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Out of Step (TV edition)

I may stay on top of things like new music and movies, but when it comes to certain technology, I'm way out of step with the times. And I have plenty of reasons why.

The TV situation in particular is laughable by today's standards. My 32" TV still works fine, but it's not a widescreen TV. As much as I'd like to watch widescreen DVDs on a widescreen TV, buying one isn't in the budget right now.

Along those lines is recording TV shows. Well, I still don't have cable hooked up in my house, but I don't miss it. I'm too busy reading, writing and watching DVDs. I find myself way more productive when I don't have the nag/guilt of watching my fill of something I'm paying for. So I still rely on my VCR to tape episodes of LOST just in case I miss them. TiVo just isn't in the plans either.

Connected to the VCR is my Playstation 2. I rarely play it, but sometimes I'll play a Tony Hawk game, NHL 2003 or Guitar Hero II. I enjoy it and I'm not so sure I'll make the jump to Playstation 3 any time soon. Is it really worth all that much for something that costs about as much as a new CPU?

Why I have allowed such things to go out of touch is because of hesitation towards ever-changing technology. My desire is to buy something that lasts for quite a few years, not a couple. The reasoning behind this comes from when I was in college and DVD players and CD burners were selling like hotcakes. Those who wanted the latest paid out of the nose for something that didn't have all of its kinks ironed out. I figured it was worth waiting for a 16x CD burner with software that had gapless playback under $150 instead of getting an 8x burner with all sorts of kinks in the hardware and software right when it came out.

The same goes for TVs: do you want to pay two months rent for a flatscreen TV that will burn out on you in just a few years? Sorry, even if I did have that kind of expendable cash, I wouldn't pay for this. So I wonder: am I alone in this sentiment?

Comments

Getting rid of my beer gut said…
I've actually had more fun playing my PS2 than my Xbox 360. It truly is all about the games. This will change, of course, when Halo 3 and GTA IV debut.
10:42 AM
Kev said…
Even though I have a cool new entertainment cabinet, I'm not replacing my TV (which is at least 15 years old) until one of two things happens:

1) It stops working, or

2) It becomes January 17, 2009--the day when all TV signals start broadcasting digitally. No way will I pay for a converter box for what will then be a 17-year-old set.

As i said in a later post (that's a weird-sounding phrase, isn't it?), I'm still using a VCR as well--one from a defunct company (Montgomery Ward), for that matter. Again, no replacement until it's necessary; any "mad money" between now and then will probably be spent on equipment, or maybe a new baritone sax.
8:02 PM
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