The Trouble With Big Screen TV Entertainment Centers
A few years ago, all entertainment centers were more or less the same.
TVs had not gotten as big as they are, you see, and so it was easy to come up with a design that could fit all of them. All of that has
changed, and as a result, people need to buy new furniture every time they upgrade their digital equipment. Big screen TV entertainment centers have to be specifically designed to fit the TV.
Recently, we bought a home theater screen. We measured the big screen TV entertainment center from our most recent TV – the one we were getting rid of it. It was a plasma TV, and it was of a similar size and shape. We thought we would be able to fit the new TV, but we were wrong. Every entertainment center for big screen TVs is different.
In this case, the footprint was off. The thing was just a little bit too wide from the front to back to fit in big screen TV entertainment Centers like the one we had. It almost did, and I spent an hour trying to find a way to negotiate the last few inches. After all, the difference between fitting and not fitting – although it was only 2 or 3 inches – could cost us another 600 dollars. In the end, we had to cough up the dough.
It is just amazing how expensive big screen TV entertainment centers have become. I wouldn't think that they would cost as much as they do.
After all, they are nothing but a simple cabinet. Most of them are not even made out of wood anymore. They are certainly not handcrafted, so what is the cause for the expense? Whatever the reason, big screen TV entertainment centers cost a fortune. It wouldn't have been so bad if we had been budgeting for it, but we haven't. We spent all the money that we wanted to spend on the television screen. The big screen TV entertainment centers were an additional expense that we had not anticipated.
In the end, we had to temporarily give up the idea of big screen TV
entertainment centers. Instead, we simply put the TV on a heavily
reinforced table. We just could not find anything that fit the TV that we had! It was that overwhelmingly massive! I figure that in another six months, I will look at big screen TV entertainment centers again and try to find something that works. In the meantime, however, I am happy watching the TV while it is sitting on the table.
Saturday, January 12, 2008
Sunday, January 6, 2008
Digital Camera
Digital Camera
People always think I am a snob, and perhaps they are right. I certainly do not identify myself as a snob but I do have something in common with snobs: I always have to have the best and be the best. I accept no limits and no imperfections. This goes for my clothes, my electronic year, and my personal grooming. It also goes for my education as far as I can manage it. So when I wanted to get a digital camera, I did not get some cheapo camera. I get the best digital camera that I could buy. I got what I believed was the best digital camera that money could buy. I also got ripped off.
You see, like most things, there is some debate over what the best digital cameras are. Sometimes people will talk about the best Nikon digital camera or the best Kodak digital camera, but when the debate turns to the best digital camera brand, everyone is stumped. Camera buffs argue and argue about it without end. The best digital camera consumer reports guide says one thing, but the camera professionals magazines say something else. It is all a matter of who you want to listen to, since there's no way you'll get to try out all of the Digital cameras by yourself. There are too many of them, and they are too expensive.
I figured that the only way I would be sure to get the best digital camera was to get one with the most features. I chose a reputable brand, and then I proceeded to look at what the different cameras offered. I figured that, since the strength of digital cameras was the fact that you can instantly see the pictures and manipulate them much more easily than with old-fashioned film cameras, the best digital camera would be the one with the most high-tech options. I got one with digital zoom, in camera editing,the ability to take pictures of different dimensions, and many other options. I could even sends pictures out over the Internet by itself! I didn't even need to upload the pictures onto the computer first if I didn't want to!
The camera cost me a fortune but it was worth it – or so I thought. Then a friend of mine who is a photography experts saw my camera and practically laughed in my face. He told me that my camera was junk. Digital zoom is worthless, and the other features are just gimmicks. You can do all of that stuff in Photoshop. I guess that my greed was my downfall.
People always think I am a snob, and perhaps they are right. I certainly do not identify myself as a snob but I do have something in common with snobs: I always have to have the best and be the best. I accept no limits and no imperfections. This goes for my clothes, my electronic year, and my personal grooming. It also goes for my education as far as I can manage it. So when I wanted to get a digital camera, I did not get some cheapo camera. I get the best digital camera that I could buy. I got what I believed was the best digital camera that money could buy. I also got ripped off.
You see, like most things, there is some debate over what the best digital cameras are. Sometimes people will talk about the best Nikon digital camera or the best Kodak digital camera, but when the debate turns to the best digital camera brand, everyone is stumped. Camera buffs argue and argue about it without end. The best digital camera consumer reports guide says one thing, but the camera professionals magazines say something else. It is all a matter of who you want to listen to, since there's no way you'll get to try out all of the Digital cameras by yourself. There are too many of them, and they are too expensive.
I figured that the only way I would be sure to get the best digital camera was to get one with the most features. I chose a reputable brand, and then I proceeded to look at what the different cameras offered. I figured that, since the strength of digital cameras was the fact that you can instantly see the pictures and manipulate them much more easily than with old-fashioned film cameras, the best digital camera would be the one with the most high-tech options. I got one with digital zoom, in camera editing,the ability to take pictures of different dimensions, and many other options. I could even sends pictures out over the Internet by itself! I didn't even need to upload the pictures onto the computer first if I didn't want to!
The camera cost me a fortune but it was worth it – or so I thought. Then a friend of mine who is a photography experts saw my camera and practically laughed in my face. He told me that my camera was junk. Digital zoom is worthless, and the other features are just gimmicks. You can do all of that stuff in Photoshop. I guess that my greed was my downfall.
Consumers Electronics
"Who should I talk to about creating a home theatre?"
"Should I throw away that VCR?"
