Audio Video Technology - Springfield's Home Theater Specialists
Audio Video Technology - Springfield's Home Theater Specialists
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5/3/2013 - When to say NO to a customer. We had a customer we did an on site survey and gave them a proposal for a system that would fit their desire. We didn't get the job and they went with a big box store instead because they were 10% less expensive. Months after this happened this customer called us back and asked if we could fix the system because it doesn't work like they want. We asked why not go back to the original company they used for the install? They replied that follow up tech support is no longer free as it has been a few months and they were never able to get it right within their warranty period.
We told this customer we wouldn't do the job. It is not because we were bitter. In business you win some you lose some, no big deal there. We wouldn't do the job because we couldn't fix the problem. They spent a lot of money on this system and had no desire to change it. Unfortunately, with the equipment they had we wouldn't be able to make it work they way they wanted.
So what was so bad we couldn't fix? First this has a surround system and a whole house audio system. When you play music in the different areas there is an echo between rooms. It is easily noticeable and sounds terrible as this is an open floor plan. The other problem is they like to 'crank' it and the system distorts at loud levels. This is a huge area that needs coverage and the amplifiers and speakers they used are not capable of filling this space to the levels they desire. Same is true with the outside area. Lastly, they can't play different music in different areas. They have to listen to the same music everywhere. To fix this would have meant changing some of the equipment, speakers and amplifiers and would cost quite a bit which they weren't willing to do. So they are stuck with a system that doesn't perform as expected.
So we had to say No.
4/11/2013 - Paradigm and Anthem are now at AV Tech!!! We are thrilled to have both. We have always wanted Paradigm and looked into getting the when we started the business over 10 years ago. We love their performance and value. They have systems from $1000 and up that will fit a lot of budgets and many situations in which people plan to use their systems.
4/2/2013 - New Products coming to AV Tech! The first is Sony! With tough economic times manufacturers are deciding maybe they shouldn't cut out the little guy. We looked into Sony some time ago as they have good name, reliability, performance and service. We have always liked many of their products. At that time you couldn't be a Sony dealer unless you sold a half million dollars in Sony product, it was just out of our league and still would be.
Sony has seen their sales go down in the past several years as many of the consumers are only concerned with price. Sony decided in these times where customers go into a big box store and ask what's the cheapest 60" you have, that they would either have to sell cheap their products to compete or sell through retailers where quality is more important than price. They decided to redesign their TVs and not go cheap. Sony doesn't make the cheapest stuff, they make quality products at a reasonable price that offer a good value. They aren't as expensive as the boutique brands. So we now sell Sony products!
Check out some of the Sony stuff we will be carrying here.
Some other happenings here at AV Tech. Another brand we have always likes we are talking to their reps about bringing in their product. It is another brand we looked into years ago. There was also another local company that used to carry them and they only allow so many dealers in a given territory. That company no longer carries this brand as that company decided to go in a different direction. None of this stuff happens quick so stay tuned and hopefully we'll be announcing that we are dealers for this brand soon. I'm really excited about this one!
3/4/2013 - Wow it has been a while. In a discussion about speakers someone posted this photo:
Here is Paul Scarpelli's response:
That's pretty funny, and true. When I was in retail, and when I worked
for manufacturers, quite often I would have to be direct with people and
tell them, "I'm trying to save you from yourself." Most of the time there
are good reasons for why things are the way they are. My biggest challenges
with the Triad product line have been customers trying to paint their grills
(can't be done without ruining them), not using enough subs (you never
outgrow your need for bass), using the wrong amp on Triad subs, putting an
LCR on its side, inadequately spending money on speakers (while spending
tens of thousands on automation foolishness), not properly treating a room
and expecting good speakers to "fix" the acoustics, spending too much on
electronics leaving too little for speakers (which determine the sound of
your system more than anything), not running LCRs as "small" (a must, 100%
of the time), and more.
