The annual Consumer Electronics Show, cialis which dominates the city of Las Vegas each January, is known worldwide for showcasing some of the most innovative technologies that will be hitting our stores and our ever plugged in lives over the next few years.
There were many devices demonstrated such as custom made €5184.48 Lamborghini Smartphone, which is only slightly more expensive that your iPhone but which bestows the same sense of self-worth on it’s owner I would imagine (#loljk) or the Markforge 3D MK1 printer that has moved on from creating plastic models to multiple components of Kevlar, carbon fibre and fiberglass. It would now seem that the practicalities of building your own Batmobile are now limited only to a onetime payment of €4752 plus of course a batman costume from Smyth’s for €19.99.
But CES this year was dominated by the resurgence of the resilient TV and home theatre market after its failed attempt to get us all to sell our firstborn children to sit in front of nauseating 3D screens with chunky black frames stuck to our faces. Inevitably 3D home theatre has faded to obscurity the same way smell-o-vision and the career of that Destiny’s Child singer, not Kelly or Beyoncé, the other one. Anyway here are some of the new ways home theatre manufacturers are going to convince you to sign away your second born for that piece of kit that you must have.
You haven’t heard of 4K yet? That’s alright because it’s already outdated. Harvey Norman are doing a “fantastic” deal on a Sony 55 inch 4K UDH LED TV for the amazing price of only €2397.95 (go Harvey go). Before you go out and get one let’s just back up a second. 4K means essentially about 4 thousand horizontal pixels on your screen. So in layman’s terms your regular HD TV would be described as 1080p and your 4k (3840p) TV would be four times clearer than the already crystal clear full HD you bought last year. But wait. Someone in someplace thought to themselves, “Why are pixels the smallest unit of measurement?” and huzaah, the Triluminos were born. I won’t get into the technology behind these “Quantum Dots” but you can be sure that they are going to be expensive, mind blowingly clear and those who end up buying a Trilumino TV today will certainly not eventually be relegated to the side-lines with the childless Josh and his 3D TV or Marcus and his 4K Sony.
I’m heartened to see however that people can see the hilarity in the cost of creating these entertainment devices. I wrote recently about the extraordinary mark up on apple products, the iPhone costing Apple €181.10 to make and the end user pays roughly €649.99. Our good friends the “collective body of internet users” have started to become aware of the spiralling comicalness of extreme consumerism and it has hit the uber expensive home theatre system’s review pages with hilarity. Samsung’s UN105S9 Curved 105-Inch 4K Ultra HD 120Hz 3D Smart LED TV is available from Amazon for the amazing price of €103593.83 (that’s not a typo). Some of its loyal users have left fantastic reviews on the page. I’d recommend picking one up if any of these reviews appeal to you.
Eric Smyth states “I was able to purchase this amazing television with an FHA loan (30 year fixed-rate w/ 4.25% APR) and only 3.5% down. This is, hands down, the best decision I’ve ever made. And the box it came in is incredibly roomy too, which is a huge bonus, because I live in it now”. While M.Medina recommends an alternative purchase “The black levels and colour depth on this TV are pretty good for the price. However, the small screen size is a deal breaker. I recommend buying an IMAX theatre instead.” However you should be aware of the negative reviews before making a purchase with Shawn stating “This worked out well as a smaller TV for the kitchen counter. But I’d recommend to go for something bigger if using it for a family room or bedroom. The only CON is sun glare…which can cause your eyebrows to burn off.” But remember to spare a thought for Simon “I lost my house my cars and my girlfriend for this TV. I am currently living in the street but I still have my 4k TV. I gave it a one star because I have nowhere to plug it in. I wish it had batteries. But in the end it was all worth it!”
So remember these wise words when you are renting a forklift to get your TV from the back of Harvey Norman’s to the checkout counter “Fair City is just as bad regardless of how expensive your TV is”
– Graham Harkness
www.grahamharkness.ie
