The Irony....

polkatese
polkatese Posts: 6,767
edited August 2010 in The Clubhouse
Back in 2001, I paid $5500 for a Pioneer Elite RPTV HD-PRO530 and paid $4000 for a souped up Dell Dimensions 8100 Desktop with a 17" FP (in itself a whopping $1200), and a Compaq X1000 laptop for $2100 in 2004, and never look back.

Today, I thought anything over $4000 for a TV is a lot of money. A Mitsubishi WD 82838 82" 3D DLP has a MSRP of $4500, or $1100 for a souped up Dell, $800 for an i5 Dell 14R laptop.

I make about the same compared to 10 years ago. Yet, the whole paradigm of spending money on CE has changed drastically. And it wasn't like I am getting richer from those cost-savings (i.e. paying a fraction of those costs nowadays)

Is this really a progress? Are we spoiled? if I can spend $5000 on RPTV 10 years ago, technically I should be able to justify a $4000 Pass Labs amp. But I can't.

pondering....
I am sorry, I have no opinion on the matter. I am sure you do. So, don't mind me, I just want to talk audio and pie.
Post edited by polkatese on
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Comments

  • cokewithvanilla
    cokewithvanilla Posts: 1,777
    edited August 2010
    I dunno.. I've never bought a desktop computer (always put them together), and I've always waited a bit until the "it's new" buzz went away to buy something... everything new is expensive... once a better technology comes out, it will be expensive, then as it ages and more competitors come into the market, it will come down in price....

    that's the way of the world.
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  • fatchowmein
    fatchowmein Posts: 2,637
    edited August 2010
    Paradigm shift: 9.6% unemployment (June 2010). We're all a bit more careful with our money now. Heck, just look at the threads from fellow polkies and their financial/job struggles.
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  • cokewithvanilla
    cokewithvanilla Posts: 1,777
    edited August 2010
    fatchowmein wrote: »
    Paradigm shift: 9.6% unemployment (June 2010). We're all a bit more careful with our money now. Heck, just look at the threads from fellow polkies and their financial/job struggles.

    agreed. Also, your personal finances weigh on the issue. As well as the fact that you can say "just look what Ican get for $4000" back then, it was a TV, today it is 4 TV's...
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  • polkatese
    polkatese Posts: 6,767
    edited August 2010
    Maturity is one, economic woes is too.

    But, your $10,000 worths a lot more than 10 years ago, when it comes to CE.

    Imagine, using my numbers above, $10000 got me a TOTL RPTV, TOTL Desktop, a $600 Pioneer DVD player, and some cables.

    Today, with $10000 I bet I could score a very awesome TOTL of the same, for half what I spent then.

    And think about those manufacturers, I bet they looked back and thought Yesterday will always better than today...no?
    I am sorry, I have no opinion on the matter. I am sure you do. So, don't mind me, I just want to talk audio and pie.
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  • cokewithvanilla
    cokewithvanilla Posts: 1,777
    edited August 2010
    polkatese wrote: »

    And think about those manufacturers, I bet they looked back and thought Yesterday will always better than today...no?

    maybe not. Today, all the R&D is already done. Production has become cheaper, more units are produced at lesser costs. There might not be as much markup, but there are certainly more sales (in the what used to be high-end tv category).
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  • obieone
    obieone Posts: 5,077
    edited August 2010
    I bought a 32" Westinghouse 720P LCD 5+ years ago for $900. Today I could get a 42"+ 1080p for LESS than that. The PQ is definitely better, but if it ain't broke, I can't justify the cost, JUST for the sake of an upgrade.
    I figure, when you break it down, of what you paid over the time you've had it, it comes out to several $100's per year.
    Which is stupid, because I still have the 1st tv I bought after the service(12 years ago), and that cost me $150:eek::rolleyes:
    I refuse to argue with idiots, because people can't tell the DIFFERENCE!
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  • cokewithvanilla
    cokewithvanilla Posts: 1,777
    edited August 2010
    obieone wrote: »
    I figure, when you break it down, of what you paid over the time you've had it, it comes out to several $100's per year.
    Which is stupid, because I still have the 1st tv I bought after the service(12 years ago), and that cost me $150:eek::rolleyes:

    That is funny. I was talking to someone at JVC about a 2600 dollar TV with a bad light engine (green spots). He said I shouldn't be mad because it lasted almost two years. He said 2 years should be your life expectancy for a tv.

    I fully expect my tv's to last 10 years. IDC if it's outdated, it will be used until it drops (even if it moves from room to room until it is mounted on the wall in the attic). I think we can expect LCD tvs to last that long... don't give up on it yet :P
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