Audio/Video things that irritate you. (1 Viewer)

[Seth=L]

I suppose, that really isn't the dispute though. They have been using HD and High Definition as a marketing scheme. Joe-smo sees something with HD on it and assumes it is late breaking technoligy, i.e. the same saps that associate Bose with the best is sound.

And another thing, what is up with portable DVD players. I remember when they first came out, they were outrageous. For the price of $1000 you could either get a 10" Samsung portable or a laptop with a 15" screen and DVD-ROM. Doing the math it would have made absolutely no sense to purchase the Samsung, but yet people did it. I still don't see what makes portable DVD players so darn special anyway. For kids, maybe, but they can find better things to do while driving down the interstate, like playing I spy, 20 questions, or just sleep. I don't think they need to be glued to the screen every where they go, I didn't have those luxuries when I was sitting in the back seat, geez kids these days

 

[MarkHastings]

I looked at dictionary.com:
http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/definition
They do mention audio under #5, but the American Heritage Dictionary definition doesn't even really mention audio at all.

 

[Nathan_F]

Seth--

Getting mad when something blows up!?! Why!?! That's when it's time to go-a-shopping!

 

[Eric Kahn]

I had sirius and now have XM, XM has better sound quality approaching CD quality on some channels

yes i can hear the difference and know that it could be better but no commercials and the ability to hold one station all the time (except in the moutians along I 79 in WV) is great

 

[johnADA]

Hum!!
The Term Audiophile and Videophile being used as and elite status quo, when it means more than likely the opposite.

 

[Greg_R]

Hmmm, I've got a couple:

- "bass" spelled as "base"
- Digital satellite (XM / Sirius) and their character limitation on song titles (barely enough to list the composer of a classical piece). Car head units maintain this limitation (so mp3 or wav titles also get chopped off).
- People spending over $1k on equipment and putting it in the worst possible room (acoustically) with zero treatments (if you're going to invest every a little bit of money, fix the room first!)
- Dish's HD DVR hardware. These people can NOT make a product with a HDD that won't crash! (I'm on my 4th box) Their customer support also has some serious issues (it takes 5+ minutes to get through the menus so you can talk to someone). I had to buy a $100 UPS with voltage regulation in order for these units to be even _slightly_ stable.

 

[Seth=L]

Wish I could go shopping, can't afford to on my budget. I will just fix it.


Who does that?

 

[Brandy S]

"Base" is actually the accepted European spelling of "bass".

 

[MarkHastings]

So if a European read the sentence "I play bass guitar", he'd think I played a fish?

 

[DougR]

HD ??

What about this?

 

[MarkHastings]

Perhaps the JPEG is now 300dpi instead of 72?

 

[Greg_R]

Yes, but I'm talking about people using U.S. English. AVS has this all over the place and it drives me nuts for some reason...

 

[Seth=L]

Do you ever correct them?

 

[Danny Tse]

Let's see....

1. People who think the more speakers, the better.
2. Digital is always better than analog.
3. Once the term "HD" is used, that product is always the best.
4. CRT TVs is not as good as plasma/LCD TVs.
5. A/V magazines and writers who have no idea what they're talking.
6. A/V manufacturers who don't know how to design good-looking components.
7. A/V manufacturers who can't seem to write an "easy to understand" owner's manual.
8. iPod and MP3 are the ultimate in music reproduction.
9. White (iPod) headphones and earbuds.
10. Real home hi-fi components being replaced by iPod-integration boomboxes.

 

[ChristopherDAC]

Don't forget 2a, "Analog is always better than digital." I have seen it argued that 8-track cartridges have better fidelity than CDs because they're analog! Apparently concepts such as frequency response, dynamic range, signal-to-noise ratio, wow and flutter, and the like were lost on this individual.

 

[MarkHastings]

I hardly think this is true. The love for MP3's does not equate to a mentality of ultimate music reproduction.

I LOVE McDonalds burgers, but that doesn't mean I think they are the best place to get a burger.

 

[Seth=L]

When people spend tons of money on there systems and then fill the room with useless junk that would make even a modest system leap strides over a $7000 system.

My dad does this. He has a Adcom preamp, Sunfire 5x200watts amp, Martin Logan Electrostats, Klipsch Legend series speakers, Adcom CD player and his room is cluttered with worthless collectors items, Ok some of it isn't worthless he has a cool collection of arrow heads. Not only that but he has 4 front speakers, the Klipsch and the Martin Logans. I am not so sure that is a very good combo.

Sorry Dad, couldn't help it.

 

[Seth=L]

I would like to add DSP modes on receivers, seriously how many people use these anyway? I really despise how many DSP modes that Yamaha offers. When they come up with stuff like "Concert Hall 3, Advanced" I just want to scream (that isn't a real DSP mode, but there are ones like that).

 

[Ravi K]

Dolby Digital is just a sound encoding format. It is not synonymous with 5.1.

The very idea of the tiny Bose speakers. What, you want your friends to think you have music emanating from thin air?

I recently stopped at a Bose store in the mall and the system I looked at (playing The Incredibles) managed to have muddled boomy bass and tinny highs simultaneously. Which brings me to...

...crappy displays at electronics stores. Many displays are terrible showcases for DVD and HD. Would it kill them to calibrate the systems properly?


On a related note, good luck buying a CRT monitor at a store these days. The LCDs may be good for text, but not so much for video work.

 

[MarkHastings]

And who's gonna do it? The "knowledgeable" sales staff? Finding someone who knows about audio (at one of these B&M stores) is like trying to find someone who knows anything about computers at CompUSA.