & D process, the domestic production of automotive electronics components manufacturers are supporting the control of the joint venture, resulting in automotive electronics market is not supporting sound development of China's automotive electronics business development has some negative impact, there is a long procurement cycle, buying is not convenience, specifications do not meet vehicle-specific requirements more general issue, the Shanghai New Vehicle Technology Co., Ltd. on behalf of the MA Xi-ping manager, said: "The automotive electronics of high-power, high-current environment on the supporting cables and devices have high requirements, which there matching difficulties. "
On this issue, Tianjin Fujitsu Ten Electronics Co., Ltd. Liang, director of the snow, said: "In order to China's automotive electronics manufacturers to provide local matching, we have for the rapid development of China's automotive electronics has just set up a R & D center in Tianjin Fujitsu Ten Limited, aimed at in need of automotive electronics product design, assembly plant to provide services. "and Motorola Electronics Co., Ltd. Guo Luning managers believe that China's automotive electronics business to participate in the international automotive e-procurement of the General Assembly, and gradually understand the market requirements and international standards, starting from the supporting the development of China The automotive electronics industry. At present, electric power, high-voltage power safety management system, body electrical control, digital meter, low-speed bus control system, tire pressure monitoring and alarm systems for research and industrialization process, the Chinese automotive electronics enterprises have already begun to deliver.
China's "national car computing platform project" is expected to overcome the launch vehicle control, driving, information processing, intelligent transportation, sensing, the implementation of major core technologies, so as to third-generation mobile communications, high-definition digital television, satellite navigation, intelligent transportation , mobile network applications and information technology applications in the automotive electronics provide significant opportunities for development and the formation of the automotive industry and electronic information industry development pattern of interaction. As the international top-level automotive semiconductor solutions provider in China, China's automotive electronics industry is expected to accelerate development. China's major automotive electronics market and development opportunities Safety, energy saving, environmental protection, as well as intelligence and information is the future automotive trends. China's auto market in China led to rapid growth in car entertainment systems, the exponential growth in market size, market research shows that between 2003 and 2006, China's total car production in 1200-1600 should be around 10000, automotive entertainment systems, the size of the market in the 500 -- about 8 million units, mainly provides OEM support services. Vehicle used a computer as a platform to vehicle communication, navigation, audio-visual entertainment, network control, integrated multimedia information system for the integration of the areas of market trends. Survey analysis shows that China's current development prospects of the larger automotive electronics market and so as shown in Figure 2 can be seen with the vehicle driving safety and control of the relevance of small-car entertainment and navigation information systems, body electronics is China's automotive electronics market The main direction of development. 1. Car autonomous navigation systems market, the rapid development of China plans to Beijing, Tianjin, Shanghai and Guangzhou as the center outward expansion of four major cities navigation digital map coverage of space and provide navigation electronic map database, NavInfo navigation, Beijing Information Technology Co., Ltd. Sun Yuguo, general manager, said: "At present, in line with the automotive industry standards and Chinese law car autonomous navigation electronic map products have been put in Beijing, Tianjin, Shanghai and Guangzhou cities in four. "expected that by 2005, covering most parts of China navigation electronic map products will be available to meet the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games and the 2010 Shanghai World Expo will have the need for car navigation products. Car Navigation System by Car GPS (global positioning system) receiver to monitor the current location of vehicles and will be stored in the CD-ROM or built-in memory (eg hard disk), the user-defined destination of digital map data for comparison to calculate driving directions , and real time location and route information to motorists. Map of the development of automotive electronics market will drive the need for GPS, digital map storage devices, display devices of the huge demand. Strategy Analytics predicts that annual demand for global navigation system will be 430 million units in 2002 to 1,220 million units in 2010.
Telematics Research Group forecasts the demand from the GPS receiver in 2004, 9.4 million units in 2010 to 3,000 million units. From a technical point of view, an old car with a GPS autonomous navigation system will face a number of space constraints, the use of car DVD disc mass storage advantage through the DVD player can display electronic map information, therefore, car DVD market is expected to grow rapidly. Telematics Research Group 2004 Nian 7 month forecast, the global annual demand for car DVD market will be 450 million units in 2004 to 3,300 million units in 2010. As the global auto market growth mainly from China, autonomous vehicle navigation systems market, the rapid development of the global market have a significant impact. According to Japanese media reports, based on the DVD / HDD navigation system is a growing trend, the global sales of such systems is expected to break 1,000 million in 2004 in China, although such a system is only just launched in 2003, it is expected its sales by 2008 more than 1 million.
