In the last two articles, I tried to shed some light on what options are available when buying yourself a fancy new flat screen TV. So you are all ready to go out and get the TV of your dreams, but what are you going to watch on it? There are a lot of new ways to get content onto your screen these days — let’s take a look at a few. DVD and BluRay are still common choices to watch movies in the comfort of your own living room. It’s pretty easy; buy or rent your discs and feel free to watch them whenever you feel like it! Keep in mind, a BluRay player can play both DVDs and BluRay discs, so they are great option that allows you to play all your movies on one device. Internet streaming is popular these days, providing instant access to thousands of hours of television shows and movies. There are a couple of types of streaming service. Full access services like Netflix or Crunchyroll have one fee that gives you access to everything they offer. A la carte shopping experiences such as iTunes or the stores from Xbox and Playstation have a few more options, and give you access to content at the same time it is available at the video store or on TV. Cable or satellite providers like Bell, Telus, and Shaw are still there to get your everyday content to you, and are almost a must-have service if you have a sports fan in the house. My personal favorite all-in-one device is my Sony Playstation 3 console which provides BluRay, Netflix, instant rentals, and some amazing video games all in one little box. If you don’t need the BluRay player, Microsoft’s Xbox 360 provides an easier to navigate interface, and an optional controller mounted keyboard makes searching through content much faster. The last thing I want to touch on is the little things people don’t think about to complete their setup. Make sure you are getting proper cables to go along with your purchase; almost everything runs on HDMI these days, and almost nothing comes with those cables in the box. Also put some serious thought into a good surge protector or uninterruptible power supply (UPS), with how unstable the power can be around here, it’s one of the smartest investments you can make to protect your fancy new purchases. Consider the extended coverage that stores offer; don’t just turn them down. Ask questions about what the store covers — some even do in-home service for screens over a certain size!

Invermere Valley Echo