This is so true! Besides room acoustics,
speakers are where you should spend the bulk of your money in an audio
system. It makes the biggest difference. A $5000 speaker is going to
sound a lot better with $500 receiver than a $5000 receiver (or
processor and amp) with a $500 speaker. Speakers are also about
application, no one speaker works best in a given environment.
This is also true of video as well. Some people buy a TV and then buy a video processor or receiver with a video processing built in to try and get a better picture. Instead of the video processor or a more expensive receiver with video processing buy a better TV. Al Flat panels are not the same and neither are projectors and screens. And just like speakers some will be better depending on environment. For instance Plasma gives the best picture quality. Sorry, but its true they beat LED-LCD. But, LED-LCD is much brighter and would be a better choice in a room with a lot of light.
So let us help you experience the best from your system.
10/13/2012 - When did reviewers become experts? I am not talking about professional reviews done by qualified personnel. I am talking about reviewers from internet sites like Amazon, Best Buy and the many other internet stores as well as forums. Do you know these site can delete bad reviews! I've seen it happen on website many times. A bad review comes up then a few days later it is gone. I don't think this happens with Amazon or other retailers but I am weary of companies that sell their own products online.
Even reviewers for sites like C/Net and Consumer Reports do not have anyone with education and experience in audio or video. They might get to play with different products but not knowing how to calibrate, measure or knowledge of acoustics/ video still have no idea how these product can perform in a given situation.
I have had a few instances lately where people will say but Amazon or whoever says it has great reviews. Why shouldn't I buy that? Usually it comes down to two reasons. One, it is not the right product for your application. I see this bad advice all the time on the forums. Someone says they want to upgrade speakers and all these suggestions start rolling in without knowing this person's layout or how those speakers will interact in his room. Video is just as bad.
The other reason is their reference. For instance we installed a customer supplied speaker sound bar that he bought even after we recommended a different system. He was happy with the purchase. However, for me it was the absolute worst sounding sound bar I have ever heard and you could definitely do better for less money. Why was he happy? Because it sounded better than his tinny TV speakers. That is his reference and the reviews online said it was great.
Know your reviewers! Do you know if they know anything about audio or video? Do you know if they have any formal education in acoustics? Home Theater design? Video? Calibrations? Control System? Etc.?
It boggles my mind why people trust someone they don't know. Have no idea of that persons experience or knowledge but take their word like it is gold. So while I am on roll about this. Let me add another pet peeve. Professional reviewers such as trade magazines or online trade sites. It is hard to find a bad review of many products in these magazines or sites. You often have to read between the lines to get subtle cues on a products performance. They can't all be good. If it stinks and you would never recommend it, then say so. I doubt this would happen as these publications are paid for by advertisers so they make their comments very subtle.
We are the same way. I won't bad mouth a product on our web site. It is just not good Ju-Ju and bad business practice. We may like some of that companies other products. I will highlight the good ones. However, if you really want to know what's the worst sound bar I have heard or my thoughts on a particular product pick up the phone and call. I might not say things publicly such as on a website but I will give you my experiences with a particular product if you ask and I do give recommendations for products even if it is not ones we sell.
9/2/2012 - Home Theater In a Box (HTiB) - Not my favorite items. They are usually not that good and a separate system typically blows them out of the water. The problem is they are often put together by companies that's don't specialize in anything. If you want good speakers use an audio company not one that makes camcorders, telephones, audio components, etc. Anyway, even though I am not a big fan of HTiB sometimes they fit a budget. If you are spending more than $1000 don't go the HTiB route get something decent. Here are some recommendations for the HTiB.
Onkyo HT-S9400 THX MSRP $999 - If you want seven channels of surround sound there is nothing that comes close to this performance at this price. We can't match it with separate components. If you are only doing 5 speakers than we can we put together a better system but not 7 speakers.
Onkyo HT-S6500 MSRP $699 - For a 5.1 system this is tough to beat. If you can step up to this over the Yamaha the speakers are definitely and improvement. The receiver is not as good but I would rather have better speakers for performance.
