Should You Buy a Used Gaming Console and Games or New?

By Philip Woods

Stretching your money to afford a new game or two for your gaming console is hard enough to do today. Buying a new gaming system is outrageous. But what are you to do when your old one decides it has played it's last game? There are a couple of choices. You can either go spend your hard earned money and buy a new system, which could possibly be $500 or more or you can go to the discount store in your area.

There is one in every town. They sell all kinds of used movies, games and music as well as buying them. They also have resources to order items they may not have in stock. This is the resource for many who are serious about their movies, music and games. They may hang out here or have a job at this store.

Even though these people may look like they don't know anything, it is a myth. People who work at these places not only know what they are talking about, but they are looking to sell you something you will like, and not force-feed it to you. They often go home and play the same things they are selling.

Many people do not understand about the difference between a discount store and regular retailer is the discount store will always have a cheaper price on their items. When the games are first released, they will be the same price at all stores. Once people have played these games and won, the price will start to go down because there will be games that have been traded in or returned rentals. They will still cost about thirty dollars because there is more demand than supply.

The games and systems that you will be perusing at the discount outlets will not be broken or missing parts. These still have to be in good shape to sell. Often they may be in better shape or gamers would not be spending their money at the discount shops. A low price on a game only means that it is not as popular as when it first came out or they have quite a few of them.

Trade in your old games that you are tired of playing and get newer ones that you will play. The price you get may not even be half of what you paid for the game new but you most likely can get more in a store credit. This allows you to have a new bunch of games to play instead of the same old ones.

Keep these things in mind when dealing with a discount store and a traditional store. The game or product you buy is not going to be returnable unless there is some kind of defect from the manufacturer. In other words, if you decide you do not like it, they will not take it back. Although the products are supposed to work when leaving the discount store, after you buy it and it breaks there is little to be done about this. The older X-Box and PlayStation games are not as popular so finding them or trading them is not going to work. You would do better at selling them on the Internet. - 29872

About the Author:

The Autobots vs. the Decepticons, Back on DVD

By Patrick Daniels

After the financial success of Michael Bay's first Transformers movie there was never a doubt that Dreamworks was going to follow it up with a sequel. After a successful run at movie theaters this summer, Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen is now available on Blu-ray and DVD. The movie is filled with even more action and explosions then the first enstallment, and more tranforming robots. As for the quality of the film, it is pretty much at the same level of the first movie, it will not be winning any best picture awards, but if you are looking for mindless fun and action then it is right up your alley.

Michael Bay, well known for his action movies, and massive explosions, is back behing the camera directing this sequel, and it is evident throughout the film. The non stop action and excitement are typical of what you would expect from a Michael Bay movie, such as Armageddon or The Rock. Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen also has all of the familiar faces from the first movie return, including Shia LaBeouf, Megan Fox and John Turturro. Tuturro's role as both the mentor to LaBeouf, and the comic relief in the movie, really stands out, which should not be a surprise considering how talented of an actor he is.

Also, just for the record, I don't think that it is necessary to have the robots use foul language. I understand that in the heat of battle and when everything is going up in flames, the soldiers and human characters would naturally use that sort of language, but the robots don't need to. Anyway, the special effects are breathtaking and the film makers do a great job of bringing the action alive.

The plot of the movie feels a little forced, and doesn't make much sense, but again, this should be expected when going to see a movie like this. If you are looking for a fun summer action movie then Tranformers: Revenge of the Fallen is a great choice, if you are looking for an intellegent, thought provoking film then you should probably take this movie out of your shopping cart. Both the 2 disc DVD and Blu-ray versions of the movies come with great extras including making of specials and deleted scenes. The Blu-ray version also comes with a digital copy of the movie that you can watch on your computer or other handheld devices.

Since Tranformers: Revenge of the Fallen was just as succesful as the first enstallment, it almost guarantees that their will be a Transformers 3 in the future. That movie will be sure to have even more explosions and special effects, and if they can improve the story it may help to keep the franchise going for a long time. - 29872

About the Author:

Beginner Drum Lessons DVD: Take Lessons As Many Time As You Want

By Oniel Chester

Are you looking into purchasing a full drum set? There are a number of models and brands of full drum kits to choose from for the beginner, intermediate, and professional. You can find acoustic drum sets that are fairly cheap in price to expensive high quality kits. Before purchasing, check out the determining factors regarding the reasons for acquiring a drum set.

A drum solo is an individual's creative expression when playing the drum kit. It is the ability to create a percussive piece that adds depth to a song and to showcase one's talent. Many famous drummers such as Billy Cobham, Neil Pert, Elvin Jones, and Jon Bonham have highlighted their expertise by performing incredible pieces. Great solos can be performed by anyone as long as there is room for imagination.

Learn the 7 essential rudiments (at least) accurately and up to speed. (Especially the single and double stroke rolls). Know and recognize all the styles and be able to play variations of each. Have a thorough understanding of rhythmic note values and sight-reading. Know the "name" players in the industry and their contributions to the drum world.

Drum heads are also popularly known as the drum skins. The most important preservation of any drum kit is proper maintenance of this part. As a drummer, whether you are a professional or just a beginner, you should properly maintain the drum skins to extort a great sound out of the drum kit.

Some days use your entire practice time on developing your tuning skills. You want to know each of your drum's best sound. You need to be able to hear it in you mind so when you tune a drum to that sound you will know it.

Everyone, was chuckling and having a good time. And of course, eventually I was prodded to "test" my own drumming speed. After playing through the 60-second time interval (which is standard for the International Fastest Drummer Competitions - or WFD competitions) I watched my own form and speed fall away as I played.

Go to drum clinics! What can I say, if you don't walk away inspired by a great clinic, then you probably shouldn't be playing. Set goals for yourself. No matter how small the goal, it gives you something to strive for and gives you a sense of purpose in life. Life is more fulfilling when you're moving forward.

Use the Web! The internet has become a tremendous source of information over the last 20 years. It can be used for finding drum lessons, drum teachers, drum fills, drum shops, drum links directories, artist pages, manufacturers' sites, drum clinic dates, and even drum forums and newsgroups covering just about every drums and percussion subject you can imagine. - 29872

About the Author:

Will Farrell Gets Lost

By Patrick Daniels

Will Ferrell stars in this movie remake of the seventies classic TV show, The Land of the Lost. While it has some similarities to the classic show, Will and the gang put a different spin on the humor and the high jinks. Ferrell stars as Dr. Rick Marshall, a scientist that believes that time travel is possible and he wants to prove it.

He isn't the most lovable character and because most people in the field don't like him and think some of his time travel ideas are crazy, he gets laughed out of the field and becomes a middle school science teacher. One person, Holly, played by Ana Freil, believes in Dr. Marshall's work and vision and encourages Dr. Marshall to continue his work.

After an all night eating binge, Dr. Marshall and his new colleague Holly decide to have a live field test of the device and visit a cave in the desert that happens to be a tourist trap run by Will, a flea market fireworks salesman played by Danny McBride. The three of them are sent by a mysterious event hurling into another time dimension. When they arrive, they are greeted by bizarre insects, lizard people and a race of monkey like people, along with a big man eating dinosaur. Ferrell makes instant enemies with the dinosaur for one of the best running gags in the movie.

Almost as soon as they arrive they meet a monkey person named Chaka, played by Jorma Taccone from SNL. Chaka helps the group recover the time travel device, which went missing on arrival, so that they can return to their home. The trick to finding the device, however, is to survive the many hazardous encounters along the way.

Although this film was not a box office smash, or even Will Ferrell's best work, it does have many fun and entertaining qualities. Chaka and the character Will, give us some of the best laughs in the movie, and Ferrell gives us his best adolescent grown up character. There are many great special effect and CGI shows this new world well. Although the lizard people tend to look a little off, it is meant to be that way to represent the classic television show. The CD comes with a few extras, which are funny thanks to the touch of Will Farrell. This is a PG-13 film and not intended for younger viewers due to sexual references and language. - 29872

About the Author:

Free Dvd Movies: The Best Entertaining Experience

By Vazquez James

If you love watching DVD movies on the big screen in the comforts of your home, you?re not alone. There are many, like me, who would rather curl up on our sofa?s at home, than spend big money at the public movie theaters? Plus those seats are uncomfortable aren?t they?

