The Masked Engineer
Mario Orazio is the pseudonym of a well-known television engineer who wishes to remain anonymous. E-mail him at
Mario_Orazio@imaspub.com.
Wha’ Happened to the FCC?
by Mario Orazio, 02.17.2010
It appears that the Commish doesn’t much care about broadcasting anymore. More...
Big Meets Little, Vice-Versa
by Mario Orazio, 12.15.2009
Big is good… small is not to be trusted, except, of course, when small rules the day, and big is a liability. More...
Moore's Law Being Repealed?
by Mario Orazio, 10.19.2009
Moore's Law has been working over the decades, and individual transistors have gotten really, really small. More...
Source of Knowledge? The NAB Show Ain't It
by Mario Orazio, 07.02.2009
Look, there's only one legitimate reason to go to the big show each April. It's to get away from the office and maybe play a little golf in the desert sun. More...
To Fix Aspect Ratios, Eliminate Television
by Mario Orazio, 06.22.2009
Ask an engineer how much two and two is, and watch in fascination as a spreadsheet gets built, and various numbers appear on the screen, depending on errors of formulas or formatting. If you see 3.99, consider yourself lucky. More...
Reports of Death Had Better Be Exaggerated
by Mario Orazio, 04.23.2009
All four major U.S. commercial TV networks are associated with movie distribution studios. Three are associated with theme parks. More...
Using Plug-and-Play? Don't Shrug or Pray
by Mario Orazio, 03.19.2009
Any time you think someone has made a foolproof system, take a gander at the Grand Canyon. If a trickle of water can do that, you ain't got a snowball's chance in a megawatt transmitter of getting through life without something More...
Lifetime Achievement for Lifeline Service?
by Mario Orazio, 02.10.2009
Maybe there's a method to that madness—something TV broadcasters, regulators and legislators might want to take note of. More...
February 17 Is Coming! (Just Past February 16)
by Mario Orazio, 12.03.2008
You might not have noticed that Feb. 17 is going to be a good day to celebrate TV technology. But it ain't a day most of us are going to have to do anything different with that there technology. More...
Want Sharper Pictures? Try the Other Hi-Def!
by Mario Orazio, 10.15.2008
Those LCD displays, I've got to admit, are a problem, but LCDs are getting faster all the time, and they ain't the only display technology in town. More...
Want to Get Real HDTV? Turn Down the Lighting
by Mario Orazio, 09.17.2008
When light spreads out due to an edge, the waves charging straight ahead are going to get to a plane a little earlier than the ones taking a diagonal route. More...
As for TV Technology, It’s All an Illusion
by Mario Orazio, 08.20.2008
TV technology ain’t brain surgery. TV technology ain’t rocket science. TV technology is all about illusions. More...
Do the Right HD Thing: Drop the Numerology
by Mario Orazio, 08.06.2008
You might not have noticed that, for technologists, we’re awfully superstitious. For instance, there ain’t any D-4 videotape format on account of the number four being associated with death in parts of Asia that buy lots of TV More...
Never Mind 1920x1080: Let’s Repeal July 1776!
by Mario Orazio, 06.11.2008
I ain’t got any defense for the way Brits spell defence, and I know they drive on the wrong side of the road, print the spines of their books upside down, drink warm beer, and think 9/11 means Nov. 9. But, when it comes to TV, More...