[This is the second part of a series of high tech buyer’s guides we’re releasing here at Ask Dave Taylor to help address many of the questions that we receive about confusing new technologies and gadgets. The first article addressed a core HD question: HD-DVD or Blu-Ray. This second article looks at the rapidly evolving world of personal media players and other ways you can enjoy video on the go. We hope you find this valuable!]
Much the same way the iPod changed the landscape in portable audio, videos frontier has forever been expanded thanks to these tiny devices.
It seems everything in technology is about getting smaller, however some industry expects didn’t believe there was a future for a mini-video player. Boy they were wrong. Portable Video has exploded in a big way in the last year, apparently small is just right.
Sony’s Playstation Portable (PSP) was the first video capable device to hit the market in Japan in December of 2004. While its primary function was a gaming medium, the PSP set the market as far as movies on mini go. Sony’s UMD format was, and still is a big hit with consumers.

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This is the first part of a series of high tech buyer’s guides we’re releasing here at Ask Dave Taylor to help address many of the questions that we receive about confusing new technologies and gadgets. This first article addresses a core HD question: HD-DVD or Blu-Ray. Both are amazing, but pick the wrong one, and you can pour thousands down a hole. I hope this is helpful, and encourage you to add comments at the end with your own experiences buying HD consumer electronics, whether they’re Playstation 3 / Nintendo Wii / Xbox 360 video systems, DVD players, or televisions.
The battle for your entertainment dollar took a big turn towards your living room in the early 1990s with the debut of the DVD. Replacing an obsolete analog tape format (VHS) with a crystal clear digital picture gave you a far better viewing experience and also allowed the movie studios another way to get your dollars in their pockets.
Today we are on the verge of another revolution in home movie viewing experience. High Definition is here and boy it sure looks good!
Of course, what would a new technology be without a format war, leaving us consumers confused and angry? The contenders in this battle are the two major High Definition DVD formats: Blu-ray and HD-DVD.
While both formats are very similar, there are a few subtle differences that are critically important to understand before you spend a dollar on your next consumer electronics device.

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What’s the history of the alcoholic spirit gin? Is it really a medicinal drink, and is this a good reason to have a gin martini every afternoon?

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