Home Theater United Episode 30 - Black Friday with Todd Erwin (1 Viewer)

[Todd Erwin]

I mentioned this very briefly on the podcast, but a great money-back service I've been using for the past year has netted me over $150 at the grocery store and online, offering nearly instant "cash back" on items you purchase. For example, I purchased my new TV from Best Buy using a link from Ibotta's website to Best Buy, and got an extra 2% back within 30 days into my Ibotta account (it netted me $30!), which I could then transfer to my PayPal account or cash in for a gift card at various retailers. Scanning my items at the grocery store often gives me some nice cash back offers, too, like $1.00 off on Peet's Coffee, often with a limit of 5 of that same item. I think I ended up paying $4.00 per 10-pack of K-cups after the Ibotta cash back.

Ibotta

Better than coupons! Earn real cash back on your everyday purchases — in-store and online.

ibotta.onelink.me

 

[Todd Erwin]

Best Buy finally dropped their Black Friday ad online.

 

[DaveF]

If my 4K upgrade plans had borne out in 2021, I probably would have been doing a big BF 4K UHD purchase this year. But, nope.

 

[Todd Erwin]

@Brian Dobbs

Mortal Kombat (2021) - UHD $9.99 @ Best Buy

 

[Brian Dobbs]

@Brian Dobbs

Mortal Kombat (2021) - UHD $9.99 @ Best Buy

Boom.

 

[DaveF]

I think it’s awesome that Brian has a Sorny TV -- a superior machine!


(I owned KLH speakers and handme down TV's, so I get it )

 

[DaveF]

I mentioned this very briefly on the podcast, but a great money-back service I've been using for the past year has netted me over $150 at the grocery store and online, offering nearly instant "cash back" on items you purchase. For example, I purchased my new TV from Best Buy using a link from Ibotta's website to Best Buy, and got an extra 2% back within 30 days into my Ibotta account (it netted me $30!), which I could then transfer to my PayPal account or cash in for a gift card at various retailers. Scanning my items at the grocery store often gives me some nice cash back offers, too, like $1.00 off on Peet's Coffee, often with a limit of 5 of that same item. I think I ended up paying $4.00 per 10-pack of K-cups after the Ibotta cash back.

What's the catch? What's their income source? Am I the customer or am I the product being sold to advertisers?

 

[Brian Dobbs]

I think it’s awesome that Brian has a Sorny TV -- a superior machine!


(I owned KLH speakers and handme down TV's, so I get it )

Totes. The story is that my 73" Mitsubishi DLP TV had waaay too many stuck pixels, so we had to downsize because the only reasonable price for us was a 65" Sceptre POS.

 

[Todd Erwin]

What's the catch? What's their income source? Am I the customer or am I the product being sold to advertisers?

I am sure they are collecting purchase data (but honestly, who isn't these days?), while some of the promos they offer are for new products, so that may be some of the incentive as well. They also earn commissions on items purchased through the app and website, as well as inactive fees (deducted from your ibotta wallet) if you account is not used for over 180 days.

 

[DaveF]

@Brian Dobbs Don’t know if you got it from me specifically, but I think I mentioned Predestination in a previous HTU thread. I watched it this summer at the urging of a friend. It was an unexpected and strange but good time-travel movie.

Predestination (2014) ⭐ 7.4 | Action, Drama, Sci-Fi

1h 37m | R

www.imdb.com

 

[DaveF]

Totes. The story is that my 73" Mitsubishi DLP TV had waaay too many stuck pixels, so we had to downsize because the only reasonable price for us was a 65" Sceptre POS.

You should continue calling it your Spectre TV.

 

[Brian Dobbs]

@Brian Dobbs Don’t know if you got it from me specifically, but I think I mentioned Predestination in a previous HTU thread. I watched it this summer at the urging of a friend. It was an unexpected and strange but good time-travel movie.

Predestination (2014) ⭐ 7.4 | Action, Drama, Sci-Fi

1h 37m | R

www.imdb.com

Probably!

 

[Brian Dobbs]

You should continue calling it your Spectre TV.

Totes. Right now it's got goo all over the screen because my kids can't keep their fingers off of it.

 

[DaveF]

Totes. Right now it's got goo all over the screen because my kids can't keep their fingers off of it.

Makes me think of friends who didn’t like the transition from VHS to DVD. VHS was more kid resilient: easier to handle, much tougher, and trivial to play.

 

[DaveF]

Ok, now you people have got me with a BestBuy shopping cart with John Wick 2 and 3 and Gattaca UHD 4K discs. They’ll all out of stock and ship between now and NYE. Trying to decide if I’m hitting the buy button or not.

 

[Sam Posten]

Probably!

$14 stream? I'm intrigued but yeah no.

Predestination streaming: where to watch online?

Is Predestination streaming? Find out where to watch online amongst 45+ services including Netflix, Hulu, Prime Video.

www.justwatch.com

 

[DaveF]

$14 stream? I'm intrigued but yeah no.

Predestination streaming: where to watch online?

Is Predestination streaming? Find out where to watch online amongst 45+ services including Netflix, Hulu, Prime Video.

www.justwatch.com

It’s a $10 blu-ray, which is what I bought. I can’t recommend it at $14. If you were close by, I’d give you my disc.

 

[DaveF]

Sam - The Imitation Game, Rogue
Brian - Lion
Todd - Only Murders in the Building

Imitation Game - missed it, feel like I need to add this to my missed-movies watching

The Imitation Game (2014) ⭐ 8.0 | Biography, Drama, Thriller

1h 54m | PG-13

www.imdb.com

Lion - Great movie! Recommended for everyone.

Lion (2016) ⭐ 8.0 | Biography, Drama

1h 58m | PG-13

www.imdb.com

Only Murders in the Building - Recommended. Another example of AppleTV becoming a must-have streaming service.

Only Murders in the Building (TV Series 2021– ) ⭐ 8.1 | Comedy, Crime, Drama

30m | TV-MA

www.imdb.com

 

[DaveF]

I’ll do a GBU since I‘ve got stuff I’m guessing you all haven’t watched or haven’t watched in 40 years.

First Blood (1982) ⭐ 7.7 | Action, Adventure, Thriller

1h 33m | R

www.imdb.com

Spoiler: First Blood

I watched First Blood (1982) for the first time last week and it was excellent. The core conceit of cops being against a white warfighter in a movie is so unexpected in 2021 it feels like I’m watching cutting-edge cinema. But the further shadings of Rambo as the misunderstood anti-hero, and a complicit military, add to its depth. The ending speaks of his struggle with PTSD and inability to find work and friendship post-war, making for a movie that on the whole has aged very well, almost 40 years later.

Sweet Tooth

Sweet Tooth (TV Series 2021– ) ⭐ 7.7 | Action, Adventure, Drama

50m | TV-14

www.imdb.com

Spoiler: Sweet Tooth

Sweet Tooth is modern family-fare for those interested in post-apocalyptic sci-fi. I binged this in a week, watching flying cross country and in the hotel. This isn’t the greatest modern series, but it pulled me in. I couldn’t stop watching. The overarching story is original* and surprising and I want to know more about this world. All the actors were good. By the end, I was completely into it and I’m eagerly looking forward the second season! (*themes and the scifi elements are derivative, but it’s a good mix of these modern-classic tropes)

 

[JohnRice]

Totes. The story is that my 73" Mitsubishi DLP TV had waaay too many stuck pixels, so we had to downsize because the only reasonable price for us was a 65" Sceptre POS.

Is it really that bad? I’d expect it to be better than an RPTV.