RyanHarne.com

Even before I moved from the subleased apartment to the house, I was mentally preparing for how much cash I would be laying down for furnishings. I am not good at spending money and tend to do so, reluctantly, only after I have read so many user reviews that it seems like my wheels are spinning. This is part of the reason I have yet to buy a car - I imagine the research leading up to the purchase to be a great abyss into which I will plummet. Plus, I am inconveniently picky and cars have so many variables that… I’m actually shaking my head right now.

So, as of this past week, a few more items remained absent from their respective nests in the house. Namely, some electronics. The first and only television I owned was purchased in my teens (allowances saved) and eventually died sometime around the point when I left for university (electrical surge via thunderstorm). My roommate does not have a living room-appropriate tv, so I began considering our options. Read: research.

In summary, my thoughts were:

obviously, LCD. CRT too deep and heavy. middle range of quality, willing to look into newer brands given good customer service ratings. HDTV tuner built-in?… let’s be forward-looking about this, so, yes. Olevia looks good (enter 200 user reviews and complaints). ok.ok.ok.ok.ok. buy? some more question marks and weeks of contemplating how I can justify this.

I bought a 32″ Olevia HDTV and it arrived at the house Friday, enormous savings brought to me by 4th-o-fJuly sales and website-scavenged coupon codes. The last check off of my Great List of Television Demands was met when several reviewers said they were able to run this tv at 1920.1200 & 60Hz with enough computer graphics power. A 32″ external monitor for a computer is worth lusting for. The Incredibles served as a test movie after I had calibrated the color to mimic an Apple Cinema Display (just sit them side-by-side and be patient while you change levels).

This is the type of purchase I will live with. Things like refrigerators, washing machines, beds and televisions should be deeply considered before buying - they stick with you and if they still run when you want to move, demand proper care and transportation to your new abode. I understand that LCDs don’t last like the age-tested tube televisions I grew up with, but this is a new era and I must give in to that type of consumer atmosphere. Plus, the whole dangerous chemicals thing must be dealt with for CRTs, unfortunately.

It may be a few weeks before I totally rehabilitate following these continual, major purchases. But after that period of self-reckoning and adjustment to a new mattress, you’re welcome to stop by for a movie. Maybe at that point, my roommate will have fully become a resident, our walls will have been filled with legitimate artwork, and the house will be in a condition worthy of numerous, sophisticated guests.

This entry was posted on Saturday, July 7th, 2007 at 5:01 pm and is filed under , . You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.