Yamaha BDX-610 $699 - A decent 5.1 speakers system with a Blu-Ray player built in. The speakers or receiver aren't as good as the Onkyo but you get a Blu-ray player and the small form factor will work well for some.
Yamaha YHT-497 - MSRP $479 - A decent 5.1 speakers with a good receiver.
Some general comments on others
Samsung - Junk. Blu-ray player stinks, many compatibility problems. Speakers are terrible.
LG - Too expensive. Better if sticking to my choices.
Bose - TOO EXPENSIVE! Way overpriced for any of their systems or speakers. You can kill it in performance for a lot less. You are paying for the name and the marketing not performance.
Philips, RCA, Coby, Sharp, Pioneer, Panasonic - Too Cheap in quality. Everything stinks on these. You just can't get a good receiver, Blu-ray player, 5 speakers and subwoofer for a few hundred dollars and expect performance. We all want a Mercedes for the price of Yugo, Ok we'd be happy with a Kia for the price of a Yugo. But you get what you pay for, stay out of the bargain basement. If you only have have a few hundred buck a good stereo system would be a better choice. Something like Yamaha's mini systems would be fine.
9/1/2012 - Big Screen TVs. I mean Big! Football season and sports can't be beat on a big screen, movies are better on a big screen, everything is better on a big screen. Have you ever considered a projector? A 110" high contrast electric screen and projector for less than the price of cheap 70" flat screen (~$2500). Seriously, the new brighter projectors and high contrast screens make putting a projector in places we would have never considered 5 years ago unless you were willing to spend a small fortune.
Like everything else prices have come down to make this feasible and once you go to a projector you aren't going back to a small screen. You just see so much more with a large screen, every detail. You can even read the disclaimers on ads, what the people are eating in the stands. You probably have high definition now get something that shows it off!
6/16/2012 - Will 'Showrooming' kill businesses? Here is an article by CNN.
http://www.cnn.com/2012/06/17/opinion/greene-showrooming/index.html
Duh! It already has. Let's see locally there was Tweeter, Circuit City, Comp USA, Ultimate Electronics, Best Buy is not done yet but they are closing stores. Never mind all the mom and pop stores that no longer exist today. This is happening in almost every industry not just electronics. Best Buy has said publicly they are tired of being Amazon's showroom.
We started building an appointment only showroom but have since stopped. It is above Rich's garage and is already framed, wired, heated, etc. It just needs finish work, furnishings and equipment. But, we have decided at this time it is probably not worth it for many of the reasons in the article. Granted our overhead would be much smaller than something that is manned. But all the other costs still add up.
Our showroom would not be a display of products to compare. We know which products perform better, we work with them all the time. It would be a place where you could experience a reference quality home theater. Which very few people have had the pleasure.
I know many that we have talked to say they would like to see it. The best demos we do currently is when we set up a temporary system in your house and let you see how it performs in your environment. People seem to love trying stuff at home. So the big question is... Would a showroom be a benefit to our business?
Let us know what you think. You can call or email us or just leave a comment on facebook.
6/16/2012 - The forest from the trees. The new TVs suck for sound. They are so thin you they can't fit any decent sized speakers inside them and what they can fit doesn't even aim at the listening area. They aim at the wall behind the TV. So no wonder we hear a lot of complaints about the poor audio of these TVs. For the person that doesn't want wires ran around there room for surround sound what can be done that is reasonably priced. Let's say less than $500.
This is where people get lost. They often turn to these surround bars to solve the problem. There are some good surround bars which give decent surround sound by bouncing sound off your walls. To get a decent on of these you are looking at $1000 or more. The cheaper ones are just that cheap and don't sound very good.
Well for under $500 consider a nice pair of speakers and an inexpensive receiver. The stereo sound will give much better sound than a surround bar in this price range. It will simply crush it for sound quality. Plus it is expandable! So if you want to build your system gradually you can do it. You can add more speakers and subwoofers if you want in the future.
We of course have suggestions for these small systems. If your main goal is sound quality than don't get lost in the sea of cheap surround bars.
