NTSC and PAL video standards

NTSC and PAL video broadcasting standards

There are currently two types of analog format used to broadcast video signals throughout the world. Certain parts of world use NTSC, which stands for National Television System Committee, while other parts of the world use PAL, which is short for Phase Alternating Line. There are several important differences between PAL and NTSC signals which are good to know about since they affect how certain technologies (such as DVDs) work in different countries. This Bamboo AV Advice article will help you to understand the differences between NTSC and PAL video standards, and will give you a good overview of what will happen to television systems and broadcasting standards in the future. NTSC will be the first video standard examined, followed by PAL.

NTSC format

NTSC stands for National Television System Committee, and is the analog format used by the majority of television American broadcasters. NTSC was developed in 1940 to establish a common broadcasting standard following the popularity of television and the introduction of analog television signals. NTSC images conform to a standard of an interlaced image made up of 525 horizontal lines with a refresh rate of 30 frames per second. Any standard definition picture with a maximum horizontal resolution of 720 lines and a 480 vertical resolution limit with a frame rate of 30 frames per second can be defined as NTSC and will play on a device designed for NTSC television. Numerous amounts of consumer video products, such as DVDs have been tailored to work to this standard and thus output in a resolution of 720 x 480. If a DVD uses an unsupported digital standard, many manufacturers of DVD players have implemented the ability to convert the signal to analogue and “squeeze” the image frame to fit the video.

Countries using NTSC

NTSC signals are used predominately in the Western hemisphere. The territories and some of the more notable countries that use NTSC broadcasts are listed below.

North America

Canada
Mexico
United States
Central America and the Caribbean

Costa Rica
Cuba
Guatemala
Honduras
Nicaragua
Panama
South America

Bolivia
Columbia
Peru
Asia

Burma
Japan*
Philippines
South Korea
*Japan uses a variant known as NTSC-J that has a slightly lower level of darkness.

PAL format

PAL, which stands for Phase Alternating Line, is the video standard used primarily in Europe and Africa for displaying television, DVD, and VHS pictures. The system was primarily introduced because of the inability of the 50 Hz power grids in European countries to accept the existing 60 Hz NTSC standard, and because of the colour shift that can occur during poor transmission weather. As a result, in 1963 Walter Bruch of Germany unveiled a television standard with a frequency of 50 Hz and a better quality picture than NTSC.

The PAL format outputs interlaced images at a resolution of 720 x 576 (86 more vertical lines than NTSC) with a refresh rate of 25 frames per second (5 less than NTSC). This means that while PAL broadcasts have a superior picture quality, NTSC images appear smoother, especially during high motion footage such as action films or sports.

Countries using PAL

PAL signals are most common in Europe and Africa. The territories and some of the more notable countries that use PAL broadcasts are listed below.

Africa

Nigeria
Ghana
Cameroon
South Africa
Asia

China
India
Philippines
Vietnam
Europe

Czech Republic
Denmark
Ireland
Italy
Poland
Portugal
Romania
Spain
Ukraine
United  Kingdom
South America

Argentina
Brazil
Paraguay
Uruguay
Oceania

Australia
New Zealand
A map showing the parts of the world that broadcast in PAL and NTSC

The image above shows a world map of the distribution of PAL and NTSC video standards usage.

The future of NTSC and PAL

In the last few years the penetration of High Definition televisions into homes has been consistently on the rise. As a result there has been an increased amount of demand for digital signals that can contain 5.1 audio and High Definition broadcasts. Both NTSC and PAL are analog formats, which means that they have a limited bandwidth incapable of broadcasting Dolby Digital sound or High Definition images. In the near future there will be little need for these analog signals.

Numerous countries around the world have set mandates to phase out and stop any further analog broadcasts and replace them with digital high definition broadcasts. For America, on February 8th 2006 George W. Bush signed the “Digital Television Transition and Public Safety Act of 2005” into law. This set February 17th 2009 as the date when all NTSC transmissions will be turned off permanently. NTSC broadcasts will be replaced with ATSC (which stands for Advanced Television Systems Committee), a standard that will broadcast digital High Definition images.

In Europe there are already countries that have fully converted to digital signals. The countries currently using the new digital format DVB – T (Digital Video Broadcasting – Terrestrial) are listed below:

Andorra
Finland
Luxembourg
Netherlands
Sweden
Switzerland
The remainder of the European countries have all set deadlines similar to those of the United States for when PAL broadcasts will be permanently stopped.

