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Mandy Martin, Puritjarra 2, 2005. For further information on MANDY MARTIN, refer here: http://www.mandy-martin.com/
If there are diverse kinds of knowledge and ways of knowing place, then we need to learn to value the different ways each of us sees a single place that is significant, but differently so, for each perspective.
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big TV's « Previous | |Next »
May 07, 2006

An odd story one about buying a big tv.

The things that had stopped me buying such a big TV before were a belief that it was essentially vulgar, and would make me look poorly educated and a bit stupid, as well as a sense that no toy, now matter how amazing its performance, was worth that much. However, I was feeling sentimental, I'd just got back from the US and for some reason I associated big TVs with the US. I assumed I was alone. What amazed me was that in the three months almost everyone I knew bought a similarly enormous telly, and not because they were feeling homesick for Silicon Valley. Somehow, having a big TV was no longer essentially vulgar, but The Thing to Do in my part of North London.

This formerly impressive piece of kit is now languishing in the garden shed, covered in black bin liner to protect it from weed killer. It has been replaced by a 32-inch widescreen LCD from a very reputable vendor. It's now worth a fraction of what I paid for it. You can now buy TVs like it at your local supermarket for next to nothing, but they're cumbersome to move and nobody wants them anymore...Ours is in the shed because I think that TV is crack cocaine for the brain and I haven't made the psychological journey that will allow me to feel comfortable with two TVs in the house


Snarred by it being the thing to do even though tv is crack cocaine for the brain.

Michael Parsons goes on to say that the big battle for the living room is now about how consumer electronics and personal technology companies figure out the gestalt of modern family life and provide products that people want in their living rooms.

| Posted by Gary Sauer-Thompson at 09:00 PM | | Comments (5)
Comments

Comments

We dont have a big TV - yet - mainly because I think they are still over priced. But we will get one. For two reasons, most of my wife's tv watching is DVDs from netflix which would look better on a widescreen tv, secondly we have a lot of game console and use them for relaxation.

How big does it have to be before its BIG?

I had never ever bought a tv until 2 years ago. We were given a small portable B&W when the kids were young, then I had a small colour TV found on a rubbish chuckout, then another one given to me by a neighbour and another larger old school colour tv bought home by son from a chuckout on his skate board.

I suspect my tv isn't big anymore.

Then one by one they went phut, the last one was smoking like a small fire with flame but still showing a good picture while it burnt. I was impressed, and tempted to keep watching, but I thought house filled with smoke and flame wasn't perhaps worth it, and had to throw it out on lawn from door whilst it was smoking and burning.

I went to JB hi-fi and got the biggest cheapest one I could get - a discontinued model with non -flat screen - its big by my standards, I dunno I guess about 68cm perhaps.

I do miss not having an extra one in another room, but make do with an old P3 PC with a digital tuner card.

I don't watch TV all that much but often enjoy things when I do. (I mainly like boring docos on animals or art or music or nazis or such)I've finally realised I should be investing in DVD recording/ timeshifting but I reckon $800 + for a Hard Disk recorder is a bit steep and I'm not sure how useful and clear the vision on a $250 record-to-DVD-without-Hard-Disk is.

Having visited a few younger households lately I notice its big tv and laptop in living room. Music on portable MP3 players through earplugs, or in car. Radio in bedroom, bathroom, car. Different configuration to what I'm used to.

I've started asking. I think what most people want is some variation of a cord between laptop and TV, with slightly better speakers on TV. Then they want to play music off Lappy, either MP3 from hardrive or CDs, to tv speakers, and to record tv to laptop Hard drive and replay. Portable MP3 on USB / SD card that plugs into car,tv and pc.

Lookout Faith Popcorn here I come.

FXH, That fits our pattern, and we are not young (mid-30s). Our laptops are used in the living room where the TV is. An iPod has replaced our big stereo, and I use a nanopod for work, travel etc.

Gee,
I belong to another era. In the city apartment my laptop is in the study along with a stereo (and tuner) plus desk top computer.

Another stereo is in the living room along with the TV. There is a radio and small tv in the bedroom.I mostly watch the current affairs programs on TV---its part of the job.

My next big move is an MP3 player.

A big TV+ dvd player will probably be acquired for the holiday shack---I want to relax with a decent movie and avoid the free-to--air crap. I mostly listen to digital music at the shack whilst working on my weblogs.