6/6/2012 - Whew!! We have been having problems with the company that hosted our server over the last several months. It started earlier this year when anyone with Verizon for internet service we could not receive or send emails. That was corrected. The last couple of months we have had difficulty accessing our website and may not have been updated even though I had try uploading the updates.
To make a long story short. Monday they called and said they were going out of business. They said they would be closed by the end of the month. Well, yesterday we had no email and our website was down. We called of course and they said their servers were physically being removed and everything is done.
I spent ALL day yesterday until 12:30 this morning getting the website and email back up onto on another company's hosting server. What a pain! Anyway, everything should be running smoothly again including posts to Facebook. If anyone tried sending us an email and we didn't respond please send it again. I think we have lost a lot of emails with the other company.
4/24/2012 - Application!!! No we are not accepting applications. I'm referring to buying the right equipment for your application. I just had a consult with a couple that spent over $8000 on a system and they are not happy with it. It was bought at Magnolia. For those of you that don't know Magnolia used to be a chain which sold higher end equipment. Best Buy bought them and some of the Best Buy stores have a 'Magnolia' section which still sells some of these nicer brands that aren't available in their regular stores. The Manchester CT store has a Magnolia section.
So this couple bought speakers that are very nice but they are not being used in the manner they were designed. If they were used in the manner they were intended they would sound fine. For speakers to sound good they need to aim toward the listeners. They also need to be placed in a good acoustic area. For example speakers in corners are not a good spot for the best sound.
Don't buy an in-ceiling speaker which points down if you are not going to be under it. Get a speaker which will aim at your listening area. Sounds simple but this simple thing is often overlooked. This couple has a system with very nice speakers but none of them are aiming at them. Great speaker in the wrong application equals poor sound.
You get the point, so now for the shameless plug. We do on site consultations, often for free. We give recommendations on equipment that will work well for your application. We are not box pushers, we don't try to just sell you something. We offer audio and video solutions for your situation. Consider calling us next time before you go shopping, even if you don't get anything from us you will get a better idea what you really need.
4/6/2012 - Some updates. We pretty much stopped selling TVs. It is strictly a business decision. TVs were never a big part of our business as we have always focused on projector and audio systems. If you are looking at a higher end TV I'd still give us a call. We are happy to give recommendations on what's good to buy. With the price wars product are being made cheaper and cheaper, there is a LOT of junk if you don't know what you are looking for and only shopping price.
We are considering opening a retail store and have been keeping our eyes open for a good spot. We are crunching all the numbers to see if this would work.
iPads and other iDevices for remotes. Here are my thoughts. We have tested a number of these devices and so far haven't found any we like. It just doesn't beat a dedicated device. There are some dedicated devices which can also use an iDevice. We find this a great solution.
The reason is there are too many problems with iDevices alone. First they have to go through your network. If there is a problem with the network your remote doesn't work. Second an App or iDevice does an update you have to reconfigure your remote, we have had several service calls for this. Third while being cool it is just not as easy to use overall. Let's say your surfing the web while watching TV. You have to stop surfing, open up the remote app and then change the channel or whatever you want to do with the remote. Then go back to surfing.
The best solution is get an inexpensive remote which can also be accessed through an iDevice, it might be a little more expensive than the iDevice alone but worth it. That way you can always use the iDevice but if you get into trouble you can still control your system with the basic remote. Many of you will discover it is just easier with the basic remote anyway.
12/13/2011 - "I won't be able to tell the difference between a good and better system, you have to be an enthusiast to tell." I hear something like this quite frequently and I feel like throwing a penalty flag and saying BS, I'm calling the BS flag on you. If I show you two TVs side by side 100% of you will pick the better one, I guarantee it. This is true about projectors, speakers, etc. You do not have to be a videophile or an audiophile to know when something looks or sounds better. It doesn't take an expert to tell the quality difference between a Chevy and a Cadillac.
