Loading ...OK, well, R the P has posted about comics, so I’m going to post about one of my interests, technology. I’ll try to make it more accessible by posting about something we all know and love, televisions. So, the deal is, we know have lots of options when it comes to TVs: Traditional (CRT) or Newer (LCD, plasma, DLP, etc). Being average folk, we do not have the newer tech TVs. We do have nice computers, so I’m not complaining. I would like to have a newer TV, but ours is fine. Soon, however, much of our broadcast TV will be in high definition (HD). What are we going to do? We’ll have to have a down-converted signal which means it’s like some people are getting good TV while you get the ‘processed’ signal. That’s no fun! It’s GOOD to see Jamie Bamber in high definition! The downside, is spending at least $1500 on a TV when we have a decent one that’s only about 4 years old. Seems a bit wasteful. At the same time, I want an HD TV; plasma or LCD will do.
So, given that I want an HDTV, what am I to do even if I were to have the money? I mean, it’s no simply decision. Right now there are loads of choices: screen size, resolution, and extra features. Screen size is obvious. Do I want a 37″, 40″, 42″, 51″? Some would say that bigger is better, but I really don’t want a huge TV in my small house. I have no interest in seeing up Brad Pitt’s nose on Oceans 11. I don’t need to see Rafael Nadal’s underwear brand up close (OK, that wouldn’t be so bad). OTOH, I don’t want to buy a new TV that isn’t big enough (perhaps a strictly American POV, but there it is).
Resolution may be easier at least in the sense that one would want a higher resolution set if you can get it. But that kind of fancy resolution leads to higher prices. Still, you wouldn’t want to have poor resolution when you’re buying a new TV. Seems sensible to get the highest resolution possible right now: 1080p (TV is in 1080i, but you can’t do much about that). But you can save hundreds, maybe a thousand dollars (US) getting an HDTV which displays the lower-resolution 720p. Could I actually see the difference between resolutions? Anything HD would be superior to what I have now. Still, I can’t complain (can I?). I have a nice relatively new CRT Sony TV. It looks and sounds fine. But just fine, not great.
Extra features abound in these new TVs, from USB flash drive ports to computer input ports to built-in DVDs. Do I want any of that? I mean, sure it’s nice, but would I actually march up to my TV, put in a flash drive, and show folks my photos from my vacation? Not bloody likely. Who cares to see those photos? I don’t even care and I took them. I have a DVD player. Why would I want one built in? What happens if the player breaks; do I have to toss the whole TV? That seems a bit careless.
Despite the fact that I have no extra dollars, I like to dream about my future HDTV. I suppose right now my dream HDTV would be any HDTV. I know everywhere else in the world has been enjoying Big Brother in high def, and why should I be left out of seeing half nude idiots in all their full glory? Oh yeah, money. And American censorship laws. Dammit!
I think I need to go have a brownie now.
Buy me a beer!
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This entry was posted on Saturday, July 28th, 2007 at 7:26 pm and is filed under criminal. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.
Technonerd!
I am the beneficiary of your technonerdiness, so I say the technonerdier, the better. Without you, I’d probably have ENIAC as my computer. I’d be switching out the vacuum tubes when I wanted to subtract, cutting ping pong balls in half and putting Christmas lights in them for when the newsreel people came by.
Let’s just say I’d be a bit of a Luddite.
To me, the important thing is not the 1080ps and the HDTVs and the LCDs.
The important things is how well I can see Rafael Nadal’s underwear label.
And how much larger I can make his arms.
Sorry folks; I’m having some formatting problems with posting…
You could NOT make his arms much larger, gods bless that ol’ tennis pro.
In the end it’s all about the sales person hooking you on to a unit at a price you weren’t remotely thinking about paying
It’s in fact a game. I love to play it. Go to the store, put on your best poker face and have the shop assistant explain all the models.
Notice how they keep trying to read your face, trying to figure out the size of your wallet.
In the end they always make you feel like you made the best choice in the world. In fact they have the very same model back home.
One thing’s for sure: If you buy now, it will be half the price in two months.
That is definitely true. When we got our Tivo, a month later they had one with twice the storage for half the size.
Right now, Mojo is watching Catherine Tate on his technology.
You’re right, Bas. I almost never shop in stores with sales staff. I detest them. They always lie or manipulate everything. I would rather do the research myself, maybe check it out in the store ON MY OWN, then buy it online and have it delivered.
BTW, Catherine Tate is hilarious.
You are right Bas! I was totally thinking that the next tv would be the one I was manipulated into buying. Maybe I’ll just give up television all together. ha ha.
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