subtitles
"If you're waiting for a time when TVs won't be superseded by the next generation in six months, you will never buy a TV again. Just buy one you think is really good and use it for three years or more, like everyone who doesn't feel the urge to condemn rapid technological development as a bad thing."
Then I'll never buy a TV again and I'm not the only one. The sales figues for tvs are worrying electrical retailers as people who don't want to spend £££ on the never ending merry-go-round of the next big thing are not buying. We've gone from CRT through LCD, plasma, HD, Freeview, more HDHD, bigger and bigger and now it's 3D all in only a few years.
People bought a tv when their old CRT died and while some have swapped once, only gadget show fans have updated to the latest tech every 6 months.
"just buy one you think is really good "
How? What criteria am I using? In the shop each screen looks different most of which is apparently due to the transmission cable the shops use to transmit to all the screens. So I can't compare screens. Also there's no sound, so I can't compare the audio quality. So that leaves me with a stream of numbers and technical specifications which mean nothing and when you look on the net or in magazines for advice you get diametrically opposing views on everything.
For example I've been told that for games I *must* have a plasma as <insert technobabble here> and I *mustn't* have a plasma as the HUD from my favourite game will get burnt into the screen. So, who do I listen to?
Repeat for every other technical aspect of the television.
"use it for three years or more, like everyone who doesn't feel the urge to condemn rapid technological development as a bad thing."
This is not a luddite thing, the rapid technological development you love isn't development. Stuck my old CRT next to my mates HD tv with Halo Reach on both. No discernable difference in the picture quality.
Mum went to currys (other shops are available) and bought a telly when their CRT one died. This was 3 years ago and they're on their 3rd tv now. They keep dying, blocks of red pixels, power not working, etc. They're under guarantee so they keep getting given new ones. It's hardly inspiring me to spend upwards of £500 on something that seems destined to break.
So why should I buy a telly that isn't that much better and that'll only last 3+ years when my old one lasted 13+ ? Please explain to me how that is "technological development". An identical product that doesn't last as long as the previous iteration is regression, not improvement.
As another example take DAB which has been set as standard here, but there are other better DAB versions now so we're told we should use an upgraded system and the government is wasting money on DAB. When does it stop? Do we role out a new transmission network every year and people have to buy new kit every year to access it? The old analogue system has been around for how long again?
I could just as soon call you a gadgetfreak with too much money/credit for buying into the merry-go-round, pointless blanket insults aren't helpful are they!