Digital map data provider will be in this huge market demand driven by benefits. Now more sensitive to the popularity of electronic maps may be related to national security issues. In addition, the car radio receiver technology is moving from analog to digital reception mode to receive the evolution of software radio technology based on digital signal processors, digital radio receivers will lead the development of car direction, which ultimately might be AM / FM, TV receivers and satellite digital radio receiver, GPS and even an integrated communications and other functions into one. Philips CarDSP solution provides enhanced multi-path adaptive function of the amendment and a variety of antennas for improving the AM / FM radio or digital radio-quality audio-visual equipment such as car has an important significance, worthy of attention. 2. Body plenty of room for the development of electronic field As the number of automotive electronic appliances has risen dramatically, in order to reduce the number of connecting wires and body weight, network and bus technology has been greatly during this period of development, we aim to address the increase in automotive electronic subsystems of the security of data transmission , reliability and the total length of cable car too long lead to weight increase and other issues, and to meet the needs of automotive wire.
International automobile giants and leading manufacturer of automotive semiconductors made a series of car-bus standards, including: IDB-1394, and MOST (for multimedia), FlexRAY and TTCAN (for wire), CAN, IDB-C and GMLAN SWC (with the in the powertrain control), J1850 and LIN (for Body Control), Keywrod2000, and ISO 9141 (for diagnosis). We believe that auto body network systems development will bring China's auto electronics industry had a very good opportunity and entry point for the following reasons: 1. It reduces the barriers to entry of enterprises. With LIN or CAN bus interface with a single-chip solution, shortening the enterprises to develop e-research body cycle, reducing the supporting enterprises to enter the automotive electronics market threshold. 2. To improve the comfort of car use and expand value-added space for cars. Over the past using manual control of mechanical devices, such as car air-conditioning climate control, locks, windows, seats, internal and external lighting, mirrors, wipers and other subsystems, can be CAN or LIN bus-based network system to connect the body and thus had the opportunity to change the parts to be manually operated electrical control, the progressive realization of middle and low body cars and light trucks mechatronics control devices. automotive electronics market, iSuppli senior analyst Nancy Dang, said: "At present, high-level foreign cars automotive body sub-systems up to more than 50, the domestic mid-range cars, body electronics sub-system is only 6-7 months, so in the Chinese automotive body electronics the electronics industry is much room for future development. "Economic Operation Division, according to Ministry of Information Industry predicted that China Body Electronics from 2003 to 1.032 billion yuan increase in 2007 5.033 billion yuan, an increase of 3.8 times, second only to vehicle information communication systems increase (in 2007 compared to 2003 increased by 4.2 times).
Therefore, with a LIN / CAN bus interface of the MCU, the relevant power-driven devices, motor control MCU and implementation of the electro-mechanical components for body electronics products will have a huge demand exists. Freescale (Freescale) Semiconductor Automotive business development manager for the Ministry of Culture and Sport Xiaodui that: 1. This is currently ISO9141 and Keyword2000 is mainly used for diagnostic systems, the latter used in automotive electronic control more. 2. J1850 originally used only in North America in 2006 or 2007 will stop using, and then all go to the CAN bus. 3. LIN to CAN complementary, both in general, in combination, as compared with the CAN bus, LIN bus control mode is the biggest advantage of lower cost; from high fault tolerance of comparison, CAN bus target application is the car high-speed and multi-way data communications. 4. At present, CAN is still the highest reliability of automotive electronic control of the bus, Flexray its upgrade, but at present still an expensive, not practical application. 5. MOST is mainly used for streaming audio and video-based optical bus, can not be used to control. Other bus in the car with the electronic device to promote good. Kang Xiao Dun said: "Currently in China, CAN / LIN bus, the practical application has only just begun, different vehicles may be very different, the basic configuration may have 4,5 nodes, high-end cars may reach more than 50 nodes." At present, LIN support of an alliance of international automobile manufacturers, including giants such as BMW, Volvo, Audi, VW, Daimler Chrysler, etc. Therefore, the body electronic networks of the future directions of system development. Kang Xiao Dun added: "will MCU, power-driven, voltage regulator, and LIN physical layer interface as a whole constitutes a single-chip integration of LIN child nodes is now the main body of electronic controllers trends." 