Life

[SuperBiasedMan]

At this point if I bought a TV it would be to plug my desktop into.

[bakelite]

I recently bought my first tv since leaving home ten years ago. Terrible decision, I'm so used to watching things on my computer that it basically only gets used when my girlfriend is here.

[JonCole]

It's really a shame that plasmas are out because I really do think they were the best budget option. I have a 42" $400 Samsung plasma and it has the black levels and response rate of a much more expensive current LCD display. My only regret was not having paid for a 50" 1080p plasma instead of cheaping out with a 42" 720p, but I don't let it bother me too much because it's still a great TV that I could actually afford.

[Twig]

I went with that Vizioooooo. Why can't it be here now???

[feelthedarkness]

that first big TV is such a revelation! congrats! Also, this must be one of those markers of age, but I still want a big ass LED tv. I don't want to watch stuff on a 10" handheld or my phone.

 

EDIT! JonCole already posted it! Sorry!

 

when it comes to buying electronic stuff that i'm not 100% versed in, I usually recommend peeping The Wirecutter, which basically specializes in telling you what thing to buy and why: http://thewirecutter.com/ 

 

Maybe somebody has some insight that it actually stinks, but I've found it a useful reference. 

[Thrik]

Buying a tv seems like such a strange thing now. Sure I can see some use for it but..

..........EH?!

I've had my trusty Panasonic Viera since like 2009 now and the picture is still wonderful, but it's probably much dimmer now and surely not that far away from its demise. My dad had a newer model which is already toast.

It seems like such an awful time to buy though. The talk of long-coming tech (What is it now, quantum flux capacitor dots?) finally reaching viability is mouthwatering, and the 4K screens knocking around look splendid — but it's all a year or two away from being at mass consumer prices, and there's no real content for those screens.

I guess I'd love a bit of 50–60 inches but it'll take a good LCD to exceed or even match what I'm used to. My dad replaced his with a well-regarded LG LED job, but we're both in agreement that it just doesn't have that luxuriously balanced picture our Vieras have/had and is consequently a little disappointing.

[Mawd]

..........EH?!

Maybe it's a generational thing but at this point the tv services are happily filled by my monitor. I would only see extra use from steam linking to a couch or using a console (which I could anyway if I bought the right converter cable for >$15.

So I'd be better off buying a comfy couch and chair set with a glorious soundsystem than buy a 52" living room set piece I personally would never really use. If I ever had that kind of money to toss around.

[Thrik]

I guess that for me a TV has become a more prominent tool with age. When I was a teenager I always watched stuff on my computer because, well, where do you put a TV in a small room? I got through Lost, 24, and so many others on my computer.

When I got my own place and started having friends and girlfriends round, having a good TV soon became more or less essential. My parents need two of the damned things seeing as they've had four kids.

They're just very practical when more than one person is present, and I personally vastly prefer gaming and watching things on a big screen while laid on a sofa compared to being sat at a desk (which is incidentally what I spend all day doing at work).

[Twig]

Yeah a TV is basically a requirement in my current situation. I don't want to have to sit at my computer desk every time I want to do something that requires a screen. And computer monitors aren't big enough to work from a reasonable couch distance...

[SuperBiasedMan]

See I still share a screen with my girlfriend since we live together but both of us agree that we can't get a TV because we're in a flat with limited space and not really a place to put a TV if we were going to buy one. (technically the flat came with a horrible square block sized one but we just ditched it since it was in the way)

 

Maybe if we wanted to spend a lot on a TV we'd think about a large size screen. But we'd want to spend a hundred or so max, and at that price range there's no benefit to a TV over a monitor especially since we know we'll have a monitor either way.

[Mawd]

I live with my partner. Sometimes we watch tv from a bed at comfortable couch distance (although I would prefer not to have our PC's in our bedroom & chair wise I'd like a comfy office chair with good back support instead of a wooden sitting room chair).

If we had to entertain with a tv we'd be better off with a bigger monitor

I've lived in plenty of big flats where living room TVs were impractical cob web gatherers heh. Just as I've visited ones where it was central to life.

Like I said it feels like a strange thing for/to me personally.

I only watch shows to spend time with my boo, busy myself while playing Dwarf Fortress or carebear mine in EVE.

The friends I keep would either play music, talk, and draw/paint. Or they'd talk, play table top games, and watch youtube clips.

Idk TVs are as impractical to me as my hidden VHS/DVD collection.

[deleted user]

_

[Thrik]

You watch from a bed? That's probably not so bad. I don't ever watch TV in my bedroom though because it destroys my ability to sleep.

I guess I just love the sofa and big screen experience, especially as I rarely go to the cinema because the people there ruin the film 9/10 times. Sharing that with others at my home has provided some of my best ever memories, especially when whipping a bit of Mario Kart out.

A monitor seems a bit small for proper immersion at any kind of distance, but if it works it works — I know people who watch almost everything through an iPad so clearly TVs have hot competition these days!

Man, all this talk puts me in the mood for a big new TV.

[deleted user]

_

[SuperBiasedMan]

We just have a desk at the end of the bed. You either sit at the desk or turn the screen 180 degrees and watch from bed. Our living/kitchen area is mostly for food and entertaining guests.