If you are looking at something and it is more than you want to spend then say so, we won't be offended. We'll either recommend something in your price range or tell you to look elsewhere like Walmart or Costco. If we don't sell something there is a reason. Sometimes we don't sell something because we can't compete with some of the discount pricing. Other times it might be because its performance stinks, doesn't integrate with other components well, or its reliability is not the best. We don't like service calls.
But please don't tell us you won't be able to tell a difference.
11/30/2011 - I answered some questions below about what I thought was the best at that time for various products. With the holidays upon us and TVs being on many people's list, the question I get most frequently is... What is the cheapest TV I should get? OK the cheap TVs advertised on Black Friday were just that, CHEAP! Great prices on bottom of the barrel TVs. They didn't seem to have any of the middle or higher end TVs at great prices. But there are deals to be found. Here are some I would recommend if you are shopping for a TV. You can call us for pricing but in all honesty there are some really good discounts out there we can't match. Here you go, good quality TVs at reasonable prices.
Bargain Hunters: 42" Panasonic TC-P42S30, 50" or 60" LG 50PV450 or 60PV450 respectively.
Great Value: LG LW5300 series, they come in 42", 47" and 55" sizes. Some are being bundled with a Blu-ray player and 4 pairs of glasses. When looking at 3D TVs check out the prices of the glasses. These 3D glasses can be found on Amazon for $10 for 2 pairs. Plus they don't use batteries or have to be charged like many of the other 3D TV glasses. The ones that use batteries or need to be charged cost $80-$200 per pair.
11/24/2011 - A 4 letter word in audio. Bose. This brands has more recognition than just about any other brands. But here are some facts that make them 4 letter words.
Bose - the best audio. Choke..choke..cough...cough. Are people delusional? Have they ever really compared Bose side by side with other brands? Bose dealer agreements don't allow direct comparison , so probably not. Bose has good service if you have a problem so I like to give accolades when deserved. But good sound is not there forte, cute speakers are. There are many other speakers that sound better for less money.
11/4/2011 - Improving sound for the hearing impaired. Many people that are hearing impaired often complain they can't hear the dialogue. We call this dialogue intelligibility and this is very important for enjoyment of your system. Your doctor or audiologist might be able to tell you what frequencies you have problems, but it is unlikely they can tell you how to set up your equipment for better dialogue intelligibility. The hearing impaired also have problems with background noise. They have trouble with conversations in a restaurant and when watching TV with background noises in the program they are watching.
What can be done improve dialogue intelligibility for the hearing impaired or to just get better audio? Many things actually but probably the single biggest improvement is adding an audio system. I know I sound like a salesman and while that is part of our business this has nothing to do with increasing sales. I understand many of you don't care about surround sound with sound all around you or explosions to rattle your home. The main reason to add an audio system is TV speakers suck!
The thinner they make TVs the smaller the speakers get and the more trouble they have placing them in the TV. Many TV speakers aim towards the bottom of the TV or towards the wall behind the TV. So now you have tiny speakers that aren't going to give good sound and they don't even aim at the listener. Like I said TV speakers suck!
Other things that can help improve sound for the hearing impaired are proper set up of the speakers, equalization to emphasize dialogues and diminish background noise, and reduce reflections in the room by various methods.
So instead of turning up the volume to try and hear the dialogue consider getting a good audio system.
8/24/2011 - Wireless. We get this question frequently. Do you have wireless speakers? Can't you just use wireless to send the signal to my TV? There is a problem with wireless in general, you still need wires for power. Wireless devices like laptops, phones, iPads are great but they all require batteries to power them. So let's look at the items we get asked about frequently.
Wireless connections to the TV: They do exist and are a bit pricey >$600 currently. But you still need power to the TV. And if we need to get power to the TV it is not a problem to run the wires for the other connections at the same time.
Wireless Speakers: Unless they have batteries, speakers still need to be powered. You wouldn't want to change batteries or recharge your speakers every day either. There are some solutions for getting the signal wirelessly to an amplifier that can be placed closer to the speakers. You still need speaker wires from the amplifier to the speakers. This solution works if it is not easy to get wires from the audio components to the speakers, for example the surround speakers are often on the other side of the room. Cost is usually about $400 per pair of speakers.
