Australia’s Most Popular American TV Shows in 2015

Photo by LG전자 via Flickr / CC BY 2.0

Television is changing in modern times. With an increase in the availability of streaming devices and the higher internet speeds, networks are reporting lower viewership than in years past, and frankly this isn’t a surprise.

But that doesn’t mean we still don’t love watching series. Television in Australia nowadays has become the means by which we watch reality TV, the news and sport. But what about non-Australian content? Programs out of the US have always made up a significant proportion of what is broadcast on the tube, and it is the same in countries all over the world.

Let’s take a look at the most watched US television programs in Australia and compare this with other countries.

As you’ll soon see below, US sit-com and crime dramas make up most of the list. You can simply just flick them on while you’re cooking dinner or chatting and they can be thoroughly enjoyed by tuning in from time to time. If you miss an episode, it’s not the end of the world. This might explain while these kinds of shows are watched more on TV rather than downloaded or streamed.

Photo by BagoGames via Flickr / CC BY 2.0

Australia’s Top 10:

The Big Bang Theory

Quantico

How to Get Away with Murder

Revenge

The Blacklist

Criminal Minds

Limitless

Bones

The Odd Couple

NCIS

Interesting, Australia’s top ten looks quite similar to that of Canada’s, which also has The Big Bang Theory and Quantico at 1 and 2, with Criminal Minds and How to Get Away With Murder in the mix.

Argentina, however is very different with the 90’s seeming to dominate the top 10. The Simpsons and ER are 1 and 2 and Zorro comes in at 5.

Meanwhile, Mexico has some very surprising results as cartoon and children’s programs are the most viewed. The Mexicans seem to be obsessed with American kids’ shows including Marvin Marvin, Spongebob, Power Rangers, The Sylvester and Tweety Mysteries, iCarly and Adventure Time, all of which are in the top 10.

Photo by BagoGames via Flickr / CC BY 2.0

It’s always interesting to see the very different viewing habits of people from different countries and as usual the results have surprised us! But keep in mind these difference might simply say something about what can be legally shown in the country in question.

For more information on the viewing habits of countries around the world, check out this link. 

If you’re looking to upgrade your home entertainment system to enjoy the best programming Australian TV has to offer, chat to a Local Bloke antenna professional in Ipswich. We are experts in antenna installation, TV wall mounting, home theatre set-up and more!

4 Key Considerations Not to Miss Before Opting for Digital TV Antenna Installation

When it comes to picking out the best digital antenna for your home, it might seem like you can’t really go wrong, as long as you purchase one that is good quality.

After all, the majority of antennas out there can pick up the digital signal just fine; in fact even old TV antennas have no problem doing so, despite the fact that the analogue signal has been turned off in Australia for a couple of years.

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However old antennas don’t last forever and it’s not uncommon to start seeing faults in the picture and sound quality over time - wear and tear takes its toll eventually. If you’re noticing this and believe the problem is with the antenna, here’s a few things you should consider as you look to upgrade.

Don’t Skimp Out On Price

In the case of most electrical goods, good quality antennas are a far and away worth the extra money that it costs to purchase them. A good antenna can last a number of decades in most cases and give you a greater chance of picking up a good signal for longer. If you’re purchasing the antenna yourself, make sure you do your research on the particular models and speak to your retailer to get their suggestions.

Think About Your Position

The antenna you purchase needs to be appropriate to the location of your home and its proximity to your closest TV broadcast tower. There are antennas on the market that are better suited to homes that are 75+ kilometers away from the tower and others that you’ll be fine with if you’re situated any closer.

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But the physical location where you place the antenna on your roof is also a contributing factor in determining the quality of the picture/sound that your digital TV picks up. Generally, you’ll be looking to place it in a straight line view of the tower on the side of your house.

If you live in the city however, chances are you don’t really need to worry about this. Tall buildings often reflect TV signals all over the place so unless you have the proper equipment, you won’t know where the signal is coming from. The negative approach of this is that sometimes they actually block the signal, meaning you might have to add TV antenna boosters and amplifiers. In such cases calling a professional is highly recommended.

Be Wary of DIY Dangers

The practical difficulties and potential dangers of installing an antenna on your roof should not be underestimated. For one thing, installing an outdoor antenna requires that you climb up on the roof and play with electrical wires. This is one of the leading causes of accidents in and around the home. Also keep in mind that if you’re anywhere near electrical wires, look out. Given that it is a conductor, the antenna will draw electricity and sadly there have been many fatalities around the world as a result of people not taking the necessary precautions.

Strongly Consider Going with a Professional

As you can see, there is a lot to consider when it comes to picking out and installing the proper antenna. There is no doubt that it is worth having a top-of-the-line antenna at your home, as the upside of enjoying all the wonders of digital TV is too much to miss out on! But it does take technical knowledge and practical skills that, quite frankly, very few people have both.