I also don?t miss the fact that there are crying babies and rude teenagers to have to deal with, which makes the whole experience very unpleasant. No thanks, there?s no place like home, as Dorothy so eloquently put it.

As the movie buff that I am, you can imagine how many DVD movies I?ve collected over the years. I am currently over 300 and it could have been a lot more, but I soon realized I was spending an awful lot of money on these DVD?s.

I?m sure that many of you have way more than I do. I soon realized just how much I was spending on movies and decided there had to be a better and more cost effective way. So I looked into free movie downloads online.

Yes, they are free, but as they say, free is not always better. You see some of these online sites offering free movie downloads may be loaded with viruses. And as you know viruses can infect your computer and eventually wipe your whole system out.

Yes, they may be free but will it be worth the viruses you may encounter? That is the question. I don?t think so. But not all downloads are alike, you have options, so chin up and listen on.

It?s an inexpensive way to get quality movie downloads. You may not get it for free, but you?ll save yourself from the deadly virus that can wipe out your hard drive in no time.

Don?t panic, these paid sites don?t have a big price tag, and once you?ve registered, you?re in for a lifetime of free movie downloads... now there?s the ?free? word again. But isn?t that much better than taking a chance on viral infection? With a paid subscription, I can burn my movies to DVD?s and start adding more to my movie collection. - 29872

About the Author:

The Xbox 360 Above The Rest

By Larry Moon

Over the years, Microsoft has had to deal with everything from the Playstation 2 and 3 to the Wii, as well as all the hand held versions out there. This was back when they unleashed their own version calling it the Xbox. It seems like forever ago, but it was around the same time the Nintendo GameCube was getting positive reviews for gearing it towards innocent kids games. It was a hard period of time for Microsoft to sit back and wait to release the ultimate gaming system called the Xbox 360.

The Xbox 360 gained all the attention for a year until Sony and Nintendo answered with their own seventh generation consoles which are the Playstation 3 and Wii respectively. This was the time when the console wars really heated up and now gamers are spending more time deciding which console deserves their money savings. It is a tough battle because each console pretty much has their own unique strengths. Here is how the Xbox 360 weights in against the other two consoles.

When looking at these specific consoles, each provides there own unique spin on gaming today. If you look at the Xbox 360 in comparison to the Wii, the Xbox 360 hands down wins the graphics category, but that is because that is not where the Wii focuses their attention. So when breaking these two down, one things you need to look at is the controls.

The Xbox 360 controller allows it to be a bit easier to play most games like first person shooters, sports game, or other top Xbox 360 exclusive games. The Wii's primary selling point to their system is the motion controller's and while its a good piece of technology, it makes some of the first person shooter games and sports games a bit hard to play.

The Xbox 360 also has more highly-rated titles that are meant for older audiences while the Wii likes to keep their games accessible by people of any age. Some game makers are making special first-person titles that are Wii-exclusive, but it terms of quality of games, the Xbox 360 still ahead of the competition.

If you really want the best comparison you have to look at the Playstation 3 and the Xbox 360. The Xbox 360 continues to impress with its array of visuals that are comparable to PC games that have higher standard video cards, even though the PS3 takes the category because of Blu-Ray support. When looking at the consoles as a whole it is very easy to conclude that the consoles are both highly graphical and look alike to the general eye.

However, if you're looking for more exclusive franchises, then the PS3 takes the cake. Then again, if you're looking for more exclusive titles you'll want to get a Xbox 360. While we're unsure of a true winner in this area, we will tell you that the Xbox 360 holds more titles and more positive ratings. So we might want to give them a slight edge over their competition.

But no console is very far behind this time. Still, the Xbox 360 still impresses in terms of both software and hardware features. It won't eliminate the console wars any time soon, but the Xbox 360 is still a powerful system where you can play loads of great games. - 29872

About the Author:

Monsters Vs Aliens - Action, Humor & Entertainment Summed Up In One Animated Movie

By Meenakshi Nilkanthan

Animation movies are always fun to watch and specially so if it happens to be Monsters vs. Aliens, which has enough humor, action and special effects to keep you glued to your seats. Produced by DreamWorks Animation and Paramount Pictures, it is the first computer animated movie to be directly produced in a stereoscopic 3-D format.

Famous stars like Reese Witherspoon, Seth Rogen, Hugh Laurie, Will Arnett, Rainn Wilson and Paul Rudd have lent their voices to the varied characters. The movie shows how Susan Murphy (Reese Witherspoon) is hit by a meteorite on the day of her wedding to weatherman Derek Dietl (Paul Rudd), absorbing a substance called quantonium and growing into a giantess. Fearing people's lives, the police send her to a prison where she comes across General W.R. Monger (Kiefer Sutherland), B.O.B. (Seth Rogen), a brainless, indestructible gelatinous blob; Dr. Cockroach, Ph.D. (Hugh Laurie), a mad scientist with the head and abilities of a cockroach, the Missing Link (Will Arnett), an amphibious fish-ape hybrid; and Insectosaurus, a colossal grub that is even larger than Susan.

Where on one hand Susan yearns to get back her normal life, the movie takes us to Gallaxhar (Rainn Wilson), who detects the quantonium radiation emanating from Earth and deploys a gigantic robotic probe to find and extract it from its source, Susan. After a botched attempt by the President of the United States (Stephen Colbert) to make first contact with the robot, it begins destroying everything in sight, resisting all conventional military force. Finally, the monsters are handed over the task to fight the robot promising them freedom in return.

Amidst a lot of action and excitement, the monsters successfully destroy the robot. Monsters vs Aliens then shows how Susan goes back to her normal life, is too happy to get rid of Derek, who once again tries to get in touch with her for his own benefit and how the monsters stumble upon their next mission and get ready to rescue the world. Amidst all this, the movie takes an emotional turn when Derek breaks up with Susan, leaving her feeling extremely isolated and lonely.

As a unique promotional strategy, Bank of America gave away vouchers which covered the cost of an upgrade to a 3-D theatrical viewing of the film for its customers.

It was released in DVD and BLU-RAY in the US and Canada and around the world on September 29. A Halloween special entitled "Monsters vs. Aliens: Mutant Pumpkins from Outer Space" is also in the offing. By grossing $59.3 million in 4,104 theaters during the opening weekend, the movie proved its mettle by completely gripping the audience and their imagination.

If watching the movie wasn't enough for you, you now have the privilege of enjoying a game where you can wear the garb of the various characters and play through each of the scenes. - 29872

About the Author:

Star Trek- Action Plus Emotion

By Raj Dsouza

All the excitement and emotions of your favourite television series can be relived through Star Trek movie (2009), which has Officer George Kirk of the USS Kelvin trying to save the lives of his crew members when his ship is suddenly being attacked by Nero. He is on the lookout for Ambassador Spock, who is a child on Vulcan at that time, abandoned by his neighbors for his half-human nature. Not caring for himself, Kirk lays down his life to rescue others. Just around the time when Kirk dies, his son is born, who is named 'Jim'.Star Trek fans rejoice.

James T. Kirk (Jim) as a young adult harbours a wish to be like his father and his determination and dedication lead him to be a part of Starfleet. Soon, Vulcan comes under attack by Nero and his crew, threatening to cause the planet to disappear into a black hole. Spock takes it upon himself to rescue several Vulcan leaders including his Vulcan father, Sarek and his human mother.

Though Spock tries hard, he is not able to save his mother. Audiences will be deeply moved by the pain that Spock goes through for letting go of his mother. The movie shifts back to Kirk, who is shown getting prepared for a future task of saving the world.

Kirk and Spork, who both have lost a parent, undergo the same turmoil, difficulties and feelings of loneliness. Chris Pine, Zachary Quinto and Eric Bana have given superb performances and justified their characters to the hilt.

The promotional partners for the film include Nokia, Burger King and Intel Corporation. The film's first normal US screenings were on May 7, 2009, grossing $4 million on its opening day. It beat Star Trek: First Contact for the largest US opening for a Star Trek film.

