Billy Morrison: THE PSYCHE OF TELEVISION RETAIL

« HAPPY 4th TO ALL | Main | THOUGHTS AND PRAYERS »

July 05, 2005

THE PSYCHE OF TELEVISION RETAIL

Good morning people. Did we all have a nice 4th July weekend? Did we all eat lots of chicken and get drunk and watch fireworks and generally goof off and have a relaxing day yesterday? Well I hope some of you did, because despite my post yesterday, I most certainly did not do any of that!! The reality of my weekend was spending three whole days trying to buy a television. Not particularly interesting, you say?.....well read on.....

As the title of todays post suggests, I feel the need to examine exactly how I spent my weekend, and to what lengths we (or maybe just me) will go to spend some money and buy a new toy. I honestly don't know if everyone is like me, or if I am just a little obsessed and a little crazy. But Friday night, one of the speakers in the bedroom television blew. OK - no big deal, the set was 7 years old, and kinda didn't really go in our hi-tech, slim line home vibe anyway. So Saturday morning, Jen and I decide to get a new television. A simple matter, one might think, in this modern, retail friendly age. Oh no, my friends - not true. We finally finished the saga at 1.00am last night. Three whole, complete days, four stores, 260 miles of driving, and two TV sets later, we finished what we started with a simple ...'Honey, lets go get a new TV for the bedroom'!!!

We decided that we would get a plasma screen as we like the way they look, and I am a great believer in buying the best quality you can. So the first move is about two hours of internet research by yours truly. Now this involves learning about stuff like aspect ratios, anamorphic 2.35:1 versus 1.85:1 widescreen movies, contrast ratios, native resolution and component/HDMI versus Composite inputs. Now I actually know a lot about this anyway, so I zipped through a few sites, brushed up on my knowledge and was ready to go. The problem is that when your wife isn't as knowledgable about all the tech stuff as you, hitting a store that has 50 TV's all looking good is a big problem. " What about this one? It looks really cute"....." I've told you ten times, that one doesn't have 1024 x 1024 resolution!!" Honestly, the first store was a three hour visit, with Jen looking at each TV, and trying to understand why I wasn't interested in each model. We also butted heads with the size - she wanted a 32" LCD cos they looked cute in the store, and I kept dragging her over to the 42" plasmas cos they are way better and cooler (but also more expensive!!). Eventually, we agree on one ......and now Jen decides she wants to check out the price in some other stores. So after driving the salesman in Good Guys mad, we leave and go over to Burbank to check out the other stores. After looking in all those places (and confusing ourselves even more with choices) we finally agree that the LG 42" in Good Guys is the one for us. So we drive all the way back, buy it, and go home.

Its late when we get back, so we go out to eat, and just fall asleep when we get back. So on Sunday, we wake up and begin the task of getting rid of all the old stuff we have - the old Sony TV that broke, an old Sony reciever and a couple of DVD players. We remember that Best Buy over in Burbank have started a new program where you trade in all your old electronics and get store credit. So seeing as we are upgrading the whole bedroom set up, we decide to drive all the way back over there with the old stuff and trade it in for a new DVD player. Off we go again, this time with Jens car full up with TV etc. The sales guy in Best Buy turns out to be a rock fan, and talks to me for ages about music, while he's doing the trade in (nice and all, but GET ON WITH IT!!!!) and eventually we leave with a new Sony DVD player. Back over the hill and home to finally rig all this up and watch a DVD on the new LG TV. Except its shit!! The picture looks terrible, and without boring you all with details (have I done that already??) we go to sleep completely pissed off with our purchase.

