The Info Pool

Big Screen TV Entertainment Centers: The forgotten extra-cost in buying a big screen TV

A few years back, pretty much all entertainment centers were the same. Because TVs hadn’t gotten as big as they are these days, it was easy to come up with a design that could fit all of them. All of that has changed now, and nowadays it seems you need to buy new furniture everytime you upgrade your digital equipment. Big screen TV entertainment centers have to be specifically designed to fit the modern TV.

Recently, I bought a home theater screen. I measured the big screen TV entertainment center from my most recent TV – the one I was getting rid of it. It was a plasma TV, and it was of a similar size and shape. I thought I would be able to fit the new TV, but I was wrong. Every entertainment center for big screen TVs is different. In this case, the footprint was off. The thing was just a little bit too wide from the front to back to fit in big screen TV entertainment Centers like the one I had. It almost did, and I spent an hour trying to find a way to negotiate the last few inches. After all, the difference between fitting and not fitting – although it was only 2 or 3 inches – was going to cost me another 600 dollars. In the end I lost, and had to cough up the dough.

I’m amazed at how expensive big screen TV entertainment centers have become. I never dreamed that they would cost as much as they do - in reality they’re not much more than a simple cabinet. Most of them are not even made out of wood anymore. They are certainly not handcrafted, so what is the reason behind the big expense? Whatever it is, big screen TV entertainment centers cost a fortune. It wouldn’t have been so bad if I’d been budgeting for it, but I hadn’t. I ended up spending all the money that I wanted to spend on the television screen. The big screen TV entertainment centers were an additional expense that I had not anticipated.

In the end, I had to temporarily give up the idea of big screen TV entertainment centers. Instead, I simply put the TV on a heavily reinforced table. I just could not find anything that fit the TV that I had! It was that overwhelmingly massive! I figure that in another six months, I will look at big screen TV entertainment centers again and try to find something that works. In the meantime, however, I am happy watching the TV from its new resting position on the table.

Add comment January 18th, 2007

“But Wait - There’s More!” - What’s the deal with those As Seen on TV products?

So you’re lounging on the sofa or recliner again; just another moment of relaxation in a typical day. Suddenly one of those ads or infomercials pops on, rambling about some wonderful gimmicky product. Wow, what a surprise! My personal favorite is the Oxy Clean one. The bearded man always comes out screaming. He must assume that his microphone is broken, the way he yells into the camera. Or, maybe he’s just that enthused about the product? You’ve got to love these “as seen on TV products.” I’ll even bet that you’ve caved in and purchased one at some point or another. You know, just to see if the hype was legitimate. I know I have.

It’s sort of funny, but I’ve actually seen “as seen on TV” stores that only sell as seen on TV products. What a business they must have going on. As I stepped back to examine this bizarre store, I was in amazed. Everything looked like a bunch of boxed up junk. In no way did I want to enter and purchase anything. Now I fully understand why everything is only 19.95. One has to wonder about the profit percentage they make. This is the key to all these infomercial products. Most of them are so easily produced and packaged, that the company makes a quick killing. Imagine the potential customers. We all have televisions and most people are sitting in front of them on a daily basis. How many of us snatch the phone when we see these “miracle solution” products for a mere 20 bucks? I’m guessing quite a few.

The business of as seen on TV products is huge to say the least. Whether it’s some new grinder/mincer/dicer, or maybe a perfect tool that slices an entire pizza in one whack, folks around the world over are intrigued. They get excited by the notion of convenience at a low cost. After all, most of these products offer a money back guarantee. I can’t really argue with that logic. If you truly despise the as seen on TV products, you can apparently send them back for your cash. Just don’t go too crazy with these gimmicks, or pretty soon you won’t have any cash left in the bank.

Add comment January 15th, 2007