Feeling Wooooooozy (just spent bucks on TV)

[Kevy Baby]

Originally Posted by Scrooge McSam

Well... well... If I have to go buy a new HD setup that I totally don't need but want desperately, I'm blaming it all on you guys.

I will.

No, you NEED it!!!

[Chernabog]

Thanks for the encouragement!!! The last TV I bought was my 20 incher... in 1995, ROFL.

Anyhoo, I'll let y'all know when it is all set up for some loverly TV watching. And I am getting Mr. Cheese to figure out how much more expensive it is to get the HD cable from Time Warner than whatever we're getting right now (our landlord doesnt allow satellite TV, or a roof antenna). I know you can get HD thru bunny ears but.... that's just SO low tech.

So in a few months maybe I'll have enough to get the rear speakers, but in the meantime, the Wii should be extra fun in widescreen. I'm totally re-playing Zelda.

Wierd thing tho that I should have looked out for -- apparently Circuit City (which I thought had OK customer service) has really terrible customer service, according to some online reviews. anyone here ever have an issue with them?

Also I did not buy the extended warranty option, since I've always been of the ilk that if something is catastrophically wrong with a new piece of electronics, it'll break in the first month anyway. Is getting the extended warranty a huge waste of money like I think it sounds like? (it does NOT protect against things like spills or throwing the Wiimote against the TV)

[Moonliner]

Originally Posted by Chernabog

(our landlord doesnt allow satellite TV, or a roof antenna). I know you can get HD thru bunny ears but.... that's just SO low tech.

FYI, the FCC says a landlord cannot prevent you from putting up a dish and/or antenna.

[Gn2Dlnd]

Originally Posted by Moonliner

FYI, the FCC says a landlord cannot prevent you from putting up a dish and/or antenna.

Unfortunately:

Originally Posted by The FCC

Q: If I live in a condominium or an apartment building, does this rule apply to me?

A: The rule applies to antenna users who live in a multiple dwelling unit building, such as a condominium or apartment building, if the antenna user has an exclusive use area in which to install the antenna. "Exclusive use" means an area of the property that only you, and persons you permit, may enter and use to the exclusion of other residents. For example, your condominium or apartment may include a balcony, terrace, deck or patio that only you can use, and the rule applies to these areas. The rule does not apply to common areas, such as the roof, the hallways, the walkways or the exterior walls of a condominium or apartment building. Restrictions on antennas installed in these common areas are not covered by the Commission's rule. For example, the rule would not apply to restrictions that prevent drilling through the exterior wall of a condominium or rental unit and thus restrictions may prohibit installation that requires such drilling.

Q: Does the rule apply to condominiums or apartment buildings if the antenna is installed so that it hangs over or protrudes beyond the balcony railing or patio wall?

A: No. The rule does not prohibit restrictions on antennas installed beyond the balcony or patio of a condominium or apartment unit if such installation is in, on, or over a common area. An antenna that extends out beyond the balcony or patio is usually considered to be in a common area that is not within the scope of the rule. Therefore, the rule does not apply to a condominium or rental apartment unit unless the antenna is installed wholly within the exclusive use area, such as the balcony or patio.

Sad face.

On a side note, the tangle of wires and vcrs only exists because the current TV is old enough to only have a coax input. In the 80's I became very good at figuring out how to plug things into other things that weren't necessarily designed to have things plugged into them. Sound is not 5.1. In a wood floor apartment I have some trepidation about the "home theatre sound" infringing on my neighbors.

I suppose the mixing board can probably be retired as I don't have much of a vinyl collection anymore. Or turntables.

Again with the sad face.

Matt and Kevy are invited to come over and play "Techie for Cheez" if they're so inclined.

[Kevy Baby]

Originally Posted by Gn2Dlnd

Matt and Kevy are invited to come over and play "Techie for Cheez" if they're so inclined.

I think CM is a wee bit closer - especially if he comes either before or after work. If he is not available, I would be happy to assist - I like the pay

[katiesue]

I've always had very good customer service at Circuit City with the various things I've bought over the years. They've even been kind enought to retrieve the odd stuck CD out of my car stereo for free more than once.

[Kevy Baby]

Originally Posted by Chernabog

Wierd thing tho that I should have looked out for -- apparently Circuit City (which I thought had OK customer service) has really terrible customer service, according to some online reviews. anyone here ever have an issue with them?

Not an issue specific to CC (this applies to just about all of the stores that sell HD TV's: Do NOT purchase your cables from them, especially HDMI cables. We had this discussion previously starting here in one thread.

FWIW, another thread on HDTV discussions.

[Chernabog]

Originally Posted by Kevy Baby

FWIW, another thread on HDTV discussions.

OK I am reading that thread and now I feel all cold and scared inside. What expensive confusifying horror have I gotten myself into? Component Cable this, s-video that, cable card this, TiVo that, HD-TV-cable-aux Gwaaahhhhh!!! Blah blah Ginger indeed.

All I want is:

To watch HD programming sometimes (TW DVR is the only way to go, methinks, with my current setup).

To play video games in wide screen.

To watch DVD (and later, Blu-Ray perhaps) on a big screen.

I'm not sure how this will all work out considering our current set up is horrifically over-complicated (with 2 DVD players, a TiVo, a VHS player, an amplifier, two speakers, some bizarre sound-board which I have no idea of its functionality, and lots of plugs hooked into another box with a switch, which turns the DVD on occassionally). I cannot for the life of me figure out what Cheddar Boy has done to that... I consider myself relatively intelligent (and I'm able to figure out a computer pretty well) but I cannot for the life of me ever figure out how to turn that system on when I want to. *sigh*

TV comes on Saturday...... oy vey.

[Kevy Baby]

Originally Posted by Chernabog

OK I am reading that thread and now I feel all cold and scared inside. What expensive confusifying horror have I gotten myself into? Component Cable this, s-video that, cable card this, TiVo that, HD-TV-cable-aux Gwaaahhhhh!!! Blah blah Ginger indeed.

Sorry, didn't mean to frighten you.

Like others said, just take it one component at a time. I am pretty technically savvy and completely revamped my initial setup once everything was in. And I will probably make more adjustments as time goes on. Bottom line is that you don't have to get it right the first time.

Originally Posted by Chernabog

All I want is:

To watch HD programming sometimes (TW DVR is the only way to go, methinks, with my current setup).

I have been mostly happy with TW DVR, except I wish the recording capacity was higher. It is not nearly as good (from a user standpoint) as TiVo, but it gets the job done.

And you will need an HDMI cable running from the TW DVR to the TV which is why I mentioned it.

And as for the rest, just take it one step at a time. You can always call me in the panic moments if you want.

[Ghoulish Delight]

I think it's ~$10/month at Time Warner to get an HD receiver over the cost of digital.