Tuesday, May 7, 2013

Looking to buy a 50' Plasma TV, 1080p. Is Panasonic a better quality as it is more expensive?

Q. Noticed that Panasonic tends to be the most expensive. Is the quality higher with a Panasonic? Are there other brands that are high-quality but less expensive? Thanks.

A. Actually Pioneer is arguably the best maker of plasma HDTVs with the deepest richest blacks and nearly 3-dimensional detail. But their 50-inch 1080p model lists for $5,000 (street price around $3800). Panasonic is an excellent lower cost alternative with several 1080p plasma models in the $2000-$2500 range. Consumer Reports rated the TH-50PZ700U as the best HDTV they've ever tested.

I've set up and calibrated one (TH-50PZ700U) and I agree that it has a very impressive-looking picture, better than any LCD set I've yet tested or measured.

BTW, watch out for the Hitachi plasma sets. There is nothing wrong with them per se, but they use slightly misleading terminology calling their sets "Full HD 1080" when they don't actually offer true 1080p resolution (1920x1080 pixels, progressive). Hitachi has a 42-inch set with 1024x1080 resolution and a 50-inch set with 1280x1080 resolution. They do this with elongated (rectangular) pixels. Again, nothing wrong with this except that it won't have the full detail of a true 1080p HDTV.

Hitachi does make true 1080p models as well. Just check the "native panel resolution" spec to be sure you know what you're getting.

Hope that helps,

-CB


How to make foundation look natural?
Q. I want foundation that will cover decently my rosacea and acne and ance scars. It doesn't have to cover 100% I just want my skin to look a little better - and less red. What products are good for foundation and how do you apply them? The pores on the apples of my cheeks are large and become inflamed from rosacea so a lot of makeup just brings more attention to the pores on my face rather than making my skin look sort of smooth. I want my skin to look better, not worse. I'd like it to look natural and I am not interested in contouring.

A. Girl, I have the EXACT same problem. I dont have acne anymore much - but I used to, and I still use the same method.

first off: wash your face. dont use a wash thats harsh, it will irritate your rosacea. I use one made by a non label company, so I cant help you there :( but I hear proactiv is good. Anyways, choose one that isnt harsh. Exfoliate in the winter or when you have dry patches. dont do it too much - again, you will irritate the rosacea and make it worse.

moisturize. oil free sunscreen to protect your rosacea from getting worse. trust me on this. apply, wait for it to dry. Then

green primer. Green primer cancels out redness, and if you accidentlly get a foundation that is too pink, you can mix this with it to tone down the redness. my fave is Make Up For Ever green primer, but its pricey. I havent tried the Boots 07 calming base at target, but i hear its good. physicians formula also makes a good one, and its half the price of the make up for ever one. wait for it to dry. There are two things you could do now. 1. hows the redness? it depends. i have mild pinkness, so primer is a vast improvement. I have a friend who is really red, and you can't tell the primer has made a difference until you see that you can put on less makeup. if you think you look fine, stop. If you want to go farther, the foundation you want is called

graftobian. So heres the SUPER important part. Foundation is expensive. graftobian, luckily, is not very expensive, and its about 15 bucks including shipping on makeupmania.com. But theres the problem of shade. So this is crucial: first thing, go to a MAC store. ask them to help you find your shade, but not to apply the foundation all over your face, make up and excuse as to why they shouldn't (want to know shade, have no time for a full makeover, idk say something). Why don't you want a full foundation makeover? That particular brand is non-comodogenic, but often clogs pores. And causes acne. Which is bad. So they (or you can do this yourself) will test foundation by streaking it on your jawline and the skin in front of your ear. The one that best matches is your mac shade number, which is a pretty much universal system that everyone refers to. There are two types - NC and NW. NC means neutral cool, meaning it has yellow undertones. get this so as to hide the redness on your face better. NW has pink undertones. Avoid that at all costs.

now that you have your foundation shade, go online. I use graftobian foundation, which is foundation made for HDTV. it is thin, VERY pigmented and hides my mild rosacea well. You nly need a thin coat, which is why I like it. Anyways, go on to google and search "graftobian foundation *insert mac shade number here*" some results will pop up, mostly from makeupalley.com, a very helpful makeup review site that I adore. Anyways, browse the reviews, decide what shade will be best for you, and then order. You may also order a sample - I think camerareadycosmetics.com sells them. Or you could spend like 5 more bucks and get a palette - which is five foundation on one palette. Look through them. i recommend getting a warm set, because even the neutral sets have pink.

Once your makeup comes: yay! time to learn how to apply. there are LOTS of ways, and you have to play around. graftobian is great, but it requires time to figure out what you need.

hopefully, your shade is right. if its too pink, mix your new green primer with the actual foundation itself -- trust me, its worth it. There are lots of ways to apply. I use real techniques expert face brush ($8) and stroke it on, but fingers are better to apply it evenly with full coverage. If your face is really red, use CLEAN fingers to apply so you don't accidently sheer it out with the bristles. But you have to play around with this foundation, its very dependant on your personal skin.

But to ensure that it doesnt fade away throughout the day, maybe get some setting powder (if its worth it to you) I got ben nye at makeupmania.com (with he foundation if was about 22 bucks) Ben Nye banana visage powder is really good, because it won't look scary white in pictures, and it keeps foundation on all day. I use the same real techniques expert face brush for the powder, and it serves. but getting the real techniques powder brush would probably be better, but I dont wan to spend money on two brushes when one is servicable.

Um, yeah. makeupalley.com is your friend - go on it, research! There are lots of people. if you have any more questions on makeup for redness, acne, clogged pores, rosacea, email me.


hey what i need to know is do you need a special paint or screen for a digital projector to work?
Q. what is a nice beginner projector to get that you can send the signal from your tv or cable etc and put it on the wall? do you need a screen? how do the cables hook up? i'm really serious about this. can someone help me you'll be the best answer if it is. Give me a clue.

A. Good for you!! Projectors are great ... why anyone would think a 45" plasma TV is home theatre when they could have a 100" picture for about the same price is beyond me.

There are reasonable projectors starting at about $1000 and very good ones for $2-3000. See the links for reviews and recommendations re models.

Re a program source ... you can't use your television in most cases, but you can use a cable or satellite tuner or DVD player.

You don't NEED a screen... $30-$40 worth of paint carefully applied to a smooth wall will work well ... despite what you will read here and elsewhere (I have personally made a screen and tested vs commercial screen material). See the link to AVS forums and read the DIY screen forum for ideas. I did one with three coats of customized Behr "Silverscreen" paint from Home Depot per a recipe from this forum, thinking I'd use it as a stopgap for a while then buy a screen (remember you are looking at $800-2000 for a quality screen!) when I got over the cost of the projector (I have a Canon SX-60). But the wall works so well I'm not sure if I'll ever buy a screen.

Connections to a projector are very much like connecting a TV to a DVD player. Most projectors give you a choice of composite, S-video, component and DVI (or HDMI).

My wife and I love our projector and rarely watch our 30" HDTV any more. The projector -- fed from a DVD player and satellite HD DVR through a good surround sound system -- is just like being at the movies ... only better (we can pause as necessary and don't have to pay high prices for popcorn!).

The only difficulty with projectors are a) all but really bright models work best in a dark room, and b) replacement lamps can cost $400-500 and need to be replaced every 2-3000 hours of use.

I benefited greatly from spending the time necessary to read all I could about projectors and home theatre before building mine and buying the projector. I highly recommend the links below.

Hope this helps.





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