Other Gadgets (general gadgets)

[Grandmaster Shake]

Originally posted by dc_chef
I'm considering getting a plasma tv, probably lower end, around the 42" range. What are features that I should look for/consider? One thing that I would like is to be able to use digital cable, but to avoid using being tied to the digital converter box and its remote. I think that some newer tvs allow you to use their remotes for digital cable; is there a feature that allows this option? Any reasonably priced brands out there? Remember, I'm not looking for something that is top of the line, just a basic flat screen system.

Sorry to hijack, but just a warning on plasmas for any of you that live in higher elevations, particularly the intermountain west. At elevation, the compressed gases in most plasma televisions (xenon & neon?) will emit a constant, annoying humming sound. Of course, this is something you generally don't notice until you get the sucker home. Two of my friends here in Denver purchased plasma TVs last year, and both returned them within a week due to this problem. Supposedly the manufacturers are working on correcting the issue, but I would be wary in the meantime.

[bilmore]

Originally posted by Grandmaster Shake
At elevation, the compressed gases in most plasma televisions (xenon & neon?) will emit a constant, annoying humming sound.

That's just your wife. She's still pissed that you bought that horribly expensive TV. So, she hums, just like we used to do to the substitute teacher with the hearing aid. Drove her crazy - she kept tapping on the thing all day, looking puzzled.

[Replaced_Texan]

Originally posted by bilmore
That's just your wife. She's still pissed that you bought that horribly expensive TV. So, she hums, just like we used to do to the substitute teacher with the hearing aid. Drove her crazy - she kept tapping on the thing all day, looking puzzled.

I know a lot of anti-gadget women who are in love with plasma or LCD tvs because of the space saving. They actually lobby for the flat panels.

R(never anti-gadget)T

Originally posted by bilmore
...hums, just like we used to do to the substitute teacher with the hearing aid. Drove her crazy - she kept tapping on the thing all day, looking puzzled.

Brings back a funny memory, though off topic. In college I dated a girl who wore hearing aids. Most models have an IR reciever to pick up loop sound broadcast in theateres, etc. It also produces a wierd sound when you fire the TV (or any other IR) remote at it. It was a suprisingly effective way of getting her attention when her back was turned and she couldn't hear me calling, even with the aids on. I wonder if that's why she dumped me...

-epF

[Grandmaster Shake]

Originally posted by bilmore
That's just your wife. She's still pissed that you bought that horribly expensive TV. So, she hums, just like we used to do to the substitute teacher with the hearing aid. Drove her crazy - she kept tapping on the thing all day, looking puzzled.

My wife has done very little resembling "humming" since she received the rock.

[mmm3587]

Originally posted by Mmmm, Burger (C.J.)
Maybe I'm misunderstanding exactly what installation requires. But I would think you could cut two holes--one to go behind the TV and another right below it at floor level. TV (and cables) go into big hole behind tv. they come out the bottom where you can run them to the stereo. Fairly easy to patch afterwards, especially if you save the pieces of drywall you cut out.

But, yeah, if you want to hide the cables all around the room, well, fuck that idea.

Or, you could just wrap the two cables (really, just one component and the power cord) in fabric cable wrap or other similar product and run them down the wall to the floor. It's not the most elegant set-up, but is the fact that you can see the cables really a reason not to get a panel tv in a rental?

[Did you just call me Coltrane?]

Originally posted by Replaced_Texan
I know a lot of anti-gadget women who are in love with plasma or LCD tvs because of the space saving. They actually lobby for the flat panels.

R(never anti-gadget)T

If you can get rid of a 35 inch tube TV and its shelving unit and replace it with a wall-mounted plasma, you can drastically increase the size of your living space. Where space is scarce (in big cities), the additional space far outweighs the difference in $$ for the same size tube TV.

[NotFromHere]

Directv will begin broadcasting CBS in HD in the SF/LA markets on channel 81 beginning tomorrow.
Customers subscribing to the local channels will receive this.

And of course the Super Bowl is in HD.