3. The most robust growth in automotive safety systems According to market research company Strategy Analytics report, automotive safety systems in the automotive electronics field, one of the strongest growth in demand, the annual average increase of 25% or more. DuPont Automotive recent survey shows that most users think the most problem is that cars need to consider the safety, than vehicle performance, in-car entertainment and fuel efficiency is more important, airbags and ABS are expected to become the standard configuration. Visteon's study also shows that: Security is the most automobile consumers concerned about. Renesas study reveals for mid-range cars: 1996 will be the foreign airbag as standard equipment since 2002 the international community have been detected in two passenger seats, safety belt pre-tensioners and sensor systems, together with the airbag as standard equipment is expected to pre-tighten seat belts in 2006 and the sensor system will be increased to 4, a significant increase in sensor systems is to increase the collision detection ability and improving the stability of the car, which may constitute a unified network of airbags. International automobile safety systems market is showing active and passive safety systems are developed and the trend towards integration, as shown in Figure 4 the development of automotive safety systems for the road map. At present, China's emerging automotive electronics in automotive safety products, design direction, the main development of Tire Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS), in order to prevent the front, side and rear collisions for the purpose of automotive radar systems, China is in the ABS and airbags Research has just begun. Currently appearing on the market tire pressure monitoring system (TPMS) can be broadly divided into two categories: (1) direct TPMS, it can be sensors and RF transmitter chip installed in the vicinity of the tire valve in the tire pressure is too high, too low, tires slowly leaking or temperature anomalies in time for the wireless receiver to a car alarm, so as to effectively to prevent puncture. The program's difficulty lies in the high reliability requirements, battery life, anti-vibration problem of the moderate level of reliability of the system have a certain influence, and secondly, the direct TMPS system uses radio frequency transceiver there is no established standard to follow, a number of manufacturing to adopt and wireless remote control door or alarm the same device and frequency (433MHz), usually FSK modulation approach is very difficult to actually use the same frequency to avoid interference problems, finally, placed in the tires on a low-power design for wireless sensor problem has plagued the industry. Development does not require batteries, a wireless sensor is the market demand and development direction. At present, direct-type TPMS technology is also divided into two kinds of active and passive technologies. Infineon's active system will be pressure sensors installed in each wheel, the car both to receive a variety of remote control devices, including RKE RF components can be used as tire pressure measurement receiver, and thus integrated into a complete tire pressure monitoring system. The advantages of active technology, a high degree of technological maturity, developed the modules applicable to all brands of tires, disadvantage is the need for battery-powered sensor module, so there is life problems. Passive techniques do not have battery-powered, it needs to be integrated into the transponder tires, this involves the tire manufacturer needs to establish a common standard is possible, only Siemens and Michelin is developing the technology, not yet mature products has emerged. (2) Indirect TPMS tire using ABS speed sensor to measure the speed of each tire, which is only inferred a tire pressure is inadequate, this system has a strong and durable, high reliability, without batteries and other troubled radio waves does not require modification of the car tires, with a much lower cost in comparison with the direct TMPS, especially for cars and light trucks, can be directly supporting the way to the depot into the market.
Indirect TPMS size of the market depends on the vehicle equipped with ABS, the size of the size of the market. At present, the truck safety has triggered widespread concern, the Chinese government is considering all of the trucks have adopted mandatory ABS in order to enhance the safety of roads, the use of direct TPMS systems for long lorries, plus trucks and heavy-duty trucks hanging tire pressure real-time monitoring, to prevent the driving tire due to storms caused serious traffic accidents have a significant social and market prospects. 4. Auto power management to 5-8% growth rate Delphi's research and forecasting, automotive electronic systems demand for electricity from now to 2030, will maintain an annual growth rate of 5-8%, during the transition phase 42V/12V power system is expected to become the de facto standards for vehicle power systems.
Advanced car electronics products in foreign countries, need to wire more than 2000 lines, various control devices, contact more than 4000, a total cable length of more than 4000 meters and weighing more than 40 kilograms, more than 100 motor and MCU, using 42V power system, the wire cross-sectional area of the existing mainstream 0.5-1.5mm2 reduced from 0.35 mm2, the benefits of performance in: 1. The same power under the current flowing through the wire is smaller, reducing the ohmic conductors of each loss, fuel consumption reduced by 10% -20%; 2. Wire the space freed up can add a new electronic system functions; 3. Use of aluminum instead of copper wire, and greater use of flexible wire, the motor can do a smaller size; 4. Meet the needs of the development of hybrid-fuel vehicles. Shanghai New Vehicle Technology Co., Ltd. on behalf of the MA Xi-ping said: "The use of 42V or 42V/12V power system can achieve energy saving and environmental protection requirements, so it is the inevitable trend of development of automotive electronics, the problem is that existing investments, develop a good product and supporting yuan It is difficult for us to abandon the existing device to restart the program. In the old car that has been established to promote application of 42V power system in its new application possibilities rather large, the process of phasing out old vehicles may also need 3-4 years time. " The latest news shows: As the energy and environmental protection, China will start in 1-2 years, mass production of hybrid cars, China's auto industry will be taken to gradually raise the necessary means vehicle electrical system voltage (12V, 16V, 24V, 36V ...) to meet the rapidly growing demand for power, under the influence of these two factors may lead to a variety of automotive power conversion modules (DC-DC converters), high voltage / high current power devices need a substantialin increasing.