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5 Ways to Access Your Files From Anywhere

5 Ways to Access Your Files From Anywhere

Having remote access to your computer or files from anywhere means you never have to worry again about forgetting an important file. You can travel lightly and also do business from just about anywhere you have an Internet connection. Here are several ways to access your files from the road ... and even remotely control or manage your computer from afar.

1. Use Remote Access or Remote Desktop Apps

One of the simplest ways to remotely access your computer is to use one of the many free or subscription-based programs that set up the connection for you. These programs let you log into your home computer from a Web browser on the remote computer (e.g., a workstation at the office or cybercafe) -- or, in some cases, even from an app on a mobile device like a smartphone or the iPad -- and work on your home computer as if you were sitting in front of it. The most popular remote access programs include:

LogMeIn: offers both a free version that works with Windows PCs and Macs for remote desktop control as well as a Pro version that also enables file transfers, remote printing, and more.

GoToMyPC: is a subscription-based service from Citrix starting at $19.95 per month for one computer (Mac or PC). GoToMyPC offers similar advanced features, like drag-and-drop file transfer, that the paid LogMeIn Pro version includes. There's a free trial, so you can compare GoToMyPC with the free version of LogMeIn to see which works better for you.

UltraVNC: is a free, very configurable program that uses VNC (Virtual Network Computing) technology for remote desktop sharing. It offers many advanced features like special graphics drivers, encryption plugins, and Windows authentication, but can be more complex to configure.

2. Share Files with a NAS (Network Attached Storage) Device 

If you don't need to remotely control or manage your home computer and just want to be able to access shared files over the Internet, you can use a NAS device (a.k.a. NAS box) to do so. These storage devices are mini file servers that you connect to your home network, usually via Ethernet cable to your home router. They run about $200, but it may be a very useful investment; NAS devices are great for file sharing and backups for multiple computers, and they typically offer remote file access via FTP or even your Web browser, depending on the device. Popular NAS boxes that let you access your files remotely include: Buffalo Linkstation and Apple's Time Capsule.

(More: About's Guide to Wireless/Networking has a selection of entry-level NAS products for home users as well as an Introduction to NAS.)

3. Add an External Hard Drive to Your Home Router

Another remote file sharing option would be to add an external hard drive to your existing (or a new) home router -- if your router has the capability to enable file sharing, that is. The Netgear WNDR3700 Router, for example, is a wireless dual-band (offers both 802.11b/g and 802.11n) router with a "ReadyShare" feature for sharing a USB storage device over the network and via FTP. The Linksys Dual-Band WRT600N is a similar router with network storage capabilities. Although using an external hard drive connected to your router will be slower than a dedicated NAS, this option may be less expensive if you already have an external drive to use and/or the router.

4. Use Online Backup and Syncing Services

For remotely accessing files from anywhere without having to set up any hardware, turn to cloud computing services, specifically online backup and file syncing Web apps. Online backup services provide automatic offsite (essential!) 

storage of your files and typically also allow you to download individual files from a Web browser or mobile app. Carbonite, Mozy, CrashPlan, and BackBlaze are a few online backup services to look at. As PC World points out, there are also additional options for low-cost backup, including using your Webmail or Web hosting service to store 

files online -- and these can also give you remote access to your files.

Dedicated file syncing services and applications are specifically designed to always keep your most important documents with you or accessible wherever you go. Dropbox and SugarSync automatically mirror a folder or several folders on your computer to their online servers. It's like having a file server in the cloud; you can share files with others and, in some cases, even edit files in your browser and sync with mobile devices.

5. Set Up Your Own Home Server

Finally, if you don't want to use a third-party solution and would rather set up your own VPN and server, both Apple Mac OS Server and Windows Home Server claim to make home or small business networking and remote access easy. 

(And of course there are many different Linux Server flavors; most of the NAS devices run on Linux.) This option is the most expensive and time-consuming to set up, but offers you the most control.

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10 cross-platform tools that can make your job easier

I work in multiple environments throughout the day. Most of the time I am working on Linux. But occasionally, I have to hop on over to a Windows machine for various reasons (usually to help an end user resolve a problem). When I do this, I am thankful there are plenty of cross-platform tools available. These tools range from standard desktop tools to server-based applications.