[Atticus Grinch]

Let's say a person --- not me* --- was going to London for a week. Let's also say that Said Person needed an Internet connection for his laptop during this time. Said Person complains that dialing in from the hotel line is "too expensive." (Said Person usually stays at hotels that assume money is no object for the vast majority of their guests other than Said Person.)

What would you do to get the laptop connected to the net? Is there a service that provides Wi-Fi connectivity for travelers in London? We have an ISP account that has an international access number in the UK, so dialing into the ISP using a cell phone and modem is a possibility. But what would you do? Assume an ultra-fast connection is not as much a priority as price and short contract.

*Also, not Not Me.

[pony_trekker]

Originally posted by Atticus Grinch
Let's say a person --- not me* --- was going to London for a week. Let's also say that Said Person needed an Internet connection for his laptop during this time. Said Person complains that dialing in from the hotel line is "too expensive." (Said Person usually stays at hotels that assume money is no object for the vast majority of their guests other than Said Person.)

What would you do to get the laptop connected to the net? Is there a service that provides Wi-Fi connectivity for travelers in London? We have an ISP account that has an international access number in the UK, so dialing into the ISP using a cell phone and modem is a possibility. But what would you do? Assume an ultra-fast connection is not as much a priority as price and short contract.

*Also, not Not Me.

Have Said Person go to
Starubuck's Coffee
There are about 80 different T-Mobile hot spots.

[Atticus Grinch]

Originally posted by pony_trekker
Have Said Person go to
Starubuck's Coffee
There are about 80 different T-Mobile hot spots.

It's so crazy, it just might work!

Thanks. It never occurred to me that it would be the same network as the Starbucks downstairs. And across the street. And down the street. And down the street the other way, etc.

[NotFromHere]

World's largest subwoofer

[Mmmm, Burger (C.J.)]

Got tivo. Question: I want to record teh simpsons sunday night. But a season pass insists on recording it sunday, and monday, and tuesday, and wednesday, etc., at 6 and 11, because fox has the syndicated version. Much as I like the show, that's more than enough. Is there a way to get a season pass just to the sunday night show?

And "first run only" doesn't work, because the listings dont' designate the syndicated version as "repeats".

[notcasesensitive]

Originally posted by Mmmm, Burger (C.J.)
Got tivo. Question: I want to record teh simpsons sunday night. But a season pass insists on recording it sunday, and monday, and tuesday, and wednesday, etc., at 6 and 11, because fox has the syndicated version. Much as I like the show, that's more than enough. Is there a way to get a season pass just to the sunday night show?

And "first run only" doesn't work, because the listings dont' designate the syndicated version as "repeats".

I have the same problem with The Daily Show. Only want the 10 pm show on Monday - Thursday because otherwise it records it constantly. The show runs like 4 times per day. And it just keeps recording the same episode over and over again. Stupid tivo.

[Atticus Grinch]

Originally posted by notcasesensitive
I have the same problem with The Daily Show. Only want the 10 pm show on Monday - Thursday because otherwise it records it constantly. The show runs like 4 times per day. And it just keeps recording the same episode over and over again. Stupid tivo.

Burger's problem: One of the Season Pass options is "First Run Only." Try that. Anything flagged as a repeat will not be recorded. Of course, the Tivo can only be as good as the guide info provided by the stations, so YMMV. [Edited to add: Doh! I somehow missed that you already tried this. Ignore prior advice and continue.] If this fails, try a manual recording, and be careful when Fox reschedules its Sunday nights. BTW, there's no such thing as too much Simpsons. You should have just gotten a bigger Tivo.

ncs's problem: I have this problem too. The problem is that Comedy Central doesn't identify individual TDS episodes with discrete codes, so the Tivo has no way of knowing which episode is which. Stupid Comedy Central. Solution: change Season Pass options to "Episodes to keep: 1" and it will record over the last airing, meaning your Tivo won't fill up with repeats. Or, alternatively, just set up a manual recording for the airing you want; this is better b/c you don't want your tuner constantly tied up recording the latest airing of the same episode. Ignore this last piece of advice if you have the Directivo with dual tuners; tying up one tuner is less likely to matter to you.