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Although there are some technical issues for end users to be aware of, such as latency, this only affects customers seeking to play real-time interactive games online. Signal loss due to precipitation is extremely minimal and the service is up to 30-times faster than dialup Internet providers and considerably more reliable.

Latency is caused when the request for data is transmitted from your satellite modem to the satellite orbiting the earth and then returned. The delay is approximately half a second, not noticeable if you are browsing the Internet, reading email or even downloading. It can however cause significant headaches to customers trying to use applications like VOIP, VPN and video conferencing.

Another way satellite Internet differs from cable, DSL or dialup is the use of a Fair Access Policy, a device put in place to guarantee that every end user can download a pre-determined amount of files, using an allotment of bandwidth, without affecting other users. Ever been on a DSL connection that for whatever reason begins to crawl or attempted to connect to a dialup server but couldn’t because of capacity issues, satellite providers afford their customers this protection policy. It is also important to note that only 4% of all WildBlue Satellite Internet customers are ever affected by FAP. HughesNet considerable higher by comparison, however HughesNet offers a daily allotment of bandwidth to it users, while WildBlue uses a revolving 30-day period, in other words whatever you use today you will receive back in your account in 30-days. This rolling 30-day period makes going over your bandwidth threshold less likely.

Satellite Internet is not as scary as it seems, for the timid, the hardware involved is as follows: ? Satellite Modem – connected to your computer through a USB port, this allows the ISP’s routers to connect to proxy servers, which enforce bandwidth limits and guarantees fair use by all end users. ? Satellite Dish – The satellite modem connects to a cable that is run to the satellite dish, either mounted to the physical property or a pole. That’s it!

For dialup and DSL users, no need for a phone line. The service is always on.

For customers seeking to use Satellite Internet’s speed over that of a dialup ISP, for the purposes of working from home or distance learning or e-learning, a word of caution about the use of VPN’s. VPN or Virtual Private Network software doesn’t handle the delay or latency of packets sent to VPN servers. Because the VPN acts as a tunnel from one network to another it requires authentication and once accepted needs to keep that handshake throughout the process of working on that network. The latency will break that authentication handshake and cause the end user to constantly have to validate to access the VPN. Not recommended with satellite Internet, but consult the IT guru for the VPN for their input. Special IP stacks and possibly proxies can lessen the effects of latency, so check into it.

Movies Newly Released This Week to DVD and Fun Flicks on the Premium Channels

I went to the video store last night expecting to rent three movies to watch over the next few days. The anticipation of renting these new releases had been building for some time and I just couldn’t wait to get my hands on them. I zoomed through the door and straight to the shelf where I expected to find the film that was at the top of my list. All that I saw was the same old movies they had on the shelf last week. I was slightly baffled at first until I thought about what the date was and realized that these three flicks don’t come out until next week! I was still in denial and decided to confirm it with the clerk who was stocking DVDs next to me. “That’s right”, he said, “Next week is ‘the’ week but we have a few other movies that just came out that don’t look too bad”. As disappointed as I was, I was already there, so why not check something out that I normally wouldn’t watch.

This is not the hugest week at video stores as far as new releases are concerned. Pirate Radio starring Philip Seymour Hoffman was released as well as Tenderness, an independent film starring Russell Crowe and Defendor with Woody Harrelson. Although Philip Seymour Hoffman is an amazing actor, the most interesting of the three seemed to be Tenderness.

Russell Crowe is a police detective who is determined to track down a serial killer by the name of Eric Komenko played by Jon Foster (The Door In the Floor). Komenko is handsome and charming but is actually a monster undercover. He murdered two people in his own family and Lt. Cristofuoro is out on the prowl to be sure that he doesn’t become a danger to anyone else. In the meantime, Komenko is free and off to Syracuse to meet a girl that he met when he was locked up in detention. The girl was once a victim of abuse and embarks on a psychologically twisted relationship with a possible serial killer. I decided to give this movie a try and will most likely watch it Thursday night, so I’ll keep you posted.

Pirate Radio is not necessarily my cup of tea, though I’m sure that folks who are looking for simple entertainment and a little rebellion may find it interesting. It focuses on eight DJ’s during the 60′s that broadcast their radio show from the middle of the Atlantic Ocean and went against the rules of the British government. You can be sure that the acting won’t be bad and the DVD cover looks very enticing.

I have to admit that if anyone has a remote chance of pulling off the role of Defendor, it’s Woody Harrelson. This bizarre film is sure to break you free of the norm for a few hours. Defendor, a.k.a. Arthur Poppington, is a traffic director by day and superhero by night (at least in his own mind). He goes on a hunt for who or what he refers to as “Captain Industry and is determined to take him out. He wears tights and duct tapes the letter “D” to his jersey and gets involved in a whole new world- the underworld.

No matter how good these movies are, if any, next week is going to be the bomb! Why do I keep talking about it? Let me give you an idea:

THE LOVELY BONES (Tuesday)

CRAZY HEART (Tuesday)

YOUNG VICTORIA (Tuesday)

AVATAR (Thursday)

You better believe I will be scurrying on over to the video store directly after work on Tuesday and Thursday so I can get there before you!

