On the big screen

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(Edited)

I don't buy much often, but now that I am going to be mostly at home for the next couple months and it coincides with Tokyo Olympics, I decided to splurge a little on a new TV to replace the Panasonic plasma I got in 2006.

I went with the LG OLED55CX 55" 4K Ultra HD OLED, which is last year's model. I was ready to spend for the 2021 upgrade, but for the difference it offered me, I couldn't warrant spending the 600€ more for a gen4 processor, considering I don't game at all and pretty much will only use this TV streaming.

I also figured that the upgrade from what I had to this is so large, that the difference between whatever the new one offered wouldn't be overly significant, especially since I am not the kind of personality that needs to have the beat of anything and I don't feel special based I what I own... Even though I like gadgets.

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Which is the other reason I chose the cheaper option, as since I was ready to spend more but didn't, I now have a "free 600" euros to spend on other things if I choose to and there are definitely a few things on my list of needs and wants.

For once, I really have no justification for this purchase at all, as I could definitely manage with the screen I had and a chromecast. However, it is really easy to come up with excuses, especially "for work" as I can now use this as a monitor, as my other just couldn't cut it.

This is the back of my old one.

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A friend came to get me last night after he finished work to go check out TVs and grab a bite to eat - which was a playdate arranged by my wife as I can't drive, nor carry the TV by myself at the moment. He is in the market for one two and messaged me today that he'll likely end up with the same.

It is pretty good.

While we were looking at the various models, we were talking about all the people buying TVs on credit and had a look at the terms they were offering. According to him, "As an American, he prefers the 6-month interest free payment, than the lumpsum upfront". It isn't about the money.

They don't do that here though generally and the terms were insane. Monthly payments came with a 28.3% interest per year over 36 months, effectively doubling the price of the purchase in three years. Think about that for a moment, considering that interest rates are they lowest they have ever been on housing and earnings on savings. It really is no wonder they are driving consumption any way they can.

I find it insane that people buy this kind of stuff on credit and even more insane, that they are willing to do it on those kinds of terms, yet they do. It is one of those examples of how our intuition does us a disservice, as we do not fully comprehend what these kinds of decisions mean over time and they really add up. People see the "only x€ a month" and sell to themselves that it isn't that much, only a couple coffees a week and make the decision, yet the same argument in the other direction gets no play. When it comes to investing that coffee money instead of spending it, very few are interested.

Gadgets are generally terrible investments unless they are used for work, and this TV is no exception. My wife and I don't even watch that much, but it sitting here watching the football is quite nice, as not only is the screen quality an upgrade, the size has gone from 42 to 55, which is a significant change. I was looking at the 65, but I am glad I didn't, as it would have been too large for the space and luckily my wife doesn't subscribe to the "bigger the better" paradigm.

For me, I prefer the make a difference to life reasoning for purchases, but this one really doesn't make that much of a difference, other than making my Olympic viewing more pleasurable. Past that, it will make my Teams calls more immersive when I finally get a chance to go back to work.

With the money left over... We'll see.

Taraz
[ Gen1: Hive ]



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19 comments
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When hive was $1 I sold 1000 from a bunch of old steem accounts and used 440 of that at target for a 4k 65 inch tv on covid day and I cut everyone in line and just yelled at everyone and got my TV

Posted using Dapplr

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I bought a new TV almost a year or so ago. It was my first 4K tv and I love it. It is a curved Samsung and it is like I am at a movie theater when I watch movies or play games on it. It is crazy how cheap TVs have gotten over the years. I remember when the first plasma came out it was like $8000 for a 40 inch. Now no one wants plasma anymore cause they suck.

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This TV was a few hundred less than I paid for my plasma 16 years ago. That is a massive difference considering inflation.

Though, everyone these days loves the high definition of everything, but I still like the softer feel of movies on the plasma. The uhd can make everything look plastic and somehow amateur, or like it hasn't been put through post yet.

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I dont like when they go crazy with the HDR and there are no dark blacks and it is just a lot of shadow and you can see details in it still. It is like they have perfect lighting conditions for every shot now and it just looks weird sometimes.

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I saw the Hobbit in Uhd at the cinemas and it ruins the atmosphere when you can see Gandalf's nose makeup. :D

Nose makeup sounds like code for a Hollywood cocaine habit.

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I saw the Hobbit in Uhd at the cinemas and it ruins the atmosphere when you can see Gandalf's nose makeup. :D

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I bought a new TV almost a year or so ago. It was my first 4K tv and I love it. It is a curved Samsung and it is like I am at a movie theater when I watch movies or play games on it. It is crazy how cheap TVs have gotten over the years. I remember when the first plasma came out it was like $8000 for a 40 inch. Now no one wants plasma anymore cause they suck.

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Movies on plasma suck!!!

I will answer this with a completely different answer that contradicts my last.

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Sounds awesome! If I am buying anything gadgety like that, I often do the same and get the previous years model because these days especially, changes are so incremental that it really doesn't matter. 4K rawks!

Stuff using it for work though. That way madness lies!

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If I use it for work, I can get it back on tax ;D

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I am still on a nearly 12 year old Samsung led backlight screen and I will probably wait till it breaks down to buy another. One problem I have with most of the new ones is that they don't play nice with lower quality videos as they try to make everything look so crisp. I also hate the higher hertz rates which makes everything except sport look like it is a soap opera. Hopefully, you can turn it off on your one.

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I haven't even played with the settings yet, but I do hope it can scale down a bit. will have to explore more with it :)

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Beautiful TV. I also need to buy a new one now that my 30 year old TV has broken. I always replace appliances only when they are broken.

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I'd rather the lump sum and get it over with, instalments plus interest sounds idiotic XD

Though I think that stems from my unreasonable aversion to direct debit which means I would have to remember to pay it and I don't like remembering to do things I have no interest in.

You're allowed to make "just because" purchases sometimes. It's not like you're making them hourly XP

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Big enough for Netflix is big enough for Netflix and chill.
(Or Nitflux n chull, in NZ)

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Wow! Your new TV looks stunning and "powerful".

Enjoy it.

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