Electronics turn-over tempting my LBYM

[JoeWras]

Help, I'm about to buy something I don't need.

The forced obsolescence in electronics is driving me crazy. I have a very nice 13 year old Yamaha receiver that we use to drive speakers from TV, computer, DVD and DVR. What more do I need? It has 5 channel sound. It is a rat's nest in the back with all the wires. This was before optical.

But now we finally bought a TV after 15 years, and the lure of Blu-Ray and HDMI is calling my name. But why? We rarely watch DVDs. We stick mostly with the DVR and listen to music from the computer. I digitized all my LPs and tapes a few years back. Don't have the tape player or phono hooked up anymore, so the nest is cleaner. But, ahhh, the lure of nice clean HDMI is calling me. Stop!

I can't help myself. Saw a new AV receiver with nice clean inputs. But I really don't need it. I can wait a few more years. Right? Now they are talking about "4K" or something. Will we really need that?

How do others deal with this forced obsolescence? Do you buy each new generation? Or do you "wait until it dies" like I do.

The problem with waiting is my Yahama receiver may never die. Heck, I could be in Midpack's shoes in 15 more years talking about a "Vintage" Yamaha: http://www.early-retirement.org/forums/f27/vintage-electronics-now-ive-seen-everything-65527.html

What do you all do? And can someone give me an "attaboy" for not pushing the button yesterday on an unnecessary Newegg purchase? My friends, I came very close yesterday. But didn't. Today is another day. One more day and maybe the urge will go away.

 

[jollystomper]

Personally I think one can LBYM from a general perspective but leave a few areas for enjoyment, as long as it doesn't impact the overall financial picture.

I was in a similar situation... I have a Nikko receiver that is over 30 years old and still going strong, supplemented with a mixer to increase the number of items I could play through it - TV, CD then DVD player, multiple computers, gaming system etc. But I finally bit the bullet last year and upgraded to an AV receiver - nothing fancy, but with enough audio and video inputs to satisfy my desire to create nests of wires. Now, if I can get 30 years out of it...

BTW, long before the purchase, I budgeted for it and put aside a little money every month. What I ended up spending was actually less that what I had set aside. Since the purchase I don't spend time worrying about when to upgrade next - accept the fact that with electronics whatever you buy there will be something better a year (heck, maybe even a month) down the road. So it is important to focus on enjoying what you have.

 

[Sarah in SC]

So get it already. And btw, what do you want for the Yamaha?

 

[Sesq]

You can get a 5 channel receiver with HDMI cheap these days.

The thing you need to potentially shop for is to determine if it will transcode your analog inputs (composite, component, s-video) to HDMI. Or if the HDMI cable can only video switch other HDMI sources.

That feature (often with some lingo instead of transcode) may push you into the mid-level, often 7.1 receivers.

I haven't looked in a couple years, but spring / summer is when new ones come out, so the prior models will be quite cheap, even at a model up. Watch slickdeals or similar.

 

[Walt34]

That can sometimes be an issue for me - my weakness is photography - and I have a very nice Nikon D7000 and four lenses. Just before coming to this site I was looking at a D800 for $2800 + a lens for over $6k. Then I looked at a camera rental site to see what it would be to rent one and a lens for a week (~$350) to play with it and see if it really would make that much of a difference.

Do I need it? Of course not. But it sure would be neat.

 

[JoeWras]

So get it already. And btw, what do you want for the Yamaha?

Man, you guys aren't helping.

Since you want the Yamaha, that confirms that it is valuable, so I'm going to stick with it. So there!

Seriously, just typing out this and reading your replies confirms to me I don't need it right now. FUNCTIONALLY, it has what we want, including the sound we like (5 channel, subwoofer, etc.) No video is switched, but we don't need that. It just comes down to the messy wires, and the desire for something new, just for the sake of it. That's where the warning bells go off in my head.

When we bought this receiver in '99, it was years ahead of what we had and completely upgraded our functions, what with new speakers, subwoofer, etc. A sleek new receiver today would upgrade us, but on the outside, there would be little difference.

I think I talked myself into waiting a while... LBYM.

