We’ve watched our fair share of geeky movies at Digital Trends and high-tech cars play a big role in many of our favorite flicks. Even though automotive technology is advancing quickly, most of these cars are still a little farfetched for present day operation– but some do have components based in reality. They may not be street legal but they’re fun to look at, so check out our 10 favorite futuristic cars from the movies and television.
Tag Archive: television
The Clock Runs Out on U.S. Analog Television
Tomorrow is June 12—do you know what that means? If you still receive television using traditional analog over-the-air broadcasts, your television will pick up nothing but snow starting tomorrow. Although stations are staggering their shutoffs a little bit, by mid-day on June 12 virtually all analog television transmission in the United States should be shut down, in favor of all-digital broadcasting.
Television viewers who receive cable or satellite service are unaffected by the transition; similarly, consumers who have TVs with digital tuners or who have purchased a DTV converter box for an older analog TV will be able to receive digital television broadcasts.
DTV Soft Test Prompts 55,000 Help Line Calls
Remember when the United States was going to transition to digital television on February 17? Shortly after taking office the Obama administration pushed the date back to June 12, 2009 to give consumers more time to set hands on $40 vouchers aimed at defraying the cost of digital converter boxes for older analog sets—and maybe defray from injuries from people trying to climb up on roofs in the middle of ice storms to set up new antennas.
Gov’t Clearing DTV Coupon Waiting List, Millions Still Not Ready
The National Telecommunications and Information Administration has announced it has started work on clearing its waitlist of more than 4.1 million requests for $40 coupons to offset the cost of digital television converters. Although the United States has largely put off its digital television transition until June 12, 2009, millions of households that depend on over-the-air broadcasts still aren’t ready to receive DTV signals—meaning they’ll lose TV service once analog broadcasts cease.
Flat Panel TV Sales Dropped in Q4 2008
If ever there was a sign of a worldwide economic slowdown, it might be how people spent their money on that most popular of mediums, television. According to market research firm DisplaySearch, worldwide sales of flat panel television fell for the first time ever during the fourth quarter of 2008—which, being the end of year holiday season, one might assume to be a period of strong sales. Instead, DisplaySearch found that global TV shipments fell more than 5 percent year-on-year to 57.7 million units, marking the first year-on-year decline in more than two years. Revenues from television sales fell by 7 percent to just over $30 billion.
It’s Feb 17: How’s Your Analog TV Doing?
It’s February 17, 2009, a date which has been relentlessly pounded into the consciousness of American television viewers for over two years as the date analog television broadcasts in the United States would cease forever. However, as with so many best-laid plans, the digital TV transition hasn’t worked out so well: confusion and lack of funding for the government’s $40 voucher program to help consumers defray the cost of jacking older analog sets into the digital age hit a few snags and then run out of money, raising the specter that millions of the Americans who rely on analog TV service for new, information, and bulletins—plus necessities like Dancing with The Stars—would be without any television service at all. So the Obama administration pushed for (and got) the digital TV transition pushed back to June 12, 2009, and pumped additional funding into the voucher program so as many consumers as possible will be ready.
Many TV Stations Switching to DTV in Feb
The U.S. Congress has officially delaying the United States’ transition to digital television until June 12, 2009, but individual broadcast stations are still allowed to convert over to digital broadcasting on the original date of February 17, 2009. And, it turns, out a significant number of television broadcasters have asked the FCC for permission to go ahead with shutting off analog TV on the original DTV cutoff date of February 17, 2009. According to the Federal Communications Commission, some 681 television stations—about 40 percent of all U.S. television broadcasters—plan to shut down analog service on or before February 17, 2009 (PDF). The agency has published a list (PDF) of all 681 stations.
White House Expects DTV Delay until June
Last week the U.S. Senate approved a bill that would delay the United States’ transition to digital television until June 12, 2009—and while a vote in the U.S. House of Representatives last week failed to get the two-thirds majority required under rules adopted for the vote, White House spokesperson Robert Gibbs has said the newly-installed Obama administration expects the U.S. House will approve the legislation.
The new vote will apparently use simpler rules that allow for a simple majority vote to pass the bill.
Senate Passes DTV Delay Bill
The United States Senate has passed a bill that would delay the U.S. nationwide conversion to digital television from a mandated cutoff on February 17, 2009, to a new deadline of June 12, 2009, in order to give consumers more time to make the switch and obtain $40 vouchers good toward the purchase of digital TV converter boxes for analog televisions.
Although the Senate’s passage of the bill doesn’t mean the DTV deadline has been changed, the U.S. House of Representatives is expected to support the move, and the new Obama administration has already come out in favor of delaying the transition.
LCD TV Prices Fell 13 Percent in 2008
Everyone knows that flat-panel televisions have become exponentially cheaper over the years, and continue to fall all the time, but not many people can tell you “how much.” It can be hard to tell based on a fistful of Sunday ads and hearsay, but number crunchers at DisplaySearch claim that that LCD television prices fell 13 percent from December 2007 to 2008.
Surprisingly enough, the 13 percent figure is actually a smaller fall than expected, but only because DisplaySearch recently began taking India into account in its statistics. Due to exceptionally high consumption taxes, LCD televisions in India retail for far higher than in the rest of the world. For instance, while the average price for a 52-inch television in North America is $1,742, the same set in India would run $5,523.
