Recently in Internet Category

Game Show.jpgIf you have seen the news lately, you have noticed huge chatter about the numerous companies bringing TV to the Internet. What you really should ask yourself is why would so many of the Big Guns like Fox, NBC, Viacom & CBS to name just a few, be putting so much money into Internet TV and how will it effect me?

Let me give you the short story. Way back, there was a time when only 3 or 4 TV networks ruled broadcast TV and therefor held the monopoly on TV ad revenue. There were no cable or satellite TV and the Internet was in its infancy. Now, fast forward 10 years. DVR's, video games, DVD's and the Internet are literally stealing more and more viewers every day from broadcast TV providers.

What happens next? As the number of broadcast TV viewers fall, so does the number of TV advertisers. These sponsors see the downward trend and scramble to find better ways to utilize their advertising dollars. Now we begin to notice the "Catch 22". The TV networks see a plummeting income stream and search for cost saving measures -- can anyone say Jay Leno? They begin pumping out cheap to produce game shows and reality TV, show fewer new episodes and increase the number of advertisements but at the same time they begin investing in Internet TV.

Does anyone see it yet? Ahh.. now you're starting to get it. If the networks can't afford to produce a quality product for broadcast TV, how is putting the same crap on the internet going to help? The answer is, it will not..... well it won't help the viewer anyway. It will help the TV networks as the advertisers again start advertising providing them revenue. But the viewer will still be left with the same low quality content only now they can watch it on their TV and their computer.

Sure, the networks will eventually realize this and may even take steps to fix the problem. But this is a long way down the road. For now, we the viewers are stuck with bargain basement, cheap to produce broadcast and Internet TV. I guess the recession hits us from many angles.

Quality Outperforms Price

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Internet marketing.jpgThe problem is far from new. You are selling a unique line of items that has a fairly high demand. Due to an increased interest in your product, sales continue to increase until one day you notice sales numbers start to fall. After a little research, you find that your products have been duplicated and are selling for less, a lot less.

This happened to an internet retailer we'll call Joe. He had a successful website selling accessories related to the liquor absinthe. Until legalization of absinthe in 2007, business was brisk and increasing every month. With the legalization of absinthe came a flood of absinthe accessory dealers. Every body from online liquor stores to knitting sites wanted a piece of the absinthe ware pie. The problem was, these new sellers were not familiar with what a quality absinthe product looks like. They simply bought the least expensive pieces with images of giant dollar signs dancing in their heads.

All of the sudden, BAM! there was a glut of low quality absinthe ware with too many sellers and we all know what comes next. Price wars. Not that competition is a bad thing. It actually brought the price of the knock-off items to where they should be. But the problem is Joe still has all of the premium products that he paid higher prices for.

So what does Joe do? He has three options:
He can sell his items at a loss to compete.
He can start buying the lower quality items to compete.
Or, he can stick to his original marketing plan and emphasize quality and uniqueness.

Joe actually went against what everyone was telling him. He pushed on and continued providing premium pieces with exceptional customer service. It took some time but you know what, it worked! People began to realize there was a difference between a $59 absinthe fountain and a $159 absinthe fountain. It wasn't long before Joe's sales were back to where they belonged. He also enjoyed watching the sellers of the sub-par merchandise wither away.

So here is the short story; if you have your eye on the ball and focus on customer satisfaction which includes providing a quality product, you will come out ahead. And whatever you do, don't turn to irrational cost cutting methods like buying cheaper products just to offer a lower price. People will realize the value of quality every time.

How Can I Watch TV On My PC?

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Watching TV On PC.jpgSo you're taking a break from work (after making sure the boss isn't looking!) & you wish you could watch a few minutes of satellite TV on your PC or laptop. Wouldn't that be awesome! But how can you watch internet TV on your PC for FREE?

There are 2 ways to watch satellite TV online with your PC. You can use a free service or pay for TV to PC software. After reviewing the ways to watch internet television, I found that both the free and paid services are completely legal yet both have pros and cons.

Satellite TV to PC Software

If you want premium video & sound, TV on PC software is the best route and the software is very affordable. I reviewed software costing between $29 and $159. Most had monthly fees. I found 3 that work GREAT and cost only $29-$49 with no monthly fees. Once you purchase the software, install it on your desktop or laptop, it belongs to you.

The major advantages of satellite TV for PC software is not only the video and sound quality but also the HUGE amount of content. Because there is an initial cost, the online satellite TV providers can afford to "pump up" the bandwidth. This equals ultra-fast streaming speeds with no broken images and HD quality audio.

Best of all, these services offer a 100% money back guarantee and 24/7 tech support.

