Does Jessica Simpson speak for you?

In heavy rotation on television now is a DirecTV commercial featuring Jessica Simpson. Reprising her role as Daisy Duke, she touts the benefits of digital broadcast, and the advantages of DirecTV’s high definition signal –- the primary benefit being able to see Ms. Simpson’s body in greater detail.

This post isn’t the discuss the pros and cons of DirecTV, but rather the attitude articulated in Ms. Simpson’s lines.

“DirecTV broadcasts in 1080i. I don’t know what that means, but I totally want it.”

I suspect that sentiment underlies more consumer electronics than anyone’s willing to admit. Do more megapixels make a digital camera better? Is an 80GB iPod better than a 30GB one? Is a 60" flat-panel display better than a 50" one? Is a 100 watt sound system better than a 50 watt one?

The answer to all of these is simply “it depends.” It depends on what your needs are, it depends on what your performance expectations are, and it depends on what aspects of picture taking/music listening/TV viewing/sound reproduction are important to you.

Because in each of the examples above, the best choice is not necessarily the biggest. Do you really know what you want, or are you more like Jessica Simpson? There are plenty of on-line resources to explain the ins and out of consumer electronics features. A little time spent in research can make a big difference when you’re ready to purchase.

Imagine going into a store and saying, “I don’t know what 1080i means, but I totally want it.” You’ll probably be sold something –- and it may actually have a 1080i display. But would you know if it didn’t?

Have a safe and happy holiday!

- Ralph

And if you've inferred that 1080i –- whatever that is -— is the non plus ultra, click here.

Two little words

The shopping frenzy continues to ramp up as Christmas day draws closer. The most recent Target flier has a great gift suggestion, and an example to illustrate the importance of careful consideration before the sale –- even on Christmas Eve!

On sale now is the Memorex flat-screen TV/DVD/VCR combo for $199.88. For a dorm room, or other small spaces (like our front room) it’s a great idea. The price is right, and Memorex is a reputable brand, so I think anyone who purchased this looking for a simply TV combo player would be happy.

Unless, that is, the buyer was confused by the similarity of two little words.

"screen" vs. "panel"

LCD and plasma TVs are known as “flat-panel” displays. Most traditional CRT (cathode ray tube) TVs use curved glass. About the time flat-panel technologies hit the market, higher end CRT sets were being made with flat screens, which helped reduce glare and distracting reflections.

Flat-panel displays are in high demand. CRT sets –- even those with flat-screen displays -– not so much.

Flat-panel is an accurate and commonly accepted term for LCD and plasma displays, and flat-screen is the same for a certain kind of cathode ray tube. And therein lies the potential for confusion.

If you’re not sure of the difference between “flat-panel” and “flat-screen,” there are some other clues you can use to determine what this set actually is. Flat-panel TVs, even small ones, are still relatively expensive, while CRT sets are dirt cheap. The price suggests this might be a CRT set. The full-front shot in Target’s flyer can make this look like a flat-panel TV, but their website image, which is slightly angled, gives you an idea that it’s a tube TV (it’s also why I went with the photo I did for this post).

Even –- or rather especially -– when you’re last-minute shopping, take the time to make sure what you’re purchasing is really what you think it is.

If you want a compact all-in-one video player, then you (or your gift recipient) should be happy with this Memorex TV. If, however, you just rush in and grab this off the shelf, equating “flat-panel” with “flat-screen,” then you may have an unpleasant surprise when you open that box.

- Ralph

Dust-catching DVDs

Best Buy, Circuit City, Target, Wal-Mart -- all of them prominently feature DVDs in their consumer electronics fliers. So now the time has come to tie together our threads on collecting and shopping together.

How many DVDs do you really need to own? Personal question, true, but one not everyone asks. Some of my friends want to own every movie they see. Even after several years, they're still in the accumulation phase of collecting. Sure, they've got hundreds of movies, but how many get viewed more than once or twice?

These are collections that are stuck in the accumulation phase, with a list of titles that's wide but shallow. Do you really need to own Steve Martin's "Pink Panther" or Jim Carrey's "Fun with Dick and Jane?" Sure, they're both on sale now at Target but, really, how many times to you expect to revisit these gems?