As the vehicle-specific power devices occupy the bulk of the cost of automotive power supply, the industry will be forced to continue to develop new power device manufacturing processes to further reduce costs, SiC and GaN devices with high conversion efficiency, low power cooling system requirements, which may be enhanced the performance of automotive power devices technology development potential, is expected to ,5-10 years after the SiC and GaN devices are expected to be widely used in automotive power supply, so it is worth noting an important direction of development. As the car has just begun the process of electronic, automotive semiconductor power devices on-chip integrated circuits manufacturing line width requirements not so high, so the field is expected to become China's IC design companies and power module design company's entrance into automotive electronics market, the best entry point, the international top-level semiconductor device vendors to enter is expected to accelerate this process.
Friday, September 17, 2010
Hitachi Cd Rom Drivers Comparison Of High Definition Optical Disc Formats
Technical details
A Table Comparing the High-definition Optical Media Formats
DVD included for comparison
Mandatory codecs must be supported by the player. Each disc must use one or more of the mandatory codecs.
Blu-ray Disc
HD DVD
CBHD (CH-DVD)
AVCHD
AVCREC
DVD
Muse LD
Laser wavelength
405 nm (blue-violet laser)
650 nm (red laser)
Numerical aperture
0.85
0.65
0.6
Unknown
Storage capacity
(single side)
per layer/maximum
25/50 GB[a]
15/30 GB[a]
1.4/2.6 GB (8 cm DVD),
4.7/8.5 GB (12 cm DVD)
4.7/8.5 GB
30cm, 60 min per side
Maximum
bitrate
Raw data transfer
53.95 Mbit/s
36.55 Mbit/s
18 Mbit/s
11.08 Mbit/s
Unknown
Audio+Video+Subtitles
48.0 Mbit/s
30.24 Mbit/s
Unknown
10.08 Mbit/s
Unknown
Video
40.0 Mbit/s
29.4 Mbit/s
Unknown
9.8 Mbit/s
Unknown
Mandatory video codecs
H.264/MPEG-4 AVC / VC-1 / MPEG-2
China's AVS / H.264/MPEG-4 AVC / VC-1 / MPEG-2
H.264/MPEG-4 AVC
H.264/MPEG-4 AVC
MPEG-2
MPEG-1 / MPEG-2
MUSE
Audio codecs
(maximum data rates shown)
lossy
Dolby Digital
Mandatory
640 kbit/s
Mandatory
504 kbit/s
Mandatory
64-640 kbit/s
Mandatory
448 kbit/s
Unknown
DTS
Mandatory
1.5 Mbit/s
Unknown
N/A
Optional
1.5 Mbit/s
Unknown
Dolby Digital Plus[d]
Optional
1.7 Mbit/s
Mandatory
3.0 Mbit/s
N/A
N/A
Unknown
DTS-HD High Resolution
Optional
6.0 Mbit/s
Optional
3.0 Mbit/s
Unknown
N/A
N/A
N/A
lossless
Linear PCM[h]
Mandatory
Optional
(B Mode)
2 channel PCM
Dolby TrueHD[h]
Optional
18 Mbit/s
Mandatory
18 Mbit/s
N/A
N/A
Unknown
DTS-HD Master Audio[h]
Optional
24.5 Mbit/s
Optional
18 Mbit/s
Unknown
N/A
N/A
N/A
Secondary video decoder (PiP)
Mandatory for Bonus View players[c]
Mandatory
Unknown
Unknown
N/A
N/A
Secondary audio decoder
Mandatory for Bonus View players[c]
Mandatory
Unknown
Unknown
Optional
N/A
Interactivity
BDMV and Blu-ray Disc Java
Standard Content and Advanced Content
CETC
Rudimentary
N/A
Internet support
Mandatory for BD-Live players
Mandatory
Unknown
N/A
Video resolution
(maximum)
19201080
720480 (NTSC)
720576 (PAL)
1125 interlaced lines
1035 lines displayed
Frame rates at maximum resolution
24p, 50/60i[g]
24/25/30p, 50/60i
24p, 50/60i
Unknown
24/25/30p[g] 50/60i
60i
Digital Rights Management
AACS-128bit / BD+ / ROM-Mark
AACS-128bit
AACS-128bit / DKAA
None (Not intended for prerecorded content)
CSS 40-bit
None
Region codes
Three region codes[f]
None
Unknown
None
8 regions (6 commercial)
None
Hardcoating of disc
Mandatory
Optional
Unknown
^ a These maximum storage capacities apply to currently released media as of July 2008. The DVD Forum has approved a triple-layer version of HD DVD that would have a capacity of up to 51 GB, and Hitachi has proposed a modified Blu-ray version that would support a capacity of up to 100 GB. However, neither has yet been mass-produced or released.
