4. Sezmi All-in-One Personal Service
Last time I checked, Sezmi (“Says Me”) was only available in the Los Angeles area. So, you may not have heard about this potential cable/satellite TV killer.
Sezmi is a software enhanced piece of hardware that connects to the Internet and to an over-the-air HD antenna. The Sezmi box is also a digital video recorder. Sezmi delivers local channels, some cable channels and a ton of on-demand and Internet-based video programming. How it does all of this is quite unique when compared to standard cable and satellite services.
Sezmi hardware includes the Sezmi box, an over-the-air HDTV antenna and remote control. Not shown in the photo above is the over-the-air antenna management box. The antenna connects to the antenna management box, which then connects to the Sezmi box.
The Sezmi box provides a very nice on-screen directory for selection of content from both Internet and over-the-air sources. The directory is delivered over the Internet. Every member of the family can have their own personalized directory.
Also delivered over the Internet through the Sezmi box are free and paid TV and movie content. If you have cable or satellite TV, this on-demand content will be quite familiar to you. Free programming includes such gems as “The Office”, but not all TV content is free. Some, especially cable TV series, is sold. Movie fare is pretty much what you’ll find on your cable or satellite service: current movies for $4.99 and up for one view over a 30 day period. You can also buy some movies to watch whenever you want. In addition to the standard fare, Sezmi also makes a ton of video podcasts available, as well as video services such as YouTube.
You can try to view TV shows and movies in real-time, but, because you’re dealing with Internet connections and speeds, it’s often better to download content first and then view it, especially HD content. That’s what I’ve been doing. Downloads are automatic with selection of a TV show or movie and just happen if you don’t start viewing the content right away. So, at least for me, using Sezmi is a bit more like ordering a physical DVD through Netflix. Order it today and it’s here and ready to watch tomorrow.
On the over-the-air HD TV side of things, Sezmi provides on-screen directory entries for all local video. You can choose to view or record any video delivered over the air. But the real power of Sezmi’s use of over-the-air HD signals lies in the way it multiplexes cable TV channels on an HD signal. The Sezmi hardware picks out the standard HD broadcast carried on a signal (your local CBS HD channel, for instance) or one of the cable channels on the same signal.
The only downside of the over-the-air part of Sezmi is signal access. HD channels are digital. So, it’s not like the old analog channels where you got clean signals or snowy ones or ones that were nothing but noise. With digital it’s all or none; perfect picture or black screen. Well, there is a third state, heavy pixilation where the picture looks like it’s composed of mosaic tiles.
Some of the content available through Sezmi
I seem to live behind an electromagnetic firewall. Radio and TV signals are hard to impossible to get. Dragging the Sezmi antenna out on the balcony of our condo, I was able to get a couple of channels. Only when I tried a roof antenna with some Sezmi folks help did I get all the channels with perfection. But, my homeowners association is not about to install a communal over-the-air HD antenna and they sure don’t want me doing that. So, right now for me, Sezmi is basically an Internet alternative to on-demand programming.
Today, Sezmi’s selection of cable channels is limited. But, it’s not difficult to imagine a future where everything now delivered by your cable service comes to you over a service like Sezmi.
Oh, yes, what about cost? The Sezmi hardware costs around $300 plus any over-the-air antenna you have to install. Regular over-the-air broadcasts are free, of course. The basic over-the-Internet service is $4.99 per month and, with over-the-air cable service, the whole thing costs $19.99 per month. That’s a far cry from the $108 I now pay Time Warner for cable, HD service and one premium channel.
Sure, as Sezmi grows, they and their customers will have to pay more for more cable channels and the bandwidth to deliver them over-the-air. But, is it conceivable that the future will be brightened by a little competition in the video delivery world?
Visit http://sezmi.com/ for more on Sezmi.