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If you are going to get the job done yourself, do your research and make sure you know what you’re doing. If you don’t feel confident enough of have lack of proper equipment, here in Ipswich Local Bloke Antenna Services is always prepared to save yourself from the stress. Give us a call for any digital TV antenna, TV point installation, MATV system or home theatre set up related query. Happy to help you always!

Top 10 Horror Movies That will Haunt your Halloween Forever

We all love Halloween not just for the day but the month leading up to it. It’s time to get your scary on! Tell creepy stories, decorate your house with spooky scenery and most importantly to watch horror movies. To help you make the most out of the season with some spine-tingling adventure we have made a list of movies worth to watch this Halloween. These are the top 10 best movies to watch on Halloween in the darkness with a group of friends or family members. So turn off the lights, grab your popcorn, sit back, relax and be scared – very scared! 

Creepshow 

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This movie is truly original because as is a compilation of five different creative stories rolled into one movie. We don’t see many anthology movies these days. One is about a man who is killed on the father’s day and haunts his decedents. The second is about a farmer who discovers a meteor which engulfs everything including him and plants. The third is about a psychopath who tortures a couple on a beach. The fourth is about a wooden crate which has some kind of a monster in it, and the last features creepy crawly bugs.

Psycho 

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Mr. Hitchcock is one of the most revered film makers of all time. The first 20 minutes of this film focuses on a woman, played by Janet Lee, who steals some money and checks into the Bates motel where she meets Norman Bates. We won’t spoil the rest of the story line, but you’re guaranteed to love the shocking ending.

SAW

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This one is more of a thriller and will have you at the edge of your seat. Two men wake up in a bathroom chained to pipes with no idea how they got there and are instructed to kill each other or they both will die. Gradually they find out that notorious serial killer ‘Jigsaw’ has set them up. With heaps of disturbing creativity and lots of frightening bits, this movie is a Halloween classic.

A Nightmare on Elm Street

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This 80s movie is an absolute classic. Set in an average suburban neighbourhood, the film follows a terrifying villain who haunts the teenagers of Elm Street in their dreams. When one teenage girl starts to suspect the cause of these murders nobody believes her, so it is up to her to end Freddy’s reign. This movie is a ton of fun to watch, but might make you afraid to fall asleep!

Jason Lives: Friday the 13th Part 6 

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This movie can’t be missed when you are having a Halloween party with your friends. Starting the movie with Jason coming back to life after getting struck by a bolt lighting, you know this movie is going to be a ridiculous ton of fun. We know that a lot of you will be shocked about us not suggesting the very first film in the Friday the 13th franchise, but for sheer enjoyment and some good laughs, this one can’t be beat.

Drag Me to Hell

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It has a lot of the elements that make a really fantastic horror film. It has got humour, it is campy, scary with a very tongue-in-cheek approach to itself which makes the movie incredibly enjoyable. Dealing with a gypsy curse, demons and nightmares makes this movie a little bit different to a lot of the straight horror flicks out there. But with all the jump scaring techniques used, the film has all the right building blocks to make this movie perfect to watch with friends!

The Texas Chainsaw Massacre

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Possibly one of the most disturbing movies ever made, and a true pioneer of the genre, we would definitely recommend you putting this on your Halloween movie list. With a terrifying haunted house, a cannibal family and one of the scariest villains to date, this movie is a very scary watch. Not only has this movie influenced the horror class of movies, you will be amazed at how pop culture has been shaped by this one film.

Evil Dead

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We are going to go ahead and recommend the entire evil dead series as number eight in this list. Yes all of them. Even the remake is worth the watch. The original has Sam Raimi’s charm which can never be duplicated, but all these movies are good in their own right. At this time of year, watching the evil dead series all over again even though you have watched it a zillion times, will still keep you entertained. But be warned – if you haven’t seen them before, they are definitely gruesome.

Trick ‘r Treat

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It is a horror anthology movie that includes a bunch of different stories, all of which happen on the same Halloween night. We highly recommend that you watch this movie on Halloween night as well, to add to the creep factor. It has got a perfect mix of the supernatural, werewolves and some creepy undead school children. Not to mention that it was recently announced they will be working on a sequel. 

The Conjuring

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Probably one of the best horror film ever made, you will love the unique story behind the film which helps to build a great atmosphere no matter who you watch it with. This movie focuses on paranormal investigators researching a secluded farmhouse haunted by a supernatural presence, a classic story told from a different perspective. This movie is really spooky and wraps up with near perfection.

So these are the 10 favourite horror movies that we think would be great to watch in this Halloween. Whether you watch them for the first time or re-watch to get the old chill,  we highly recommend you to watch with complete home theatre setup, else you will definitely miss a whole lot of spooky vibes.

Hope you've enjoyed the countdown and please do share if your recommend any other movies to watch on Halloween in our comments section below. 

