Re: OT: TV converter boxes

On Fri, 13 Jun 2008 15:30:01 -0700, Joerg
<notthisjoergsch@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:

Jonathan Kirwan wrote:
On Fri, 13 Jun 2008 12:53:52 -0700, Joerg
<notthisjoergsch@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:

Jan wrote:
And now you are exagerating anyways, most people have the boxes so they can use
their old analog 1958 CRTs ;-)
Then you don't really know Americans :-)

He may know one of us, at least. I don't have even 1 HDTV here and I
have two children still living with me. Just picked up the prepaid
two converter boxes for NTSC sets we do have, last week. But I don't
intend on purchasing HDTVs until they are MUCH lower in cost. I'm
expecting the prices to be where I want them in about 5 years or
perhaps a little longer, yet. I'm in no rush to pay the prices I see
for such a near pointless gismo. (Though, with fuel prices and the
housing market in a spiral in many places, I might be able to pick one
up earlier in a fire sale.)


Those boxes aren't exactly prepaid. $40 boxes don't exist, the $50 tier
is permanently unobtanium around here so people end up forking over
another $25 out of pocket per box. No analog feed-through and the VCR
won't be able to auto-switch channels anymore.

I got mine, one at $40 and one at $50. My total outlay was $10 for
both. $5/box, in effect. (Received two of those red cards to use.)

They appear to achieve what I needed here, which is simple access once
in a while to broadcast TV for others in the house (I don't watch any
broadcast or cable, at all, and haven't for more than 15 years...
perhaps closer to 20 years, now.) Looks fine (I hooked them up and
had to watch enough to make sure things were operating okay.)

I've no need for recording off of broadcast and generally don't use
VCRs. My daughter uses them for playback (she is autistic and cannot
really handle DVD menus), but that's about it.

WRT the HDTV sets you can find a decent 19-incher for around $250. But
you are right, mankind doesn't really need it so urgently. There are
more important things.

I'm not interested in a 19" HDTV. But you probably nailed my price
range for the 42" variety. I _do_ see a small desire inside my Old
Order Amish soul for a large screen in the home for certain DVDs I
might watch, like Koyaanisqatsi. It's rare that I'd appreciate the
extra visceral feelings I might get from a movie theater's wide
screen. But once in a while, I suppose I would. But for the low
frequency of such events, I'm not paying $1500-$2500. They aren't
worth that much to me. But they could pry $250 out of my hand for it.
Maybe.

Jon
.

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