HiTech Medic

ANNOUNCING:- The Customer Referral Rebate (CRR)

Any existing customer who refers a new client to HiTech Medic that results in a revenue call, will receive a $15 credit towards their next bill. These rebates are cumulative and can be applied as desired to future bills.

ANNOUNCING:- HiTech Medic is now representing ACN

ACN is a company that markets telecommunication and energy products to consumers. If you would like to save on your utility bills, or if you would like to know more, please read the next page.

This newsletter is a publication of HiTech Medic and is provided free of charge for HiTech Medic customers. Please feel free to copy and/or distribute to any friends, relatives or colleagues who might benefit from this information. This information is also available on the website:- www.hitechmedic.com

Future editions of The Gadgeteer will cover selected topics on Computers, Home Networking, Networked Multimedia, Gift Items for Christmas shopping (is it that time already??), Surround Sound systems, Audio/Video systems, Gadgets we can’t do without, and the latest in Home and Mobile phone technology

If you would prefer not to get this newsletter, or if you have more questions, feedback, comments or suggestions as to what you’d like to read about in future issues, please

Email:- sales@hitechmedic.com or Call:- (714) 925-6044

ACN

HiTech Medic represents ACN, and can offer you savings on your utility and telecommunication costs.

ACN is a marketing company, which is exploiting the deregulation of the energy and telecommunication industries. .

(http://www.acninc.com/web/us/Products.jsp)

It provides local and long-distance telecommunications, DSL Internet access, and gas and electricity services throughout the country and internationally. (Electric service is not currently offered in California, but is coming soon). In the future ACN has plans to additionally offer cable television and cellular phone service.

Deregulation has dissolved the market monopolies of the telecommunication and energy companies, and has allowed companies and end-users to cross-shop for the utilities that we all use.

ACN does not own any of the utilites that it offers. It leases telecommunications and energy from the same companies that we currently use. ACN saves money in three ways:- .

1) It buys utilities in bulk, and can negotiate significant discounts,

2) It does not use expensive advertising, instead using independent representatives and word of mouth to spread the marketing message,

3) Because it offers a “one-stop-shop” you will get one bill for all services, and ACN reduces it’s cost of billing,

These savings are then passed on to its customers.

There is no long-term commitment, and you can be signed up very simply with a one-sheet form for telecommunications and one other one-sheet form for gas service.

ACN prides itself in its commitment to customer service, with 24 hour, 7 day a week phone support to help you with any issues that may arise.

If you would like more information on how to save money on your utilities bill, or if you would like to consider becoming a representative, Email sales@hitechmedic.com or call (714) 925-6044.

HDTV Broadcasting

High Definition TV is slowly taking off. Many stations (CBS, NBC, ABC etc.) and many cable channels (HBO, Showtime and ESPN) have dedicated HDTV broadcasts, but not all programs are broadcast in HD. The picture quality on the HD channels is amazing, especially when the source broadcast (e.g., special events like the Superbowl and the Olympics, or HBO and Showtimes movies) are rendered in HD.

Cable companies are starting to offer HD cable boxes (Cox in OC), although they started about one year later than originally planned. Satellite companies (e.g., Direct TV and Dish TV) also are offering HD broadcasts, but you will need a new HD receiver box. BUT WAIT! Hughes (and soon others I am sure) is about to offer an industry first satellite HDTV receiver and TiVo in the same box. You’ve got one?? No, this is the first TiVo that will record HDTV in HD format. All current HD receiver/TiVo boxes record in low definition. It will go on sale starting in June 2004.

Prices initially will be as high as $1000 for the system, but will soon come down as availability increases.

A new satellite company is starting to make inroads Voom, which is offering the broadest line of HDTV programming.

HTM Recommendation:- Don’t upgrade to HDTV yet, unless 1) you need a new TV anyway, or 2) there is something specific (e.g., the Olympics) that you really want to experience in the best way possible.

LCD TVs

Smaller rooms should use 35” or less LCD TVs. Again be aware of the differences between the EDTV and HDTV sets. Samsung has some of the best LCD TVs available. Check out the LT-P227W a 22” LCD TV available over the Internet for around $1800.

The LTN325W 32" LCD is available for $3200.

HTM Recommendation:- LCD TVs don’t offer quite the clarity and depth of color that plasma TVs do, but if a smaller size and lower price are of interest these units have very good picture quality, and still save space with their flat construction. Pay the $500 more for the HDTV quality units.

Plasma TVs

Most major manufacturers are now producing integrated televisions with features such as picture in picture etc., into their plasma displays.

For a vision distance of greater than 15 feet look at 50” or larger plasma, 10-15 feet a 42” plasma is ideal.

Look at Panasonic’s new TH-50PX25U/P (50”) and TH-42PX25U/P (42”) at MSRPs of $8000 and $6000 respectively.

Sony and Pioneer have similar units, but Panasonic still has the best plasma displays (why? Ask me!), and are very price competitive. The slightly older TH-50PX20U/P (50”) and TH-42PX20U/P (42”) units are available on the Internet for $5200 and $4000 respectively.

What about the $2300-$2500 42” plasma TVs? They are available from places like Costco. BEWARE….. These EDTVs are low-resolution displays. If you are considering a plasma TV, it is probably because you want to watch DVDs in progressive scan, and eventually progress to HDTV broadcasts (the Superbowl was awesome in HD). These EDTVs may look OK, but lack the resolution necessary to display HDTV in its phenomenal detail. Also be aware that many cheaper plasma TVs need cooling fans that may detract from the audio experience.

HTM Recommendation:- Pay the $2000 more for the HDTV quality plasma, or wait until prices come down further.

Surround Sound Receivers

We are seeing a revolution in audio processing and distribution technology. It seems almost every day a new format (Dolby Digital, DTS, THX 7.1, NEO-6 etc.) becomes available, and the state-of-the-art receiver you bought last year is now obsolete. In addition the adoption of in-home CAT5 (CAT5e or CAT6) wiring and wireless LAN technology is offering a new technique for distributing audio and even video signals throughout the home.

This is a fast moving and complex area to cover, so it will be covered in many future newsletters. Here we will cover just a few of the latest offerings in the “traditional” audio/receiver market.

Denon’s new AVR-3805 offers previously “high-end” features at a mid-range price. It features all the latest processing capabilities, multiple optical and coaxial digital audio inputs, Component Video switching, up-conversion of lower quality video signals to component video, and 7 channels of 120 Watts (at 8ohms). All this at an MSRP of $1200.

Many of these features were previously only offered in Denon’s flagship AVR-5803 at an MSRP of $4400.

Onkyo has a range of receivers TX-NR801 and TX-NR 901 that have “Net-tune” capability, basically an ethernet link to allow playing of computer based audio files. Yamaha has it’s new flagship product the RX-Z9 with 7 channels of 170 Watt power and 2 channels of 50 watt “presence” at an MSRP of $4500.

We will look at more from Yamaha and Denon in the networked multi-media arena in the next issue.

HTM Recommendation:- If you need a state-of-the-art audio/video receiver look at the Denon AVR-3805. If you want “whole-house” music and video, wait for our next issue, there are exciting products about to be released this summer.

Quarterly Newsletter - June 2004

In this Issue