[undermind9]

You watch from a bed? That's probably not so bad. I don't ever watch TV in my bedroom though because it destroys my ability to sleep.

 

 

my wife wants a tv in the bedroom and ive been extremely resistant.  I suspect she'll use it to fall asleep to which is fine, but i think a terrible habit.

 

Additionally i'd have to get a second cable box, wall mount, and probably re-route the cable since its on the "wrong" wall, Or get some fancy expensive remote HDMI for ~10ft

 

 

 

Although, ive been keeping my Wii U next to the bed and playing on the gamepad...a larger screen would be nice.  What is the general rule for size? 10" for every foot?  maybe i can convince we need something monster in the downstairs (i'll play the "im old, eyes are going" card)

[osmosisch]

Switching the TV on when people come over is such an alien idea to me. What's the point of having people over if you're not going to directly interact with them? And if you're going to interact with them, what is the visual/noise distraction for?

[Thrik]

Some people have film or game nights with friends is the answer to that.

[Thrik]

my wife wants a tv in the bedroom and ive been extremely resistant.  I suspect she'll use it to fall asleep to which is fine, but i think a terrible habit.

 

Additionally i'd have to get a second cable box, wall mount, and probably re-route the cable since its on the "wrong" wall, Or get some fancy expensive remote HDMI for ~10ft

 

 

 

Although, ive been keeping my Wii U next to the bed and playing on the gamepad...a larger screen would be nice.  What is the general rule for size? 10" for every foot?  maybe i can convince we need something monster in the downstairs (i'll play the "im old, eyes are going" card)

 

I agree that it's a terrible habit, but it is one that a lot of people have had throughout much of their lives and so I do understand that some people find it easier to fall asleep that way. Perhaps a compromise might be to get her a tablet if she doesn't have one, because if you hold one of those on your legs it's actually about the same perceived size as a bedroom-sized TV due to the distance (or lack thereof). That way she can do that, perhaps even with headphones, without bothering you so much. They can also double as a superb e-book reader.

 

With that said, I also have a bit of a problem with messing around with phones and tablets for long in bed too, and after seeing a recent Durex (Yes.) ad on YouTube I'm clearly not alone in thinking that it can and does have an effect on many couples' intimacy. Obviously this is an awkward thing to talk about, but it can be problematic to have things in the bedroom that give you can excuse to not devote a bit of attention to your partner. I'm sure many couples figure it out, but it's something to be aware of — especially if you're the one doing the playing with gadgets rather than your partner.   I've experienced this first-hand and it can be a difficult subject to broach.

 

As for the TV size, I personally enjoy the cinematic experience and so I would go for the largest size you can before the individual pixels start to show up. But if you have silly things like practicality to worry about, searching Google for 'TV size chart' should bring up a number of images showing which sizes are ideal for which distances.

[osmosisch]

Some people have film or game nights with friends is the answer to that.

Haha, game night for me means boardgames or PC LAN (each their own screen) and I've never really enjoyed film nights so I guess I'm just weird.

[Thrik]

Well, everyone has their own ways of chillin'. I have multiple circles of friends who tend to do different things, but my TV almost always gets to play. It's just a great all-purpose device for gaming, watching films with friends or partners, getting your music collection up on the screen (countless ways to do this), or whatever — all in the comfort of a cosy living room with sofas, chairs, and a coffee table for pizza and drinks. You can do these things in other ways, but I find this set-up with a TV to be optimal.

 

And that concludes my explanation of what a TV is for, for those who asked.

[Bjorn]

We try to hold a big movie night at least once a month, usually of classics most of us have seen, so they devolve into MST3K style laugh-a-thons. 

 

Also, sports!  That's probably the most common reason we have people out.  There will probably be people out once or twice a week to watch games for the next month as the NCAA tournament goes on. 

[Dewar]

And what about those huge YouTube VJ parties?

[Henroid]

So, I'm moving.

 

From the south Bay Area in California to Las Vegas. It was something that was on the table for a long time, in my plans for even longer, and not meant to happen 'til much later from now - but my boss being a worthless putz has more or less forced me to move the timetable up.

 

I spent the whole night at work explaining to my coworkers that I'm leaving and why, because my boss was too fucking dumb to understand what 'confidential' meant. She just blabbed away about it in front of whoever had to come into the office, most notably the gossip-hound at work. She didn't take to any of my visual cues of "SHUT UP NOW PLEASE" either. I mean we were talking about my rate of pay and everything. Just... god. It was an example of why she was the final straw for me. My household situation is terrible, but work has always been like a place to recover at and enjoy. Then my boss just continually worked on ruining it. So I've gotta get out.

 

I really resent how she handled herself today though, and I really intend to hold her ass to the metaphorical fire for it when I get ahold of human resources.

[JonCole]

My grandma died today. We knew it was coming, but it was difficult to say when. My parents and sister were out of town on vacation, so they have to cut it short and fly back tonight. I live a couple hours from where she was, I imagine I'll be heading down there sometime soon.

 

I feel like a mess, left work early but couldn't drive particularly well. At home, my hand-eye coordination is lacking and I'm knocking into things. I haven't had a close family member die in my adult life, it's really something... different. I see now why people need to take time off to deal with these things.