Whats with the TV obssesion?

[VINMAN]

I just dont get the obssesion with televisions lately. I realize the new lcds and plasmas are nice. But it seems like thats all people talk about. Store flyers have page after page filled with them. At work, all they talk about is what TV they want , bought, looked at etc, etc...
I guess maybe I just dont watch enough TV to be that into it. But its like people are willing to give up thier first born to get the latest, greatest TV set.

End of rant...

[kaisen]

There will be millions of televisions sold this year. Since the government is mandating the switch to digital (DTV) soon, and most of us have analog sets, there are quite a few households that will just buy new ones.

[id10t]

Yup, as opposed to the $20 converter box...

Originally Posted by kaisen

There will be millions of televisions sold this year. Since the government is mandating the switch to digital (DTV) soon, and most of us have analog sets, there are quite a few households that will just buy new ones.

[Porsche-O-Phile]

I don't get it either.

I still have my "plain old" RCA TV from 10 years ago. Works fine.

Every time I think of how cool the new stuff is, I remind myself that it's still the same *****ty programming you'll be watching on it, and my motivation vanishes.

For sports or movies it might be kind of cool, but I can go watch the game down at the local bar on THEIR $2,000 plasma TVs for the price of a beer that I like anyway. Versus spending the $2,000 myself.

I don't really get it either. If television programming stopped sucking so badly, I'd have more motivation to watch on HDTV maybe. Until then, I guess I don't care enough to waste my money on "consumer electronics", which is almost a guaranteed waste of money.

[kaisen]

Originally Posted by id10t

Yup, as opposed to the $20 converter box...

No one accused joe-public of making great financial decisions.

However, the switch to DTV does have advantages that include dramatically enhanced resolution (sharper picture), so one can see the beads of sweat on Montel's forehead. And LCD's are thinner therefore freeing up more room in the trailer for NASCAR collectibles.

[kaisen]

By the way, I bought a Sharp 50 inch LCD (the new version) a couple months ago and I'm impressed, but still prefer the performance of my 2002 Mitsu 65" projection TV (which takes up an acre of real estate).

My wife wanted the LCD to hang on the wall in the living room, where ironically, no one ever watches TV.

[id10t]

Actually, I still have a 30-something inch CRT TV in the living room. When I want to watch a move on a Big Screen, I just bring home one of the 2500 lumen projectors we use in our classrooms here at the college

Gets me a screen 8' wide....

[Mule]

Originally Posted by kaisen

By the way, I bought a Sharp 50 inch LCD (the new version) a couple months ago and I'm impressed, but still prefer the performance of my 2002 Mitsu 65" projection TV (which takes up an acre of real estate).

My wife wanted the LCD to hang on the wall in the living room, where ironically, no one ever watches TV.

I'm confused. A woman wanted you to do something that made no sense. Where is the irony?

[VINMAN]

Come on now Jeff, don't you want to see the latest episode of "Wife Swap" or "Biggest Loser" in all their sharp, HD detail.

Even channels such as Discovery and TLC have gone downhill. It is really tough to find anything good to watch anymore.

Originally Posted by Porsche-O-Phile

I don't really get it either. If television programming stopped sucking so badly, I'd have more motivation to watch on HDTV maybe. Until then, I guess I don't care enough to waste my money on "consumer electronics", which is almost a guaranteed waste of money.

[nostatic]

i'm likely an outlyer (shock), but I got my 42" plasma for a very specific reason. I'm watching movies regularly for work (average about 20/month via netflix) and want to see them in a decent form/environment. Widescreen movies on a 4:3 tv sucks.

The only other thing that gets displayed on it is F1 and some Food Network shows.

[id10t]

Rachel Ray, Giada, or that new Spanish chick?

Originally Posted by nostatic

The only other thing that gets displayed on it is F1 and some Food Network shows.

[gassy]

mmm, Giada.

[masraum]

I don't understand it either. I don't watch enough TV to justify spending a few grand on a TV. I haven't been that impressed with HD yet. Not to mention, HD takes bandwidth, and bandwidth is still not cheap/free.

Maybe in a few years when the prices have come down and the TV/HD/cable-broadband market has calmed down and reached a steady point.

Another thing that I don't get that's actually pretty irritating is the whole 'it's got to be a widescreen' craze. It's getting hard to buy a TV that's in the old 4:3 ratio. But if you buy a 37" widescreen TV and a 37" 4:3 TV, the 4:3 ratio set gives you more screen. So, they are selling "widescreens" and charging extra because they are "widescreen" but they are actually giving you less screen.

[911Rob]

No cable TV for me.
Never owned a TV until we had kids.
Now its just a theatre room with a DVD player; rent a movie on movie night.

Someone gave me the Soprano series for Christmas; I didn't even know what it was.
I got the first 5 series and watched them all in about a week; ha, ha.
Now I've got the urge to wack someone.
Not sure why, but I related to the main character Tony. My wife just shakes her head.
I can't believe that was on TV?

[Porsche-O-Phile]

HDTV porn on the other hand. . .

Now I've talked myself into it. Where's my card?

[Moneyguy1]

My viewing is generally Discover, History, and History International type stuff...Very little so-called Popular Entetainment stuff.......

[widebody911]

Of course, us old-school holdouts will have to spring for a new TV and cable service in the near future; IIRC, 2009 is supposed to be the end of analog transmission.

[dhoward]

You can still get what you get now Thom. You just need the D/A converter box.

[dhoward]

Originally Posted by Porsche-O-Phile

HDTV porn on the other hand. . .

Now I've talked myself into it. Where's my card?

Mmmm....
HD Stubble....

[slodave]

No obsession here. I haven't watched T.V. in almost 1.5 years. I do miss not being able to watch DVD's though.