Monday morning, and we both wake up hating the TV, and decide to take it back, spend more money, and get the best HD Plasma we can. FOUR HOURS of research later, and we have a Panasonic model number that is rated the best 42" HD TV. We start to call around and no one has any in stock....BUT.....we find one in Circuit City in.....wait for it.....PALMDALE - two hours drive from here. We look at each other....."Fuck It - here we go again!!" So we break down the LG, put it in the car, and set off to take it back, get the money back, and drive to Palmdale to get the Panasonic. After what seemed like days, we finally get there, buy it, and load it into the car. BUT - you cant lay plasma screens on their sides, they have to travel upright.....and the Panasonic wont fit in the goddamn car!! Jen has a brainwave and we take it out of the box, on the side of the street, and I ride back to LA, sitting in the back of the car, holding on to the new screen for dear life. How do two people take so long and drive so far, to buy a television?? I have no idea if we are exceptionally crazy, or just cant make decisions. The good news is that we are now very happy with what we have, but the whole holiday weekend is now over, and neither of us have any time to relax in front of the new box and watch a movie!!!

Sorry if that was a boring story but I needed to vent it, and perhaps some of you will relate to the craziness and tell me that we actually are normal!! Either way, its done and I can get on with my week.

Thank you for the AOL tip off - when I get a moment, I'll check out the site and watch some of the stuff from Live 8 that I missed. I have to go to a wardrobe meeting for this movie this morning - hopefully they will let me wear my own stuff. I have visions of some wardrobe guy saying to me - "ok, so we want you to wear this green silk kimono, and could you try this taffeta robe on as well? Oh, and do you own a fedora hat?" My response to that?......."Piss off - its black leather or nothing"!!!

I am off to get my caffeine - and I'll throw a quick glance towards our lovely new TV as I rush past it on the way to the closet. Nice TV, I'll think - have to find time to switch it on one of these days!!
Thanks for indulging me and letting me rant - have a great week, and speak soon.

Peace

Billy

Posted by vivelerock at July 5, 2005 08:48 AM

Comments

I was finding it all entertaining (as I've had similiar experiences myself with the hubby), but when I started to picture the two of you at the side of the road...all that packaging...you in the back seat holding the thing on the long ride back...it was too much!! Don't feel alone in the craziness of stuff like that, because it's not just you guys. However, it's always MUCH more funny when it happens to someone else!

Have a good Tuesday all!

Posted by: flamingheart at July 5, 2005 09:01 AM

LOL Billy, no it's not just you we all do it but as heidi said above, it's always much funnier when it happens to someone else. Glad you got it anyway and have a great day!

I'm into my 2nd day of vacation and both times I've made plans to do something and now both times I've decided nah, why bother. I am such a procrastinator.

hugs,
tina

Posted by: tina at July 5, 2005 10:24 AM

your tv purchase adventures made me want to post for the first time! it sounded SO familiar!! a few weeks ago my husband and i spent a weekend driving to at least 8 different stores, looking at who knows how many TVs and making salesmen crazy! we finally are set on the first TV we saw and buy it on sale. it didn't fit in our car! we unpackaged it and they warned us they weren't responsible for anything once it left the box...we said fine and proceeded to force it in the car. no go. we had to call my sister so she could fit it in her SUV...we FINALLY get home, and "voila!" we notice a nice little scratch on the side of the tv...and later we get in the car and i notice a nice little scratch on the inside door panel...great little reminder of how much we *love* our tv! now when we watch TV, i don't seee the 32" HDTV but rather the 1.5" mark that reminds me of how crazy we were that day! ha. thanks so much for sharing your pain ;)
btw, i live in San Francisco and was wishing i could've snuck into the camp freddy private show! looks like an awesome time! and glad you liked asia de cuba! one of my favorite places.

erika

Posted by: erika at July 5, 2005 10:51 AM

Posted by: erika at July 5, 2005 10:53 AM

While you were spending the weekend stressing about a TV(?), I spent an evening(and all of my money) at the HRH. I heard about the Camp Freddy display, but had no idea it was in the main entrance. Very niiice!

Posted by: Digger at July 5, 2005 11:14 AM

No, it's just you Billy!

I'm kidding, of course. That story sounded like me at Christmas time, trying to find the perfect gifts for everyone. I drive myself crazy during the holidays.