- 1. What a Lucky Guy
- 2. CRU DataPort 10 Secure External Hard Drive Enclosure
- 3. HTC Android Incredible Smartphone
- 4. Sezmi All-in-One Personal Service
- 5. Pentax K-x Digital Single Lens Reflex Camera
Definitely correct about the Samsung XL2370 not being a monitor for professional photography. What surprised me was the mention of using hardware and color calibration software. I almost never see it mentioned other than for professional use.
With the incredible if you want more apps on the home screen, swipe left or right and you'll find more screens (3 on each side, 7 total). Like on every other android phone ever. I love how you made the weather widget, which everyone I've talked to absolutely loves, into a negative. Good Job!
This way, you can organize all your apps however you want, and also have them alphabetized in the app-drawer.
Oh and also you can put widgets on the home screen, like say to turn wifi/gps/bluetooth off and on. Make your iPhone do that. I'll wait.
As a side note, '+' is a valid character for email addresses, please fix your parser.
HTC Incredible review is quite lacking experience with the Android GUI, understood that many from a "censored" iPhone environment some market experiences may vary. In personal experience having used a droid for 6+ months, coming across maybe 4 apps (out of 80+ installed), that did not work is amazing considering the variation in hardware and OS forward compatibility. Maybe the reviewer should have read http://www.tomsguide.com/us/pictur [...] ricks.html before the review. Reading it felt akin to reading a vodka drinker's review on a bottle of wine.
One correction on the XL2370 review: native resolution is 1920x1080.
That camera sounds awesome.
Instead of getting a pentax, why wouldn't you get a Nikon d40 or d40x? Its light has a 1/500 shutter speed. Which is better than your d300. Its extremely light, and takes unbelievable pictures. I would say on par with the d300 minus some pixels. Also it would work with all your lenses that you have for your d300. I would like to see a review of this camera against other slr's.
cellphone cameras are never awesome, imho. 8 mp or not, they usually don't take very good photos. Hope I'm wrong! A good sensor would drive the cost of the phone upppp
As devnull3 mentioned the home screen is the best feature of Android and win7 based phones. 90% of the time when I use my phone I check mail, the weather, call someone, send a text message, check/make appointments in calendar or load the web browser. Even without a home page to 'clutter' things that's less than 8 things I need on a regular basis. So a home screen that shows me the weather, my upcoming appointments, recent mail and buttons to load web, call and send text messages saves me from loading 6 apps every time I turn on my phone. Now that's more efficient and convenient. And you can customize your home screen to suit your tastes.
Another good point to make in reference to the writer's dislike of the time and weather on the screen, this can be changed to be a smaller item or even removed completely. I really think that once he spends the time to actually play with the phone, he'll realize ALL the superior benefits of the Incredible vs. the iphone.
I think a bit more exploring is due on the HTC Incredible. Several things to note: 1) the home page is an excellent design for even heavy users like me as it puts everything most people need most often at ones fingertips; 2) with a flip of the finger from this home page you have quick access to 6 additional pages of links to apps that you can add (rarely requiring you to ever use the all applications button to which you refer); 3) also, clicking on the home button at the bottom left while on the home page brings up all 7 pages from which you can choose one, and also a long click on this home button brings up the last 6 apps you were using (or are using, as you can easily multitask); 4) in my first 9 days with the phone I have downloaded 75 apps, and I have had no problems with any of them--I do read reviews first, however; 5) the openness of the Android apps market goes well with openness of the Android experience, including the ever-expanding variety of the hardware available, and this results in more choice and less cookie cutter experiences for the smartphone public; 6) for many of us, our smartphone has become our second or third computer and we don't mind having to explore a bit along the way (the way you feel about your PC), and I feel it is better to produce more astute users than certain other models that seem to be producing robots without even the ability to change batteries or memory cards or to have much access to an overly proprietary software and hardware experience; 7) the images from the 8MP camera are comparable to a number of point and shoots currently on the market and a big plus to the overall experience of the phone, as is the audio (whether through the delivered FM Radio or Music Player or via Pandora radio or Doubletwist, which organizes and handles your iTunes music much like iTunes does); 8) it is true that, like any smartphone, the HTC Incredible churns through battery, especially if you multitask on it like I do (I am currently listening to Pandora while typing this response in 3banana Notes on my phone and of course have two email systems live as well as the Facebook app and two browsers open and the Newsroom RSSFeed app open) and with the amazingly fast 1 GHz Snapdragon processor making it all happen in a flash; however, you can have a backup battery charging (not in the phone) in a charger from Seidio and of course you are able to replace it on your own when your first battery dies from constant use throughout the day. The HTC Incredible really does deserve its name. As a heavy smartphone user for the past 4 years, I really do believe there is no better phone on the market at this time.
