by Ivan j Finch
Remember the days when you could buy a DVD duplication burner for under $200, get a 100-pack of DVD-R’s for $22 and have a full movie copied in just forty minutes? Those were the days! Yet with the advent of Blu Ray disc technology, the film industry is getting more and more expensive for consumers and may be just the speed bump industry leaders need to stave off the downloading generation just a few years longer.
When browsing the new selection of Blu Ray titles, one will naturally wonder, “Why can I get a DVD at Wal-Mart for $10, but these new discs are retailing at $40?” Are you paying extra for the interactive features and additional hours of video, or is it just that much more expensive to burn high-definition? In essence, it’s more expensive all around, especially if you’re in the business of HD DVD duplication.
According to optical disc industry officials, the cost of DVD duplication for a Blu Ray disc is quite high. A single layer HD DVD, with the capacity or 15GB, costs $1.15 to manufacture. A 25 GB Blu Ray disc costs $1.30, whereas your standard Dual Layer DVD would cost $0.50. This of course is all assuming that you’re buying 25,000 discs at a shot. Across town, at another Blu Ray DVD authoring plant, single-layer Blu Ray discs are going for $1.35 - $1.45, while the 50 GB dual-layer Blu Rays are going for $2.15 - $2.25! If you’re doing the math, that’s roughly 45 cents per GB. Also, don’t forget there’s a setup cost that could be as much as $5,000 per line.
Pioneer and Mitsubishi Chemical Media have opted to create a new disc using an “organic dye recording layer, which is sometimes referred to as “LTH format,” that will reduce material costs and also allow existing CD-R and DVD-R manufacturers to upgrade their facilities to BD-R, using modified equipment, rather than a whole new line.
For a regular computer, Pioneer has a line of relatively inexpensive bare bones (single layer) Blu Ray burners for $155 - $179. Of course, the drives for laptops are slightly more expensive and must be bought internally at the time of purchase. The ranges go up to $660 for LaCie and $360 for the more futuristic-looking Lite-On. Most burners will also burn CDs and regular DVDs. Then, of course, there are the brand new double layer burners retailing currently at $500 that allow copy protection and the ability to burn to 50 GB. This is only the beginning of consumer costs, though, because you haven’t even gotten into BD-R disc costs yet.
As you know, DVD duplication is no easy task. It’s not like burning a CD, where you can just easily rip it onto your computer in five or ten minutes. Instead, you’ll need special software to break through copyright barriers and you’ll have to wait much longer for the information to copy. Software company “SlySoft”
Until new blue laser/large capacity/multi-layer burning technology is available to catch up with the latest innovations, you’ll be saddled with higher costs no matter what. If you’re not the patient type, then your best bet is to buy the system and look for Blu Ray sales at Amazon, Blockbuster, Circuit City or Best Buy.
July 29th, 2008
Posted by
Ivan j Finch |
Computers & Technology |
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by Derek Gehl
Most entrepreneurs fail when they start an internet home business because they make one simple — but avoidable — mistake.
They don’t find out if there are potential customers for their product before deciding on what to sell.
Successful entrepreneurs start home businesses by finding under-served niche markets — BEFORE they decide what product or service to sell.
Once they think they have a profitable business idea for their niche market, market research must be done to ensure this is really the case.
To avoid this fatal mistake follow these three simple steps.
Step #1: Brainstorm your own passions and interests
Internet home business entrepreneurs are more likely to succeed if they base their business on something they have experience on or expertise in.
After all, if you’re not passionate about what you’re doing, you simply won’t find it as enjoyable — and you’ll be less motivated to stick with your business and do the work necessary to grow and improve it. So before you even begin to find an untapped niche of hungry customers, you should brainstorm your interests and passions… and let them guide you!
Unique skills and interests can come in a surprising variety of forms. For example, knowing how to pass the exam required to become a firefighter is a skill on which you could base a business. So is quilting, or collecting model trains, or kicking a bad habit like smoking or biting your nails. But a lot of people find it difficult to think of their own unique expertise.
A list is a great place to get started - write down all of your unique experiences, careers, passions, interests and any life challenge you have overcome.
Then go through the list and pinpoint where your particular areas of skills and interest lie. When you’ve got a few different topics, you’ll be ready to do some research into potential businesses.
Step #3: Find your niche
Think small if you want to find big profit when starting your internet home business.
A small, untapped and specialized niche market can be the source of big revenie online.
On the Internet, a niche market is a group of people who are searching to solve a common problem but not finding many (or any) relevant results.
People do not usually go online to buy (at least right away), but to find answers to a problem.
The basis for your successful internet home business will be when you find the group of people who are looking to solve the same problem without much luck. This will be your “hidden treasure”.