While there are some DVDs I consider important to own, it’s a fairly small list. For a title to enter my collection, it has to be something I know I'll want to view in whole or in parts at least ten times or more. It should also be something that's not readily available. For everything else, there's Netflix.

And that's where collecting and gift buying come together. Unless you know your intended gift recipient is really burning for a copy of "Geisha," (another title on sale in said Target flier), a gift subscription to Netflix might be a better choice. As we move more towards Web 2.0 (more on that another post), the tradeoff between owning something of marginal interest and being able to access it when needed will continue to grow in importance when considering a purchase.

I'm glad I own the Kino release of "Metropolis." I've revisit it with some frequency, and I continue to find new insights with each viewing. "Pirates of the Caribbean?"

I can wait three days for the Netflix envelope to arrive.
- Ralph

The informed shopper and Black Friday

So how did you do the day after Thanksgiving? Many people were there when the doors opened at 5:00 AM, and many departed with some kind of consumer electronics. In fact, the CE category was the big winner this year.

Reading anecdotal stories from various newspapers across the country, it seems few people thought out their purchases (beyond price). The most common purchases seemed to be flat-panel TVs, DVD players, MP3 players and game consoles -- all basically stand-alone items.

In the Bloomberg story I've linked to above, one shopper reports that "[she] bought a 42- inch Panasonic plasma TV for $1,000 at a Best Buy Co. store the day after Thanksgiving. The set was marked down from $1,700 and was "my gift to me."

I wonder if any research went into that purchase. If not, there may be some unpleasant surprises in store. Expect to mount it on a wall? The wall mount is a separate purchase -- expect to spend around $100 or so. Gonna just put it on your current A/V stand? Hope it isn't particle board -- that TV weighs about 69 lbs.

And if you're going to mount it on the wall, its best to get someone who knows what they're doing. If the mount isn't anchored to studs that set's going to take a spectacular nose-dive to the floor.

How about the rest of her gear? GIGO (Garbage In, Garbage Out) applies to video as well. If she's only getting standard analog broadcasts (or the equivelant from cable or satellite), then its gonna have the same poor resolution -- only it will be easier to see how bad it really is. While the set does have a built-in tuner for over the air digital broadcasts, without the proper reciever and connections, her cable service or satellite TV digital signal will be downcoverted -- and look like her plain old analog broadcasts.

It could be that she was prepared for all that, and everything's fine. But my rule of thumb is this: if it costs more than $20.00, its too expensive to qualify as an impulse purchase.

- Ralph

PlayStation 3 and the Fourth Circle of Hell

Ken’s recent rant about consumerism and the antics at the PlayStation 3 lines got me thinking about Dante’s “Inferno.” In Canto VII, the poet runs across the hoarders and the wasters in the fourth circle of hell. They’re locking in perpetual combat, never realizing that they are two sides of the same coin. Dante’s guide Virgil remarks:

"Now canst thou, Son, behold the transient farce
Of goods that are committed unto Fortune,
For which the human race each other buffet;

For all the gold that is beneath the moon,
Or ever has been, of these weary souls
Could never make a single one repose."

So we have people waiting in line for two days to purchase a PlayStation 3 – in order to immediately put it on Ebay. Is it really essential to get the very first PlayStation 3? How much above retail price is it worth?

I admit I never really understood the importance of being the very first one to get the hot new gadget. In my experience, it takes a generation or two to work all the bugs out – and by that time the item is much improved, and far more reasonably priced.

Consider the iPod. The first ones held 5GB and cost $400. That’s less than the $250 8GB iPod nano holds now. Anyone who stood in line for one of those first generation iPods still have them? How about the original “Tickle Me Elmo” or even the first xBox?

In another post I’ll tackle the thorny concept of collecting vs. hoarding, but this holiday season as the ad campaigns ramp up to full strength, I’ll just ask that you take a moment to ponder your “must-have” item from last year. Do you even remember what it was? Do you still have it? Is it still absolutely essential to your health and happiness?

