Saturday, July 28, 2007

It's All About The Size

OK based on the title you might expect this post to be about a certain body part, but it isn't.

I'm talking about TV screens here!

In the past several years the size of TV screens has gone in 2 different directions. On one extreme we have the big screen gizmos that would take up my entire living room wall, and that I might actually be able to see without my glasses. On the other extreme we now have the ability to view movies or TV programs on relatively small computer monitors and even smaller cell phone and i-pod screens. Now maybe watching a show or a movie on my computer monitor would be OK, if it were the only alternative, but on a cell phone or i-pod? NO WAY! I really don't get the attraction of watching shows on those little gizmos. First of all, the screen is way too small and the sound is crummy. Second of all I prefer to watch TV in the comfort of my home on a screen that I can see, cuddled up on the sofa with the Shack-Wife and maybe consuming a bowl of ice-cream with hot fudge/peanut butter topping and whipped cream on top (my nightly snack). I might be an impatient person but I am not so impatient that I cannot wait to get home to watch something. Yes I do have a VCR and TiVo so I can watch what I want when I want to, but I would guess most people who have cell phones and i-pods also have that capability. So is there really a need for these tiny screen TV's? I don't think so. It is just another example of marketing to make people think they need something that they really don't.

Anyway I am afraid that I have purchased my last television set. I have had it for over 7 years. It is a modest size (36 inch diagonal) regular TV set from Sears. Nothing fancy. The problem is that they pretty much don't make "regular" TV sets anymore. Everything is big-screen, or high-definition, or plasma screen, or something else. I really don't know what is the difference between high-def, plasma or whatever. Except that they all cost a big bundle and I won't be able to afford any of them. So after this one goes kaput, I might end up watching TV on my computer monitor, or, God forbid, my cell phone (no I don't have an i-pod).


So Sayeth The Shack

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