But you’ve got to think small. If you start with a large, general market, you’ll likely find it saturated with competition.
To be successful you need to drill down and down further and be patient. Also, don’t overlook any possible avenues!
How will you this kind of market?
Use a keyword research tool like BeBiz.com and you kind find out exactly what people are searching for online - are people looking for your potential product? If so, you now need to think of a way to sell the niche what they are looking for.
By starting your internet home business this way you will know there is a pocket of eager customers who need your product…even before you spend any time or money creating the actual product! You next need to validate your market before rushing off to create the next hot product.
Step #3: Validate your market
You need to confirm your market has profit potential in it at this stage. Can you actually make revenue from it?
To validate your market, ask these 4 questions:
1. Can you easily reach and define the market you are validating? Most potential market groups will have a place they congregate on the internet. Use places such as forums, discussions boards, club sites and online groups to analyze exactly who your potential customer is.
Find out who your potential customer is and you will have a better idea of whether or not they will buy from you.
2. Is the market big enough to be profitable, but small enough that there aren’t many competitors?
The market needs to have enough people in it to make it worth your while, but small enough so that not a lot of competitors have already moved in. If you find a lot of competition who are well supplied, well established and well funded - this is not a good market! Keep drilling down looking for a smaller, more defined niche.
3. Are your customers willing to spend their money with you?
You need to find out if your market actually buys online…it is a good sign if there is some competition already selling products to your market. It is much easier to sell to people in a market where there are few free products or free sites available.
4. Is your market passionate enough about their shared problem to solve it by spending money on your product?
A motivated niche market will eat, sleep and breather their interest . You want a potential market who are so passionate that they will do anything to get all the information they can related to the subject.
People who are obsessive about their passions, such as video gamers or stamp collectors make a profitable market!
Final thoughts
When starting your internet home business it is essential you follow these three steps. If you find a niche market based on your passions you will be able to create a business you are motivated to make work. If you validate your market before you create a product, you can be confident you internet business will be profitable.
It’s a simple, but effective, formula and it will set you on the road to internet business success.
About the Author:
Derek Gehl , CEO of Internet Marketing Center, helps Internet business
owners on how to create incomes online. Now you can discover the proven Internet Marketing strategies
to quickly
July 29th, 2008
Posted by
Derek Gehl |
Home & Garden |
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by Vince Paxton
Making changes in your window coverings can change the whole look and feel of your entire room. This is often an overwhelming decision, simply because it takes time to hang the windows and it is an expense that most people do not want to spend much on. In home repair and design, drapes and window coverings can have a big influence.
1. Mix it up. Mix different patterns together to create a unique look for your windows. This can help you to create just the right look for your room. Some hints that you may want to consider are:
a. Common colors in two different patterns can help create cohesion between the patterns. b. The scale of the different patterns should be approximately the same size as the area of the location that they are used. For example, larger patterns will work great for curtains or drapes, while medium ones work best on valances and small ones on accent pieces. c. Mix geometric patterns. Stripes with dots, checks with plaids, and other combinations can work well together if they are from the same color family. 2. Color combinations are good. Combining a few colors through different patterns is a great way to add excitement and life to your room. Colors that are opposite on the color spectrum can work well together and create the perfect look for your room.
3. Change the size of your windows. You can make smaller windows look larger or larger windows to look smaller. You want to make the windows look approximately the same size for cohesion and harmony in your room. Smaller windows can look larger if you add a cornice or valance to the top of the windows to add height. To make a large window feel smaller, you can break up the look by using different window coverings. This is especially true when dealing with curtains in your kitchen.
4. Add texture to your windows. By combining different types of fabrics, you can help to add texture to your windows. This helps to create visual appeal and interest to your windows and your room. Combine linen with velvet or chintz with satin to create a unique look for your windows and your home.
5. Don’t be afraid to change your window coverings. Just like the rest of the dcor in your home, window coverings should change with the years. Let the windows show your ever-changing tastes and style as the years go by. You want them to be functional, but they should also be pleasing to the eye and help to enhance the rest of the room’s style.
Your window coverings can say quite a bit about your style and personality. By considering the previous tips, you can create just the right look for your windows and your home to give it the feel that you have been searching for. Don’t be afraid to choose window coverings. This home repair and design decision can make your room into that warm and comfortable place that you want and need for you and your family.
July 29th, 2008
Posted by
Vince Paxton |
Repair |
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by Thomas Fyrd
Foundation planting is a process popular among home builders and home owners, as it enhances the dimensions of your house and relates it to the ground. The most widely use foundation plant is evergreens, both for their stature and style and because of their ability to prosper in the shade.