It’s easy – especially with consumer electronics – to get caught up in the acquisition of things. And if something makes us fleetingly happy, well surely an even bigger one will make us happier still. Dante’s hoaders tried to hold onto everything that came their way in life, accumulating as much as possible. The wasters appeared to be the opposite, frittering away all they had for momentary diversions.

But consider this: as we gather more and more cool gadgets around us, maxing out our credit cards in the process, are we hoarders, or wasters, or both? And, while we may subscribe to the philosophy that “Whoever dies with the most toys wins,” we may want to ask what exactly the prize is. Can a PlayStation 3, a Nintendo Wii or even a Zune buy our weary souls repose?

- Ralph

The Gift of Magnavox

Let's continue our tour of that big box flyer. On the facing page from the Tivo® and Sony items is a Magnavox 15" LCD TV for the nice price of $249. Stand-alone, or contextural gift?

There was a magic time when any TV would have been a basically stand-alone gift. A television is a self-contained unit, and the only real consideration was the space requirements. Even with more displays being incorporated into home theater systems, a TV (especially a small one like this) is basically a stand-alone gift.

For most folks, this would be great secondary TV. I can see it being used in a den, beach house, dorm room or guest room.

In the olden days, a TV was a TV -- not so much anymore, and it's those fine considerations that may make this contextural for a minority of shoppers. In 2009 broadcasters will switch over to digital broadcasting. The frequencies of all stations will change, as will the aspect ratio of the pictures broadcast. This is part of that HDTV thing we've heard so much about.

Our little Magnavox here has a 4:3 screen aspect ratio, so images broadcast today fit nicely. In 2009, everything will be sent 16:9, or "widescreen." If letterboxing isn't a viewing issue with the recipient, then everything will be fine.

Near the base of the picture in the flyer is the little note "HD Ready." What does that mean? You can take the Magnavox LCD out of the box today, plug it in and it will pull in broadcast TV signals. "HD Ready" means that, in 2009, it will display the new digital signals, but it does not have a built-in tuner to receive them. An outboard HDTV tuner will be necessary.

Now this may not be much of a problem. I suspect most of these little Magnavoxes will spend their operational lives hooked up to cable or a satellite box, so this won't be an issue. If you're thinking of buying it for a weekend home that has neither cable nor satellite service, then you'll probably have to purchase an additional HDTV tuner somewhere down the road.

Still, this is mostly a stand-alone gift.

And finally, running down Ken's shopping rules:
#1 - If they specifically ask for this Magnavox 15" LCD, fine. This is one item that you can reasonably substitute another brand of LCD for, though (I'd make sure its the same screen size, though).
#2 - If you are going to substitute, make it a brand you've heard of. There's a reason why no-name brands are soooo much cheaper -- and your recipient won't want to find out why the hard way.
#3 - For the right person, $249 for a TV isn't a bad price at all.

- Ralph

The Gift of Sony

Let's continue our stroll through a big box retailer's flyer. Next to the TiVo® DVR is the Sony S2 1GB Sports® Walkman® MP3 player. For someone who runs, walks or otherwise works out, this could be a great gift. It uses embedded memory, so there's no moving parts to jostle.

One gigabyte is enough room to store a decent amount of music -- especially if the device is used primarily for workouts. The S2 also has an FM tuner, and some exercise-oriented features, such as a pedometer, stopwatch and calorie counter.

So is it a stand-alone or a contextural gift?

It could be considered stand-alone. You can take it out the box, turn on the FM tuner and go for a job. When we look at the digital music side of it, though, it becomes contextural -- and in a way that gives most people headaches.

According to the specs, the S2 plays "MP3, ATRAC3, ATRAC3plus™, WMA(non-DRM), AAC (non-DRM)." If you're not familiar with the byzantine workings of Digital Rights Management (DRM), you can be creating a lot of work for your gift recipient. Let's break it down.

MP3 format is the one format just about any player can use. CDs transferred to your computer from your personal collection can be saved in this form (if the CDs don't have some kind of malicious DRM). Many bands on MySpace and other websites also use this format.