How to Find the Best Home Theatre Speakers for Your Money

When creating a home theatre system, there are a number of basic requirements that you will need to achieve the authentic sights and sounds of a true cinema system. From the television screen or projector, to the playback system and even the seats, the one thing that will bring all of your work to fruition will be with the speaker system.

From a simple 2.1 Dolby Digital speaker systems all the way up to a 10.1 or enthusiast custom made system, the audio of your home theatre system plays a huge role in adding to the immersive nature of the entertainment you know and love.

The thing to note about home theatre speakers is that creating speaker cabinets, matching drivers and pairing up speaker cones to get the perfect resonance for the cabinet they are intended for is a very precise science. This means that many of the budget systems may very well have a nice range of speaker sounds, but may focus on the looks and aesthetics of the system, rather than the impeccable fidelity of some of the high end enthusiast speaker systems.

Pioneer Home Theatre Speakers

Pioneer have been in the speaker industry for many, many years and have produced home audio and professional audio equipment that would be considered industry standard. These days they continue to produce an amazing range of modern home audio systems and speakers that include innovative designs with years of research behind them.

One of the best of the bunch when it comes to Pioneer home speakers is the Pioneer SP-PK52FS system. Considered a budget to mid-priced home theatre system, the sound quality for your money is simply incredible. This full size 5.1 surround sound system incorporates two front tower speakers; a 100 watt powered subwoofer, a large front centre speaker for added impact, as well as the obligatory satellite speakers for the rear channels.

The speaker set is designed with curved wood to give it a much more modern effect, and to move away from the overly boxy shapes of the majority of home theatre systems. The sound quality from this system is probably the best for the money you are spending in this price range and offers better than average fidelity and build quality compared to most home theatre speaker system in most shops.

Bose Home Theatre Speakers

Bose are well known in the speaker industry for being the innovation and technology specialists in creating acoustically sound speakers that carry speech almost perfectly with some of their higher end systems. Bose has introduced a number of home speaker sets recently, and some of their home theatre surround sound systems have been gaining praise for not only their sound quality, but also for their price range.

The Bose Acoustimass 6 Series III is one example where your budget doesn’t necessarily mean that you will be skimping on sound quality. This 5.1 surround sound system incorporates tiny satellite speakers that pack more than expected due to their size, as well as a meaty subwoofer with ported air technology to give deep, driving bass response for your music and movies.

This system is a stylish interpretation of the home theatre setup that would look perfect in a minimal home theatre where the emphasis is on the entertainment and not the accumulation of various electronic boxes performing all of the tasks.

Overall, the system creates highly dynamic sound that packs a punch considering the size of the satellite speakers. The subwoofer offers a deep, rolling bass that will have any small studio rocking, but maybe not a larger home theatre setup. For the price you are getting a stylish look, great sound and a good price.

Klipsch Home Theatre Speaker System

Klipsch are a well-known brand that has made a business of creating a masterful design in electronics and acoustics to create some of the very best individual speakers and speaker systems in the world. Their foray into the home theatre market has been successful in turning movie fans into hobbyists and enthusiasts the world over through their affordable yet accurate speaker units.

The Klipsch RC-62 II 5.1 surround sound system is no different in trying to put the emphasis on sound quality, whilst also bringing a little modern style to the table. This system consists of the reference series of speakers, and includes a mighty centre unit, to large satellite speakers that pack a punch, two full-size tower speakers as well as an intelligent subwoofer.

The SW-112 subwoofer contains a 12 inch speaker with a woven fibreglass driver which is available in both 10 and 15 inches if you are looking to upgrade and is powered by a continuous 300 watt or continuous 600 watt peak amplifier. With a frequency response of 26Hz to 120Hz it will shake the floor, or maybe not thanks to the hefty screw on legs and spikes necessary to help the acoustics.

At an average price of just over $4,000, the Klipsch reference series home theatre system is on the higher end of the scale for most people, but the audio quality is second to none for anything near it. If you really want the best home theatre speakers, the Klipsch reference series won’t do you wrong.

The build quality similar to the most expensive units and the design and engineering that went into the electronics, the acoustics and the overall sound quality is what you are paying for here. If you love audio and movies and are prepared to invest in a quality home theatre system, you’d be blown away by this unit.

Build Your Own System On A Budget!

When choosing a home theatre system you will need to source a wide range of equipment and devices to finish your project. Keeping to your budget is the best way to finish your project in time, and not have to delay purchasing necessary equipment because you went overboard on a particular product.

It is always best to buy equipment that is stand alone, so that you may upgrade each component at a later date. This means staying away from proprietary technologies, such as cable systems and plugs, and buying single units that can work together in a finished system to give you the best home theatre speakers, screen and games system for all of your entertainment needs in the long run.

