Roundie sitting in water in dumb digital TV commercial.

[Rental Limo]

I never seen the commercial, but from what you discribe it sounds like HDTV propaganda. Stuff that messes with peoples heads telling them to buy an HDTV set before 2009 otherwise their analog sets wont work. What people dont realize is that the local channels wont be converted to 2012. That way the lower income people without cable, or satellite can enjoy their present sets without worrying about buying a new one. Everyone just hears the negative, and not the real truth. I recently told a guy at work that if the HDTV flat screens go down in price to $100.00 with a one year warranty i would buy one. He called me a cheapskate. That way if the set breaks down in a year i would get my moneys worth. It must really suck if you buy an overpriced HDTV flat screen, and it breaks down in a year. Especially if the warranty is dried up. Then you are taking a big loss. When people buy they dont think logically. They just want to be the showoffs of the neighborhood. Just like when the Chrysler PT Cruiser came out. Everybody had to have one. Being the neighborhood showoff is tempting, but i would rather not have a car payment, and watch my old 1997 Zenith SY2572DT color set. Also known as the bad CRT Zenith. Back then i did not know the CRTS were bad, so dont throw rocks at me. It has low hours and works fine. When peoples brand new flat screens break i will have the last laugh!!

[radiotvnut]

Originally Posted by Rental Limo

I never seen the commercial, but from what you discribe it sounds like HDTV propaganda. Stuff that messes with peoples heads telling them to buy an HDTV set before 2009 otherwise their analog sets wont work. What people dont realize is that the local channels wont be converted to 2012. That way the lower income people without cable, or satellite can enjoy their present sets without worrying about buying a new one. Everyone just hears the negative, and not the real truth. I recently told a guy at work that if the HDTV flat screens go down in price to $100.00 with a one year warranty i would buy one. He called me a cheapskate. That way if the set breaks down in a year i would get my moneys worth. It must really suck if you buy an overpriced HDTV flat screen, and it breaks down in a year. Especially if the warranty is dried up. Then you are taking a big loss. When people buy they dont think logically. They just want to be the showoffs of the neighborhood. Just like when the Chrysler PT Cruiser came out. Everybody had to have one. Being the neighborhood showoff is tempting, but i would rather not have a car payment, and watch my old 1997 Zenith SY2572DT color set. Also known as the bad CRT Zenith. Back then i did not know the CRTS were bad, so dont throw rocks at me. It has low hours and works fine. When peoples brand new flat screens break i will have the last laugh!!

I've had to convince (or, try to convince) several people that they did not have to buy a new digital TV because their old set will be just as useful with a cheap converter as it is now. Of course, the younger crowd I know just want to be what you call the "showoffs of the neighborhood." They think having all the latest electronic gadgets, nice cars, big houses, etc. makes them somebody. For me, I'll keep watching my mid '80's 19" Sony and other older TV's. They've already outlasted some of the new stuff. There is a local store claiming that the new HDTV's are designed to last between 15 and 25 years of normal use. Just more propaganda to get people to buy the new sets. It's interesting that there are members of this forum who have 50+ year old TV's that work fine.

[zenithfan1]

Originally Posted by radiotvnut

I've had to convince (or, try to convince) several people that they did not have to buy a new digital TV because their old set will be just as useful with a cheap converter as it is now. Of course, the younger crowd I know just want to be what you call the "showoffs of the neighborhood." They think having all the latest electronic gadgets, nice cars, big houses, etc. makes them somebody. For me, I'll keep watching my mid '80's 19" Sony and other older TV's. They've already outlasted some of the new stuff. There is a local store claiming that the new HDTV's are designed to last between 15 and 25 years of normal use. Just more propaganda to get people to buy the new sets. It's interesting that there are members of this forum who have 50+ year old TV's that work fine.

Me too and I'm starting to sound like a broken record! And as far as the showoffs go, they can waste all of their money on that new crap! But I'll be the one laughing when all their crap dies, the cracker-box house falls apart and their plastic car disintegrates in a 5 MPH collision. And after all this happens, they will be still paying the loans off when I retire! The only bad thing is, all of the new things in life are being based on what these people want. This scares me a little....... No matter what, I will be watching my '50s and '60s tvs driving my "85 Silverado and living in a house that is at least 50 years old {just watch out for asbestos!LOL} mine is 115 years old! That is just the way I am, I'm 25 but with a very old soul!

[zenith2134]

Couldn't agree more. I have my 1980 XL-100 connected to digital cable, and thats above and beyond my needs. I really don't watch much tv, I could suffice with antenna and NTSC forever. (the parents pay my cable bill since its included with the other boxes.)

Wanna have a good laugh on my family? I told my mother to cancel my DTV box once, and she said No, keep it, why wouldn't you want it?

Well i really don't use it. Only for occasional on-demand movies, cable news, and TBS. Everything else is network TV.


But yeah, One family I know recently spent about 3 thousand dollars on a huge Sony LCD set. When we set it up, the first thing I suggested was to turn down the backlight setting from 10 (stock) to 6-7, since there was absolutely no difference in brightness either way. Maybe this was due to the contrast being 100%. Anyway he said he didn't care how long it lasts, just wants to make it look good. Enough said.

[Thyratron]

Originally Posted by zenithfan1

But I'll be the one laughing when. . . the cracker-box house falls apart. . .

Good description! Nothing like some plastered-over styrofoam and chicken wire! But, hey, at least it has a "media room"!

As for the commercial, old_tv_nut, it's one of about two or three which now play around here regularly and give the usual "information," plus a website for more info (which I can't remember at the moment). I just didn't really understand the whole tv standing in water part, and it annoyed me that they used a roundie for it, though it was a nice tv to look at!