ATRAC3 is a Sony format that they've unsuccessfully tried to force on the public. For a while Sony digital music players ONLY played ATRAC files, requiring you to convert everything to this format in a long, slow transfer process. The Sony CONNECT™ Music online store uses this format -- which is why you can't use songs bought from CONNECT on other brands of players -- only Sony players can play ATRAC files.

WMA files are Microsoft's proprietary answer to the MP3 format. WMA files can be played on any Windows-based player, which is just about everyone except Apple. Music purchased from most online music stores are "protected" WMA files, which means they have DRM added to limit their use.

AAC format is the one used by Apple, and is the format songs purchased from the iTunes store come in. As with other online stores, DRM is added to the files to limit thier usage.

Note that the S2 can play non-DRM WMA and AAC files. What does that mean? It can't play any files in those formats if the songs were purchased from an online music store. Here's another little twist. While Sony's grudgingly allowed MP3 files onto their players, all other file formats have to be converted to ATRAC3 before they can be transferred to the player.

This is why only non-DRM WMA and AAC files can be used. The DRM prevents file format conversion (or at least makes it inconvinient). If the recipient has a lot of music purchased from iTunes,http://beta.blogger.com/img/gl.link.gif they will not be able to use them with the S2. If they prefer Windows Media Player and have bought songs from Napster, URGE, Rhapsody and most of the other online stores, those songs also will be incompatible.

This is a heavily contextural gift. If the recipient hasn't really gotten into digital music and exercises, the S2 would be a great choice. If they already download a lot of music, it might be better to consider another embedded memory player that's compatible with the bulk of their library -- either the iPod shuffle if their iTunes customers, or perhaps a Creative Labs Zen V if they're not.

And finally, running down Ken's shopping rules:
#1 - If they specifically as for the S2 Sports Walkman, get it. If not, do some research about what format their digital music's already in.
#2 - Sony's name denotes a family of products -- not just the old portable cassette player. Make sure you've got the right "Sony Walkman"
#3 - The S2 is very reasonably priced (about $120) especially now that its on sale.

- Ralph

The Gift of TiVo®

Now that we've laid out the ground rules, let's go shopping. I just got another flyer from a big box store in the mail (it won't be the last), and featured on the front page is the new TiVo 80-hour box.

TiVo virtually created the demand for digital video recorders, and despite other entries into the field, remains the best service. TiVo customers tend to be loyal and fanatical — and not because of hype, but because of the smooth functionality and integrated options of the system.

All this makes it a logical choice for that loved one who's really into TV. Be careful, though. I'd call this a contextural gift. The TiVo DVR is not a stand-alone device. Like a VCR, your gift recipient has to connect it to your incoming video source (cable or satellite TV), and then connect it to their TV. That's not a big deal — those are pretty straightforward connections. But are the cables to make those connections included? If not, they won't be able to use this on Christmas Day.

The TiVo system requires access to a phone line. The box makes daily calls (usually in the very early AM) back to TiVo to receive schedule and software updates. Two more questions: is the recipient's audio/video system near a phone jack? And if so, do they have the splitter and phone cord to make the connection?

Also, remember that TiVo is a subscription service. Without activation, the TiVo DVR is nothing more than a cool-looking paperweight. Again, not a big deal to get a subscription, but its a requirement for operation.

So this is a contextural gift because of the following:
Requires simple installation
Some location requirements
Potentially requires additional cables
Requires subscription

And running down Ken's rules
#1) If they ask for it, get it. If they don't, don't.
#2) Tivo is a well-known brand. Accept no substitutes
#2) This is in the $200 range, so definitely affordable. Remember to factor in the subscription.

Do you #1 or #2 when you shop?

While I was writing my last post that expands on my shopping theme, Ken chimed in. Ken's three points are dead on. To review:

Most people buying an MP3 player as a gift are going to consider three things:

1. What the person asked for.
2. What they've heard of.
3. What they can afford.

When #1 is locked up ("Grandma, I want a 4GB iPod nano") then there's no problem (unless #3 is an issue). I was thinking about cases where #1 is either vague or non-existent. If all you know is that your niece wants one of those portable music players, then #2 and #3 will determine your purchase. I'm thinking more of cases where #1 isn't even known.