Wireless Subwoofer: Probably the easiest to do as many subwoofers are placed on the floor and need to be plugged into the wall for power. It is easy to add a wireless box to get the audio signal to the subwoofer from the audio receiver. Price is about $140 per subwoofer.
In general wires are just better and usually less expensive. You don't have to worry about interference, the wireless devices slowing down your WiFi or losing sync.
7/24/2011 - I haven't written anything on the blog in a while. I got a new laptop and have been transferring all our files and programs over to the new one. I'm using a new web editor and finally getting around to updating the website and blog.
How much should I spend on each component of a system? This obviously can vary a lot but I do see some mismatched systems. The question should be where will I get the most performance for the money. As a very general rule spend equally on video and audio. I see people with expensive TVs but a $300 home theater in a box from Walmart. Let's say we have a $2500 budget, I'd brake it down like this.
20% ($500) - Control and accessories (cables, etc). REMOTE CONTROL! This is probably the most important piece in your system and it is the piece you are going to use every time you use the system. Why keep a half dozen remotes on the table and have a difficult system to use. I don't understand people spending thousands on a system and not a little more to make it easy to use. Decent remotes start at about $100, and $250 gives a nice color screen remote. The more complicated systems need more sophisticated remotes.
40% ($1000) - Video. The bulk of this should be on the TV, say $800 on the TV and $200 on a Blu-ray player.
40% ($1000) - Audio. With Audio the most important component is the room! If you have a contemporary/ modern room with a lot of hard surfaces, widows, hardwood floors, etc. you might consider moving more of that budget to the video. The best speakers in the world will not sound good in a racquetball court. If your room has that much echo you are wasting your money on audio if you aren't going to do anything to help the room.
Since most people not having a dedicated area are unlikely to spend much on acoustically treating the room, speakers is where the bulk of your audio budget should go. Forget the audio receiver with the latest whizz bang features. A $300 receiver with $700 speakers will give MUCH better sound quality than a $700 receiver with $300 speakers. Spend 2-3x on the speakers than the receiver.
4/20/2011 - New federal law. Apparently, if you have a blog you have to disclose whether you are receiving any compensation from any companies that you mention in your blog. It seems blogs are going to be more regulated than advertising. Like there was ever really truth in advertising. Anyway, here is our disclaimer. We receive nothing, nada, zero compensation from any companies we mention in the blog. We don't get any free samples or anything at discounted rates below our normal dealer cost. There is now a blog disclosure at the bottom of this page which will show any compensation we receive from manufacturers for mentioning their products or services in our blog. It will also be disclosed in the related blog entry.
3/17/2011 - What's the best? I get asked this all the time; "What's the best TV, speakers, etc?". Unfortunately it is never an easy answer. There are always at least two questions I have to ask before I can give a good recommendation. The two questions are:
1. How is it going to be used? Currently a high end plasma will give the best picture quality. However, if this is going to be in a bright room with big windows, lots of light and used in the daytime I would never recommend a plasma. They are just not bright enough to overcome the lighting in that room. What application you are using applies to almost every piece of audio or video gear before one can give a good recommendation can be given, Speakers, projectors, amplifiers, remotes, etc.
2. How much do you want to spend? I talked about budget in my last blog but I think in the current consumer market sometimes people do not have an idea what the best costs. It is like asking what's the best car and you have been looking car in the $30,000 range and someone tells you the best is a Bentley or Bugatti.
With that being said here is some of my top picks in various categories. Prices vary and change frequently especially on TVs! So call if interested.
TVs:
Plasma: Panasonic VT30 series Plasmas
LCD: LG LW6500 Series LED-LCD.
Speakers, depends a lot on application but here are some of my favorites:
Bookshelf Speaker: Episode Monitor 700. We compared these to a $1600 pair of speakers and a $5000 pair and it was a lot closer to the $5000 model and was significantly better than the $1600 model. At $300 each MSRP I don't think there is a better value in speakers, period.