 

[DayDreaming]

There's something to be said for hanging onto good, reliable equipment / appliances / toys. My parents' new microwave oven only lasted them 3 years before it died. My 20 year old microwave still works fine, so every time I get the idea of upgrading to a new one with more features (better programmability), I resist the urge and it soon passes.

 

[Jay_Gatsby]

Man, you guys aren't helping.

Since you want the Yamaha, that confirms that it is valuable, so I'm going to stick with it. So there!

Seriously, just typing out this and reading your replies confirms to me I don't need it right now. FUNCTIONALLY, it has what we want, including the sound we like (5 channel, subwoofer, etc.) No video is switched, but we don't need that. It just comes down to the messy wires, and the desire for something new, just for the sake of it. That's where the warning bells go off in my head.

When we bought this receiver in '99, it was years ahead of what we had and completely upgraded our functions, what with new speakers, subwoofer, etc. A sleek new receiver today would upgrade us, but on the outside, there would be little difference.

I think I talked myself into waiting a while... LBYM.

Wise decision. LBYM requires that you consider your needs rather than your wants. You also correctly considered whether the new receiver would provide a significantly measurable increase in your enjoyment of multimedia entertainment as compared to the cost.

 

[audreyh1]

Wise decision. LBYM requires that you consider your needs rather than your wants. You also correctly considered whether the new receiver would provide a significantly measurable increase in your enjoyment of multimedia entertainment as compared to the cost.

LBYM means its just fine to spend money on your wants as long as they fit within your budget/income and match your priorities. There is no rule there to imply that you should strive to spend as little as possible or ignore your wants.

 

[HFWR]

LBYM means its just fine to spend money on your wants as long as they fit within your budget/income and match your priorities. There is no rule there to imply that you should strive to spend as little as possible or ignore your wants.

+1

 

[EvrClrx311]

At the risk of becoming the little red voice on your left shoulder, I also caved recently. Our 10 year old receiver was working fine, but I hated that I had to unplug the HDMI cable running to the single slot on the back of our TV every time I wanted to switch between DVD, Cable, AppleTV. This is because the receiver was only audio, and didn't do any video output. So everything we use had to have audio cables as well as video straight to TV. A month ago I bought a $200 Sony receiver with 6 to 1 HDMI inputs to output. I love not having to bend down to pull those cords anymore, and also having just one remote instead of two... also the sound quality is drastically improved. A month later I'm still very happy I did it.

 

[TOOLMAN]

I have a very nice Nikon D7000 and four lenses. .

+1 on the D7000, Here is my set up.

Nikon - D7000 Body
Nikon AF-S 50mm f/1.4G
Nikon - Micro 105mm f/2.8G ED IF AF-S VR
Nikon - Wide Angle AF-S DX 10-24mm f/3.5-4.5G ED
Tamron - Zoom AF 18-270mm f/3.5-6.3 DiII VC LD Aspherical (IF) MACRO

 

[ERD50]

The forced obsolescence in electronics is driving me crazy.

Just to put it in perspective, this not forced obsolescence at all. You said it all works right? So you are talking about choosing newer - you are not forced at all.

I can appreciate wanting less rats nest of wires, but once it's in it's in.

So as others have said - LBYM isn't all about deprivation, it's about making wise choices and purchasing carefully so you buy things of real value to you. Buying just because it is new probably isn't a real good reason in most cases.

Though I ran into some of this recently. I finally bought a big flat screen TV for DW (I don't care much about TV, the old was fine for me). But, I do have a 5.1 receiver, and I did enjoy the surround sound with some DVDs. Now I see the new TV provided 5.1 sound for OTA broadcasts (I was unaware of that!). But only over optical, and my old receiver doesn't have optical in. Also, the new TV does 3D.

So I'm tempted to get a new receiver with optical in, and a new DVD that can do 3D (though we would probably rarely watch any 3D). And with optical and HDMA, I would have a clean wiring. But the old receiver works, I think my laziness will keep me from upgrading just to get that, unless the thing breaks.