I’m not talking about Web-based applications served up by one platform to all platforms. I’m talking about applications that can actually be installed on a variety of platforms and run natively. These are the bread and butter of my work, and the fact that they’re available across platforms makes life much easier. You may be surprised to find out that these tools are available for multiple platforms. As they say, you learn something new every day.

• FileZilla is one of the best FTP clients out there. Filezilla offers an outstanding GUI FTP client for all platforms and an FTP server for the Windows platform. The client software has plenty of features, including: Supports FTP, FTP over SSL/TLS (FTPS) and SSH File Transfer Protocol (SFTP), IPv6 support, tabbed interface, powerful site manager, drag and drop support, filename filters, directory comparison, and much more.

• MySQL is, like Apache, one of the most widely used database servers on the planet. MySQL drives sites like Wordpress, Drupal, Joomla, Xoops, and a host of other CMS, ERP, and HRM sites. And for those currently running SQL looking to migrate, MySQL now has a simple to use migration tool to ease your switch. MySQL offers clustering, outstanding GUI admin tools (see below), and one of the most reliable and usable database servers available.

• The Gimp is one of my favorite graphics applications. Most people are shocked to find out that The Gimp is available for all platforms (minus Android and IOS). It’s a powerful image manipulation tool with enough filters and features to suit any level of user. The Gimp can please nearly any graphic artist without the funds for Photoshop. NOTE: The Windows version of The GIMP is looking for some solid developers to help with the project! If interested, contact the team through the Gimp Developer mailing list.

• Audacity is the cross-platform tool for editing audio. If you’re looking for the best software to record your podcasts, regardless of platform, this is what you want. I’ve been using Audacity for years to record the Zombie Radio podcast (NSFW), and it has been a stellar tool. Not only does Audacity record, it also is one of the best audio conversion and editing tools you will find. Audacity also includes plenty of effects and filters.

• AbiWord is a simple word processor. Why would you want to use a one-trick word processor? Abiword is small, fast, light, and offers plenty of features. AbiWord has been carefully written so that it can be run on any platform. AbiWord also includes a handy collaboration tool that is tightly integrated with AbiCollab.net and allows for easy sharing of documents with other AbiWord users.

• Zimbra Desktop won me over quickly. With its unique ability to aggregate multiple streams of information (email, Google, Yahoo, Facebook, Twitter, etc.), it provides a one-stop-shop for all your email and social feeds. Zimbra can also connect to Exchange, making it a great replacement for Outlook. Of course, you could take this one step further in your organization and use theZimbra Collaboration Server and get rid of Exchange all together.

• Claws Mail is one of the fastest, most versatile email clients you will ever use. Yes, there is a bit of a learning curve when you try to make Claws go outside the boundaries of the standard email client. But that’s when it really soars. With Claws Mail, you can do things you never thought an email client could do — on Linux, BSD, Solaris, and Windows (sorry Mac users). Claws Mail also enjoys a good number of plugins to expand the flexibility of this powerful mail client.

• SpiderOak goes beyond the other cross-platform cloud sync/backup tool, Dropbox, by letting you fine-tune exactly what is backed up. Unlike Dropbox (where you’re limited to the Dropbox folder), SpiderOak allows you to back up multiple folders and even preserve historical versions of files and folders. SpiderOak also allows you to share folders with its ShareRooms using RSS. SpiderOak gives you 2 GB free and then charges $10.00 USD per 100 GB.

• GnuCash is the go-to open source, cross-platform accounting tool. It offers tons of features (double-entry accounting, stocks/bonds/mutual fund accounts, QIF/OFX/HBCI import, transaction matching, scheduled transactions, financial calculations, and more) and is the perfect solution for small businesses without the budget for QuickBooks or Peachtree.

• TightVNC is an outstanding VNC server that enables you to remote into desktops of nearly any platform. It’s free for both personal and business use and available for Windows and UNIX. TightVNC includes a Java-based VNC client along with the server. TightVNC is also compatible with standard VNC software, so if you don’t want to make use of the Java-based client, you can use your client of choice.

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Create Customize Windows 7 Disc with Integrated Updates

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Do you want to save time when installing Windows 7 ? You can create a customized installation disc and have it perform an installation without asking you questions, integrate updates and drivers, tweak Windows, and remove Windows components.

We’ll be using RTSe7en Lite for this – if you’ve used nLite with Windows XP or vLite with Windows Vista in the past, it works similarly. RT Se7en Lite is a sort of vLite or nLite for Windows 7.