In the meantime, if you’re not interested in the new movies at the video store this week, check out the fun movies that are showing on the premium channels with DISH Network!

Here’s the lineup according to EST:

Tonight 4/14/10

Mr. Holland’s Opus at 5:35 p.m. on Encore Drama

Gran Torino at 8 p.m. on HBO

Thursday 4/15/10

G.I. Jane at 4:05 p.m. on Starz In Black

Wall-E at 7:15 p.m. on Starz

Fast Food Nation at 9:45 p.m. on IFC

Friday 4/16/10

The Dark Knight at 5:15 p.m. on HBO

The Taking of Pelham 1 2 3 at 9:13 p.m. on Starz In Black

Saturday 4/17/10

The Bucket List at 3:15 p.m. on More Max

Mama Mia! At 5:00 p.m. on 5 Star Max

Quantum of Solace at 7:00 p.m. on HBO2

An American Haunting at 9:00 p.m. on The Movie Channel

Have a blast!

By: Frank Bilotta

We’re all excited this year to see who will take home an Oscar at the Academy Awards in March. The nominees were announced yesterday, as were the Golden Raspberry Awards, better known as the Razzies. These awards go to the worst nominees in each category. Sandra Bullock broke the mold when she became the first actor to be nominated for an Oscar and a Razzie! She was hailed for her performance in The Blind Side but booed for her acting in All About Steve! Check out the 30th annual Razzie Awards on March 6th at 7:30 PST with Dish Network satellite television. Here are the nominees for this year’s Razzies…

Worst Picture

All About Steve (I’m glad I didn’t see this)

Land of the Lost

G.I. Joe: The Rise of the Cobra

Old Dogs

Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen

Worst Actor

The Jonas Brothers for their 3-D Concert Experience

Will Ferrell in Land of the Lost

Steve Martin in Pink Panther 2

Eddie Murphy in Imagine That

John Travolta in Old Dogs

Worst Actress

Beyonce in Obsessed (100% yes)

Sandra Bullock in All About Steve

Miley Cyrus for Hannah Montana: The Movie

Megan Fox for Jennifer’s Body and Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (That’s sad)

Sarah Jessica Parker in Did You Hear About the Morgans? (This should’ve happened a long time ago for Sarah J.P.)

Worst Remake, Rip-Off or Sequel

G.I. Joe: The Rise of the Cobra

Land of the Lost

Pink Panther 2

Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen

Twilight Saga: New Moon (I think the first one bit too, shh)

Worst Director

Michael Bay for (you guessed it) Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen

Walt Becker for Old Dogs

Brad Silberling for Land of the Lost

Stephen Sommers for G.I. Joe

Phil Traill for All About Steve

I’m very proud to state that I have seen none of the above!

I love the next one because you know these films just have to be absolutely horrible!

Worst Picture of the Decade

Battlefield Earth (2000)

Freddy Got Fingered (2001)

Gigli (2003)

I Know Who Killed Me (2007)

Swept Away (2002)

Worst Actor of the Decade

Ben Affleck

Eddie Murphy

Mike Myers (Not if you’ve seen 54!)

Rob Schneider

John Travolta

Worst Actress of the Decade

Mariah Carey

Paris Hilton

Lindsay Lohan

Jennifer Lopez

Madonna

(All are singers but Paris Hilton… hmm…)

Many of us have plenty of nominees that we could add to this list! Which actors and films would you choose?

Here are my picks of films from 2009 alone that would have been great candidates for an un-honorable mention…

Taken

This film surprisingly stars one of my favorite actors, Liam Neeson. I thought from the very beginning that the plot of the story would be much deeper than it seemed and a great twist would unravel but it turned out to be simple and completely uninteresting.

Friday the Thirteenth (The Remake)

I don’t believe there’s any need for explanation here.

Obsessed

The whole movie was predictable and even Idris Elba had a difficult time taking his acting seriously!

Night at the Museum 2

I watched this because I heard so many good reviews on the first one and I thought I’d have no problem catching on to the sequel. This movie might be okay for 3rd-graders but I don’t understand why any adult would enjoy watching this flick. Boring!

Whiteout

It looked like this movie was going to be full of suspense with a woman trapped in the arctic being hunted by a killer. I couldn’t wait to find out why she was trapped and why a killer would be murdering in ice-cold blizzard conditions so I plopped myself on the couch and prepared for adventure. The movie bit. The plot was dull and there was no mystery involved at all because you figured out what’s going on very early in the movie. Audiences are too smart these days for simple stories that are not challenging in any way. It may have been better were it released back in 1980.

The Other Man

Evidently 2009 was not very kind to Liam Neeson. I expected to be in store for a movie like Unfaithful with Richard Gere and Diane Lane and instead I watched an uneventful character study about a man who was being cheated on and decided to keep following his wife’s lover. I almost watched this movie in its entirety until I wondered why I was allowing myself to become that bored. This movie was so uninteresting that I wasn’t worried about missing anything if I shut it off before the conclusion.

By: Frank Bilotta