Right on schedule, iPhone users will tomorrow finally be able to send text messages with photos or video clips attached to them. Starting at 10 a.m. EST, AT&T, the exclusive carrier for Apple’s smart phones, will begin sending text messages to groups of iPhone users, informing them that they now have the multimedia messaging (MMS) capability that has long been available to users of many other phones. As MMS Day approaches, some AT&T insiders have been fretting that AT&T’s network won't be able to handle the predicted 40 percent surge in network traffic. 

After all, it was concerns over network load that delayed MMS on the iPhone for so long. In spite of the inability to send MMS messages, iPhone users are notably heavy data users. The average iPhone owner, for example, downloads 500 megabytes (MB) of data per month, compared to 140 MB for most other smart-phone users. The main culprit: The data demands of downloading third-party applications from Apple's well-stocked App Store, as well as social-networking tools such as Facebook and Twitter that continuously tap AT&T's data network for updates.

Facing a groundswell of complaints from users about network slowdowns, outages, and overall sub-par service, and despite the fretting from some AT&T staffers, the carrier insists it's been buttressing its network infrastructure by adding more cell towers, improving the flow of data traffic flow, and routing some traffic to the 850 MHz spectrum, which purportedly provides better coverage inside buildings.

iPhone users: Do you plan to use MMS once it’s up and running? If you do, let us know how it worked for you. —Mike Gikas

Right on schedule, iPhone users will tomorrow finally be able to send text messages with photos or video clips attached to them. Starting at 10 a.m. EST, AT&T, the exclusive carrier for Apple’s smart phones, will begin sending text messages to groups of iPhone users, informing them that they now have the multimedia messaging (MMS) capability that has long been available to users of many other phones. As MMS Day approaches, some AT&T insiders have been fretting that AT&T’s network won't be able to handle the predicted 40 percent surge in network traffic. 

After all, it was concerns over network load that delayed MMS on the iPhone for so long. In spite of the inability to send MMS messages, iPhone users are notably heavy data users. The average iPhone owner, for example, downloads 500 megabytes (MB) of data per month, compared to 140 MB for most other smart-phone users. The main culprit: The data demands of downloading third-party applications from Apple's well-stocked App Store, as well as social-networking tools such as Facebook and Twitter that continuously tap AT&T's data network for updates.

Facing a groundswell of complaints from users about network slowdowns, outages, and overall sub-par service, and despite the fretting from some AT&T staffers, the carrier insists it's been buttressing its network infrastructure by adding more cell towers, improving the flow of data traffic flow, and routing some traffic to the 850 MHz spectrum, which purportedly provides better coverage inside buildings.

iPhone users: Do you plan to use MMS once it’s up and running? If you do, let us know how it worked for you. —Mike Gikas

This week viewer Terry wrote in about a problem with his plasma display. Normally a plasma TV is the top of the line. The best you can get in picture quality. But the problem he is reporting, which is shared by “a lot of angry people” as he put it, and I can certainly see why. It’s a problem called “line bleed” and once you see it, it’s like a hole in a tooth you can’t keep your tongue out of. It draws your eye to it and I can see why folk’s blood would boil. It’s a little difficult to explain in text, but I found this great example on the avsforum about it. This example mentions Panasonic, but it is also includes Samsung and other manufacturers.

As a matter of fact, I went to a local Big Box store to see if I could see this problem on new sets, and sure enough, in the center of the displays was a Sammy and a Panny side by side with the issue big as day. None of the other plasma screens had the problem, but it only took 30 seconds of watching the store’s Blu-Ray demo disc before it popped up. In normal programming, it would be difficult to see, but when the set menus are displayed, or high contrast graphics like above, you’ll see the smear across the entire screen.

Samsung responded to several complaints, and stated it is “normal” for a phosphor display to exhibit this affect. Many of these folks had their sets replaced a couple of times, and it still occurred. Whether this is “normal” or not is irrelevant, it is annoying and I can certainly see why folks would be angry with this happening. There does not seem to be any repair for sets with this issue, so many are just “putting up with it”. I’m sure though, when they replace those sets, it will be from a different manufacturer!