If there are no evergreen plantings elsewhere on the property though, the process of evergreens around the house may give off a sinister or forbidding vibe. In this case you can resort to a variety of other options, like flowering shrubs, roses, or dwarf fruit trees in spring climes, and quince, forsythia or Japanese redleaf barberry, among others, in summer time.
In the planning stages for your foundation planning, consider the elevation of your house, at least as it relates to the immediate wall facing the planting, and also the size of the shrubs or trees you’re considering planting when fully grown. You want to avoid blocking off windows with your plantings, as this will obscure your view and make your room gloomier. In the case of a wall which faces another home’s wall with just a short distance between, this may not be a bad option though.
The entrance is generally the most important visual point of your house, so planting to highlight your entrance and/or front porch is a good idea. Plantings in front of the porch and around the front walls of the house should be kept low and bowl-shaped to give the impression of a broader base and larger house.
For your backyard area, you can keep it attractive and elegant while still allowing room for the children to frolic about. While it may be tempting to place flower or plant beds all around the backyard, you should limit these to a small area that the kids will know to avoid playing around. Having a sunken or raised sandbox for the kids to play in is a great idea, though you may want to keep an eye on the cat or dog to make sure they aren’t using it as their personal facilities.
Your yard will also need to contain service areas and a drying yard if needed. These areas should be out of sight from the landscaped brick patio, preferably tucked behind the garage or a shed, but close enough that they aren’t an extra inconvenience. Remember that your compost pit should be a good distance away from any garden you may plan on having, so plan this in advance. Garden are ideal close to the back door, while the compost bin can be tucked in a far corner of the yard, along with piles of fire wood, a tool shed or storage locker, and any other services needed.
Vegetable gardens are a great source of fresh food that can prove quite bountiful. Tomato plants especially will likely need to be placed alongside fences and tied to them for support, otherwise you’ll need to employ a lattice. These should also be shielded from the elements if possible by being tucked away into corners.
About the Author:
Thomas Fryd shares his vast knowledge at http://www.plant-care.com. Unpack for yourself why so many people are interested in
landscape brick.
July 29th, 2008
Posted by
Thomas Fyrd |
Home & Garden |
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by Leroy Calstard
You have heard of the adage that someone may posses a champagne taste but only has access to a beer budget; the very same holds true for those in search of that perfect honeymoon destination. Location considerations must prove to be satisfactory to the budget, lest you begin your life together with a heavy debt stemming from your wedding and also honeymoon extravaganzas!
As you are considering where you actually spend your first few days as a married couple, do not permit yourself to be influenced unduly by the traditional honeymoon locales. Granted, there is nary a person in sight who will not enjoy the islands of Hawaii, but if you remember that there are a plethora of other locales that may be just as beautiful, wondrous, and enjoyable, then perhaps breaking the bank in order to spend your honeymoon in Hawaii is not a wise choice.
The best step to take when discussing your honeymoon destination is to list the activities you both enjoy and also list what you have always envisioned for your honeymoon. You may even wish to go so far as to write down the dream locations - if money were not an object - for your honeymoon!
From there you will have an easier time to reconcile the dream locations, the activities you enjoy, and a satisfactory budget solution that will please both parties.
Many a couple has found that the perfect harmony of all three may be found on a cruise ship, and for good reason! Traveling in the lap of luxury, you are whisked off to exotic locales and beautiful islands while at the same time having access to many of the activities you might find at a high end vacation destination - yet at the fraction of the price.
With the price including not only your accommodations but also your food and travel expenses to many of the ports of call excursions, you will find that it is the cheapest way of enjoying the first week or two of marriage. You won’t have to sell your christian promise ring to pay for the honeymoon.
If you do not feel the pull of the open sea, another budget friendly option is the honeymoon destination that keeps you close to home, perhaps even just an hour or two away by car! While the ultimate budget saver is a vacation home or time share owned by a friend or family member who will not mind letting you stay there for a couple of weeks, even a close by hotel or resort makes for a budget friendly honeymoon destination. Remember that frequently it is the airfare and the transportation which are expensive, and with these two taken out of the equation, you will be able to afford the honeymoon suite at an upscale resort.
Those who are active in sports will find that a destination for their honeymoon might be combined with a sports vacation and you will find newlywed couples skiing the slopes of Vail or Breckenridge or surfing off the coast of Southern California. Backpackers will enjoy the beauty of Nevada while mountain bikers are known to rave about the Denver foothills.
About the Author:
Leroy Calstard continually makes papers on areas dealing with christian promise rings and religious jewelry. His publications on
christian promise ring are published on his website .
July 29th, 2008
Posted by
Robert Carlton |
Home & Garden |
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