Morning Deals

Comments

1. Angus99 says:
   August 26, 2010 at 8:45 am

   Kitteh to tower: Flaps extended ready for take off roll.
   Tower to kitteh: You are cleared for take off.
2. speedwell (propagandist and secular snarkist) says:
   August 26, 2010 at 8:56 am

   Question for the readership… I’ve been looking at these deals for a while trying to catch a deal on one of those speaker systems you attach to your TV. I’m new at this. I just bought my first TV (I’ve been without one for twenty years, no lie, except for a little 7-inch emergency set for hurricanes). I intend to use it just to watch DVDs, though most of the DVDs I’ve been able to collect are concerts and operas. My TV will be in my modest-sized apartment living room.

   What is the value of a speaker system to me, and what is the lowest price I should expect to pay for a halfway adequate set?

   • P=mv says:
     August 26, 2010 at 9:26 am

     The most expensive speakers on the shelf are not the best choice. Concerts and operas sound incredible with surround speakers and a good subwolfer. The sets that come with a dvd player are not worth it.
   • PunditGuy says:
     August 26, 2010 at 11:58 am

     What’s the make/model of the TV, and how are you connecting the DVD player? No sense buying a 5.1 audio system if your TV and DVD player only do stereo out.

     • speedwell (propagandist and secular snarkist) says:
       August 26, 2010 at 1:46 pm

       Good question on the stereo out. It’s an LG 32LD350. How am I connecting the DVD player? Beats the living hell out of me. I was going to figure it out myself, somehow.
     • speedwell (propagandist and secular snarkist) says:
       August 26, 2010 at 1:52 pm

       Oh, it says Dolby 5.1 surround sound. Whoa, impressive… I mean, they could call it “15.75 Virtu-Real Ultrasensory Wraparound” for all the difference it makes to this total know-nothing.
     • PunditGuy says:
       August 26, 2010 at 4:10 pm

       In trying to come up with some instructions, I’m realizing that this stuff is pretty complicated. Find yourself a relative or friend who knows this stuff for best results.

       You can’t really plug speakers in directly to the TV — you need a receiver, which is another piece of equipment that is sometimes bundled with speakers. The speakers plug into the receiver. The receiver will have AM/FM built in, and then you can hook your TV, audio equipment (tape deck, CD player, phonograph, etc.) and DVD player to it. A receiver capable of 5.1-channel audio will run anywhere from $150 to several thousand dollars.

       The DVD player’s video, depending on the model, can be hooked up to the TV in a variety of ways. Ranked from best to worst:

       1) HDMI (uses HDMI cable) or component (uses 3 of what is commonly known as RCA cables)
       2) composite (uses 1 RCA cable)
       3) RF (uses 1 coax cable)

       (Before anyone yells, there’s no S-Video connector on that TV.)

       Do not purchase those cables at a big box retailer — you’ll only get ripped off. There are plenty of reputable Internet retailers who will sell those at reasonable prices — Monoprice comes to mind. Purchase enough length for you to comfortably pull out equipment if you need to do something to it. For example, if a 3-foot cable fits from your DVD player to your TV but it tugs if you pull out the DVD player, then get a 6-foot cable.

       Now you can worry about speakers. As P=mv stated, the most expensive aren’t always the best. Visit a couple of stores and listen to them — there’s a difference between cheap and expensive speakers, but your ears will have to let you know where the best price/performance ratio is.

       You need two front speakers (buy as a pair), two surround speakers (buy as a pair), one center speaker, and a subwoofer. You can mix and match speakers from different manufacturers, so don’t feel obligated to buy a bundle. Tell the speaker dealer what type of material you watch the most in order to get the best recommendation.

       Stay away from Bose stores. And, unfortunately, having given you a really long answer to a relatively simple question, you should probably stay away from the types of speaker deals you asked about.
3. segfault, registered cat offender says:
   August 26, 2010 at 9:35 am

   That’s the ugliest cat I’ve ever seen.

   • slimeburg says:
     August 26, 2010 at 1:02 pm

     don’t be mean to kitties…
   • RadarOReally has got the Post-Vacation Blues says:
     August 26, 2010 at 1:24 pm

     Don’t you be talkin’ smack about Mr. Flappy Ears!
4. c!tizen says:
   August 26, 2010 at 10:41 am

   I love that kitteh!
5. gjones77 says:
   August 26, 2010 at 11:26 am

   Unobtanium… That’s what we call .380 ACP out here in Taxachusetts…