TechLore - Ask The Experts

Streaming Internet Video Without the Herky-Jerky

Matt Whitlock — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 18:05:39 GMT

Question: I have successfully hooked up my laptop to my TV.. I have a new Toshiba computer and have made the connection using a VGA to TV converter box. Everything works good except for one thing, The videos and live TV broadcasts seem to be a little jerky, like they are buffering or something. I am receiving internet through a Verizon wireless DSL modem. Is there a computer or modem setting that needs to be changed. Or do you need something else to produce seamless video similar to cable TV. -Submitted by Fischer Answer: Your question has me thinking from several angles, since you weren't exactly clear if the issue occurs when streaming content over the web (since you mentioned how you're connected to the web) or viewing local content (since you mentioned live TV broadcasts). I'll hit on both topics, though, since others could be facing problems with each. Let's first start by assuming that we're talking Internet streaming, meaning you're pulling content from the web and trying to display it on a TV. Diagnosing issues with Internet streaming is tricky business; there are just so many variables between the server that houses the video and your display. We...

Uprading a Graphics Card... What Are the Limitations?

Matt Whitlock — Thu, 03 Sep 2009 19:37:34 GMT

Question: I have an Acer Aspire T160 MB-70 PC with an Acer FC51GM motherboard. It has built in graphics ( Nvidia 6100 ). It has a 2.2 ghz CPU and a standard PSU. It can take a maximum of 4GB RAM. I would like to buy a new graphics card which can be placed in a PCI Express slot. It must be the best one that my motherboard will accept as money is not an object. In addition, I am willing to upgrade the PSU if necessary and also the CPU. I will be using the graphics card as an all rounder as I do gaming and watch alot of videos, dvds etc on the PC. It must preferably have a hdmi output on it and have HD capabilities. I would like this to be connected to the TV. I am having difficulty finding information regarding what graphic cards my system in its present state will accept. I want the best I can get and am willing to upgrade other components. I have seen one which I believe will fit into my present system which is the Nvidia GeForce 9500 GPU. Will this motherboard accept a 1GB card or do...

How Do I Make Any Song Into an iPhone Ringtone?

Peter Redmer — Tue, 28 Jul 2009 22:00:27 GMT

Question: I'm searching in vain through my iTunes to find a way to make my favorite songs into ringtones for my iPhone. I can't seem to find it. How do I do this? Answer: Well, unfortunately for hundreds of thousands of iPhone owners who want custom ringtones, Apple doesn't make this easy for you. Of course, you could always buy ringtones from the iTunes Music Store, but what if they don't have your favorite song available? What if you want to use something completely different, like a video game sound effect or a recording of your kid playing the drums or something? There are a few ways to do this - a sneaky (and lengthy) "manual" way, or you can use a third party program to make it easy. The Manual Way 1. Go to your Preferences Menu in iTunes and select the "General" tab. See the "Import Settings" button in the picture above? Click that and select "AAC Encoder" as your default method and confirm. You can change it back later if you like. 2. Locate the song you want to convert into your fabulous new ringtone. You'll need to listen to it and figure out which section of...

The LG HT554TH Home Cinema and the Mystery of the Missing DTS Sound

Matt Whitlock — Wed, 22 Jul 2009 15:05:02 GMT

Question from TechLore Member snypy : I bought a new LG HT554TH home cinema that plays Dolby Digital fine, but when I select DTS I get no sound at all, although the device display indicates that source as DTS. I asked LG technical support, but their answers were total wrong. In fact, they did not tell me anything at all, and then claimed that my home cinema does not support DTS sound at all despite their official specifications. So, I'd like to ask, is there any way to make DTS sound work or not? The setup menu does not offer many options (in fact not a single one about Dolby Digital or DTS setup - not even in the manual) or should I send it in for service? It is still under warranty - but I'd like to know if there is a solution or anything which may help me when talking to a service staff. Answer: I'm not sure how to break it to you, but based on the information I've been able to uncover (and regardless of what it says on their website), I'd be willing to bet the LG HT554TH does not play DTS sound. It may...

Why Won't Windows Media Player Play My DVDs?

Matt Whitlock — Tue, 21 Jul 2009 17:12:22 GMT

Question from TechLore Member msalessi : I was hoping someone can help me out here. I recently bought a Toshiba laptop, model Satellite L305-S5919. My problem is when I put in a DVD to watch, it gave me an error and said something about a decoder. What does this mean and why won't the movie play? I can't find another application to play the movie on and I really don't want to buy more software for this computer. Am I crazy to assume the computer should've come with something that would allow me to play movies? Please help! Answer: You're not going crazy, and in fact, you're not alone. The Toshiba Satellite L305-S5919 ships with Windows Vista Home Basic, which does not include the necessary decoder for DVD playback. Before we get to solutions, the first question you probably want answered is, "Why doesn't Microsoft include a DVD decoder in Windows Vista?" The answer to that is pretty simple... cost. Microsoft pays a licensing fee for each copy of Windows installed with a DVD decoder. While they didn't do this with XP at all, they do include DVD playback in Vista Home Premium and Vista Ultimate. However, they have opted...

Ditch Your Landline and Save Some Cash With VoIP: Skype, Ooma, and MagicJack

Peter Redmer — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 20:13:29 GMT

Question: cptdano from the forums asks: "We have done away with land lines in our house. Do you have any ideas of another way we might accomplish something similar?" Answer: The country is in a recession, and your cellphone bills are high enough. The last thing you or anyone else needs is yet another outrageous telephone bill, but your local cable and telephone companies keep on pressuring you to sign up for their included landline service. Landline telephone service does have its advantages, including clarity of transmission and always-on service, but there are a number of solutions from various providers that offer voice telephone services over the Internet for a fraction of the price. Are you ready to cut the cord? Take a look at these three solutions. (Before we begin, all of these solutions require a high-speed Internet connection.) Skype: A Solid, Well-Known VoIP Provider If you're not familiar with the term, "VoIP" stands for "Voice over Internet Protocol" and is exactly what you might assume - telephone service over the Internet instead of over a landline. Skype , an eBay company based out of Luxembourg, has been providing service to users worldwide for quite some time, and has...