People can lay their hands on DVD and BLU-RAY specials of the film, which will be released on November 17 in North America, November 16 in the UK and October 29 in Australia. Sweden has to wait for its turn till the 4th of November.

The film's huge success and profit are widely known and talked about. The cast members are already in talks for the sequel, the work for which will soon kick start. - 29872

About the Author:

Worldwide DVD & BLURAY Release for Monsters vs Aliens - September 29th 2009

By Nikhil Nayak

When a meteorite from outer space hits a young California woman named Susan Murphy and turns her into a giant monster, she is taken to a secret government compound where she meets a ragtag group of monsters also rounded up over the years. As a last resort, under the guidance of General W.R. Monger, on a desperate order from The President, the motley crew of Monsters is called into action to combat the aliens and save the world from imminent destruction!

Monsters vs. Aliens is a 2009 computer-animated 3-D feature film from DreamWorks Animation and Paramount Pictures. The movie was the first computer animated movie to be directly produced in a stereoscopic 3-D format instead of being converted into 3-D after completion, which added $15 million to the film's budget.

It was released on DVD and Blu-Ray September 29, 2009 internationally. Monsters vs. Aliens features the voices of Reese Witherspoon, Seth Rogen, Hugh Laurie, Will Arnett, Rainn Wilson, Kiefer Sutherland, Stephen Colbert, and Paul Rudd. The film was scheduled for a May 2009 release, but the release date was moved to March 27, 2009, to prevent competition with James Cameron's upcoming Avatar, which has since moved its release to December 2009.

A video game was released on March 24, 2009 on Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, Nintendo DS, PlayStation 2, and Wii. The game, developed by Beenox and Amaze Entertainment, allows users to play through scenes from the movie as Ginormica, B.O.B., and The Missing Link, and features drop-in/out co-op. Players can play as Dr. Cockroach, Ph.D in multiplayer co-op, as well as Insectosaurus on the Nintendo DS version of the game. The music was composed by Jim Dooley, with live brass recorded at the Warner Brothers Eastwood Scoring Stage.

It grossed in the Worldwide Box - Office : Rs 1800 Cr making it a " Monstrous Hit" In the Indian Box - Office it hit 5 Cr making it a theatrical hit in India. Monsters vs Aliens Facts comes from the creators of KUNG FU PANDA and MADAGASCAR. The Blu-ray format is on 3D & has 4 glasses inside the pack. Monsters vs Aliens is a unique, fresh story unlike anything else loaded with action, adventure and humor. Fun for the whole familyMonsters (Good Guys) battling Aliens (bad guys). - 29872

About the Author:

Finding The Best Xbox 360 Games

By John Ashbury

We all know of the benefits of the Xbox 360 in enriching our lives as avid gamers with its excellent graphics, flexible controls and wide variety of titles. When you purchased your own Xbox 360, you also bought some of the games in its hundreds of titles as a bonus. These should keep you entertained for about a couple of weeks, after which a hankering for more games will soon follow.

Always remember however, that the games that you purchase will go into your game collection. With prices reaching sometimes in the $70 range you do not want to buy just any game you see. Make sure you buy one you will enjoy so that your money is not wasted.

The local store at which you bought your Xbox 360 is a great first place to start looking at games to buy. Make sure to fully browse through all the games to know what is out there whether the store is big or small. You should be able to enjoy the game you bought as soon as you get home which cannot happen if a game is being mailed to you.

However, you must beware of aggressive marketing tactics employed by stores to convince their customers about the supposedly bestseller status of the Xbox 360 game selections. If you see that awards accorded to the game is part and parcel of the box art, then it is most probably true. Buy it before it flied off the shelves and you will be left with regrets.

Just another good source for Xbox 360 games is online stores for gamers like yourself. The official Xbox 360 homepage at www.xbox.com to see game reviews and news on upcoming games. At least you will be able to see what games do well and not so well the Xbox world.

In the abovementioned website, you can also enjoy the benefits of the Xbox Live feature. You can purchase cheaper games that will satisfy your gaming lust for weeks on end, with the added benefit of a quick downloading process.

There are also many various online websites that give reviews from critics and nonprofessionals alike on the available games out there. Gamespot and IGN are two of the more known of these types of websites that give pretty fair reviews and have the latest news on the hottest games out there. If you see a game that have been review and receiving nothing but praise you might want to buy it since what these critics have to say does bear some weight. The ranking system for games on these sorts of sites are of a one to ten scale with one being the worst and ten being the best.

The various methods used to find Xbox 360 games all have their many benefits. However, if you do your research you can avoid being ripped off or having to deal with annoying store attendants. Whether through use of a gaming store or an online site you can find Old, new, highly quality and intense games for good bargains. This will make it the best thing in the gaming world, which is saving money while saving the planet on your Xbox 360. - 29872

About the Author:

Must-Have Xbox 360 Accessories

By Justin Kennedy

With every purchase of the Xbox 360 gaming console, users have access to hundreds of titles, eye-popping graphics and ear-pleasing audio, high-tech controllers and cables and some games for free. Often, the extras in the package make for greater happiness with the purchase. Needless to say, you will need a good television set, even a high-definition television, to significantly improve on your Xbox 360 gaming experience.

The television isn't, however, the only Xbox 360 accessory you need for a good time. There are many accessories from first and third party manufacturers for your Xbox 360 which can improve the gaming experience and bring out the best in your console. (But keep an eye on those third-party extras, since false claims can and will be made to encourage you to purchase something you might not need, or that might not work well or with your console.) Here is a list of the Xbox 360 accessories you should buy.

The first thing to buy are some extra controllers, especially if you're interested in playing games with a multiplayer option, like Halo 3 or Gears of War 2. The box only comes with one controller, even though the Xbox 360 can let you play with up to three friends at the same time. You have your choice of controllers, either wired or wireless.

When choosing your controller, always look first at first-party products since these come from the same manufacturer, and are guaranteed to work with your system. Third-party controllers can also work quite well, though they may not have the benefit of durability. It pays to choose the original Xbox 360 controllers - they come in black and white - as they are built to last and are compatible with MS windows computers as well as the Xbox 360.

The second thing you should consider is a universal remote for the Xbox 360. Not only can you play some games using the remote alone, you can also use it when you're playing DVDs or movie CDs on your Xbox 360, not to mention controlling the television itself as well as a Windows Media Center-enabled computer.

Third, you ought to secure the Xbox 360 Messenger Kit that allows for online messaging options with fellow gamers. It comes with a wired headset that allows for live chats over at Xbox Live and with Windows-based personal computers. An added benefit is that you can use the headset to play games with voice recognition support, thus, enhancing on the Xbox 360 experience.

Some other accessories for the Xbox 360 you might want to consider are the Wireless Gaming Receiver, which allows you to use your wireless accessories, such as a headset, controllers, and steering wheels on a Windows-enabled computer as well as your console, and the Quick Change Kit that lets you charge two battery packs. Just keep in mind what you need and what you'll get the most use out of when buying Xbox 360 accessories.

In conclusion, Xbox 36- accessories can and will enhance your enjoyment of the popular gaming console if and when you chose it to suit your needs, not of anyone else's. Plus, it is always best to purchase genuine Microsoft and Microsoft-endorsed accessories, just to be of the safe and sure side. - 29872

About the Author:

The Making of A Successful Hollywood Movie Starts With You

By Whitaker Perry

There is virtually no limit to the amount of money that Hollywood will spend to keep us entertained. They realize that the more they can lure us into the theaters with special effects, head-spinning plots and premium actors, the more they stand a chance to create a blockbuster hit.

Hollywood can tell if a new movie is going to be profitable within one week of its release. The massive publicity campaign combined with well designed media blitzes create an air of anticipation which drives up ticket sales. Before Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince was released, the movie and writer received tons of publicity and fans around the world anticipated its release.

Before a new movie is released, Hollywood will often create a lot of publicity around a new release prior to the movie hitting the theaters. The publicity spreads life wild-fire and creates anticipation and excitement. A classic example is all the publicity that was generated around the new Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince.

Since the success or failure of a movie is usually determined in first week of its premiere release, many Hollywood studios often have advanced screenings of movies as an attempt to pump up the ticket sales before the movie is released to the general public. This creates buzz advertising and free press as media outlets around the world feature spotlights of the movie.