Posted by: zannebee at July 5, 2005 02:45 PM

Will and I have done the same thing...only it was a refrigerator instead of a TV. It's been a year and I'm still afraid to show my face in our local Sears store.

Posted by: Bonita at July 5, 2005 03:17 PM

Billy-Glad you had an enjoyable weekend. Do you still fool around with the bass guitar to come up with grooves/riffs for Doheny? Just curious? Have a good one.

Posted by: Brett at July 5, 2005 03:50 PM

hmm, well, I would have taken your trivial torment over what I had to go through this weekend. Finding out your friend / girlfriend went into a coma from an aneurysm, and being in a hospital on the other side of the world where you're powerless to do anything but miss sleep tends to top TV troubles.

I would have gone for an HD LCD anyway, not a plasma.

Posted by: Kim at July 5, 2005 03:51 PM

hmmmmm....yes any electronics purchase seems to turn out that way for me. My favorite is when they send me to the Best Buy in Burbank, a nice hour or two drive, and say that they've called ahead to be sure its there, and I get there, but what I need is nowhere in the store!! Ahh, fun stuff...

On another note...green kimono!?! Exactly what kind of movie is this? ;) details soon to follow I hope!

Posted by: Abby at July 5, 2005 04:56 PM

Billy,

Could it be about time to schedule a Sunday chat?

A little encouragement for Mr. Morrison please friends..

Thanks,
Jay

Posted by: Jay at July 5, 2005 06:12 PM

I say we all schedule a Tv viewing party at Billy's house.

Billy ask Jen if it's ok.

Matt S.

Posted by: Matt Stebbins at July 5, 2005 06:58 PM

Actually Jay, I was just thinking about the chat room yesterday. Does anyone ever go there anymore? Seems there are some cobwebs in the corners over there.

As for a viewing party at Billy's, I'll bring popcorn!

:-)

Posted by: flamingheart at July 6, 2005 08:57 AM

Some of us still go there most sat nights to chat while listening to CFR

Posted by: tina at July 6, 2005 03:18 PM

Hiya! hee hee. That tale just shows how determined you guys are to get what you are happy with, and put up with no less.
When I was reading your tale and saw LG, I went Oh no, don't get one of those..I won't go near LG products. David had an LG tv and it just burst into flames, all by itself. I mean roaring flames. He was sitting there watching it, a few little sparkling noises later, and whoosh! up goes the TV.

I always do the research too! Then I end up knowing more than the salespeople. I ask them questions, and no one knows the answer. I have tons of silly stories. So yes, I can relate. I'm usually the one who gets stuck in the back. rofl.

love and hugs,
Lisa

Posted by: ylais at July 6, 2005 04:29 PM

LOL...My son and I had a similar experience, not with the research part, I'm an idiot, I trust whatever male opinion is handy, no matter if the male has less facial hair than I do!! We went to Costco, got the cheapest yet biggest, then tried to fit it into a Geo!! Yes, we too did the leave the box in the parking lot trick, but we failed to remember the fact we live on the TOP FLOOR of our apartment complex, which begs the question, how did you and your petite wife wrangle the set into YOUR house?
jezzi(PICS!!! I need PICS!!!)

Posted by: jezebel at July 6, 2005 07:48 PM

lol sounds like a fun weekend there billy. I just bought a 32in lcd at costco cant afford anything bigger right now and I can't wait to set it up in my room. goodnight

Posted by: Jake at July 6, 2005 11:31 PM

Bombs have gone off in Central London on busses, and there's been explosions on the underground trains, starting at 8:45am. I turned on the tv at 9am, and it's still going on...they know people have died but it's all hazy..and they said it's timed delebrately with the G8 Summit starting this morning.

God, it's awful...I'm in tears.

Posted by: ylais at July 7, 2005 03:11 AM

Lisa!!!! and all my friends overtheocean...I am so sorry. Please, find someone you love, give them a hug, and give yourself one from me

jezzi((((((HUGS)))))))

Posted by: jezebel at July 7, 2005 06:15 AM