So if you’re shopping for a new HDTV, don’t rush into the first pretty face you see. Make sure it has a great picture. Make sure it has enough inputs for you future needs. And make sure you look for “line bleed” and if it has it, look at the next one. The stores demo discs are pretty good at featuring lots of content, so keep your eye on the screen for a high contrast scene like above. You might want to go into the menu and note if you see the streak from the menu text. If you do, go to the next one until you see a sharp picture with no smear.

You can read the entire thread on the avsforum and at Techarena.

This week viewer Terry wrote in about a problem with his plasma display. Normally a plasma TV is the top of the line. The best you can get in picture quality. But the problem he is reporting, which is shared by “a lot of angry people” as he put it, and I can certainly see why. It’s a problem called “line bleed” and once you see it, it’s like a hole in a tooth you can’t keep your tongue out of. It draws your eye to it and I can see why folk’s blood would boil. It’s a little difficult to explain in text, but I found this great example on the avsforum about it. This example mentions Panasonic, but it is also includes Samsung and other manufacturers.

As a matter of fact, I went to a local Big Box store to see if I could see this problem on new sets, and sure enough, in the center of the displays was a Sammy and a Panny side by side with the issue big as day. None of the other plasma screens had the problem, but it only took 30 seconds of watching the store’s Blu-Ray demo disc before it popped up. In normal programming, it would be difficult to see, but when the set menus are displayed, or high contrast graphics like above, you’ll see the smear across the entire screen.

Samsung responded to several complaints, and stated it is “normal” for a phosphor display to exhibit this affect. Many of these folks had their sets replaced a couple of times, and it still occurred. Whether this is “normal” or not is irrelevant, it is annoying and I can certainly see why folks would be angry with this happening. There does not seem to be any repair for sets with this issue, so many are just “putting up with it”. I’m sure though, when they replace those sets, it will be from a different manufacturer!

So if you’re shopping for a new HDTV, don’t rush into the first pretty face you see. Make sure it has a great picture. Make sure it has enough inputs for you future needs. And make sure you look for “line bleed” and if it has it, look at the next one. The stores demo discs are pretty good at featuring lots of content, so keep your eye on the screen for a high contrast scene like above. You might want to go into the menu and note if you see the streak from the menu text. If you do, go to the next one until you see a sharp picture with no smear.

You can read the entire thread on the avsforum and at Techarena.

This week viewer Terry wrote in about a problem with his plasma display. Normally a plasma TV is the top of the line. The best you can get in picture quality. But the problem he is reporting, which is shared by “a lot of angry people” as he put it, and I can certainly see why. It’s a problem called “line bleed” and once you see it, it’s like a hole in a tooth you can’t keep your tongue out of. It draws your eye to it and I can see why folk’s blood would boil. It’s a little difficult to explain in text, but I found this great example on the avsforum about it. This example mentions Panasonic, but it is also includes Samsung and other manufacturers.

As a matter of fact, I went to a local Big Box store to see if I could see this problem on new sets, and sure enough, in the center of the displays was a Sammy and a Panny side by side with the issue big as day. None of the other plasma screens had the problem, but it only took 30 seconds of watching the store’s Blu-Ray demo disc before it popped up. In normal programming, it would be difficult to see, but when the set menus are displayed, or high contrast graphics like above, you’ll see the smear across the entire screen.

Samsung responded to several complaints, and stated it is “normal” for a phosphor display to exhibit this affect. Many of these folks had their sets replaced a couple of times, and it still occurred. Whether this is “normal” or not is irrelevant, it is annoying and I can certainly see why folks would be angry with this happening. There does not seem to be any repair for sets with this issue, so many are just “putting up with it”. I’m sure though, when they replace those sets, it will be from a different manufacturer!

So if you’re shopping for a new HDTV, don’t rush into the first pretty face you see. Make sure it has a great picture. Make sure it has enough inputs for you future needs. And make sure you look for “line bleed” and if it has it, look at the next one. The stores demo discs are pretty good at featuring lots of content, so keep your eye on the screen for a high contrast scene like above. You might want to go into the menu and note if you see the streak from the menu text. If you do, go to the next one until you see a sharp picture with no smear.

You can read the entire thread on the avsforum and at Techarena.