My Personal Finance Blog

Ever heard about 3D TVs? Well, having a three-dimensional TV is not impossible. After all 3D images have already been developed in the world of photography and film.

You may not know it but 3D images in films were once very popular even before World War II. But when the war ended, this type of 3D technology was no longer seen. It is only now that some companies have strived hard to produce their respective 3D TVs to be able to compete in a futuristic market.

3D TV development timelines

The use of 3D images is always influential in the 3D TV development in this age. These images were discovered in 300 BC by Euclides. It was only Leonardo da Vinci who started some processes to convert images into three dimensions. In 1844, David Brewster launched the equipment known as Stereoscope. This device can be used in raking photographic pictures in their 3D formats. This was then enhanced by Louis Jules Dubosq. Since then, the stereoscopic camera became popular to every home. But when the World War broke, pictures where then turned back into black and white as inspired by the war journal.

In line with the launch of the stereoscopic camera, 3D development in movies transpired as well. In 1855, a stereo animation camera known as Kinematoscope was invented. It was in 1922 when the first 3D movie entitled Power of Love was shown publicly.

When the television was launched during the 50′s, 3D Movies became even more popular – from Robinson Crusoe in 1947 to Bwana Devil in 1952 to the House of Wax in 1953. But it is sad to note that the expansion of 3D movies was put to a stop in the 70′s.

In the 1990s however, 3D episodes were launched on TV. This was used by most television producers to attract audiences and increase their ratings. Since then, many broadcasting networks from all over the globe started efforts to produce more 3D episodes. Early this year, South Korea’s Korea Digital Satellite Broadcasting launched its 3D Channel. UK will follow suit with British Sky Broadcasting Company’s launch of the Sky 3D Channel by April of this year.

Companies developing 3D TVs

As of the present, there are 3D-compatible TV sets that are out in the market. Those with LCD shutter glasses that operate in 2D mode also have 3D TV capabilities. These ones are creating stereoscopic images typical to what stereoscopes in the older times were able to produce. Television sets that support a refresh rate of at least 120Hz and have an HDMI 1.4 configuration are all 3D-compatible TV sets.

To improve all these things however and to introduce consumers with the “real 3d tv”, various electronic companies have worked on their respective technologies. For instance, Samsung and Mitsubishi use Texas Instruments’ DLP technology to produce 3D TV models. Toshiba, Sony, LG and Panasonic will launch more 3D TVs by this year. Phillips, will have to wait for its turn until 2011 as it is still developing 3D television sets that will no longer need special glasses

Prague, the capital city of the Czech Republic, is widely considered one of the most beautiful cities in Europe with preserved examples from all periods of its history and belongs among the most visited cities on the continent. Situated on the River Vltava in central Bohemia, Prague has been the political, cultural, and economic centre of the Czech state for over 1100 years. The city proper is home to more than 1.2 million people, while its metropolitan area is estimated to have a population of over 1.9 million.

Prague was developing as an important centre where Czech, German and Jewish cultures met and mingled. Following the establishment of the Czechoslovak Republic in 1918, Prague became the metropolis of the new country. It experienced a growth of its territory and a great architecture boom.

Known as the “golden city of spires,” Prague in the Czech Republic has architectural splendours that span a thousand years. Prague is your introduction to the Medieval, Baroque, and Renaissance buildings. 

For most of its history Prague had been a multiethnic city with important Czech, German, and (mostly Czech- and/ or German-speaking) Jewish populations. From 1939, when the country was occupied by Nazi Germany, and during World War II, most Jews either fled the city or were killed in the Holocaust.

Since the fall of the Iron Curtain, Prague has become one of Europe’s (and the world’s) most popular tourist destinations. It is the sixth most-visited European city after London, Paris, Rome, Madrid and Berlin. Prague suffered considerably less damage during World War II than some other major cities in the region, allowing most of its historic architecture to stay true to form. It contains one of the world’s most pristine and varied collections of architecture, from Art Nouveau to Baroque, Renaissance, Cubist, Gothic, Neo-Classical and ultra-modern.

Since 1992, the extensive historic centre of Prague has been included in the UNESCO list of World Heritage Sites. According to Guinness World Records, Prague Castle is the largest ancient castle in the world. Nicknames for Prague have included “the mother of cities” (Praga mater urbium)”, “city of a hundred spires” and “the golden city”.

Centuries of construction gave rise to an exceptional integrated architectural complex, unique in the world as regards its size and concentration of cultural heritage. Different architectural styles mingle and intertwine here, and their symbiosis creates the city’s unique atmosphere. The most valuable part of the city’s centre was declared the Prague Heritage Reserve in 1981, which was included in UNESCO’s world cultural heritage list in 1992. 

Prague is the seat of the top-level legislative, administrative and political bodies of the country – the parliament, government, and president. The most important social, cultural and educational institutions reside here. The city is the entrance gate to the Czech Republic. You can admire here all the architecture treasure.

Looking around the US economy right now. Homes have been foreclosed, bankruptcy looms on private debts and the retirement 401ks have taken a serious hit. Life as we knew it has been turned upside down without anything in place to catch us as we fell. So how did we get into this mess? The economists tell us we have been living beyond our means. Credit was cheap and, with banks and credit card companies raising their borrowing limits, there seemed to be nothing we could not afford. There was no need for savings. Everything could be charged. If the limit was reached, the housing equity could be released as cash. Over a period of about twenty years, we switched from a country that saves to a country that spends on credit. In the period just after World War II, we had “prudence”. People mostly paid cash for what they wanted and, if they did not have enough, they saved. It was a revolution when, suddenly, everything could be paid for in affordable monthly instalments. In one sense, this is the easiest way to get into serious debt without noticing. When you only pay a few hundred dollars every month, it hardly registers the total debt is tens of thousands.

Insurance companies were the last of the hold-outs. For years, they insisted everyone should pay them a lump sum once a year. Then, slowly, there was a cave. First it slipped to every six months, then quarterly. Now almost every company across the nation accepts monthly. What’s the problem for the insurance companies? Well, they estimate the likely total cost of the claims they will have to pay over the next twelve months and divide that amount between all the policy holders as the premium. If the company has done its sums properly and everyone pays once a year, the company always has the cash in the bank to pay out on all the claims. If people pay monthly, they can easily change to another insurer. They can miss one month’s payment when the family budget is under pressure. That means the insurer may not have enough money to pay the claims. So, to encourage all you people with some savings (or some slack on your credit cards), they offer discounts if you agree to pay every six or twelve months. It gives them more security and saves you some money. Paying monthly costs you the most.

That said, paying monthly gives you flexibility. You can use the online search engines to find auto insurance quotes at the lowest price. Then for just one month’s premium, you can be driving. In effect, this becomes a monthly policy. You can keep shopping around for new premium offers from different insurers. If you find a better monthly rate, you can transfer at the end of the month. But if you pay once or twice a year, the insurer will hit you with high cancellation charges to lock you in. Whatever you might save disappears. Worse, if you change the make and model of your vehicle during the longer policy term, it can be too expensive to move the policy to a cheaper company. You end up paying the higher premium until the six or twelve months end. So make a wise decision. Auto insurance is never cheap. Avoid making it too expensive.