How Gaming Console Have Evolved from Last Century

It is a pretty common sight these days to see commuters on a train or a bus fixated on their mobile phones and tablets, as many more people enjoy gaming on the move. In such a short space of time, the world of video games has become incredibly accessible.

With this new level of convenience many people are wondering what the future holds for video games consoles and what will we can expect in the coming years.

One of the very first machines that was made for the sole purpose of enjoying a game was introduced at the 1940 world’s fair entitled ‘Edward U’. Edward Condon, a nuclear physicist, created a way to allow members of the public to play a traditional game of Nim. This matchstick based game proved so popular it inspired a quick succession of machines that aimed to entertain the user.

Room-Sized Behemoths

During the 1950s and 60s, computers were still huge room-sized constructions that were out of the reach of the general public. Many leading computer science professors and students used the access they have to create extremely simple games of baseball, noughts and crosses as well as chess and chequers. It wasn’t until Ralph Baer stumbled upon the idea of playing video games on a television set that the idea of home video game consoles was born.

Ralph Baer created a system by which you could play a simple pong style tennis game on a television screen, and a few years later, Magnavox released the Odyssey – the first ever home video game console to the general public. In 1977 the Atari was released onto the market that took off like a rocket. With state of the art graphics, the Atari 2600 featured joysticks, interchangeable game cartridges and full colour games!

Nintendo Launches the N.E.S

In 1983 the Nintendo Corporation released its first foray into the home games console market with the Nintendo Entertainment System (N.E.S). This proved hugely popular and launched the face of the company in the shape of Mario and Luigi in Super Mario Bros.

Not too long after, Sega got in on the act with the launch of the Sega Master System, promising high quality graphics and a more ergonomic gamepad. The Nintendo v Sega battle of game console supremacy would continue for many years to come in the form of new generation consoles like the SNES, the Mega Drive, the Mega CD, the Nintendo N64 and the Sega Dreamcast.

The Sega Dreamcast was one of the first video game consoles to include internet access via modem built into the console itself. It offered the chance for gamers to enjoy multiplayer games online and keep up with friends via a homepage and forum system.

Meanwhile Sony, having always wanted in on the video games industry had been working with Nintendo, to create a CD based video console to go head to head with the Sega Mega CD system.

Nintendo and Sony Part Ways

Nintendo, having had a falling out over specifics and witnessing Sega’s Mega CD system not being taken up very well in every market, parted companies and went on to produce the N64 – a 64-bit games console with a brand new three axis gamepad.

Having already created the console in their blueprints Sony, decided to go ahead with the games console alone and rebrand it the Sony PlayStation. This new console proved to the most popular home game console in the history of video games and to this day stands at over a hundred million sold worldwide.

Sony was to go head to head again with Sega and Nintendo when they launched the PlayStation 2 console. With a huge amount of publicity, marketing campaign, the chance to play your catalogue of PlayStation 1 games and an added DVD player to the mix, the PS2 went down as the biggest selling gaming console of all time, with an astounding 155 million units sold worldwide.

The 32-Bit Era

Nintendo with its N64 GameCube system was in a process of doing things differently, whilst still offering something of a more family-orientated gaming system. Sega had all but gone bust with its Dreamcast, and decided to call it a day in the world of game consoles, sticking to producing high quality games for all of the consoles.

With the launch of the PlayStation 2, Microsoft saw the huge potential in the market and decided to create something special to give gaming fans something different. They came up with the Xbox console, that whilst similar to the PS2, had a little bit more power and tended to cater to the audience of PC gamers and the styles of games they liked the best.

In the years to come, Nintendo would launch the Wii – an innovative games console that used a different way of controlling the games you played and helped introduced “casual gamers” into the realm of “hard-core” video gaming hobbyists.

PlayStation Vs Xbox: The Console Wars

PlayStation and Xbox would continue their battle to become the most popular video game console, and with the launch of the PlayStation 3 and the Xbox 360 – video gaming graphics, visuals, audio and the overall quality of gaming came into its own.

These new, powerful gaming consoles brought with them cinematic games that featured real actors likenesses and high quality storylines to help gaming become more popular (and more profitable) than the movie industry.

In the latest generation – the 8th generation of video games consoles - the Nintendo Wii U, the Xbox One and the PlayStation 4 are selling record numbers of units, and enjoying some of the most graphically astounding visuals a home video game system has ever seen.

The leap in quality is there for all to see, and now gamers can now play a game of pong on an arcade machine in high definition inside an entire replicated city of New York! Video games are more popular and accessible than ever these days, with more and more people enjoying them every day.

However, if you really want to get maximum pleasure from today’s high end games then there are some issues which needs to be fixed first. Setting up equipment’s such sound system, tv monitor and cables properly includes those. To take this process one step ahead you can hire a professional installer in area. This ensures a much enhanced gaming experience for you.