Hollywood has released so many movies in the last 75 years that they know what really entertains us. It is much easier for them to release a blockbuster hit today than it was 20 years ago. Surprisingly, not all hits costs tens of millions of dollars. Movies such as Nightmare On Elm Street and Friday The 13 were created on a fairly low budget, but spawned a cult like following of loyal movie watchers and more sequels than any other movies made over time.

Besides new movie releases, Hollywood also generates hefty revenues from older classics too and popular television shows too. The sales of DVD rentals and purchases continually produce added revenues as people build their movie libraries over time. Many popular television series have been transformed into DVD's for public purchase.

Older movie classics like Godzilla and King Kong have been remade using modern special effects and have attracted a wide viewing audience. These are movies that once entertained us with mediocre special effects now updated with dazzling life-like quality. One of the newer in this genre that paid off well was the Jurassic Park series. With almost two sold out sequels and tens of thousands of DVD rentals and sales, it paid off big for producers.

The latest movie trends to create explosive interest are fantasy movies like Shrek and popular superhero's taken from the pages of Marvel Comics. These fantasy characters entertain us with an onscreen adventure that once was left to the imagination of a paper cartoonist. Today, thanks to Hollywood, we can enjoy of favorite fantasy characters with a little more life. - 29872

About the Author:

HDTV Online Is The Future Of Television

By Eric Hendrix

HDTV online has only been available for a short period of time and people are already head over heels for it. The internet continues to grow day in and day out, there are millions people that use the internet for various reasons. Therefore many people believe that it was only a period of time until television became part of the internet as well.

High definition television, avidly referred to as HDTV allows the viewers to set their sights on a picture that has been taken at the highest resolution possible. People are able to see different things that they would normally not catch if they were viewing their favorite shows off of a normal television set.

It seems that year after year the prices of cable and satellite television continue to escalate. A lot of people are forced to decide between paying for their internet service or paying for their television. For many people this is a rash decision to have to make.

Therefore, many people see the fact that they can now enjoy television from their computers extremely awesome. You don't have to spend a lot of money for an HD television set, and you can enjoy all of your favorite shows from your computers monitor. Many people have been able to cut down their monthly expenses immensely with the implementation of HDTV online.

However, despite the price of cable television, people are still interested in being able to watch shows that they show an immense amount of interest in. So by incorporating television and the internet people are not being forced to choose one thing over the other.

You can obtain HDTV online in a plethora of different ways. Presently there are some sites that are actually offering the services for free, this way you can try it out and see how you like it and then submit payment thereafter. Some sites are insisting that you sing up for a contract right away, just like your cable company would do. The only difference from this source of television and the other sources is the fact that you can enjoy this television from your computer.

However, since the television is being offered on the internet, you need to do your best to avoid getting scammed by companies that promise you free viewing and then do not follow through with their agreement.

Before you ever commence in signing up for any HDTV service on the internet you need to ensure that the site is legitimate. Do not give away any of your personal information including your credit card information before you have carefully evaluated the site to test for its legitimacy.

Gather as much information as you can about the underlying website that states that it offers HDTV online. You can begin by reading through reviews about the company and investigating any claims that have been filed on the company.

Always proceed with caution when signing up for an HDTV online offer. No one has the necessary funds to fuel scammers that cruise the internet looking for unsuspecting people.

HDTV online is making the internet look a lot more appealing to many people. It saves you an immense amount of money and you can still view your favorite shows for a fraction of the cost that you would pay for satellite or cable. - 29872

About the Author:

Comparing the Xbox 360 To Its Competition

By Arnold Thomas

In recent years, the so-called console war between Microsoft, Sony and Nintendo was probably at its fiercest level because of the launching of the original Xbox. Of course, it was designed to compete head-on with the Sony Playstation 3 popularity and the emerging consumer awareness for Nintendo's GameCube. With the launching of the Xbox successor - the Xbox 360 - the console war just reached new levels of competitiveness although it must be said that Xbox won the war for about a year after its release.

Sony and Nintendo had no intention of simply surrendering the field, and quickly released their own seventh generation gaming consoles, the Playstation 3 and the Nintendo Wii. This time, gamers had more choices and it was harder to pick between the three since each console offered its own unique strengths and weaknesses. To make it easier on the consumer, this is a brief comparison between the Xbox 360 and its competition.

Xbox 360 wins hands down when it comes to the sheer quantity of games available with almost a thousand titles to choose from. While the Playstation 3 offers more exclusive franchises, the the Xbox 360 has more exclusive titles, as well as having more titles with positive reviews and rankings. Consumers and critics alike have pointed out that many of the adventure and fighting games offered by the Playstation 3 are very similar to those offered by the Xbox 360.

The Wii has taken a slightly different path when considering what titles to offer, and focuses its orientation on games the whole family can enjoy, from children to adults. There is less violence, less murder and gore with the Wii than one will find in the Xbox 360. Even so, while there are fewer comparisons when looking at the available games, there are still a few that share similarities with the Xbox 360. So, the battle will have to move away from games and onto another field.

For quality of graphics, the Xbox 360 and Playstation 3 have very close competition that a draw must be declared. Some quarters, however, will insist that the Playstation 3 possesses more intense visual and audio components than Xbox 360 but it will depend on what your definition of good graphics is.

The Wii, however, simply is not in the running in this competition, either with the Xbox 360 or the Playstation 3. The Nintendo Wii has chosen to turn its focus to areas other than graphics engines or audio components and so, if you want jaw-dropping graphics and excellent audio, you should purchase either an Xbox 360 or a Playstation 3. And, something to keep in mind, the Playstation 4 offers Blu-ray support, a decided advantage over the Xbox 360, which launched in 2001.

Looking now at the controls, the Wii has a fighting chance with its innovative motion controller which can mimic the movement of your hand, with buttons to push, bats to swing, and even bowling balls to bowl. However, this can be a disadvantage when you consider that the Xbox 360 offers both wireless as well as wired controllers.

The verdict: The many features the Xbox 360 offers continue to make it a trailblazer in the industry. However, this doesn't mean the Xbox has won the war. Far from it. The war isn't over by a long shot. In fact, it may be just about to begin again. For now, though, the Xbox 360 continues to dominate the field. - 29872

About the Author:

DJ Turntable For Your Home Entertainment

By Patrick Daniels

There is a video game revolution going on and if you are a rocker, you probably already know about it and love it. I have not found any video game fan yet that doesn't love playing Rock Band or Guitar Hero. They have been a phenomenon in the video game industry and have helped make video gaming an accepted recreational activity. It has accounted for most of the growth in the industry over the past three years and doesn't look to slow down any time soon.

But what if you are not a huge fan of rock music or heavy metal or classic rock? Sure, it is still fun but maybe there is something more. What if you are more of a fan of techno and hip hop and club music? Well something is coming down the road for you and it may be the next evolution and revolution in video games. It is DJ Hero and it is brought to you by the makers of the Guitar Hero franchise. It doesn't come with a guitar or a set of drums or a microphone; it comes with a brand new peripheral that millions of music fans will instantly recognize. It comes with a turntable.

A turntable? Yes, it looks like a DJ turntable with the turntable, buttons and sliders that a real one would have. You push the buttons it time to the beats and move the slider and turntable to the reverb and different changes in the music. It takes a little bit of practice to get used to the new interface and once you get the hang of it it feels just like any other rhythm game, only a little bit different and with a different set of songs.

The game provides a great variety of songs, from some of the most popular DJs from the club and hip hop scene. Even if you are not a big fan of this type of music, the songs are still enjoyable, and you will have a great time playing this game.

The downside to this revolutionary game is that it is one of the highest priced games on shelves. It sells for $150, an although it is less than the new Beatles game, it is still a bit over priced for many peoples budgets this year. The best thing to do, to purchase it at a lesser price is to wait for a sale, or until after the holidays when many companies start dropping the prices of expensive items to reduce overstock. - 29872

About the Author:

Full HD TV " Making The Right Choice

By John Smith

With the introduction of digital television (DTV) has come the High Definition Television Revolution. Full HD TV is the pinnacle of the home television experience. But what is required to enjoy the maximum benefits on offer? And what choices are there to be made when purchasing a Full HD TV.