^ b All HD DVD players are required to decode the two primary channels (left and right) of any Dolby TrueHD track; however, every Toshiba made stand alone HD DVD player released thus far decodes 5.1 channels of TrueHD.
^ c On November 1, 2007 Secondary video and audio decoder became mandatory for new Blu-ray Disc players when the Bonus View requirement came into effect. However, players introduced to the market before this date can continue to be sold without Bonus View.
^ d There are some differences in the implementation of Dolby Digital Plus (DD+) on the two formats. On Blu-ray Disc, DD+ can only be used to extend a primary Dolby Digital (DD) 5.1 audiotrack. In this method 640 kbit/s is allocated to the primary DD 5.1 audiotrack (which is independently playable on players that do not support DD+), and up to 1 Mbit/s is allocated for the DD+ extension. The DD+ extension is used to replace the rear channels of the DD track with higher fidelity versions, along with adding additional channels for 6.1/7.1 audiotracks. On HD DVD, DD+ is used to encode all channels (up to 7.1), and no legacy DD track is required since all HD DVD players are required to decode DD+.
^ e On PAL DVDs, 24 frame per second content is stored as 50 interlaced frames per second and gets replayed 4% faster. This process can be reversed to retrieve the original 24 frame per second content. On NTSC DVDs, 24 frame per second content is stored as 60 interlaced frames per second using a process called 3:2 pulldown, which if done properly can also be reversed.
^ f As of July 2008, about 66.7% of Blu-ray discs are region free and 33.3% use region codes.
^ g DVD supports any valid MPEG-2 refresh rate as long as it is packaged with metadata converting it to 576i50 or 480i60, This metadata takes the form of REPEAT_FIRST_FIELD instructions embedded in the MPEG-2 stream itself, and is a part of the MPEG-2 standard. HDDVD is the only high-def disk format that can decode 1080p25 and 1080p30 while blu-ray and HDDVD can both decode 1080p24. 1080p25 and 1080p30 content can only be presented on Blu-Ray as 1080i50 and 1080i60 respectfully.
^ h Linear PCM is the only lossless audio codec that is mandatory for both HDDVD and Blu-Ray disk players, only HDDVD players are required to decode two lossless sound formats and those are Linear PCM and Dolby TrueHD. Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD Master Audio have become sound format of choice for many studios on their Blu-Ray titles but ever since Blu-Ray won the format war, it has not become clear if the they are now Mandatory for all new Blu-Ray disk players since the end of the format war.
Capacity/codecs
Blu-ray has a higher maximum disc capacity than HD DVD (50 GB vs. 30 GB for a double sided disc). In September 2007 the DVD Forum approved a preliminary specification for the triple-layer 51GB HD DVD (ROM only) disc though Toshiba never stated whether it was compatible with existing HD DVD players. In September 2006 TDK announced a prototype Blu-ray Disc with a capacity of 200GB. TDK was also the first to develop a Blu-ray prototype with a capacity of 100GB in May 2005. In October 2007 Hitachi developed a Blu-ray prototype with a capacity of 100GB. Hitachi has stated that current Blu-ray drives would only require a few firmware updates in order to play the disc.
The first 50 GB dual-layer Blu-ray Disc release was the movie Click, which was released on October 10, 2006. As of July 2008, over 95% of Blu-ray movies/games are published on 50 GB dual layer discs with the remainder on 25 GB discs. 85% of HD DVD movies are published on 30 GB dual layer discs, with the remainder on 15 GB discs.
The choice of video compression technology (codec) complicates any comparison of the formats. Blu-ray Disc and HD DVD both support the same three video compression standards: MPEG-2, VC-1 and AVC, each of which exhibits different bitrate/noise-ratio curves, visual impairments/artifacts, and encoder maturity. Initial Blu-ray Disc titles often used MPEG-2 video, which requires the highest average bitrate and thus the most space, to match the picture quality of the other two video codecs. As of July 2008 over 70% of Blu-ray Disc titles have been authored with the newer compression standards: AVC and VC-1. HD DVD titles have used VC-1 and AVC almost exclusively since the format's introduction. Warner Bros., which used to release movies in both formats prior to June 1, 2007, often used the same encode (with VC-1 codec) for both Blu-ray Disc and HD DVD, with identical results. In contrast, Paramount used different encodings: initially MPEG-2 for early Blu-ray Disc releases, VC-1 for early HD DVD releases, and eventually AVC for both formats.
