commenting on a blog post and/or asking that I blog more or have
questions in which they say "you can just blog about it if you want"..
thanks.. and that is what I wish to be doing as well.. blog more!
Thing is you need to find (or make) the time by prioritizing the rest
of your day's tasks and for me, it appears I need to have a manager
manage my time for me because their just is not enough of it in one
day to get through HALF of the things I really WANT to be doing!
The questions I am getting are pretty much tech related, which is a
good thing, since if it wasn't technical, I am not sure how much I
would be able to help, other then send along the results of a Google
search (which you should be able to do on your own) but as I am
finding that is not always the case either... the searching for things
on your own-that is. These questions are in most cases, comparison
shopping. That is, in the market for a new TV for example, wanting to
know which is better, LCD or Plasma. The old VCR died and wants to
know if buying a DVD writer for the home entertainment system is a
good replacement for the VHS.
I am therefore finding my best time to actually get to the blogging
happens to be when I am on the road, away from my bench which is where
my time is spent FIXING, more then it is developing and expressing...
... this is all going to change (I promise) I want to blog more, I
want to get my thoughts and ideas and comments about the direction the
world is going with regards to technology and how we humans control
this.
So to answer the most asked question.. LCD or PLASMA
Initially with Plasma, it seemed the life span was about 5 years
whereas the plasma gas would burn out, giving a dull image that was
sub-par for any hi-end television. This is NOT completely true as it
turns out this does happen, but the 5 year life is probably some
marketing answer in order for you to be purchasing that new TV in 5
years. The fact is, most electronic items we use have built in
obsoleteness but mostly because it has some sort of an operating
system which is what actually runs out of time. If you look at the
evolution of the Television and how it went from 'one in every home'
to 'one in every room', you should also look to the new purchase as
one that will most likely happen again in 5 or so years, therefore
placing the most recent purchased one to main viewing room and the
older one to another room and the oldest being sold through a garage
sale or dropped for recycle due to it just not working anymore.
That being said Plasma should definitely be considered for your next
TV. In fact such items as viewing angle should be considered as well
as placement of the unit. Since Plasma has been known to have a wider
viewing angle and (arguably) warmer/richer colours. Since cost should
always be a consideration, it should be pointed out that buying a
brand name not always means getting a better unit, but it may mean a
better warranty, however are you buying a TV on the grounds that it is
going to break down? When I talk of cost, I refer to more bang for
your buck with regards to features pretty much. For example, if I
can get a 47" with better specs than the 52", I would be buying the
47". As for those specs... contrast ratio is the brightness of the
unit. This is where LCD will most likely be better then the Plasma.
HD is obvious. You shouldn't be buying an HD compatible (sometimes
displayed as "HD ready) tv as this will typically mean purchasing an
additional component to make it HD. Moreover, if you do plan on
plugging this unit in to a sound system, the digital I/O (input/
output) becomes a key in my opinion, since with digital you are
dealing with ONE cable instead of 4 or more and that can make a big
difference when it comes to the wiring of some of these units.
Bottom line on any new purchase, get more then one opinion. This means
DON'T just go in to the store you know and trust and take the word of
the salesperson. Get the bottom line price and even go as far as
getting them to put it aside if necessary (to ensure the salesperson
you are serious about buying a tv) but then go home and SLEEP ON IT!
Don't just buy it and then wonder if you made the best decision. Sure
it isn't like you are buying a new home or car but it is still a
pretty major purchase from the point that you will be spending HOURS
AND HOURS in front of this thing and so your eyes will for sure be
thankful of your investment if not your ears.. but sound systems is
for another day! Bigger is not always better, but in my opinion, when
it comes to buying a new 'big screen' I am first going to see just how
big the room will allow and then look for the largest unit that will
fit and work my way down with regards to the specifications of each
product I look at. You already should be under the notion you will
only get 5 years out of this baby before needing (or wanting) a new
one... that certainly shouldn't mean the unit will die the day after
it turns 5 but with any electronic technology, what comes off the
assembly line now will stop being manufactured in about 3 months and
will have a new model within 6 months.
Finally, once you have purchased that new unit, STOP LOOKING IN THE
FLYERS! You are only going to be disappointing yourself as with any
new technology as mentioned previously, it is always changing and
improving therefore looking at what you could have purchased if you
were to have only waited that extra month is foolish.. there will
always be something better.....
