Brief update on HDGUY

Getting ready to release another version of www.highdefguy.com that will include some definitions and more interactive features for the room.

Has any body used this? What did you think?

Why use www.HighDefGUY.com?

I wanted to offer a little more insight on the creation of www.highdefguy.com and how I envision its use.

This was  a place to start or supplement anyone researching the purchase of a new television. This was born out of my desire to have something like this when I was looking for a new television.  A place that will give the basics and provide a base to go deeper into the more technical end of the televisions.

 I look at this like a decision tree where first you identify what works for you, then what are the options, then what are other considerations. For example in a room where you have a lot of light, you don’t want a TV that will have a glare on the screen so you can’t see the thing. Then you don’t want a screen that’s too small, or too big (if there is such a thing!).  Then what about formats? All you really hear about is the latest and greatest, but will you notice if you are a certain distance from the screen or if you TV is a certain size? That’s all covered in www.highdefguy.com (well all except the format, that’s coming soon).

Here’s how it works, you can choose what room you’ll be placing your new television. Then you’ll be asked a couple of questions regarding your room. www.highdefguy.com will generate a little summary for you. Use this as a guide when looking through all of the information available to you on this crazy world wide web.

This is constantly being added to expanded on and tweaked. I hope that it will provide a useful resource for you when looking for a new television. Check back often as you will notice changes taking place as information is being added.

Internet Radio - Have you tried Pandora

Right after you read this go to Pandora it ROCKS! Granted I used it for the first time 10 minutes ago, but so far it is incredible.

Type in what you feel like listening to and BOOM you have got that style. Pretty fast to, at least on my connection.

Wanted to pass a gem like this along.

Blue-Ray DVD Won - now what

Now that there’s a winner in the high definition DVD format what does that mean for most of us that haven’t purchased a player yet.

 There’s a good article by John P. Falcone at Crave/Cnet on what to look for when taking the plunge.

To sum it up, make sure that you understand what you are buying and why a player may be considerably cheaper than another.

I favor this resolution, while the initial cost difference of the HD-DVD would have been cheaper the increased viewing options and menu styling of the Blue-Ray makes up for that. It either does or will in the future have richer menu environments and options for all the extras we have come to know and love.

Enjoy and watch out for falling prices!

Lost Time Difference

Ok, I’m definately going to have to look at this closer after a night’s sleep, but here’s what I’ve come up with so far.

Based on:

Jack saying that he’s gone 100 days without a baseball game.

The time difference of 31min and 20sec between the clock on the island and the clock that was on the rocket.

Oceanic crashed on 9/22/2004 @ 10:15 (Lost Wikipedia)

The date for the survivors on the island would be 12/31/2004. The date off the island would be 2/22/2005. Haven’t thought about any importance or theory yet. We’ll see what a night’s sleep brings.

Let the TV Buyer Beware

This would fall into the category of common sense, but it something that must be written. Largely in part because I didn’t go with my gut and made a risky purchase anyway.

When looking to buy my new television I went to the internet retailers. The prices were better than the big box stores and I was looking to maximize by TV purchasing dollars.

 Now here’s the first cliche, if it seems to good to be true it probably is. When I saw the price offered I immediately thought it would be a refurbished unit instead of a new model that I wanted. No where on the page was it listed as refurbished. I refused to believe that it was a new unit. I consider myself a smart shopper and I called the company and asked if this was  a refurbished unit. They said no, they also indicated if any models were refurbished it would be marked. OK, looking good. I made the order.

Then came the shipping lie. They use freight, not uncommon due to the size. I wasn’t home to receive. I didn’t warn the person taking delivery that if it says refurbished refuse. Well, guess what - it was refurbished.

Even though I was blatantly lied to, fell for it hook line and sinker (2nd cliche) I really wanted this TV, it was still a good price for a refurbished unit and I don’t really mind. I opened it up and it looked good. Relief.

Right out of the box it worked until the picture went out. Then it wouldn’t turn on consistently or at all. Very frustrating. Called said company, now they claim that it was refurbished all along. Not true.  Mute issue now that I had opened it.

 The second mistake was getting rid of the box too early, something I never do! Why this time!!!! Oh well, lesson learned keep the box until you are sure you don’t need to return it.

After I laid out my case for a partial refund or some type of warranty extension it was rudely refused. Fine they have to deal with this stuff all the time. That’s their way, they lost an avid buyer for life.

