I've had a small all-in-one television with VCR and DVD for quite a while. The VCR isn't that great and the DVD isn't doing very well, and I've thought about getting something new. I especially wanted something that would work with my PC, since I'm getting rid of cable, and am downloading the few TV shows I don't want to miss from iTunes, and now Amazon's new Unbox.
This week I splurged on a new 27-inch widescreen HDTV LCD flat panel from Best Buy. I didn't go high end or even middle, opting for their inexpensive store brand (on sale) saving money for a Sony progressive-scan HDMI up converter DVD player. The Monster HDMI cable between the TV and the player actually cost more than the player, and the TV is not a black lit, which means the blacks in the picture are not as crisp as the higher end, but it still blows the doors off my regular TV.
When I got home, my two new movies–This Island Earth and the original unaltered and unedited Godzilla movie (Gojira)–had arrived so they had first honor of being played on the new TV. The color and richness of This Island Earth made the movie seem brand new rather than an old favorite. Even Gojira seemed crisply black and white.
Today I decided to try Amazon's service. I have iTunes on my Mac, and anything I download for that can also play on my PC. However, iTunes downloads are tiny and not particularly good expanded out past an iPod size.
The Amazon purchase prices are too high for movies, and even the rental isn't especially cheap if compared to Netflix. However, novelty, sweet novelty. I rented a old favorite I haven't seen in years and years: the Birds. I then hooked my computer to the TV through the VGA connection and sat down to enjoy this excellent movie in beautiful, rich color. Though not as crisp and saturated as the HDMI connection and the upconverted DVD from the player, the movie was wonderful.
Oh, I'm spoiled. I'm terribly spoiled.