Not all high definition televisions are equal and can truely be defined as full high definition capable. You might think that HD Ready Televisions meet this standard. Though perfectly suitable for use as smaller screens, HD ready TVs conform to the 720p standard. To enjoy the full benefits of Full HD TV then the standard you should be looking at when shopping for a new TV is 1080p.

Televisions come in many variations, the first thing to consider is what type of television technology to choose. The different type of technologies to choose from include plasma, LCD and LED TVs. To make this decision then you will need to know a little about the qualities of each type.

Plasma HD TVs have been considered to be at the top-end of the market for some time. This is due to its superior picture quality, however its competitors have closed that gap recently. Plasma have enjoyed better colour reproduction and saturation, better contrast control, better at displaying fast moving images and they come in larger screen sizes. The down side to plasmas is they are heavy, less efficient and more expensive to buy and own.

The market leader up to this point has been LCD TVs. When it comes down to value for money LCDs have shown to be the popular choice. The range of screen sizes available means that they can be purchased to be suitable for any location. They may not produce the best quality images but they arent far behind plasmas and they are now so cheap that one can be purchased on the smallest of budgets.

LED TVs are the newest technology to enter the market. Because of their recent introduction to our stores they are still more expensive than standard LCD TVs. However they do have attractive qualities over LCD televisions and with time the prices will come down. The advantages of LED televisions are, brighter images, deeper blacks, reduced power consumption and improved life-spans.

Something worth mentioning is the technological advances that are currently beginning to emerge. OLED and 3D TVs are something to keep an eye out for in the future. They are tentatively being introduced into the market but are still some time off being perfected. They are technologies which we may see a lot of in the future.

At the end of the day the decision about what TV to buy is going to depend on each consumers personal budget and requirements. Take time to do your research, so that you are best equipped to make the right choice and make the most of your Full HD TV experience. - 29872

About the Author:

Early Video Games

By Philip Woods

It is hard to believe today that early video games were thought of as the latest innovations. With the many types we have to choose from, the earlier models such as Atari, seem almost silly in comparison. However, when these games were first released to the public, they were quite popular.

Magnavox Odyssey was the first video gaming system to be released in the U.S. Once called the brown box, from the prototype, a crude version of what was to become. This was completed in 1968. Odyssey gaming system, used cartridges that were to basically alter the circuits inside the game box.

Plastic sheets were needed to attach onto your television screen. These sheets added more graphics to use in conjunction to the images that the game system would project onto your screen. This was released in 1972.

The gaming systems usually went for about $100.00 and always sold over 100,000 units in their first year of production. Compared to standards today the beginning years were primitive, but this was the start of the home console gaming systems.

In 1972, Atari was founded by Nolan Bushnell. The name of this company was originally planned to be Syzygy. Since the name was already in use Atari was settled on for the company. A developer, Al Alcorn joined Atari and the game "Pong" originated. The popularity of this game was quite impressive when it went on sale in 1975 as a home version for Atari.

In 1976 and 1977 many games were released including some hand-held games. In 1976 Coleco got into the video game craze with their introduction of the Telstar. The Atari 2600 home game system was released in 1977 and an electronics baseball game in 1978 by Mattel. In 1979, a Microvision game that had cartridges to change the games was released by Milton Bradley. This was the first hand-held game that had cartridges that could be changed for different games.

By 1980 Mattel was ready to launch their answer to Atari - the Intellivision game system. The Nintendo game system was on the horizon. When Mario brothers games came out in 1981, the world was ready for something different. Gaining popularity, this was a game that seemed to be an instant hit.

Sega was another new gaming system that was released in 1981, which their game turbo was released. This was one of the first simulation games that were as close to reality as possible back then. The only other game that was to compare it to was Atari's Night driver game which was not realistic at all.

The Atari 5200 super system released in 1982, replaced Atari's 2600 system. Atari's intention was to have this system in competition with the intellivision, but in all reality it became Coleco's competition. The 5200 was just not as big of a hit as they had hoped because there were many design flaws.

These early systems, were nowhere near as sophisticated as the systems you can buy today. Nintendo's systems play Station systems, and the Xbox made yesterday's games a little more than children's toys. The Nintendo Wii and Xbox 360 are the trendsetters for future technology advances. - 29872

About the Author:

Care For Your Console With These Xbox 360 Maintenance Tips

By Jack Thompson

The Xbox is one of the best gaming systems around, but it is not necessarily cheap. With prices of up to $300-$400 for consoles like the Elite Console and the Xbox Modern Warfare 2 Limited Edition Elite Console, an Xbox 360 can be a serious investment. When you factor in necessities like a universal remote and extra controllers, the price tag for a high quality system can be in the hundreds of dollars easily.

Even though this system can represent a serious investment, many gamers lose sight of the importance of practicing proper maintenance for their Xbox 360 in the thrill of the gaming this system provides. Gamers will often treat their console as if it were indestructible - at least until the much feared "red ring of death" shows up as a reminder that this system does need to be cared for properly. Once this sign appears, it is often a sign that you need to change your ways and fast if you hope to keep your console working.

Fortunately, you can take the following measures in protecting your Xbox 360 and, hence, prolonging its life for your gaming pleasure. Keep in mind that the main enemies of the Xbox are heat, dust and dirt.

To counteract the damaging effects of overheating in the Xbox 360, you must ensure that you give it breaks after long hours of service in your gaming life. Often, even 30-minute breaks in-between 6-hour games are sufficient. You also need to position the Xbox 360 away from sources that generate heat like sunlight and heating vents as well as materials that trap heat like carpets and blankets.

You should also keep your Xbox 360 away from electronics such as amplifiers; these can generate enough heat to cause trouble for your Xbox as well. Make sure not to keep your Xbox in an enclosed space such as a closed entertainment center while you play - your console needs adequate ventilation to stay cool. The best place to use your Xbox is in a room which is air conditioned or somewhere that you can point a fan directly at the console. There are cooling accessories which you can use to keep your console from overheating, but you need to make sure not to power these accessories from the Xbox 360 unit, since this will actually cause, not prevent overheating.

To prevent dust and dirt from damaging your Xbox 360, do not keep it near any places which dust collects such as open windows. One place which a lot of gamers tend to store their Xbox is a definite no-no: underneath the bed. When you are not using your Xbox 360, consider using a protective cover to prevent dust and dirt from getting into the unit.

Some gamers bring their Xbox on the road with them. While not recommended, you can do this as long as you use a good carrying case for your console which gives it ample protection from bumps, dirt and dust.

You can keep your console protected from dust and dirt by keeping the area you keep your Xbox in as free of dirt as possible. You should also keep your Xbox 360 discs protected by keeping them in your cases, since dust and dirt can also damage your games. If you smoke, make sure not to do it around your console; smoke can also damage the system.

Your Xbox 360 is not just any gaming system - it is an investment you need to protect. With diligent care, you can ensure that your Xbox can keep you entertained for years to come. - 29872

About the Author:

What You Should Know About Downloading Movie Files

By Dyer Harrison

Do you like saving money by watching and downloading movies for free? You can save on the purchase of movies by learning the tricks to getting free movies on the internet. Just to let you know, there are many places on the internet that offer memberships so you can legally get access to a wide variety of free movies.

Why pay the full price when you don't have to? Most people do not know where to look when they are seeking out a reliable source for free movies, songs and games. This is why I wrote this article. There is no shortage of free movie sites, on a shortage of reliable sites. Many of the free sites have been known to have infected files. The reason is because a lot of them are not monitored.

Each month new movies sites are springing up advertising the latest and greatest titles. You have to be careful on many of these new sites because, very often they lack the experience needed to make sure your files are clean, safe and most importantly, provide legal downloads. They are out there and with the help of this article you will know how to find them.

There are a handful of good movies site on the internet. While many of them offer unlimited downloads of movies, some also give you access to popular games and songs too. What I really like about them is that they also provide all of the software you need to watch the movies online or download and burn them to your computer.

