Big TV lust (split)

[Sibling Zono (anon1mat0)]

I watch netflix on my xbox only that it just entered the statistics and had a RRoD and will be shipped for repairs as soon as I get back home. The xbox isn't too efficient with is energy use either so using a standalone should save 100+ watts easily (although it's certainly convenient).

For the same reason stated above I wouldn't suggest an used xbox (1st gen had lots of reliability problems).

[Bob in a quantum-state-of-faith]

I watch netflix on my xbox only that it just entered the statistics and had a RRoD and will be shipped for repairs as soon as I get back home. The xbox isn't too efficient with is energy use either so using a standalone should save 100+ watts easily (although it's certainly convenient).

For the same reason stated above I wouldn't suggest an used xbox (1st gen had lots of reliability problems).

The most common issue with those is heat, or so I've read.

Mine's vertical-- that's supposedly the coolest way, and there's nothing to either side, and *certainly* not lying on the dusty floor-- it's up in a roomy shelf.

So far, I've had no issues with it in the least.

[Aggie]

Any recommendations for tv antennae? Preferably cheap but effective, I don't watch TV but would like to get the hockey game once in a while.

We live just south of downtown and are one of the taller buildings on the block (our floor is above most roofs).  I probably want both VHF and UHF.

[Sibling Zono (anon1mat0)]

The most common issue with those is heat, or so I've read.

Mine's vertical-- that's supposedly the coolest way, and there's nothing to either side, and *certainly* not lying on the dusty floor-- it's up in a roomy shelf.

So far, I've had no issues with it in the least.

Mine worked somewhat* for 2 years and 10 months. Lucky for me they still cover the damage before 3 years.** As for ventilation, mine was horizontal but on one of those metallic stands with plenty of ventilation above and below.

*I had to change the Hard Disk because it was giving me an E74 error. Then the disc drive started to scratch the disks. Finally the graphic engine died about 3 weeks or so.

**The first iteration of the console had a failure rate of 33% or one in three. Heat may have been a factor in the abysmal failure rate, although bad engineering sounds more accurate as a culprit.
---
Aggie

Can you install an aerial antenna? If not I've seen some antennas with an amplifier which help a bit but those don't do miracles. Try to place it close to a window in the general direction of the transmitter for best results. Oh and get some coaxial cable... 

[Bob in a quantum-state-of-faith]

Well, I certainly won't fault your opinion about crappy engineering-- that does seem to be the consensus. 

But, I've also seen Microsquish advocating vertical orientation, so I'm going with that.   I've not installed any external fans, though... mayhap I should.  Easy enough, and I'd power'em with an external dongle, so that they'd be running *after* turning off the console, to eliminate heat-soak.   Gotta think about this-- I may just build an extension from the exhaust ports to a high velocity, but quiet external fan powered by a wall-wart... 

And now that you've got me thinkin' on it, I will return to my new game (to me-- Gears of war 1)...  (yes it's old-ish, but I wait 'til the games go below $20.... )

[Aggie]

Zono:  Can't do an aerial as we're in an apartment (and it's actually owners in here primarily, not renters, so the standards are a bit higher.  Might be able to put something small and discreet out on the balcony, but there's no way to wire it indoors (can't drill holes in the wall, I don't own the place).

Have lots of co-ax around, though.   

Really, I'm only looking for 2 or 3 channels, provided one has hockey and p'raps the local news.  My exposure is not great for picking up signals from downtown (where the actual TV studios are) but transmitters might be elsewhere.   Might start with a coathanger and work up from there.

[Sibling Zono (anon1mat0)]

I've not installed any external fans, though... mayhap I should. 

Whatever you do DO NOT USE THE USB ONES! By draining more power it generated more internal heat that wasn't dissipated by the fans (who would've thought that placing a fan would overheat your console?).

Your plans sound good although channeling the airflow into those holes is tricky. Take pictures of the end result! 

Might be able to put something small and discreet out on the balcony, but there's no way to wire it indoors (can't drill holes in the wall, I don't own the place).

Bummer!

My exposure is not great for picking up signals from downtown (where the actual TV studios are) but transmitters might be elsewhere. 

Figure out where are the transmitting towers, then you have to take into the account that radiowaves bounce from concrete buildings. If you don't have a direct sight in the direction of the tower try to calculate where it would be bouncing from. That might help.

[Aggie]

All this depends on getting an antenna in the first place, that's the bit I'm wondering about.

[Lindorm]

Is this the wrong thread to point out that I haven't had a TV since 1993? Yep, last millennium. 

By the way, aren't those huge flatscreen TV sets supposed to use an ungodly amount of power? We are actually sort-of-maybe-thinking of gettign a small wallmounted flatscreen TV, but we don't want to buy something that requires it's own dedicated hydroelectric power plant.

[Griffin NoName]

I have a small-medium size (26 inch) LCD screen and it uses about 0.03 amps. I don't know about plasma.

I always had tiny TVs on grounds of superiority and cultural nicety, but my 26 inch one has changed my attitude. Of course, it could be due to my deteriorating eyesight.

[Sibling Zono (anon1mat0)]

LCD screens (specially those with LED backlighting which BTW have far better contrast) are actually more efficient than the old CRTs.

Plasma eats more power possibly than CRTs of equivalent size, but nothing ungodly (unless you're thinking on a 60").

[Bob in a quantum-state-of-faith]

Wot Zono said... the new'uns are not power-hungry like the old vacuum-bottle TV's were.

And they weigh considerably less, too-- even the largest weighs less than the medium-sized CRT types.

And, if you go back to *my* childhood?  Where you had a huge, honkin' flyback transformer that all by itself weighed 50 pounds... then there was the electron-gun transformer, 20 pounds, then the heavy steel chassis and all those glass vacuum tubes, and finally, the CRT itself.   All that inside real wood casing which alone weighed in at 20-30 pounds...

By the 80's the transformers and steel chassis had been replaced by switching electronics circuits and plastic cases were the norm, but the heavy CRT was still used.

Today?  No vacuum, no steel chasis, no transformers.  Sure, there's glass in an LCD or plasma, but it's pretty thin compared to the 1/4" thick glass on a CRT.

For a LCD?   The biggest consumer of power is the backlight-- typically electroflorescense, which are quite efficient.   The LCD pixels could easily be powered for days, with a simple 9v battery.  The graphics engine, which must decode the compressed digital picture is somewhat power-hungry.    Still, I'd be surprised if even the largest screens used more power than an average 60 watt lightbulb, or perhaps 2.

[Aggie]

Is this the wrong thread to point out that I haven't had a TV since 1993? Yep, last millennium. 

By the way, aren't those huge flatscreen TV sets supposed to use an ungodly amount of power? We are actually sort-of-maybe-thinking of gettign a small wallmounted flatscreen TV, but we don't want to buy something that requires it's own dedicated hydroelectric power plant.

If you are thinking smallish, I'm happy so far with my TV/monitor combo - as computer users you might appreciate the dual-use and could always retire it to monitor duty if you are not using it as a TV.  Admittedly, I haven't been using it as a TV yet, except for watching TV programs through the interwebz. There's a 25.5" model at a reasonable price, and larger versions may exist.

[ivor]

You can get newer graphics cards with an HDMI output.  That's what I use for my 42" flat screen.  It's great for NetFlix.

[Sibling Zono (anon1mat0)]

Or they come/you can get a DVI to HDMI adapter/cable (it is the same protocol). True, cheap/old computers only come with a VGA output but even then most flat panel TVs come with an VGA input too.