Best Small Speaker: Genelec 6010A with 5040A subwoofer. For the people that don't want to give up sound for a small aesthetic size. For small speakers these are just WOW! Active speakers are awesome!
Blu-Ray Player: LG BD670 Wireless internet connection with many streaming services. Easy setup and use.
Surround Sound Receiver: Yamaha Aventage Series. They are worth the extra over the regular series, better features, better sounds, longer warranty.
Projector: Epson 9700 - Comes with spare lamp, ceiling mount, cable cover for hiding cables, and 3 year warranty. There are better projectors and less expensive projectors but this is my favorite. It is at the point of diminishing returns, you can spend more and improvement only improves slightly but has big improvement over the lesser priced models. The 8700 would also be a consideration if you want a lesser warranty and no accessories but frankly I think the 9700 offers a better value with everything considered and isn't much more street price.
Remote: URC MX-880 - Color screen, favorite channels, great button layout and less than half the price of a touch screen remote.
1/16/2011 - Budget. Everybody has a budget and it is one of the most difficult things to discuss with a client. I'm not sure why but many are often reluctant to let us know how much they wish to spend. I know we all want the Ferrari for the price of a Hyundai and we all want a good deal but what is your bottom line. We will come under your budget and our pricing is already very competitive and you get a system designed for you to meet your specific application. But, if your budget is $3000 and you only tell us $2000 then we are going to design a system based off of $2000.
You are not going to get that type of service at a big box store or the internet. We don't do add ons, we sell systems. We will not sell you a system and then say you need cables, extended warranties, etc. Everything is already included and we don't sell items we do not think are necessary. We rarely sell extended warranties as most of our equipment already comes with 3 or more year warranties and rarely do we think the extra cost of an extended warranty is justified. Sometimes a client might want more and we can provide that if they prefer but rarely do we think it is necessary and we have never included it in a system or tried to add it on just to increase our profit.
12/27/2010 - 3D TVs are they the future? I don't know how well 3D is going to catch on and if it will ever be mainstream that most of the television programming will be in 3D. At the moment I predict not, but I have been wrong before. The reasons I don't think we'll be watching CSI in 3D, is glasses. I'm not sure everyone wants to put on a pair of glasses to watch their favorite TV show. I know ESPN has a 3D channel, I just don't picture a lot of people watching the game with their glasses on. I doubt it would happen at a Superbowl party. I know they are trying to develop 3D that doesn't require glasses, if that happens I might change my opinion.
Another reason currently is cost. 3D TVs cost more and the glasses are typically $150 or more each. I do predict that they will get less expensive in the future and early adopters always pay a premium for the latest and greatest. The good thing about spending more for a 3D TV is they tend to be top of the line models and also have the best 2D picture as well.
Quality of 3D is a concern but so far every display I've seen with 3D is significantly better than the 3D you see at the theater. The only issue is size, to get that immersive effect you need a bigger screen. This is true for 2D as well but seems more so for 3D. A good projector system is the way to go if it works for your room, again true for 3D and 2D.
11/27/2010 - Is price hurting quality? Everybody wants the lowest price and there appears to be a race to the bottom. I don't know how often I get asked 'What's your best price on a 50 inch TV (or whatever size)'. Years ago people use to ask my opinion on what's the best TV and they were willing to spend a little more for better quality. I was just looking at prices on 50" plasma models. There are some for less than $600 and higher end models for well over $3000. Is the higher end one better? Of course it is and you don't need to be an expert to look at the two and see the difference. But is the cheap model good enough for most? Is it worth spending a few hundred more to get a better model?
Typically, the low end is just that the low end. The electronics market is very competitive and manufacturers are cutting more and more corners everyday to meet the consumer's quest for the lowest price. I suggest sticking with a respected brand and going two or more levels from the bottom. The cheapest TV might look 'good enough' to many, but do you want it to last? Spending a little more often means better quality parts as well as improved performance. This is true of many things not just TVs and electronics.
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