Whilst the two formats support similar audio codecs, their usage varies. Most titles released on the Blu-ray format include Dolby Digital tracks for each language in the region, a DTS-HD Master Audio track for all 20th Century Fox and Sony Pictures and many upcoming Universal titles, Dolby TrueHD for Disney and Sony Pictures and some Paramount and Warner titles, and for many Blu-ray titles a Linear PCM track for the primary language. On the other hand, most titles released on the HD DVD format include Dolby Digital Plus tracks for each language in the region, and some also include a Dolby TrueHD track for the primary language.
Interactivity
Both Blu-ray Disc and HD DVD have two main options for interactivity (on-screen menus, bonus features, etc.).
Blu-ray's basic mode is known as HDMV or BDMV ("High Definition Movie Mode" or "Blu-ray Disc Movie Mode"), whilst HD DVD's is known as "Standard Content". Both offer modest upgrades from standard DVD, such as the use of more buttons on-screen, a larger colour palette, and expanded programming environment. BDMV is more powerful than Standard Content, and has been used on many Blu-ray disc titles. Standard Content has been used less on HD DVDs[citation needed]. HD DVD's Standard Content is a minor change from standard DVD's subpicture technology, while Blu-ray's BDMV is completely new. This makes transitioning from standard DVD to Standard Content HD DVD relatively simple[citation needed] -- for example, Apple's DVD Studio Pro has supported authoring Standard Content since version 4.0.3.[citation needed] For more advanced interactivity Blu-ray disc supports BD-J while HD DVD supports Advanced Content.
Disc construction
Blu-ray Discs contain their data relatively close to the surface (less than 0.1 mm) which combined with the smaller spot size presents a problem when the surface is scratched as data would be destroyed. To overcome this, TDK, Sony, and Panasonic each have developed a proprietary scratch resistant surface coating. TDK trademarked theirs as Durabis, which has withstood direct abrasion by steel wool and marring with markers in tests.
HD DVD uses traditional material and has the same scratch and surface characteristics of a regular DVD. The data is at the same depth (0.6 mm) as DVD as to minimize damage from scratching. As with DVD the construction of the HD DVD disc allows for a second side of either HD DVD or DVD.
A study performed by Home Media Magazine (August 5, 2007) concluded that HD DVD discs and Blu-ray discs are essentially equal in production cost. Quotes from several disc manufacturers for 25,000 units of HD DVDs and Blu-rays revealed a price differential of only 5-10 cents. (Lowest price: 90 cents versus 100 cents. Highest price: $1.45 versus $1.50.) Another study performed by Wesley Tech (February 9, 2007) arrived at a similar conclusion. Quotes for 10,000 discs show that a 15 gigabyte HD DVD costs $11,500 total, and 25 gigabyte Blu-ray or a 30 gigabyte HD DVD costs $13,000 total. For larger quantities of 100,000 units, the 30 gigabyte HD DVD was more expensive than the 25 gigabyte Blu-ray ($1.55 versus $1.49).
Hybrid discs
At the January 8, 2007 Consumer Electronics Show, Warner Bros. introduced a hybrid technology, Total HD, that would reportedly support both formats on a single disc.The new discs would overlay the Blu-ray and HD DVD layers, placing them respectively 0.1 mm and 0.5 mm beneath the surface. The Blu-ray top layer would act as a two-way mirror, reflecting just enough light for a Blu-ray reader to read and an HD DVD player to ignore. But the following September, Warner President Ron Sanders said that the technology was on hold due to Warner being the only one that would publish on it.
As of January 4, 2008, Warner Bros. announced that they will be supporting the Blu-ray format exclusively after June 1, 2008. This news along with the end of the format war would indicate that the hybrid discs once announced by Warner Bros. will not be put into production.
Copy protection
The primary copy protection system used on both formats is the Advanced Access Content System (AACS). Other copy protection systems include:
Blu-ray Disc
HD DVD
HDCP encrypted digital output
ROM-Mark watermarking technology (physical layer)
BD dynamic crypto (BD+)
HDCP encrypted digital output
Region coding
Main article: Blu-ray Disc - Region codes
The Blu-ray specification and all currently available players support region coding. As of July 2008 about 66.7% of Blu-ray Disc titles are region-free and 33.3% use region codes.