If you are looking for free movies on the internet, look for movies sites that are virus free and for sites that operate legally. If the site is newer, you may want to think about it before you join and download any files. Established sites will usually have a large number of customers and will be rated and reviewed well on the internet.

By joining one of these membership sites, you will get 24/7 unlimited access to a large movie database for less than $40 where you can access crystal clear, high DVD quality movies at your leisure. The monthly fee equates to approximately $0.80 per movie and is a huge savings when you consider the retail cost of buying movies at a shopping center.

As you can see, you do not have to pay full price for movies and films. You can quickly and safely start building up the movie collection you have always wanted with one low membership fee. Surprisingly, these movies sites also have a large database of games as well. You will be amazed, especially if you are a pc game lover too.

To find the best movie sites, just search online or visit the link at the bottom of this article. You will find trusted sources to sites that feature tons of movies and games for your entertainment pleasure. If you are an avid movie watcher, you will feel like a kid in a candy store when you see the gigantic selection of available movie titles. Start building your movie library today and enjoy great savings on the cost of each by looking at what a movie membership site can offer. - 29872

About the Author:

True Stories Have A Unique Way of Imparting Guidance When We Are Faced With Similar Circumstances

By Mcpherson Holloway

We love to entertain ourselves watching a good movie. It does not matter if it is fiction or based on true events, we are addicted to movies that emotionally influence us. Each month millions of DVD movies are purchased and rented in America. Now, with high speed internet, you can get access to movies at the click of a mouse.

Movies help us escape the current reality of our business lives. The journey that a good film can take you on gives you a chance to enter a world of fantasy and fiction as you imagine along with the characters. Movies not only help us by taking our mind off pressures and life in general, but they have a strange way of making us feel good in an entertaining way.

Movies also have to power t educate. Many true stories are filled with conventional tidbits of wisdom that could help if you are facing the same situations and circumstances as the lead character. As an example, movies such as A Home of Our Own, starring Kathy Bates, portrayed what it was like to live in the trappings of steep poverty in America and how to maintain your integrity as a human being.

True stories are filled with valuable life lessons. They are not all about slashing and dicing, but about the same problems we all face at on time or another. As such, we tend to emotionally connect with the characters and what they are going through; all the while introspectively evaluating our own real life events.

Everyone can relate to a true story that is carefully reproduced and acted out by an outstanding set actors and actresses. The events surrounding the story, the time of year, the nature of the circumstances and the movie prognosis - all form an emotional connection as we sometimes laugh and cry as certain scenes are played out. It reminds us of similar situations.

When the movie, The Burning Bed was released, it increased awareness to spousal abuse in America, as women all over the country identified with similar abusive relationships. This movie not only helped to influence new laws designed to give women great rights and protections, but also inspired an entire generation of abused women to seek help.

Can you rely on conventional wisdom inspired by movies based upon true events? In most cases you can since most producers consult with real professionals and consultants to help them act out true stories and events. As an example a movie about a bad marriage headed for a devastating divorce caused by the problems of financial hardship, can shed light on what to do if you are facing those problems in real life.

The educational value of a true story goes without saying. Since we all gravitate toward true stories that we can relate with, there must be some comfort in watching how others deal with the same issues in life. If for nothing more, they do provide us with unique insight so we can begin to understand and explore our own options and choices. - 29872

About the Author:

Comparing the Xbox 360 To Its Competition

By Arnold Thomas

In recent years, the so-called console war between Microsoft, Sony and Nintendo was probably at its fiercest level because of the launching of the original Xbox. Of course, it was designed to compete head-on with the Sony Playstation 3 popularity and the emerging consumer awareness for Nintendo's GameCube. With the launching of the Xbox successor - the Xbox 360 - the console war just reached new levels of competitiveness although it must be said that Xbox won the war for about a year after its release.

Of course, Sony and Nintendo will not take this lying down and they both released their seventh generation gaming consoles - the Playstation 3 and Wii, respectively. This time, gamers have a more difficult time choosing between the three models since each console has its own unique strengths and weaknesses. To make things easier here is a comparison between Xbox 360 and its two competitors in terms of titles, graphics and controller.

For the titles available, Xbox 360 wins hands down when it comes to the quantity of games available, with approximately a thousand choices. In fact, Xbox 360 has the most number of exclusive titles although the Playstation 3 offers more exclusive franchises. Plus, the Xbox 360 still has an edge over Playstation 3 in terms of the highest number of titles with positive ratings. Customers and critics alike even point that the adventure fighting games in Playstation 3 are very similar to those in Xbox 360.

The Wii advantage in the title battle is its orientation towards gaming entertainment for the whole family. There is less murder, mayhem and violence with Wii games than one would usually find in Xbox 360. Plus, the Wii often have a few similar gaming titles with the Xbox 360, thus, the battle must be won in another field.

For quality of graphics, the Xbox 360 and Playstation 3 have very close competition that a draw must be declared. Some quarters, however, will insist that the Playstation 3 possesses more intense visual and audio components than Xbox 360 but it will depend on what your definition of good graphics is.

The Wii, unfortunately, cannot compete with either the Xbox 360 or Playstation 3 on the graphics front. The Nintendo-manufactured gaming console does not appear to focus on this area for some reason or another. Thus, if you want excellent graphics with outstanding audio, then either the Xbox 360 or the Playstation 3 is the ideal choice. Take note, too, that Playstation 4 offers Blu-ray support, an advantage over the Xbox 360.

For the quality of the controls, the Wii has a very good fighting chance with its motion controller that mimics the movement of the user sand buttons to push and bats to swing. However, it can be at a disadvantage with the Xbox 360 because of the greater availability of options with either a wireless or wired controller.

In the end, the Xbox 360 is more versatile, and even now, years after its initial release, it continues to be the leading game console in the industry. However, this doesn't mean the war is over. Far from it. It's beginning all over again with eighth generation consoles already on the way. But, for now, the Xbox 360 rules the field, and will continue to be a strong contender. - 29872

About the Author:

Top Six Picks of Xbox 360 Games

By Taylor H. Thomas

Everyone knows about the Xbox 360. Not only is it the most innovative gaming system to date, it also has the largest library of games, estimated at close to a thousand. With so many games, however, finding the ones that give you the most game for the buck can be difficult. Fortunately for you, you can purchase the top six picks of Xbox 360 games rather than relying on slickly advertised packages.

1) Successor to the highly-rated Oblivion, Fallout 3 has gained many positive reviews. Set sometime after World War II, it combines the best three elements of a classic action game: fast-paced gameplay, realistic perspective, and intelligent survival in a harsh, post-apocalyptic setting. Don't worry if you haven't played the other two games in the series. Including a gripping storyline and amazing graphics, Fallout 3 is a game anyone could enjoy playing.

2) Next on the list is Grand Theft Auto IV: The Lost and the Damned, a trailblazing game and the first in the GTA series to offer an online multiplayer mod with 15 different games to chose from. The visuals for Liberty City, along with a detailed story-line and large cast of characters have earned it several "Game of the Year" awards. Many new features have been added, such as new cars, weapons, and story lines.

Yet another multi-awarded game is Dead Space, which reviewers have rightfully deemed as the "World's Scariest Game". This intriguing description alone should be sufficient reason to purchase the game although it must be said that if you are afraid of the dark and the unseen monsters it can yield, then this might not be the game for you. If you like third-person horror-action games, then Dead Space is the one and only game for you.

4) If you're looking for a third-person shooter that is challenging and without the horror, than gear up for Gears of War 2. Multiplayer options allow you to form teams ranging from 2 to 10 players, and with many improvements to gameplay and visuals, this game has truly earned its awards, including "Best Xbox 360 Game of 2008." That alone should be reason enough to go out and buy it.

5) If you haven't heard of Halo 3 and Master Chief already, then you don't know what you've been missing. Part three of the internationally award-winning series, Halo 3 stands on its own. Three features of note: The multiplayer map lineup, the ability to save your films, and the Forge level editor. And don't forget the advanced AI! For veteran players and new players, Halo 3 is a must have for anyone who loves games.