For example. You have to buy something for your niece, but you have no idea what to get. Say, you've heard about those iPod thingys (#2). Well, you've heard all the kids seem to want one, so OK. Wow -- look at the price (#3)! At your favorite big-box retailer you find a no-name player that the clerk says is just as good as an iPod, and half the price. Another perfect gift! Or is it? That's the problem of a contextural gift.

As to Ken's concerns about iPod's hard drives -- that was a general statement. If you run, jog, mountain climb or do any other physical activity that regularly subjects a player (of any brand) to repeated shocks, it's best to go with one that uses embedded memory. Remember that hard drive players have a little spinning disc with a very small arm that has to track across it like the stereo LP players of olden time. While they're designed to handle occasional jarring, sustained impact could eventually misalign these moving parts and cause problems.

Orange plays again tonight. I think the second time they get flagged, the band should play Brittany Spears' "Oops, I Did It Again." Or maybe not.

- Ralph

Contextural gift-giving

I want to talk more about this daunting task of buying consumer electronics for presents. Before we plunge into the discussion, I'd like to offer a concept to help define the problem.

It seems to me there are two kinds of gifts: self-contained and contextural. A self-contained gift is just that -- one that works all by itself. Gloves are a great self-contained gift. So is the big tin filled with three different kinds of popcorn.

A contextural present is one that has to work with other items the recipient already owns. It could require additional things not provided with it to fill its function. A car stereo, for example, requires installation in a vehicle before you can enjoy it.

A contextural present also might be something that has to fit into an existing system. A first day of issue stamp might seem like a good gift for a stamp collector, but if the gift is a U.S. regular postage stamp, and his collection is European airmails, then contexturally it's not a good fit.

Most gifts fall somewhere along the spectrum between completely self-contained and totally conxtural. Take our above-mentioned example of gloves. While they're self-contained, they do need to fit with the rest of the recipient's outerwear. If the recipient normally wears black overcoats, then brown gloves may not be the best choice (but if its cold enough, I'll bet they get used anyway).

Gift cards are an excellent way to avoid the problems of context. Most local music collectors I know would rather get a gift card to Plan 9 Music than a loved one's best guess as to what they might like. Take someone who's really into the Beatles, for example. Their collection already include the studio albums (both US and UK versions), bootlegs, early recordings and so on. A greatest hits CD would be a poor contextural gift.

IMHO, understanding this difference between contextural and self-contained gifts is critical to selecting a consumer electronics present.

I'm starting to receive sale flyers in the mail, so next time we'll start looking at specific items. Feedback welcome!

- Ralph

Marching Memes 3 - and a new topic

Sorry, Ken. I've got to give you 2 out of 3 for your last post. "Imperial March" is a great addition to the list. "Green Acres" makes a valid marching meme -- the show hasn't been on for years, but everyone catches the reference.

I think any band that played "Three Blind Mice" after a call would earn their team a penalty of some kind, though. And besides, that's much too obvious. It may be a little on the subtle side, but Cory Hart's "I Wear My Sunglasses At Night" might sneak under the radar.

Orange has continued its losing streak. Maybe the band should play a little "Livin' On a Prayer" (Van Halen)? More additions are welcome. I'll compile a master list at the end of the season.

New Subject
So its that time of year again, and everyone's pitching consumer electronics as the perfect gift for your spouse/child/relative/coworker/paramour. But what would the perfect gift be? One of the problems with these kind of gifts is that they usually bring other unanticipated things to the table.

For example: an MP3 player for your pre-teen might seems like a good idea. All the kids have one. But when you purchase an MP3 player you kind of lock into a format. Is the recipient a big iTunes user? Those files only work on iPods. Get something else, and the recipient is looking a massive file conversion project. What about memory size? Get one too small, and its practically useless. Buy something with a hard drive for someone into running track, and you're giving them a player that will soon be on the fritz.

So, Ken (and loyal readers), what kind of consumer electronics device would make a great gift without requiring a lot of hookup or unpleasant incompatibility problems? Believe me, enquiring minds wants to know!
- Ralph