Coolness Roundup #113 – The Remote Control Show
--by Stephen Schleicher
Charlie reviews a toy projector and says forget it, and the Gurus of Cool answer listener e-mail about remote controls and HDMI cables. The duo also rip through another Rapid Fire Roundup of Cool Products, and their cool and not so cool items of the week.
December 2nd, 2007 at 7:18 pm
Itunes is posting the release date of your last four podcasts as 11/16. Thought you should know.
I think a comparison of the new Kindle and Sony PRS 505 is in order. Here is my thoughts. I own both.
The PRS 505 offers improvements over the PRS 500. The screen resolution is better. But with the e-ink, perhaps the current technology does not allow a black text on white background. But, I can accept it. It is still a background of green-gray.
The refresh rate is better from page to page.
Some say the flicker from page-to-page is annoying. I have read several large novels and I got used to it. The 505 does it better
Remember you get 100 free classic novels/documents with either Sony. This was important to me.
If you like reading this 100 free books was a major selling point.
It seems that the battery life is not as good as the PRS-500. But still because of only using power on page turns is more than acceptable.
As I review books for several large publishers, the thought of being able to not carry large stacks of paper but conduct my review via .pdf was encouraging. However, placing a .pdf into a Sony .pdf format with large enough text was a pain. There is a site which provides the necessary conversion thoughts. The issue of how to EASILY convert your .pdf’s into something which is readable on the PRS-505 has not been resolved.
I think my experience in reading classic novels and books has been positive one. When I travel it has lightened my load.
The .rss feed section of the Sony Connect is terrible. You subscribe to a feed. Then you must click each feed individually in order to download updates. Not an itunes types experience. Let’s say you subscribe to 50 feeds as I do. You must click and download each individually.
Enter the Kindle and some questions.
Ergonomics – It looks like they need a course in hardware design. It’s ugly.
However, I do subscribe to multiple newspapers and at least 50 .rss feeds. The one thing about the Kindle is the FREE internet access. At the current time you can surf the net AND subsequently get -with a reader like Google reader- to ALL your feeds. Also for a nominal fee you can get your newspaper subscriptions automatically delivered for a nominal fee. The green aspect of no paper makes this for me very desirable.
For a small.99cents fee you can convert “any”file to one which is readable by the Kindle.
You also get a free e-mail account to recieve e-mails on your Kindle.
So how long will Amazon offer the free internet connection????? Is this guaranteed for you $400???
Currently I am in a wait and see.
I use the Sony for my reading of books; the Kindle for rss. I have not canceled my paper newspapers, but would if I knew a comittment from Amazon about the free internet were made.
Respectfully submitted
the doktor!!!!!!
December 3rd, 2007 at 11:36 pm
I had a few things to comment about on this podcast, but most of it is just adding to what you said about the Harmony Remotes (which I love and are capable of so much more than what people use them for). What i DO need to comment on is you two saying there is NO difference in the picture quality of different HDMI cables. This statement is not true. There is a difference in the picture quality of different cables, depending on the materials they are made of and the connectors. I install TV’s and Home Theaters for a living. I’ve hooked up many different types of equipment many different ways. I have personally seen the difference in HDMI cables. Comparing a cheap ($12) cable with one that is upwards to $100 or more. The sharpness (especially in the background picture) and color reproduction is generally better (in HD) with the more expensive cables. Though… NOT ALL expensive cables are better. AND not all TV’s are capable of showing this difference. I’ve done comparisons with customers and other installers. Some have noticed a difference, some have not. Sometimes I notice a difference when they do not and sometimes I do not notice a difference. ALSO, as equipment gets better (i.e. HD-DVD and BLU-RAY and the eventually 1080p cable box) the need for BETTER HDMI cables will be apparent. Most inexpensive HDMI cables will NOT transmit (and this goes for most MONSTER cables as well) DEEP COLOR. Or higher color bitrates. MOST tv’s made today can handle 12 bit or higher color already and some HD-DVD and BLU-RAY players can already transmit 12 bit color. ALSO, not all HDMI cables are up to the most current HDMI spec which is beneficial with those people who have HDMI capable surround sound receivers that can receive UNCOMPRESSED digital audio formats from your HD-DVD or BLU-RAY players. Not all these receivers are expensive (i.e. the Onkyo 605 for $500). I could probably go on and on, but i’ll stop here. Lastly, HDMI cables begin to lose signal over longer lengths. A better quality cable will ensure a better connection over longer lengths. I hope that some or all of what I’ve said here will spark your interest and force you to do some proper research on the subject and possibly try it yourself. (p.s. I actually just had a customer ask me about changing out his Monster HDMI cable for something better. I plugged a 3M Ultralink Platinum Series HDMI in for him (cable box) and HE immediately noticed a difference with the motion of the sporting event that was on the screen. There was less artifact effect.)
December 5th, 2007 at 10:04 am
I’ve done comparisons with customers and other installers. Some have noticed a difference, some have not. Sometimes I notice a difference when they do not and sometimes I do not notice a difference.
That would be the placebo effect.
December 17th, 2007 at 1:04 pm
HDMI cables are digital. Either they work or they don’t. Analog cables can make a difference. As long as the HDMI cable is of the right spec. it will work just as good as a boutique cable. You probably will see more durability in the more expensive ones as they do use nice materials but as far as signal they either transmit the 1’s and 0’s or they don’t. This is the audiophile con. Six hundred dollar replacement power cables for your reciever without explaining about the power between you and the station. Do a search for high end cables, it will blow your mind with smoke and mirrors.