6) The Beatles: Rock Band, for people who aren't into shooters, for people who aren't into horror and gore, and for people who are into music ...for anyone everywhere who has ever wanted to be a rock star, here is your chance. The world's best music game finally lets you play with the Beatles themselves! You can play 45 songs, from "I Want to Hold Your Hand" to "I Am the Walrus," this game is a game for everyone.

There are so many other good Xbox 360 games out there, many worth playing. Just be careful to read all the reviews, and pay attention to notes about bugs or patches. But with so many games to chose from, you should have no trouble finding your own top six picks. - 29872

About the Author:

Learn How to Play Drums DVD: Have Fun While Practicing

By Terrance Burgess

The "next day" came, and soon it was my turn to see how fast I could play. I did my best and was completely shocked when I ended up winning with a "score" of 905 singles in 60-seconds (with absolutely no practice, and no idea "how or what" I was doing). Nevertheless, winning put me in the northeast regional finals elimination round - 3 weeks later at the Berklee College of Music in Boston.

Sometimes the drum heads may even puncture when the hit is hard. If all this still does not provide you with good reasons to go for a new one at regular intervals, then you should realize that once it becomes weak it is difficult for you to play the roll or the fast chops. As a drummer you should change your drum heads after every six months.

However, most of the drummers choose the ones that provide sustainability, a good quality tone, excellent durability along with a great blend of depth and attack. A few drum heads may consist of a ring or a dot in the middle. These are considered excellent for tonal focusing. They also help in longevity of the drum skins by straightening the head from the middle.

A drum solo is an individual's creative expression when playing the drum kit. It is the ability to create a percussive piece that adds depth to a song and to showcase one's talent. Many famous drummers such as Billy Cobham, Neil Pert, Elvin Jones, and Jon Bonham have highlighted their expertise by performing incredible pieces. Great solos can be performed by anyone as long as there is room for imagination.

So after reading up on things and listening to a handful of second line drummers, I've determined that although there are a lot of variations of second line you can play, most follow a specific feel and style. The best way to get started would be to play a simple Bo Diddley beat, mixing in an occasional double stroke roll at the beginning or end of the phrase: Play the bass drum with the accents or simply play "4 on the floor" (straight quarter notes)

Learn the 7 essential rudiments (at least) accurately and up to speed. (Especially the single and double stroke rolls). Know and recognize all the styles and be able to play variations of each. Have a thorough understanding of rhythmic note values and sight-reading.Know the "name" players in the industry and their contributions to the drum world.

Foot warm-ups, in a sitting position, raise your right foot off the floor about 10 inches. Point your toes away from you as far as you can, then point them towards you as much as you can. In a circular motion, rotate your foot to the right, then rotate to the left, repeat this exercise 4 times. After you have completed this for the right foot, do the same for the left foot.

After the seating of the heads, the brass drum lug screws should be fitted properly and subsequently the tom toms have to be mounted. While assembling the different toms, it is important to consider the lengths of the lug screws as larger toms require longer lug screws and smaller ones require smaller screws. The other pieces that have to be assembled include the bass pedal and stands such as high hat stand, cymbal stands and snare stands. - 29872

About the Author:

Top Six Picks of Xbox 360 Games

By Taylor H. Thomas

The Xbox 360 is the pioneer of the seventh generation consoles to come from the three main manufacturers of video games. As such, it carries more games than the other two, with some estimates going as high as a thousand. This will mean that searching for the right games that will give value for your money can be a tricky affair, especially as each game costs a flat rate of $60 no matter its quality. Fortunately, you can just purchase these top six Xbox 360 games, which have been judged as such by both critics and consumers, instead of relying on attractive packages.

1) Successor to the highly-rated Oblivion, Fallout 3 has gained many positive reviews. Set sometime after World War II, it combines the best three elements of a classic action game: fast-paced gameplay, realistic perspective, and intelligent survival in a harsh, post-apocalyptic setting. Don't worry if you haven't played the other two games in the series. Including a gripping storyline and amazing graphics, Fallout 3 is a game anyone could enjoy playing.

Next is Grand Auto Theft IV, which is a trailblazer in its own right as it the first in the series to offer an online multiplayer mode with 15 games types to choose from. Its realistic rendition of Liberty City coupled with a genuinely riveting plotline has earned it numerous "Game of the Year" awards. Add in the fact that it is an open-ended game that provides greater player control and you have a game worth buying now.

3) Dead Space has been called the "World's Scariest Game." If you don't mind horror stories or gore, then this is the game for you. If you're scared of the dark or made ill by the sight of blood then you might want to move on to the next game. But Dead Space offers state-of-the art graphics and effects, and audio that will make you jump right out of your seat. But more than just violence, it also requires you to think, offering puzzles that will challenge even the most clever player, and a tragic, tangled story that won't leave you disappointed at the end.

4) Gears of War 2 is a game for those who love third-person shooters, but don't want the intensity the previous game offers. One of the most popular games in the history of Xbox, GoW2 has a new multiplayer option that allows for up to ten players. And it's not just the multiplayer option. Jaw-dropping graphics, a full, immersive story-line and did I mention the graphics? A must have for any fans of the third-person shooter.

5) And then there was Halo 3. Third in the series, this title can stand on its own with a new multiplayer map lineup, a saved films option, and the Forge level editor -- which earned Halo 3 the "Best Multiplayer Game" award. If you enjoyed the first two games, then Halo 3 should be top of your list.

6) The Beatles: Rock Band, for people who aren't into shooters, for people who aren't into horror and gore, and for people who are into music ...for anyone everywhere who has ever wanted to be a rock star, here is your chance. The world's best music game finally lets you play with the Beatles themselves! You can play 45 songs, from "I Want to Hold Your Hand" to "I Am the Walrus," this game is a game for everyone.

There are so many other good Xbox 360 games out there, many worth playing. Just be careful to read all the reviews, and pay attention to notes about bugs or patches. But with so many games to chose from, you should have no trouble finding your own top six picks. - 29872

About the Author:

Locating The Best Xbox 360 Games

By John Ashbury

Everyone knows the awesome benefits of the Xbox 360 with its phenomenal graphics, great titles and very flexible controls that make the lives of avid gamers great. When you bought this game console you undoubtedly bought some games to go along with it. These games will entertain you for some weeks but after awhile you will crave more.

Always remember however, that the games that you purchase will go into your game collection. With prices reaching sometimes in the $70 range you do not want to buy just any game you see. Make sure you buy one you will enjoy so that your money is not wasted.

Your local store from where you bought your Xbox 360 gaming console is the first stop in your search for the best games. You should browse through all the selections so as to get a feel of the available choices, which may or may not be wide in variety depending on the store itself. You should be able to enjoy the game as soon as you get home with your final choice, which is in contrast with waiting for the mail to deliver it.

However, you must beware of aggressive marketing tactics employed by stores to convince their customers about the supposedly bestseller status of the Xbox 360 game selections. If you see that awards accorded to the game is part and parcel of the box art, then it is most probably true. Buy it before it flied off the shelves and you will be left with regrets.

Another good resource for best Xbox 360 games are online sites that cater to enthusiasts like you. Try the official Xbox 360 homepage at www.xbox.com for reviews on the best games available as well as previews on the upcoming games. At the very least, you will always be updated with what's hot and what's new in the Xbox 360 gaming universe.

Also on this website, you can check out and enjoy the Xbox live feature. You may purchase games for cheaper that will still sustain your playing needs with a quick downloading process.

And then there are the various online review sites that are peopled with critics who provide objective reviews of presently available games as well as news on new games in development. You can start with IGN and Gamespot, two of the more notable sites that offer fairly consistent reviews even when other sites are split on the matter. If you see a game with high scores and positive reviews, then you can purchase it with greater assurance that indeed it is a great game. (Reviewers usually rank a game on a 1 to 10 system, with 10 as the highest)

The various methods used to find Xbox 360 games all have their many benefits. However, if you do your research you can avoid being ripped off or having to deal with annoying store attendants. Whether through use of a gaming store or an online site you can find Old, new, highly quality and intense games for good bargains. This will make it the best thing in the gaming world, which is saving money while saving the planet on your Xbox 360. - 29872

About the Author:

LED Monitors Offer Longer Life

By Elton James

More than likely you are reading this article on an LCD or plasma monitor. These monitors are much less bulky than the older monitors that took up half of a normal sized desk. Most of these monitors have a much clearer picture than the older monitors did. If you want to take the next step, then you will want to switch to LED monitors.

