AV Home Complexity

On MondayFeb 18, 2008, at 4:39 AM, David Ross wrote:

> This is NOT a Circuit City issue. It's the state of the AV products
> at this time. AV product companies don't yet want to network
> things. So it's all still point to point cabling for the most part.
> And due to DRM fears and other issues such as absolute lowest costs
> possible (we consumers are to blame here) they just keep coming up
> with point to point cabling systems that handle current bandwidth
> needs and a few years out. Then repeat. I mean we have Coax,
> component, SVideo, composite, DVI, HDMI, and there will be
> something else soon.
>
> My not too simple home setup is a mess. Small home theater unit
> with a DVD/VCR built in, Tivo, DVD recorder, and a desired to play
> iPod at times via a dock leads to a system where only I know how it
> all works. My teenagers can usually get things worked out but my
> wife just gets mad that she to get the "inputs" correct on 3
> devices to get it all to work.
>
> And don't ever get me started about how the cable companies want to
> control your system rendering many nice TV features moot. Things
> like PIP and such.
>
> Basically home AV systems need to switch to gig (or faster if
> needed) Ethernet type of networking with a router that you program
> via your TV.

I totally agree about the state of AV product incompatibility and
poor integration. That's been a problem for decades. In 1989 I
bought the elements of an HE system and tried to follow the written
directions to assemble the VCR, TV, CD player, and the speakers. The
Mitsubishi VCR instructions for installing one of the key elements
were different than the Mitsubishi TV instructions. I forget now the
details, but it was a nightmare getting the whole thing together.

Some years ago I moved all the equipment (now newer stuff, in about
1997) to my present home, and this time called in a local guy to help
write a set of instructions. That cost $100 and two visits to fix
glitches.

Don't Ever Ever think you can get help from the equipment manufacturers.

There was in the old days a quote that, "Only your 14-year old son
knows how to program the VCR."

I've seriously thought about suing C-City for its failure to deliver
a fully useable set of components. Early on in the problem, I sent
two letters and finally got some action from them. In recent weeks
I've called them at their Richmond, VA, HQ four times and no one's
ever called back. I just wonder what a Small Claims judge (who
probably can't program his/her own HE system) would do with that
case. There are legal warranties required by law here in California
that are breached every time the system fails to work. It's called
the Song-Beverly Consumer Warranty Act, and it is still in force for
the year since I bought all this equipment and paid extra to get it
installed.

BTW, I get my iPod or this MacBookPro to play in the AV Amplifier by
means of an $8 or so Radio Shack cable from the headphone jack to one
of the input jacks on the Amplifier. This requires moving hardware
around, including this MBP, and that's the reason I bought the
Airport Express -- so it could get the music from the iMac
wirelessly. Worked for a while, but not now.

Dave

Dave Clark
http://home.earthlink.net/~dc1999/
http://web.mac.com/dave28c
http://www.clarklawfirm.com