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Five Remotes and a Stapler

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Real Estate Agent with Keller Williams Realty, Ann Arbor, MI

Two days ago my husband and I welcomed a bouncing Samsung blu-ray disc player into our lives - a BD-C6500.  A few months prior to this joyous event, we gave up hope of conceiving quality TV service outside of cable/satellite at anything resembling a sensible price. We only had satellite available in our semi-country setting, and EXTREMELY costly besides.  We opted to go commando with just Netflix and HuluPlus.  We were pretty happy for the last few months but missed the lazy remote control action from the sofa.  We had been using a dinosaur computer as our internet source and had to do gyrations to see the monitor image on the adjacent big screen TV screen - very distorted.  (Please contact my husband directly at his junk email account, buffoona@yahoo.com, or something like that, for further directions - sorry...)  We finally caved and bought a blu-ray, internet ready, wireless DVD player.

Samsung was the only brand that Hulu Plus recommended.  We searched for just the right model, not too expensive  but with features we needed.  We ordered it on a fabulous newegg.com sale last week.  We set the whole thing up, clicked on the Hulu icon just as we had on the Netflix icon, and...nothing.  This unit does not support Hulu, we learned.  Why?  Apparently the device manufacturers are not selling the 3-D versions of products as they predicted they would and in retaliation to customers, are only allowing services like Hulu Plus on the 3-D versions to boost their sales, or so I was told.  Do YOU and all of your family and guests want to watch TV with specialty glasses on?  What if you already wear glasses?  How many pair of 3-D glasses should a household buy?  I never thought 3-D TV  would be a hit but no one asked me.  Just saying.  I want my Hulu Plus, which I am paying for, to play on my internet-ready blu-ray disc player.  It is not too much to ask for!

So, while I sit surrounded by five remotes and a stapler that momentarily looked like a remote, I wonder why we have these issues with things as simple as TV and internet.  I know the cable and satellite companies don't want to lose business, but they have.  I heard on financial talk radio that this is the first year that there has not been an increase in demand for their services.  Please correct me if I am wrong.  Greed is killing these industries; I don't think they see it yet.  There is still time for them to save themselves if they do a total overhaul of their business practices, like reducing prices by about 2/3.  Right now, those of us doing it ourselves through the means noted above are the ones "suffering" but I know I am happy to save over $70 dollars a month by ditching satellite nonetheless.  I'll have to watch some shows on the laptop that is tethered to me anyway but I want it to be easier, more comfortable, and with surround sound through my blu-ray and TV - Hulu, please help!  Goodbye satellite/cable, the internet is here to stay.  Too early to say RIP?  Maybe, but I will when that day comes. 

Comments(4)

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P.J. Virgilio Jr., Realtor 408-568-6578 Selling homes in the Greater San Jose area and South through San Martin, Gilroy
Keller Williams Realty Silicon Valley - Gilroy, CA
San Juan Bautista and Hollister as well!

Susan,

What if the internet changes.... as it will. It is still very young by all standards and we will look back at these times as "The good ole days"..... how scary is that!

Nov 12, 2010 06:32 PM
Susan Walters
Keller Williams Realty, Ann Arbor, MI - Ann Arbor, MI

I think satellite and cable are pretty young too.  You can contact my husband (my technical expert) at the email address in the blog, but don't expect an answer!

Nov 12, 2010 06:37 PM
Debbie Laity
CinaJones Real Estate - Cedaredge, CO
Your Real Estate Resource for Delta County

I love this blog. Very funny. We have switched to all digital and don't subscribe to cable or any other service. I don't need the extra remote and wouldn't know how to work it anyway. We get six great channels from our digital antennae and I buy a lot of DVDs. We also have the blu ray player. I asked my 13 year old how to operate all of it...including the Wii which I just found out would display my pics from my camera, but I have no idea how it's done. Just ask my 13 year old. My husband put it all together, but he can never find the remotes. My computer will also talk with my TV, but I still have enough pride to NOT ask my 13 year old how this works.

Nov 12, 2010 06:53 PM
Susan Walters
Keller Williams Realty, Ann Arbor, MI - Ann Arbor, MI

Debbie, I apparently have no pride, nor do I have the technology gene!  I have been known to call my son at college 9 hours away (Michigan Tech) to ask for help with my printer, error messages, etc., if I can't get my husband on the phone right away.  He laughs when I do that but some little nugget of wisdom usually gets me through the crisis of the moment.  Some of us just don't understand this stuff - we can use it just fine when it is working but what a nightmare when it is not.

Nov 13, 2010 05:07 AM