If you are bewildered about the consumer electronics age, Custom Electronic Design and Installation Association (CEDIA) offers 10 Smart Consumer Electronic Tips for your home environment.
The 10 Smart Consumer Electronic Tips provide you with a concise and informative list of helpful hints to assist you in making smart decisions when purchasing home consumer electronics.
The 10 Smart Consumer Electronics Tips is a collaborative effort developed by members of CEDIA. Members of CEDIA are knowledgeable and talented professionals representing all facets of the industry from residential electronic systems professionals to manufacturers and sales representatives.
CEDIA developed this list of recommendations after many hours of collaboration between our members. Our goal for developing this list was to take an active role in providing assistance to the consumer. These tips cover four areas: innovation, investments, integration and ease of use.
Although this advice is geared toward the homeowner, it is also beneficial to the builder, architect, interior designer and custom electronics professional. When building or remodeling, the designer or builder may use this list as a reference for making recommendations on home integration to their customer.
Here is the list: Wire for everything now – If you are building or remodeling your home, wire it with a plan for future needs. While no one can guarantee what the future will look like, CEDIA Professionals make it their business to stay current to offer good advice about technologies that are on the horizon. Best of all they can help you sort out the hype from the reality. Plan for HDTV now – High Definition TV is the new digital standard for enhanced picture quality for TV broadcasting. If you're buying a new TV or video projector, make sure you'll be able to enjoy the incredible sound and pictures that are part of HDTV. Insist on integrated systems – As you buy new electronic components, make sure you shop for equipment that can be hooked up together and operated with one, easy to use control system. Don’t buy yesterday’s products (often what is in stock) – Many stores purchase large orders of all equipment and sell it at discounted rates. Shop with a dealer that only provides you with new equipment and technologies.Consider integrating lighting control with your home electronics system – Lighting sets the mood for home theater, entertaining, or just a quiet night at home. You can control your home lighting from the same remote that you use to control your theater or music system. Think with your wallet, but lead with your head – Quality and long-term dependability are the most cost effective attributes that you can build into a home.Buy an experience, not a box – Find a dealer that allows you to test drive the entire system or at least experience the thrill of a high performance system. Few people have the time to research and evaluate all the hardware choices. It's smarter to focus on the end result and make your choices based upon overall performance and value. Don't think you have to put up with hard to use, multiple remote controls – Easy to use, all-in-one remote controls are available for any system. You can even have them custom programmed so they make perfect sense to you. Consult a professional – Designing and installing reliable, easy to use systems that add real quality to your lifestyle is the goal of CEDIA professionals. Check to see if the company you're considering has CEDIA Certified Professional Designers and Installers on staff. Increase your service expectations – Your home electronics system is a big investment. CEDIA professionals will provide you with extensive options, comprehensive designs, complete installation and especially, in-home service for your systems.
"Should I throw away that VCR?"
If you are bewildered about the consumer electronics age, Custom Electronic Design and Installation Association (CEDIA) offers 10 Smart Consumer Electronic Tips for your home environment.
The 10 Smart Consumer Electronic Tips provide you with a concise and informative list of helpful hints to assist you in making smart decisions when purchasing home consumer electronics.
The 10 Smart Consumer Electronics Tips is a collaborative effort developed by members of CEDIA. Members of CEDIA are knowledgeable and talented professionals representing all facets of the industry from residential electronic systems professionals to manufacturers and sales representatives.
CEDIA developed this list of recommendations after many hours of collaboration between our members. Our goal for developing this list was to take an active role in providing assistance to the consumer. These tips cover four areas: innovation, investments, integration and ease of use.
Although this advice is geared toward the homeowner, it is also beneficial to the builder, architect, interior designer and custom electronics professional. When building or remodeling, the designer or builder may use this list as a reference for making recommendations on home integration to their customer.
Here is the list: Wire for everything now – If you are building or remodeling your home, wire it with a plan for future needs. While no one can guarantee what the future will look like, CEDIA Professionals make it their business to stay current to offer good advice about technologies that are on the horizon. Best of all they can help you sort out the hype from the reality. Plan for HDTV now – High Definition TV is the new digital standard for enhanced picture quality for TV broadcasting. If you're buying a new TV or video projector, make sure you'll be able to enjoy the incredible sound and pictures that are part of HDTV. Insist on integrated systems – As you buy new electronic components, make sure you shop for equipment that can be hooked up together and operated with one, easy to use control system. Don’t buy yesterday’s products (often what is in stock) – Many stores purchase large orders of all equipment and sell it at discounted rates. Shop with a dealer that only provides you with new equipment and technologies.Consider integrating lighting control with your home electronics system – Lighting sets the mood for home theater, entertaining, or just a quiet night at home. You can control your home lighting from the same remote that you use to control your theater or music system. Think with your wallet, but lead with your head – Quality and long-term dependability are the most cost effective attributes that you can build into a home.Buy an experience, not a box – Find a dealer that allows you to test drive the entire system or at least experience the thrill of a high performance system. Few people have the time to research and evaluate all the hardware choices. It's smarter to focus on the end result and make your choices based upon overall performance and value. Don't think you have to put up with hard to use, multiple remote controls – Easy to use, all-in-one remote controls are available for any system. You can even have them custom programmed so they make perfect sense to you. Consult a professional – Designing and installing reliable, easy to use systems that add real quality to your lifestyle is the goal of CEDIA professionals. Check to see if the company you're considering has CEDIA Certified Professional Designers and Installers on staff. Increase your service expectations – Your home electronics system is a big investment. CEDIA professionals will provide you with extensive options, comprehensive designs, complete installation and especially, in-home service for your systems.
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