The HD DVD specification has no region coding, so an HD DVD disc from anywhere in the world will work in any player. The DVD Forum's steering committee has discussed a request from Disney to add it, but many of the 20 companies on the committee actively oppose it..
Some film titles that are exclusive to Blu-ray in the United States such as Sony's xXx, Fox's Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer and Disney's The Prestige, are available on HD DVD in other countries due to different distribution agreements (in fact, The Prestige was released outside the US by once format-neutral studio Warner Bros. Pictures). Since there is no region coding in HD DVDs, there are no restrictions playing foreign-bought HD DVDs in an HD DVD player.
References
^ "Toshiba Announces Discontinuation of HD DVD Businesses". Toshiba Press Department. 2008-02-19. http://www.toshiba.co.jp/about/press/2008_02/pr1903.htm. Retrieved 2008-02-19.
^ http://www.blu-raydisc.com/Assets/Downloadablefile/2b_bdrom_audiovisualapplication_0305-12955-15269.pdf
^ HD DVD Promotion Group
^ DVD Forum.org HD DVD Technology
^ a b c d e "Blu-ray Disc Statistics". http://www.blu-raystats.com/Stats/Stats.php. Retrieved 2008-07-04.
^ "TDK Develops Blu-ray Media with 200GB Capacity". http://www.blu-ray.com/news/?id=94.
^ "Develops 2X, 100GB Blu-ray Disc Prototype". http://www.blu-ray.com/news/?id=46TDK.
^ "Hitachi Develops BD-100". http://www.blu-ray.com/news/?id=559.
^ Frequently updated list of historical release dates and disc capacities, HD DVD NEWS, High-Def Digest, 15 April 2007
^ HD DVD Statistics, HDDVDstats.com, 15 January 2008
^ "Durabis durability". http://www.engadget.com/2007/01/19/tdks-durabis-2-coating-protects-200gb-blu-ray-discs/.
^ "Indies wait for HD - Page 1 - lists bulk prices for blank discs". http://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/questex/hom080507/index.php.
^ "Blu-ray vs HD DVD replication costs analyzed again - Lists 10,000-quantity prices for blank discs". http://wesleytech.com/blu-ray-vs-hd-dvd-replication-costs-analyzed-again/113/.
^ "Blu-ray replication vs HD DVD replication costs revealed - Lists 100,000-quantity prices for blank discs". http://wesleytech.com/blu-ray-vs-hd-dvd-replication-costs-revealed/111/.
^ Shilov, Anton (2007-01-04). "Warner Total HD to End Blu-ray Vs. HD DVD War". X-bit labs. http://www.xbitlabs.com/news/multimedia/display/20070104060353.html. Retrieved 2007-01-04.
^ "Warner Remains Loyal To Dual HD Formats". TWICE. 2007-09-12. http://www.twice.com/article/CA6477849.html. Retrieved 2008-04-25.
^ "Microsoft: why HD DVD can beat Blu-ray". 2007-04-03. http://www.tech.co.uk/home-entertainment/video/dvd-hdd-players-and-receivers/blu-ray-and-hd-dvd/features/microsoft-why-hd-dvd-can-beat-blu-ray. Retrieved 2007-11-13.
^ Sarah McBride (2007-10-18). "Blu-ray vs. HD DVD: a Solution Abroad". Wall Street Journal online. http://online.wsj.com/article/SB119267051987662923.html?mod=googlenews_wsj. Retrieved 2007-11-15.
External links
Blu-ray portal
Blu-ray vs. HD DVD article by cdfreaks.com
v d e
High definition media
Media formats
Blu-ray Disc HD DVD China Blue High-Definition (CBHD) Holographic Versatile Disc UMD
Promoter
Blu-ray Disc Association HD DVD Promotion Group HVD Forum Sony(UMD) China High-definition DVD Industry Association
Interactivity
BD-Java Advanced Content
Recordable formats
BD-R BD-RE HD DVD-R HD DVD-RW HD DVD-RAM
Comparison
Comparison of high definition optical disc formats
copy prevention
AACS (BD, FVD, and HD DVD) HDCP (BD and HD DVD) BD+ (BD) ROM-Mark (BD)
Blu-ray Disc players
PlayStation 3 Sony BDP-S1 Panasonic DMP-BD10
HD DVD players
Xbox 360 HD DVD Drive Toshiba HD-A1 Toshiba HD-XA1
Categories: Blu-ray Disc | HD DVD | High-definition television | Video storage | Technological comparisonHidden categories: All articles with unsourced statements | Articles with unsourced statements from August 2008 | Articles with unsourced statements from January 2007 | Articles with unsourced statements from December 2007
Thursday, September 16, 2010
Philips Dvd Rom Drivers Overview Of Top VHS To DVD Machines
If you have a lot of old VHS tapes sitting around the house that you would like to convert into DVD format, your best bet is to purchase a VHS to DVD recorder. The VHS and DVD technologies are integrated into one single unit, which will update your old out-dated VHS player and give you access to high-quality DVD entertainment all at the same time. If you own a High-Definition television, you will want to be sure to look for one of the newer VHS to DVD units that will up-convert the video signal for use with HDTV.