chasscidmore hit nail on the head completely. Your coverage of the HTC device was poor. If my country girl friend(little to no tech exp) can pic up the Motorola droid and use it easily.
Image what impression the incredible will have. Which is hands down better and well polished. I've downloaded tons of apps from the market place. Perhaps the write of the article is incompetent enough to need a apple to choose for him.
Wow... Just wow!!! Recently making the switch from the iPhone to the Motorola Droid and finally to the Droid Incredible leaves me which much more experience that this reviewer.
#1 - The iPhone has not a single thing on the Droid Incredible. The Incredible's home screen and every screen for that matter is "CUSTOMIZABLE". I don't think the reviewer knew this. If he didn't like the weather widget, all he had to do was long press on it and move it to the trash!
#2 - I have only had 1 app out of over 100 not work for me. That was on the Motorola Droid with Android 2.0.1. We are now at 2.1, and Android 2.2 is about a month away, at least for the Nexus One. Those of us with the Incredible will have to wait until HTC integrates 2.2 to work with HTC Sense.
#3 - There are different themes (launchers) which you can download and install from the market. I suggest giving the Home++ theme a try if you don't like HTC Sense. That is the one I am currently using and don't plan on going back to HTC Sense anytime soon.
#4 - The battery life is subpar on the Incredible. One thing a user can do to mitigate this would be to only have Wifi and/or GPS enabled when they are actually using it! Put the "power control" widget on one of your screens for an easy one touch on/off for GPU, WIFI, Bluetooth, SYNC and Screen Brightness levels. Also, using a task killer is a must IMHO. It will ensure that the apps won't be running in the background using your precious battery resources throughout the day. Another thing you can do is only use the brightest screen setting when you actually need it. Lastly, you can buy the Seido 1750MaV battery for ~$45 which some users are saying GREATLY improves their battery life.
#5 - YOU SHOULD HAVE QUOTE "PLAYED AROUND" WITH THE INCREDIBLE MORE BEFORE WRITING THE "ONLY" NEGATIVE TONED REVIEW ON THE PLANET ABOUT THE PHONE!
#6 - How much did Apple pay you to write this review? Heck, even CNET just did a competition between the iPhone 3GS and the Droid Incredible, and they actually put the Incredible over the iPhone! That is pretty crazy seeming they are very biased towards Apple at CNET.
#7 - The Droid Incredible is on Verizon's network! The iPhone is on AT&T's network. This alone is one of the biggest selling points of the phone! When I had the iPhone, I had to deal with constant dropped and missed called due to the UNACCEPTABLE reception. I travel all around the country for my job, and the poor reception followed me wherever I went!
The reviewer used a Mac Mini to write his review and was clearly within the Reality Distorson Field
hence his Iphone bias.
Definitely correct about the Samsung XL2370 not being a monitor for professional photography. What surprised me was the mention of using hardware and color calibration software. I almost never see it mentioned other than for professional use.
Nobody should ever use a TN panel for photo editing... or any visual editing for that matter past basic patch-ups.
That said, this monitor looks good on paper, I just haven't found it in stores yet :-/
K-x is 2 classes over Nikon D40x.
the D40 is a good camera but quite outdated ATM.