The kicker of this scam is this. And this is my theory. These units are sold by companies like this. When they do go sour and I have to imagine a lot of them do - they rely on the manufacturer to repair or replace the item.

 Samsung, the manufacturer of the TV I purchased was fantastic. I was lucky and this was resolved by Samsung beyond my expectations.

I guess the final line is watch out for these types of companies that sell televisions like this. I don’t have a problem with refurbished if I know it will be. While I should have had more control over myself instead of needing to see the TV right away I could have returned the unit.

Bottom line (3rd cliche) my fault for keeping and trusting a company like this. Never again. Learn from my mistake!!! Really research where you are buying the TV from and when satisfied you will be taken care of go for it.

Anybody else have a horror story? For now let’s leave off the company name. I think eventually I’ll put together a list with company names and if they do this type of deal.

Hope this was helpful.

Why the DVR has made me a Better Person

Few pieces of technology have really made an astounding impact on human civilization. The wheel, aviation, the assembly line, and for a few years the DVR.

 This may not be the most earth shattering announcement but I am compelled to write it only because I love the DVR! The efficiency of the recording, except when your show runs long and you didn’t set the extend timer b/c that will screw up other planned recordings.  But, that’s only a small setback.

 I am a more attentive husband. I can simply pause and listen to what my wife has to say instead of nodding. In cases where she is in another part of the house I can either pause and listen or use the old standby of turning up the volume.

 I am a more attentive father. The sudden entrance of a child during a shoot-em up movie or a movie with questionable content can be avoided an watched when little eyes can be changed forever. Also, no yelling to be quiet when the game is on the line. Only a simple press of the pause button, look at whatever item they want to show you and they leave instead of 5 minutes of yelling and missing the winning bucket.

 There’s more reasons I love and I’ll post soon.

Lost Rescuers Partial Theory

ATTENTION: THIS POST ASSUMES YOU HAVE SEEN ALL EPISODES OF ABC LOST.

Here’s my first theory I’m posting about Lost. Enjoy. Little insight or thought. Possibly stating the obvious.

 The ‘rescuers’ have landed on the island. What do we know about them? Their professions include a physicist(Daniel Faraday), medium(Miles Straume), anthropologist(Charlotte Lewis) and pilot(Frank Lapidus).

Why these four professions? I believe it has something to do with the electromagnetic properties of the island, the others/and the Dharma Initiative, and the strange statue with four toes.  I don’t have anything yet for the piot.

Nothing earth shattering, more of a statement of facts rather than a theory. I’ve got some actual theory’s running in the noggin now - will post shortly.

LOST Withdrawal

I know I’ll lose some credibility with this one, but I didn’t start watching Lost until November 2007. I don’t have a good reason, it’s a show I’ve always been interested in watching. Let’s not focus on that, focus on that I’m watching and I’m hooked.

For nearly a month it was Lost-a-palooza at this household. Two, three episodes a night. Immersed in the experience. Incredible self control not to look on the Internet for fear reading too far ahead. Ahh, but three seasons had come and gone and now we’re expecting the third episode of the fourth season this week to air, not just a selection on the DVD menu. I knew it would hurt when I had to wait between episodes, just didn’t realize it would be this much.

 How do long time Lost fans do it?!

Bedtime = Dictator

If you were watching ABC’s Nightline (2/8/200 like I was you learned how you can raise an evil dictator. And, it is surprisingly easy! All you have to do is let your baby cry themselves to sleep. At least that’s what I took away from Michael Commons a Harvard Researcher! Hopefully the terrorists won’t get any ideas now that this cat is out of the bag. Otherwise, in 30 - 40 years from now we’ll be in a lurch.

Maybe I took this at face value, but come on. How long would you have to let your child cry before the seeds for world domination took root? Supposedly this is a result of cortisol production when a child is allowed to cry for extended periods of time and how that affects the child’s personality development. In short, it increases the risk of severe attachment disorders. Collins states “Hitler was a borderline personality. And so was Saddam Hussein. It didn’t take a whole lot of Saddam Hussein’s and Hitlers to make our lives miserable.” Sounds like a stretch. It was a this point that the other researcher tried to stifle the comments, but Collins went on to say “But you’re putting yourself at risk for that.”

Well here’s the story if you’d like to learn how. Raise ’em Right!