My new toys
I got my new set of gadgets/ toys for the year. I gave more importance to value for money than brand and so on.
I selected the Syntax Olevia LT37HVS 37" HDTV because it had the best features in its price range and to get even a slightly better TV I had to spend at least twice amount.
I bought it from the local Microcenter for about $1600 (hoping to get back $500 in mail-in rebates :P ).
It has a built-in HD tuner that allows you to directly connect an HD antenna and get the OTA (Over The Air) free HD channels.
It can support High Definition resolutions upto 1366x768 i.e., 1080i (interlaced) or 780p (progressive). If you connect it to a Progressive DVD player, you can see DVDs at 480p and that looks good.
It claims to have a 8ms response time that is required if you are watching fast action sports or playing games. Some say that the actual response times may be lesser.
It has all the inputs that you need. 2 Component, 2 S-Video, 1 HDMI, 2 composite, VGA, etc. I use Sony THX Component Monster cables and the clarity is much better compared to the normal composite connection.
Both the speakers are 20W each and are just okay but you need external speakers to enjoy DVDs and HD programs. That's why I bought the Onkyos.
Onkyo HT-S780 7.1 Home Theater System and Onkyo DV-CP702 6 disc DVD player
Onkyo is an established player in the audio market. I found some very good reviews about the system and a good deal on the Onkyo website. The Home Theater itself does not have a DVD player but the receiver/ amplifier received great reviews.
They bundled the DVD player with the HT at a discounted price of $450. After a quick search on Google I found a promotion code that gave me an additional $90 discount. I also got $10 off for registering at their website. So the total price I paid was $350 with no taxes and free shipping ($450 - $90 -$10). I think it is well worth the money I paid.
I will edit this post a few days later to add more about the system..
Just before these purchases I got my Dell 700m 12.1" laptop. I wanted an ultra-portable so that I don't have to think twice before carrying my laptop with me. I thought I will get more work done that way :P
I added almost all the upgrades possible like Windows XP Professional, 1 GB RAM, Wireless a/b/g, Windows Media center with Remote, 80 GB HDD and the extended battery.
I used a online discount coupon for $750. So my total with the Free printer, taxes and shipping was $1200.
The battery lasts for about 6 hours if you are not using the DVD player a lot.
The screen is very bright but the highly reflective screen makes it difficult to work at times. It is supposed to give a better movie viewing experience.
It is light and small enough to carry around but the extra battery attachment is not so sturdy/well-connected. So you have to make sure not to hold it on that side.
The major drawback I found later was the lack of bluetooth support. I wanted to connect it to my Syntax TV and work from a distance with a bluetooth keyboard and mouse. But I am not terribly bothered about it since there are alternatives to it.
I upgraded the Free printer to the Dell All-in-one Photo printer 942. I think it is useful to have an All-in-one printer at home. At least you will need it to send in all your mail-in-rebates :).
It outputs pretty good photos if you use good photo paper.
I also bought the Maxtor 300 GB external Hard Disk with my laptop. It supports both USB 2.0 and Firewire.
I use it to store a lot of video files captured from my MiniDV camcorder (Sony PCR DC-350) and backup using Norton Ghost. It is silent too.
Now all I am waiting for is the XBox 360.
posted by Abey at
5:43 PM
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