Most of the newer VHS to DVD converter units that are sold today are much easier to use than earlier models that you may have used before, adding in better menu navigation features and a one-touch dub option. The best part is that these newer units require you to know very little technically about how to transfer your VHS tapes over and burn them to DVD format, so you'll be extending the life of your old home movies in no time. You also have the ability to record television programming onto VHS or DVD if the unit comes with an integrated tuner, or if you add a TV tuner to it yourself. One thing you need to know, however, is that many of the DVD/VCR combination units are designed specifically to prohibit the transfer of copy-protected VHS or DVD discs within the system.
* The Samsung DVD-VR375/DVD-VR375A Up-Converting VHS Combo DVD Recorder
This unit is very reasonably priced and many of the automatic features that have been built-in to this unit will allow you to quickly and easily convert your VHS tapes to DVD with an extremely high-quality picture resolution, which is much better than a manual tracking type system. You can also play all of the recordable DVD formats with this VHS to DVD recorder, enabling you to play your burned DVDs on any type of player. DivX video files can also be played back with this unit, and you can even watch your videos on an HDTV screen thanks to the built-in up-converting feature.
* The JVC SR-DVM700US DVD/Hard Drive/miniDV Recorder
This unit is what is considered to be "professional grade" equipment, really fitting the bill if you are looking for a device that offers much more than the average home VHS to DVD unit. Because of all the features available in this unit, it is the most expensive one in our review, however it comes with a 250GB hard drive as well as a miniDV and DVD recording/playback feature, making it more of an everything-in-one device than simply an all-in-one. The only drawback with this device is that it doesn't have a built-in tuner or up-converter for HDTV video capabilities, however there are some seriously professional recording and editing capabilities included.
* The Toshiba DR420DVD Recorder, featuring 1080p Up-conversion
This VHS to DVD recorder from Toshiba is very easy to use and allows you to record and playback in High-Definition resolution quality. This device is very versatile and it is extremely easy to navigate the built-in menu system. You can even add a touch of professionalism to your burned discs by adding menus in for easier navigation.
* The Toshiba DVR670 with Built-in Tuner
This particular model of VHS to DVD unit is a very multipurpose device, which has been designed to allow you to convert any non-copyrighted content from VHS to DVD as well as from DVD to VHS, with added features available for additional formats such as CDs, MP3 files and DivX. This model also comes with a built-in TV tuner, enabling you to record television programming to either DVD or VHS using your choice of digital or analog video sources.
* The JVC DR-NV150B DVD Recorder and VCR Combo Unit
Some very versatile features come standard on this unit from JVC. It gives you the ability to record either digital or analog TV signals, due to the built-in NTSC and ATSC television tuners. You also have the ability to record your programming on a multitude of formats including all types of DVD formats, including DVD-RAM, as well as playback options for DivX and MP3 files. The JVC MV150B allows you to easily connect and transfer video from your digital DVD camcorder, using the built-in front-mounted DV inputs.
* The Magnavox MWR20V6
You can easily tape your favorite programs to either VHS or DVD using this very versatile VHS to DVD recorder. There are even some pretty amazing editing features, which are also easy to use, that can help you to edit out commercials before you burn the recording to DVD.
* The Sony RDR-VSD655
This unit is very easy to program, thanks to the intuitive graphical interface feature and various tape recording speeds, which give you the ability to record in the same quality as the 2-hour recording mode for up to 8-hours of programming with this particular VHS to DVD recorder. The one-touch dubbing feature, which allows you to record either from disc or tape, makes it very easy to dub your recorded content. A built-in video signal converter on this unit up-converts the video signal, allowing you to view your VHS and DVD recorded content in high-quality video on your High-Definition television.
Depending upon your budget and your VHS to DVD recording needs, there is a huge variety of new machines available that will help you to easily transfer your VHS tape content and be able to record television programming. These newer machines make it easy to digitize your VHS tape content to a DVD format without all of the confusing steps and technical knowledge that is required to do it via computer or through an older device. You can even record and save on-air television programming to your choice of DVD or VHS tapes using the built-in tuner and basic editing capabilities on these units, even removing the commercials if you choose, so you can watch your programming later in High-Definition.
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