To each their own, but buying 'just because' will cost you. Decide if it is really more important to you than having that money growing in an account.

-ERD50

 

[rbmrtn]

If it aint broke, don't fix it.

 

[Bestwifeever]

If it aint broke, don't fix it.

Yeah but.... Tomorrow we say goodbye to our not-broken 26" big ol' tv and hello to our new 55" skinny one.

 

[Tyro]

Help, I'm about to buy something I don't need.
....
How do others deal with this forced obsolescence? Do you buy each new generation? Or do you "wait until it dies" like I do.

To paraphrase the cliché, "If it ain't broke, don't replace it."

Our Yamaha CR-820 (circa '78) is pretty wonky; we don't use it anymore, but between cable music stations, CDs played on the DVD player, and Internet, we haven't played any vinyl or casettes in a decade or more either.

We did replace the TV recently, but the old one died. http://www.early-retirement.org/forums/f27/current-tvs-technologies-64193.html We still have a neighborhood video store, so the Blu-Ray made sense, even though I committed a small hypocrisy in getting it (the old DVD player still works fine). OTOH, I resisted going 7.1 and opted for a less expensive but top-shelf sound bar. No regrets (and later regrets may be something to consider as well).

Forget 4K TV (for now):
Why 4K TVs are stupid | TV and Home Theater - CNET Reviews

Three TV improvements more worthwhile than Ultra HD 4K | TV and Home Theater - CNET Reviews

Caveat: CNET, AVS, etc. can be double-edged swords; the info is great w/ low (IMO) BS factor, but they can have very high temptation factors.

You have my "attaboy", but I'll +1 Audrey's clear thinking on priorities (she said it beter than I could/would have).

Tyro

 

[Texas Proud]

I have an older Yamaha and was using it for a movie last night...

First, I do not think you will hear any difference between the new and the old... as long as your source is good, the Yamaha will produce great sound using regular wires....

The problem I have is that I do not have any back speakers... I would have to run wire all the way around the living room and up the wall (I can not have floor speakers since I do not have room)... DW does not want this...

So, am looking at wiring up the upstairs TV, but it is smaller... so I would have to buy a larger TV!!!

 

[FUEGO]

Just to put it in perspective, this not forced obsolescence at all. You said it all works right? So you are talking about choosing newer - you are not forced at all.

Functional obsolescence is a better term.

To the OP, technology is so cheap now for what you get, it seems like a good value proposition to spend money on tech if you want it and it will enrich your life. Think about all the awesome tech toys you can get for under $1000 today.

 

[rbmrtn]

Yeah but.... Tomorrow we say goodbye to our not-broken 26" big ol' tv and hello to our new 55" skinny one.

I'll take it... it'd bigger than what I have

 

[Midpack]

How do others deal with this forced obsolescence? Do you buy each new generation? Or do you "wait until it dies" like I do.

The problem with waiting is my Yahama receiver may never die. Heck, I could be in Midpack's shoes in 15 more years talking about a "Vintage"

As you know, I "wait until it dies" for many items, television to be sure (my last one was a 25" Zenith tube that went poof after 19 years or I'd probably still have it). I just unplugged my Pioneer receiver and other stereo equipment after almost 35 years (still working fine BTW). I keep cars for about 10 years. I am usually a late adopter for new technology like blu-ray, smartphones (though I succumbed to next gen items when I was younger).

But I used to buy a brand new boat every 3-4 years. That's really crazy in retrospect, but we could afford it, we used our boats far more than [-]most pretend boaters/dock bunnies[/-] anyone else we know/knew. Now, we have no boat, and that's fine too.

So what "stuff" is important, and what's not is an individual decision. If you get great enjoyment and use out of each new generation of stereo device or whatever, and it's not a financial hardship, who are we to presume to tell you what to do? If you can't resist, you must have wanted it bad enough, enjoy it and don't look back (it's pointless)...

 

[UtahSkier]

How do others deal with this forced obsolescence? Do you buy each new generation? Or do you "wait until it dies" like I do.

I stopped buying fancy and expensive audio equipment when I could no longer tell the difference between what I have and the new stuff.

