Even if we learn all the time that some of the modern day equipment that we use, such as laptops or cell phones go a long way back, mp3 players are not something that was first invented centuries ago. If you are interested in knowing who invented the first mp3 player, know that it was made by a group of five people: Bernhard Grill, Thomas Sporer, Ernst Eberlein, Karl Heinz Brandenburg and Bernd Kurten. These five men started their work back in 1987 when they were working in the Fraunhofer Institut, on the EUREKA project, to make the digital audio broadcasting device.

<-300×250 Medium Rectangle – center->

In January 1988, the MPEG was born, being a subcommittee of ISO. One year later, in April, the Fraunhofer Institut received the patent for MP3 and in 1996 the US patent was released for the MP3. SubPop was the name of the first company that started to distribute MP3 format file tracks in 1999. This was the very same year when portable MP3 players appeared. Now that you know who invented the first mp3 player, you also may be curious as to what an mp3 player is and what it can do. The abbreviation MP3 actually stands for MPEG Audio Layer 3 which means that audio files and be compressed into smaller one without interfering with the quality of the sound. MPEG stands for Motion Pictures Expert Group.

On a more technical level, here is an explanation for what an MP3 is. In general, digital audio signals are composed of 16 bit samples which are recorder at a sampling rate that is twice the bandwidth. This means that you get 1.400 Mbit for one simple second of a music files on a regular audio CD. Using this MPEG audio technology which requires coding, you can basically shrink the original data and make it 12 times smaller without losing any of the original sound quality. The first mp3 player that was actually released on the market appears to have been a huge failure and the second one was a huge success. The SaeHan Information Systems company which has its headquarters in Seoul, manages to manufacture the MPMan F10 which was a portable mp3 player that came with 32 MB of memory and it could have been extended to 64 MB.



In 1997, Tomislav Uzelac employed by the Advanced Multimedia Products Company was the one that made the first successful MP3 player since the ones produced by Frauenhofer in the 1990’s were a total disaster. In the end, it may not be that important to know who invented the first mp3 player, as the fascinating story is the ones about the invention of the mp3 technology. The portable mp3 player was one step away after this technology was developed. And the most important aspect of all is that we can now benefit from these ultra portable audio players that have been good travel companions at home, at the gym, while running in the park, on the back seat of the card, the bus and even the plane.

These days, many people are buying HDTV televisions, and for some, this fact alone is a good reason to save up for one. Before you swipe your card or take the cash out of your wallet, though, it’s best to learn more about HD televisions first, starting with their pros and cons.

One of the main pros of HDTV televisions is the fact that they provide better picture quality, particularly because they offer better screen resolution. In fact, the resolution of HDTVs is ten times better than regular TV sets. Because they are widescreen, HDTV televisions have a better aspect ratio, too, which simulates watching movies in a theatre.

High definition televisions are also equipped with progressive scanning, which results in a sharper picture. They eliminate ghost images or double images, as well, and even provide a better viewing angle so that you can see the images clearly no matter where you are seated in your living room.

The other main advantage of HDTV televisions is the superior sound quality. This is because HDTVs do not just have digital audio signals. They come with 5.1 channels of Dolby Digital surround sound. Because of this, HDTVs usually come with six speakers which you can distribute throughout the room to help you recreate the theatre experience.

Indeed, HDTV televisions sound awesome. They have drawbacks, too, though, one of which is the fact that you have to buy other equipment to complement your HDTV. You’ll need an HDTV tuner, for example, as well as a Blu-Ray player so you can watch High Definition DVDs.

Finding High Definition content can be a problem, too, since not all TV shows or movies are broadcasted in HD. After all, the mandate of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is to make everyone use digital TV signals, not necessarily HDTV televisions. To get HD content then, you’ll need to subscribe to HD programming or buy Blu-Ray discs. Even then, you’ll only get limited HD content.

Finally, HDTVs come at a high cost, which is the biggest obstacle for most people who want to get one. Indeed, just the HDTV alone can be priced at as high as $3000, depending on the brand, the type and the size, while the accessories can add up to a few hundred dollars, too. A Blu-Ray player can cost as much as $1000, too.

Now that you know the pros and cons of HDTV televisions, you should be able to make a better decision about buying one. If you do decide to go ahead with the purchase, make sure you choose carefully so you can get your money’s worth and enjoy the ultimate TV viewing experience.

Edward McKellen is an HDTV expert who writes HDTV reviews for HDTVreviewlab.com. To check out the latest Panasonic HDTV reviews or learn more about HDTV television visit HDTVreviewlab.com