In Star Trek, crew members of the Enterprise had the ability to relax and unwind after a stressful day by spending time in the holodeck, where virtual images of calm, soothing scenes helped them to take the mind off of patrolling the universe. The holodecks of science fiction may not be as far off as we think, as AR technology may soon become widely available. The Oculus Rift virtual reality headset system (from Oculusvr.com) allows video games to become lifelike, allowing you to truly immerse yourself in the worlds of Middle Earth, Lordaeron, Skyrim, or other digital creations. The Oculus Rift has spawned a number of protocols including an artificial intelligence system that you could interact with while you play games, watch films, communicate with friends, or even fall asleep. It’s just one gadget that may change how we take in entertainment. What other new high-tech devices will invade your living room in the near future?
3D TV
The honeymoon that Americans have enjoyed with their television sets has lasted nearly a century now, and shows no sign of slowing down. Standard-def TV tech has transitioned into massive plasma and LCD screens, but two-dimensional viewing may be on the way out. With the advent of three-dimensional projections, TV can now beam in three-dimensional pictures to any home in the country. You need iTV glasses to see 3D programming, but with these glasses in place, you can watch everything from dinosaurs and aliens to bank robberies popping out at you in vivd 1080p, according to iTVGoggles.com. With surround sound to go with it, 3D television offers complete immersion into a story or scene.
Capture All the Programs
Thousands of television channels compete for our attention every day. It’s long since become impossible to watch every show on every channel, but for those who want to truly get the most bang for their buck, a TV DVR lets you store shows, TV movies, and even entire channels onto a hard drive. This DVR works like a digital DVD player, allowing you to pause, rewind, and even fast forward through those pesky commercials once the recording has finished. You need an HD DVR to record HD programs, however, so be sure that the proper gadgets are in place for the right TV setup.
The Living Room as a Symphony Hall
Anyone who enjoys the great indoors likely already knows about the launch of the Playstation 4 and the library of new games that Sony has released for their flagship video game console. What you may not know, however, is that a PS4 controller can now let you access the past three decade’s worth of music history. With the Qello app for PS4, you can get instant streaming of all the concerts, performances, live tracks, and unreleased albums right at the push of a controller button. as Quello.com explains. Why limit yourself to setting up a playlist on an iPod when you can get Carnegie Hall’s best tracks sent direct to your speaker system?
