Which in our home could stand for Highly Doubtful, though, since we didn't get it for my milestone birthday. I did get a 'wanted but wouldn't buy' gift -- a KitchenAid hand mixer -- even though, as it turned out, it was me that ordered it (g). Still, every so often, we think wouldn't it be nice to have ..... Sort of like Obama saying wouldn't it have been nice if Bush had had just a little regulatory enforcement in place? Then you sigh and get back to reality.
But we do have this milestone anniversary coming up in a couple of months, so the question's not entirely gone from our minds. So when I saw an article on the How Things Work site about 5 accessories you need with an HDTV, and knowing that HTW tends to be a fairly practical site, I thought well, heck. Let's take a look.
The first seemed reasonable -- make sure you have an antenna, satellite, or cable feed. They point out that so long as your TV's got an HDTV tuner in it, you can get HD programming with an antenna, but not much of it. And they also note that even with those other options, you may find that you want to upgrade the service package, since normal cable programming (or the others) don't normally have HD content. KaChing as they say.
The second was just slightly unreasonable -- remember that people like to record programs for time shifting and other purposes, so if you have a recorder, you need to be sure it's HD-capable. Ah, heck. Well, okay. Though I could have done without the plug for Tivo, much as I like the concept of the service.
The third points out that even with a zillion high-def channels, there's times when there's just nothing on -- so of course you'll want a Blu-Ray recorded content player, or something to upconvert images from a DVD player. Yes, just exactly what I need to be reminded of -- spend all this money and there's still nothing on. Oh and if you can't decide whether to get the BluRay or DVD upconverter? They have an answer. Get both!
The fourth flicks on my now wait just a damn minute switch -- an HDMI-capable audiovisual amplifier, complete with ten thousand plugs and jacks. Because with just the set itself, though it does have speakers (said with a curl to the lip), you don't get the total experience unless you have the high-density audio technology that comes with ten thousand pounds of HDMI AV receiver -- painted, of course, in Darth Vader Gloss Black. And don't forget the premium connecting cables -- though some say you don't need them, others swear you do. Don't want to get caught short at those high frequency spots, do you? Good god.
The fifth? Why, look at all this gear you bought! Oh, what a bother, all those remotes! Clearly you need -- a universal remote control so that you can command all of this technology 'with as little effort as possible'. Oh, of course.
AM radio, anyone?
6 comments:
I agree that this stuff is all gravy. We went with it because we (I) watch TV...love those British series mysteries in HD and Public TV and can afford it. I cut corners elsewhere. But is an expense that is unnecessary in life. We also have the universal remote--essential addition in my opinion. I have grandchildren that would misplace enough remotes to start a war!
Whereas I rarely watch TV, though, likely, more than I realize, though. If NCIS is on, or a rerun of the A&E Nero Wolfe mysteries, I'm there. Other stuff, not so much.
What can I say, I'm a cheap guy!
We're happy with normal DVD's, although I must admit to profound disappointment when the amplifier went the way of dead. Instead of mind-altering 5+1 sound, we have a couple of speakers working. When we can afford it - that amp is getting replaced. With a box that has a zillion plugs, and decent sound. :-)
I like the big screen, I like the installation (I did it; it's recessed into the wall), and I love the clarity. Yes, I'd change the cables to superior ones, but we can't afford that, right now.
The biggest difference I noted was when I ran an entirely separate mains supply to the thing. Complete with $50 hospital/sound-studio quality wall jacks! We could afford them, way back then...
Just one thing - don't let the sales person tale you when you go looking for a screen. It's not that they're irritating (they are), it's that you need to consider the picture for yourself.
It's a minefield out there. The salespeople are there to help you step on as many as they can find. :-)
Carolyn Ann
Oh, I LIKE that last comment!
Never heard of 'hospital' quality, but sound studio, I understand.
Don't understand the bit about separate power though.
Its not so much the money, I think, as the uncertainty. I DESPISE the idea of spending a lot and not getting a lot in return. Even WITH the idea that programming, itself, would still be poor because there's nothing out there to watch.
I see where Best Buy just got a new CEO. He says the right things; not at all confident he believes them. Perhaps I should ask him 'why can't I trust the people in your store to give informed, honest, non-dogmatic answers?' Yeah, right.
"Hospital quality" outlets are pretty heavy duty devices. They have high quality contacts, heavy springing and cost a lot of money. They also have filtering in them, so that spikes, and other nefarious electrical problems don't make it to the device that's plugged in.
Sound studios use them because those things also mean that they're good for amplifiers and the like.
The thing with the separate power is that it keeps a lot of the "noise" that invades the rest of the power lines in the house away from the device. Air conditioners, florescent lights, the dishwasher and so on all put noise on the line. It introduces minute variations in the voltage (the noise), and that can affect the quality of the sound and the picture - the more stable a power supply is, the less variation there is, the better the device can work.
I didn't think much of it, but I was urged to run new lines to the TV and the bass speaker. Because I was able, I simply ran conduit to those two locations, and used metal outlet boxes. I installed a new circuit breaker panel and put in a different earth for the whole shebang. The difference was easily discernible!
Yeah, it was a lot of work, and it would be expensive if I hired an electrician to do it all. But I could do it, and it has made a difference.
Our amplifier died because I followed the advice to switch the thing off, every night. It couldn't cope with the constant on/off, and subsequently keeled over and lay there with its knobs in the air. Metaphorically speaking. These boxes are designed to not be turned off, so constantly being turned on and off doesn't do the components much good. I also think the frequent power outages we experience had something to do with it, as well.
Which is why I actually took the trouble to do all that work - not just for a better picture, but to try and protect a significant investment that we would not be able replace if something happened to it.
Basically, if you just watch TV - you don't need all the stuff they tell you. We watch a lot of movies, and I like the whole "movie" experience. Also, the speakers that came with the screen defined "muddy sound". We'd miss significant dialog, and no amount of back and forth with the remote would ever reveal what was said. We don't have that problem, now. :-)
Careful of those mines!
Carolyn Ann
Hmmm... I know the concept of filtering, of course, and when we had our little X10 put in, they mentioned that transients could affect the signal performance, at which point we'd want to put a filter ON the socket. Having one IN the socket -- interesting concept.
Thanks.
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