What You’ll Need

• To do this, you’ll need Windows 7 installed on your computer. You’ll also need to downloadand install the Windows Automated Installation Kit (WAIK) for Windows 7 fromMicrosoft – RT Se7en Lite is a more user friendly frontend to WAIK. WAIK is 1.7 GB, so the download may take a while if you have a slow Internet connection. After downloading it, extract it with a file extraction program such as 7-Zip.

• Run the StartCD.exe file, select Windows AIK Setup, and follow the instructions on your screen to install Windows AIK.

• You’ll also need a Windows 7 installation source – either a physical disc or ISO file.

• Next, downloadand install RT Se7en Lite from here – it’s free and donation-supported. Download the appropriate version for your version of Windows — x86 if you’re using a 32-bit version of Windows or x64 if you’re using a 64-bit edition.

Using RT Se7en Lite

• First, click the Browse button and provide your Windows 7 files – if you have an ISO file on your hard drive, click Select ISO file and navigate to it. If you have a Windows disc, insert the disk, click Select OS path, and navigate to the disc.

• If you provide an ISO, you’ll have to specify an extraction path where the ISO’s files will be extracted to – you’ll need several gigabytes of space on your hard disk for this.

• The files will be automatically extracted after you provide your ISO.

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• After selecting the edition of Windows 7 you’re customizing, RT Se7en Lite will load the image. If you have a Windows 7 disc without Service Pack 1 integrated, click the Slipstream Service Pack option in the “Select an image to configure” window and you’ll be able to integrate SP1.

• Click over to the Task pane and select the tasks you want to perform after the image is loaded. You can manually check the check boxes or select a preset. Selecting one of the check boxes will activate the corresponding configuration pane at the left side of the window.

•  The integration pane allows you to integrate Windows updates, drivers, language packs, and even third-party applications into your installation disc. To integrate updates, you’ll have to download their installer files and load them into RT Seven Lite with the Add button.

• On the Features Removal or Components tab, you can permanently remove components from your Windows installation disc and control which Windows features are installed by default. For example, you can remove the included games from your Windows installer disc, or force Windows to install the IIS web server by default.

• The Tweaks tab allows you to customize the default settings for the Windows Control Panel, Desktop, Explorer, and a variety of other Windows components. You can even add custom registry settings to tweak other settings that aren’t present in the list.

• The Unattended section allows you to create an unattended installation disc – you provide answers to installation questions beforehand and Windows will install without asking you these questions during the installation process.

• For example, you can enter your product key ahead of time so Windows won’t ask you for it. The other tabs allow you to control other settings – for example, selecting the hard disks that Windows will install on. If you complete enough of these settings, Windows will install automatically without asking you any questions during the installation, allowing you to perform an unattended Windows installation.

• The Customization pane allows you to add custom screensaver, wallpapers, themes, documents, and even logon screens to your Windows 7 disc.

On the ISO Bootable pane, you can create a ISO image from your customized installation disc. You can also burn it to a DVD or copy it to a bootable USB drive.

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How to Disable Dial up Internet Connection Popup

Whenever you open you internet explore there is one popup always frustrating you " Dial Up Internet Connection" Did you know why this always disturb you, because you install any third party connection like 3G modem or before you are using dial up connection and that still is there. 

How to Remove 

If you want to remove this "Dial up connection' than you have two way to remove this connection.

1. Primary Disable 
2. Complete Uninstall

Complete uninstall when you select then in feature you don't want to use third party connection, because if you used complete uninstall mean you have to completely remove the third party connection from "Add & Remove Program" option. and primary disable is the second 

1. Primary Disable : Primary Disable is only disable the "Dial up Internet connection pop-up" and after that you did't see this pop-up, and you want you use this third party application in future then also its possible. So check how to switch on the "Primary Disable"

• Open the Internet Explore and Go to the "Tool" and select the "Internet option"

• The New Internet Option windows open then select the connection.

• Connection Tab you can see the Installed third party dial up connection, for the Primary disable you can select the " Never Dial a Connection" after that dial up pop-up not disturbing you any more. Remove option also is there, but i'm not going to prefer you about this option, So don't use this option. 

    2. Complete Uninstall

• Complete Uninstallation you can follow mention below instruction.
• Click "Start" and Select "Control Panel"
• Select "Add & Remove Program" and select the third party connection which installed in you system and press "Remove" 

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