Buying a new reciever will not improve your entertainment experience. I bet you cannot hear the difference between your current DD5.1 receiver and the newer, high resolution formats.

The new TV is a noticable benefit. So, you need good sources; Bluray DVD, Roku and cable box. You run the HDMI cables from each device into the back of the TV to get the high quality TV signal. The audio cables go into the current receiver.

Now switching sources is a hassle... so get a Harmony(logitech) remote and all is well... for the next decade or so.

PS. The ROKU may be redundant if you get a new DVD player.

 

[W2R]

What do you all do? And can someone give me an "attaboy" for not pushing the button yesterday on an unnecessary Newegg purchase? My friends, I came very close yesterday. But didn't. Today is another day. One more day and maybe the urge will go away.

Attaboy!! You know what you really want and have resisted the siren songs of Madison Avenue one more day. (Not so for me, see below)

Yeah but.... Tomorrow we say goodbye to our not-broken 26" big ol' tv and hello to our new 55" skinny one.

Friday I say goodbye to the not-broken 19" tv in my home gym room, and hello to the new 55" replacement.

Prices have gone down so much that buying a new TV is almost irresistable! I had planned to get an even bigger one than 55", but the price on the 55" Panasonic dropped $400 on Amazon for about 3 hours and I was able to snag one during that window. I have never purchased a TV from Amazon so this will be a new experience.

Oh, and hey, I went to my cable TV provider to pick up another box for it, and ended up also getting my first DVR ever! They sure sock it to one with the $20 monthly fees for it, but life is short and I have some extra $$ right now so I might as well.

If the doom-and-gloomers are right and the stock market craters deeply and forever, along with runaway inflation, etc etc, I will cancel my cable entirely, return the box, and just rely on antennas. But meanwhile, let the good times roll. I have no desire for better audio or I would get that too.

 

[ratto]

and I have a very nice Nikon D7000 and four lenses. Just before coming to this site I was looking at a D800 for $2800 + a lens for over $6k.

This is the telltale sign of stage I G.A.S. (Gear Acquisition Syndrome). It's not too late, still curable.

 

[ERhoosier]

I stopped buying fancy and expensive audio equipment when I could no longer tell the difference between what I have and the new stuff.

Buying a new reciever will not improve your entertainment experience. I bet you cannot hear the difference between your current DD5.1 receiver and the newer, high resolution formats.

The new TV is a noticable benefit. So, you need good sources; Bluray DVD, Roku and cable box. You run the HDMI cables from each device into the back of the TV to get the high quality TV signal. The audio cables go into the current receiver.

Now switching sources is a hassle... so get a Harmony(logitech) remote and all is well... for the next decade or so.

PS. The ROKU may be redundant if you get a new DVD player.

+1
Upgrade for actual audio experience or functionality, not the industry hype. There are many who cherish the sound of their tube amps, virgin vinyl, etc.
And some electronic "upgrades" have just turned out to be dead-ends (remember 8-tracks & betamax video?).

 

[DeborahB]

Oh. this is a GREAT thread! Our 50" DLP TV is making a funny noise. My darling electrical engineer sweetie and I couldn't decide how much to put into an 8 year old TV that works perfectly fine. Finally decided to buy the parts (he can put it in) for $125 and see if it fixes it for a few or a couple more years, when TVs will be even cheaper. But it's been an entertaining couple of weeks.

The part came yesterday and tomorrow the plan is to try to fix it - and run to Costco to buy a replacement TV if this fails. It's the color wheel (or something like that) - he thinks. Anyhow that's the part (a new fan didn't fix it).

But it's a struggle to decide - it's a big TV and it works (worked?) and we've been happy with it for 8 years... we use it a lot to watch movies and Netflix streaming and all that jazz.

By the way, there is a term in the industry for how the nest of wires looks: my brother designs home theater systems and calls it the "wife acceptance factor". When he makes a presentation there is huge emphasis on easy remotes and minimal visible wires.

(Unfortunately he is 1500 miles away so I can't get him to help us).

But there is the lure of more toys - a Kindle, a tablet, ... stay tuned.