The difference between an LCD monitor and an LED monitor is with the source of the back light. The older LCD monitors are back lit with florescent tubes. These tubes only have a lifetime of three to four years before they begin to dim. Although it may seem that the smart thing to do to correct this problem would have been to allow the consumer to change the florescent tubes and keep the same monitor, but this option has not been offered by manufacturers. Instead, users are left with no alternative other than to replace their monitors. Thus, monitors become a large source of electronic waste.

A second disadvantage of the LCD monitors is that they are more bulky and heavy than the LED monitors. The florescent tubes require this additional thickness. LED monitors can be made quite thin, especially those that are edge lit monitors. These are the monitors that have been made possible by the technology developed for ultra thin laptops.

The florescent tubes in LCD monitors do not produce a full range of color of light. Therefore, there will be some of the LCD crystals that do not appear as bright when certain colors are lit compared to others. This may cause the image to appear to be blurry or less clear than the same image on an LED monitor.

LED monitors now require much less energy than any other monitor on the market. In addition they are some of the brightest monitors available on the market. They also have a longer life span before they begin to lose their brightness.

Some users complain that the LED monitors are not evenly lit. This may be more of a matter of their eyes adjusting to using a new type of screen. Because the LED lights are placed around the edge of the display, the center may not be as bright, however this should not affect the overall use of the screen.

Still other users find LED screens to be too bright for their applications. Since the brightness can cause eyestrain after continued use, users are advised to find monitors that allow for brightness control. By dimming the monitor, users may reduce the amount of eyestrain they experience.

Even though there are complaints, the LED monitor is one of the best available monitors on the market today. They are super thin, have great clarity and last longer than the LCD monitors that they are replacing.

By choosing a monitor with a long life, you make a choice for the environment. This choice will mean that you do not have to replace the monitor every time you replace your computer. By using the same monitor for the life of more than one computer, you help to keep landfills free of electronic waste. Choosing an LED monitor should be the clear choice. - 29872

About the Author:

Read This Article! ... Before You Buy HD DVD Player

By Wayne Hice

If you're wanting to buy hd dvd player for your home DVD collection. There are a few things I want for you to ask before you make your buy.

1: Are you wanting your new hd player to be in the hi-def format only?

2: Do you have enough of hi-def DVDs to validate the purchasing of a device that's in just one format?

If you responded NO to just one of the questions above but you do have hd dvds in your home film library. Then you want to do what I did. That's get a Blu Ray hd combo player. Why you ask? Simply because of the fact that Blu-Ray won the format war and all films now are coming out in Blu/Ray hi-def format only.

I'm sure I was like many who actually thought the war would have been won by the HD format. So I just continued acquiring several flicks reject Blu ray all together. Man was I ever surprised when the statement came on who won.

At that time I knew I had a choice to make here in the very near future. I could just not purchase any more movies in hi-def 'which would now be in Blu/Ray' or I could extend my film collection but I would also have to buy HD DVD player/Blu-Ray combo if I wanted to watch my current collection along with the new movies I'd be buying.

There were a few reasons I selected to go with a combo player vs individual units to play my dvds.

1: The requirement and cost of extra cables were not needed.

2: The hook up was much faster to both my surround sound and television.

3: The operation was alot simpler when it came to watching the movies irrespective of which format they were in.

My proposal is before you buy hd dvd player for your home theater, consider getting a player that plays both formats. You will be so glad you did!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ - 29872

About the Author:

Locating The Best Xbox 360 Games

By John Ashbury

Everyone knows the awesome benefits of the Xbox 360 with its phenomenal graphics, great titles and very flexible controls that make the lives of avid gamers great. When you bought this game console you undoubtedly bought some games to go along with it. These games will entertain you for some weeks but after awhile you will crave more.

Keep in mind, however, that you will be purchasing any games added to your collection. And with prices as high as $70 for each game, you are well advised to shop around for the best Xbox 360 games before plunking your money. This way, you can and will enjoy the games for all that it is worth in dollars.

The local store at which you bought your Xbox 360 is a great first place to start looking at games to buy. Make sure to fully browse through all the games to know what is out there whether the store is big or small. You should be able to enjoy the game you bought as soon as you get home which cannot happen if a game is being mailed to you.

Make sure to be on your guard against clever marketing schemes used by storeowners to get customers to buy games on their bestseller status lists. If the game you are looking at has awards written on the box or on the box art it is most likely true. Buying that game before it is gone from the shelves will not leave you with any regrets.

Just another good source for Xbox 360 games is online stores for gamers like yourself. The official Xbox 360 homepage at www.xbox.com to see game reviews and news on upcoming games. At least you will be able to see what games do well and not so well the Xbox world.

Also on this website, you can check out and enjoy the Xbox live feature. You may purchase games for cheaper that will still sustain your playing needs with a quick downloading process.

And then there are the various online review sites that are peopled with critics who provide objective reviews of presently available games as well as news on new games in development. You can start with IGN and Gamespot, two of the more notable sites that offer fairly consistent reviews even when other sites are split on the matter. If you see a game with high scores and positive reviews, then you can purchase it with greater assurance that indeed it is a great game. (Reviewers usually rank a game on a 1 to 10 system, with 10 as the highest)

These methods for finding the best Xbox 360 games have many benefits. For one thing, you can buy great games without the attendant hassles of regret, finance-wise, which was par for the course before you did your research. For another thing, you can avail of high-quality if older games when you scour the offline stores and online sites for great gaming bargains. Now, that is indeed the best of the gaming world - saving money while saving the world in virtual reality. - 29872

About the Author:

Top Video Gaming Platforms

By Philip Woods

If you are a beginner to gaming but would like to get into it, there are a few things you should know. One of them is which gaming consoles are the best, and how much you can expect to pay for them. Another concern is how well the graphics are compared to a PC game, as well as fluidity of play. This may seem a little complex, but it is really about how well you can play a game, and how good it's going to be.

There are three major gaming platforms available today, They are the Nintendo Wii, X-Box360, and Playstation Three. In the hand held gaming modules, Playstation Portable and Nintendo DS are the top brands. Any of these systems are going to be a big investment, usually over one hundred dollars brand new.

Nintendo has always been a company that thinks out of the box, and the Wii is no exception. While there are a few single player games, the Wii is intended for family and group activities. Concentrating on the use of the Wii paddle, a set of sensor controllers gets people up and moving, whether it is actually swinging you arms in a golfing simulation, or even using the controllers for exercising.

If you aren't concerned about the realistic nature of graphics, and want to get motivated even when playing video games, this console is the one for you and your family. It retails for around $250, and has many optional accessories, like the exercise mat, a steering wheel and much more.

X-Box360 has many features that gamers are looking for. It has excellent graphics, controllers that are better fitting for the hands than earlier models, and have interactive internet capabilities. You can learn how to download Xbox360 games, with a patch that is easily downloaded to the unit itself, or with a patch CD. The availability of games are better, and it has better internet capabilities.

You can get different versions of the Xbox 360 one is the Arcade version, which has no memory and does not enable the playing of the older games for Xbox. You can also select the Elite model, which has a hard drive of 120GBs, which is twice the size of the regular model. The cost for these models go from $200 to $400, dependent upon which model you purchase. Most recommendations state that the models with at least a 60GB hard drive are the ones you should get.

For a good all around gaming system, that not only can play almost all of the old PS2 and PS1 games, but is also a blue ray DVD player, features a built in Wi-Fi, and with Linux technology, can even act as a computer connected to the television. This well makes up for lack of high demand gaming titles, and poorer online gaming experiences. It starts at $400, but for people who don't have a computer, or a Blue Ray player, this can be a reasonable price.

You can find all of these gaming platforms online and at many electronics retailers. If you are not familiar with gaming platforms, you can find much more detailed information online; each company has their own website. If you do visit a local retailer, they can also answer many questions and help you find the right one for you. - 29872

About the Author:

Sign Up for our Free Newsletter

Enter email address here