Stream Online Movies $34.99
This software is AWESOME. With instant downloads and immediate access to over 3000 Radio & Internet Television channels, it is hands down the leader. They are the oldest and well known TV to PC content provider with 10 years of research behind their product. They offer a 60 day, 100% Money-Back Guarantee. If you don't like what you get, you'll get a 100% refund. Visit Stream Online Movies


iSoftware TV $49.95
iSoftware TV offers instant downloads with immediate access to +2000 satellite TV & Radio channels for your PC. Just like Satellite TV to PC Elite, iSoftware offers internet TV with gorgeous picture and sound quality and ultra-fast video streams. The install is super easy even for newbies. They too offer a 100% satisfaction guarantee. You really should check them out. Visit iSoftware TV

PC Show Buzz $29.95

PC Show Buzz TV for PC offers a phenomenal product at almost 1/2 the price as the others. You can watch ultra-fast streaming TV online with crystal clear video and sound along with 2500 channels of awesome content. Included is the industry standard 100% Money back Guarantee. They are new to the game so get yours now before the price goes up! Visit New PC Show Buzz

Free Online Television
When you watch TV on your PC for free, you will sacrifice sound and video quality. You get jumpy video from interrupted streaming along with sound that cuts in and out. Your content choices are also very limited when using a free services. Now, if you are ok with these shortfalls, free TV may be for you.

Here are the more popular free services that provide Television content for your PC screen:

Hulu
Hulu, an NBC product, is currently the big gun of online TV. Hulu has the largest selection of content and features along with many of your favorite TV programs.  Here is some of the available content.

NBC News
Family Guy
SNL
Tonight Show
Heroes
Stargate SG-1

Basically, if it is on NBC, you can find it on Hulu. The picture and sound quality lack (especially during peak viewing times) but what do want for free? The interface is well designed and this site is definitely worth a look. Flip open your laptop and Check out Hulu.

Remember, no matter if you decide to go for the free internet TV or the software for TV on PC, the picture and sound will only be as good as your desktop or laptop computers components. If you have an older PC (over 5-6 years old) or limited memory, you may not get the best picture and sound. But either way, it will cost you nothing to try watching TV online using your PC or Laptop.

How To Use Your PC For Watching TV.jpgEach year, more and more people are watching TV and movies on their PC's and Laptops. And why not? The number of households with computers along with the amount of available online content has increased exponentially over the past 5 years.

A new survey from the nonprofit Conference Board revealed that 25% of viewing households in America has watched Television or movies online between January and August of this year. This is a 5% increase over the findings from the same period in 2008. This is a startling number when you think about the amount advertisers pay for TV airtime.

To examine the preferences of these viewers, let's take a look at another group watching the online viewing habits of these households. Consumer Internet Barometer found that the most popularly viewed online programs were news (43%), sitcoms/comedies/dramas (35%), reality TV (20%) and sports (18%). Again, these figures show an increase over last years numbers indicating a steady trend.

Another interesting fact to note is where consumers are watching TV. The Consumer Internet Barometer survey also found that 90% of the online viewing is done from home while 10% is done at work. Now think back to the last survey you took..... The at work viewing is most likely much higher. Does this mean that an increase in lost productivity is also an inevitability?

All indicators show that online media viewing will continue to increase at a rapid pace. TV and movies will no longer be stuck in your living room or the theater. As video viewing becomes much more mobile, what issue should we watch? Where will there be money to be made and who will make it? And last, what will happen to broadcast TV?
Reality TV Contest.jpgIf you live on this planet, you have seen or follow a Reality TV show. With the massive number of Realty TV available, there is something for everyone. But there is also a dark side. Like everything else from computers to ATM machines, criminals have found ways to exploit the Reality TV format.

If you think about it, this was bound to happen. Nine young women aged 16 to 24 answered an Internet ad looking for participants in the Turkish equivalent of "Big Brother" called "Someone Is Watching Us". They were held for 2 months and filmed 24 hours a day with the photos, most of which considered compromising, were then sold on the internet. One of the girls felt something was wrong and contacted her parents who then contacted the police. This lead to the luxury villa near Istanbul being stormed by Turkish military on Monday.

The women were not held by force but rather the contract they had signed at the beginning of the show. They agreed to stay at the villa for 2 months and to pay a $30,000 penalty if they left early. But it soon became apparent that something was not right. There were no tests or evictions like the real TV show and the girls were required to wear bikinis or skimpy clothes at all times.

Now, some of you may be thinking that this could never happen in the US. American women are far to savvy to fall for this type of scam. I would have to disagree with this. The women in Turkey are no different than women all over the world. They have the same dreams and aspirations of getting a shot at free publicity with the hope of launching their career in the entertainment industry.

If you are or know anybody that is willing to do anything for that shot at fame, pay attention. This type of scam is becoming more prevalent each day. There have been numerous instances of fake reality shows advertising on the Internet or TV to enlist contestants believing they will be on an actual television show. Unfortunately, there is always some type of catch. The potential candidates are asked to pay an entrance fee, pose for risque photos or provide some kind of value for the crooks behind the counterfeit show.

So how do you prevent being taken advantage of by one of these cons? It's actually pretty simple. Remember the old adage "If it sounds to good to be true, it probably is". If something just doesn't seem right, walk away. And always do your research. Verify the names of all the staff and the legitimacy of the company. If you don't know how to do this, find someone who does. If you can't be 100% positive it is legit, walk away.

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