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When we plan trips we want to choose the best deals. Yet we may not always be getting that deal we are looking for. There are three websites which try to help us do this.

Farecast.com helps you determine when its the right time to buy an airline ticket, and whether a hotel rate you may pre-booked is a good one. Farecast.com forecasts air and hotel prices by looking at historic prices from 100+ airline and travel agency websites. After receiving information it then determines whether the prices will fall or rise within the next week. You get a list of available flights and their price prediction. There are a number of options to hep you refine or narrow down your search.

FUNQUE - 4
Awesome idea! Thorough resource base used.

(FUNQUE - a rating system out of 5 based on characteristics of functionality and uniqueness.)

Insidetrip.com focuses on people who want both quality and a good price for their trip. It gives a travel report out of 100 based on its analysis of factors such as stopovers, legroom, delays, travel duration, lost bags etc. You can book tickets through this site. However, one drawback (for now at least) is that it uses only one service, Orbitz, for its information and purchasing. However, the template is there for future success.

FUNQUE - 3
Neat idea, but use of one traveler database provides limits.

(FUNQUE - a rating system out of 5 based on characteristics of functionality and uniqueness.)

InsideTravelTips.com offers reviews on travel websites. Recent hotel price comparisons were put up on the site using data from many of the travel websites - Expedia, Kayak, Orbitz etc..

FUNQUE - 3.5
A review of internet sites is always beneficial!

(FUNQUE - a rating system out of 5 based on characteristics of functionality and uniqueness.)

One site uses the past to predict future pricing, another informs us of quality type decisions for our travel planning, and another looks at the travel sites themselves through comparison to offer planning alternatives. Three unique ways to help us plan our travel.

Hopefully, you now have a better grasp of what to look for when buying a HD Television. Once you purchase your HD TV how will it be set up at home? and how will you choose which Satellite (or cable) box to buy?

When setting up the HD TV you will need to think about how far back from the HD TV will you sit. Too close and you will sacrifice quality (and your eyes perhaps!), too far back and you’ll miss out on the detail. As a general rule, you should be back from the screen at a distance of about 2x the screen size. So a screen of 37 inches should have you at about 74 inches (a little over 6 feet or so) from the screen. Furthermore, you should not be looking up or down too much at the screen. It should be about eye level while sitting on your sofa or recliner.

How will you support the television? Though thinner, HD TVs are still very heavy and have a smaller surface area for easy support - they can be less stable due to their vertical size and the thinner depth. Wall mounts are a great way to support your HD television, but there are many to choose from.

The following points will help you decide:

1. Each wall mount has a minimum and maximum size limit. Be sure to read the specifications that come it to ensure it supports your HD TV.

2. Make sure the mount is certified to the maximum weight - look for an industry based UL rating which certifies the mount holds 4x the maximum rate stated for more than 30 seconds.

3. Mounting holes: You will need to check out the layout of the mounting holes and ensure that the mount holes correspond with the HD TV. Even if the mount says universal be sure to check the HDTV specs.

4. The last thing you may want to think about is the motion of the HD TV. Swivel, tilt or extend.The larger the television the less options you will have due to weight.

How about the service provider? Whichever service you will choose you will need a HD TV Satellite (or Cable vision) box and they range widely in price. The higher priced boxes may come with a PVR capability which allows you to record your favorite shows while you are away. They can be viewed and deleted.

Blu-Ray will be the future of HD TV and video viewing. To learn more about this look at http://www.blu-ray.com/info/. The website not only explains Blu-Ray but also has a listing of components to buy.

LiveLearnShop promotes forward looking products that impact your lifestyle, opportunity and knowledge, yet we also feel the need to educate, critique and discuss the process and implications.

Feel free to add your voice to this and other posts.

High Definition (HD) programming on television stations has not yet matched consumers’ consumption and desire to switch over (and up?) to HDTV. Yes, programming is increasing, yet a larger percentage of programming still remains in the current NTSC, SECAM or PAL television systems. Special channels such as sports and HBO etc do offer more choice, but they also cost more.

The manufacturers have been very effective in creating the both the product and the desire in consumers to buy. As a result, the market is now creating the need for back end (product) creation. The consumers have stepped up to the plate, have dished out capital for their products in order to view the better product.

You have purchased your HDTV, your dish or cable service system and your installation paraphernalia, now you want to watch HDTV. Enjoy! Be forewarned not all channels or programming will let you see the wrinkles in Oprah’s forefinger knuckle. It is coming.

LiveLearnShop promotes forward looking lifestyle products, technology, opportunity and knowledge creation, yet we also feel the need to educate, critique and discuss the process and implications.

Feel free to add your voice to this and other posts.