Is technology racing away too fast?

[anotheoldgit]

Does anyone else agree that technology is moving on too fast, I think it all down to the maufacturers trying to tempt us into paying out more of our money on the latest innovations. A good example of what I mean is HD when they haven't yet perfected Digital yet. Only the other night I had to switch my TV over to analogue because the picture was breaking up and freezing on Digital. Another example is DVD recorders versus VCRs, how many times have you recorded something onto DVD and found it has not been succesful for one reason or other, and yet bang any tape into a VCR and away it goes.

[cameo]

i totally agree and have often said this to my other half.

No sooner have you bought some thing new then a few months later that is classed as 'old' and they launch a quicker, faster, supposedly better version. and like you said half the time they haven't got the first version right.

I don't have digital TV yet, partly because I don't want to pay out for it but also because it doesn't seem to be that reliable - judging from the posts I have read on here!

[vehelpfulguy]

Dont want to upset you, but did you know that DVD is now being superceeded.

Current DVDs can only hold about 4Gigabytes of data, which is not enough for HD TV recordings, so some new technology is coming along.

There are two competing formats called Blu-Ray and HD-DVD which will hold about 20 or 30 gigabytes of data.

The latest Playstation (just out in Japan) has a blue ray drive, and Blu Ray and HD-DVD recorders are just coming on the market.

This is all being driven by high defination TV.

[anotheoldgit]

Yes I have heard about the two new competing formats, but before you race out and purchase one, consider what happened to Betamax.
Just thought, what ever happened to Sony's Mini Disc?

[Postdog]

Don't talk about mini disc!!!

Some years back, I used to host lots of parties, and I made up the music by recording it on casette, then transferring it to the VCR on long play audio. That way I got 8 hours of continuous party stuff.

Seeing the minidisc recorder on offer one day, I decided to buy one, spent about �250.00, then found I had to buy a new HiFi too in order to use it, making about �400 or so. I must have used it about 2 times, when I discovered MP3, and found I could put all my music on PC and play it in any order I liked. So all that money was wasted. I still have it upstairs in the box, and like a lot of "old" tech, I can't even give it away now.

[Tekla]

I agree that Technology is racing ahead and the consumer markets are running hard trying to keep up. Digital hasn't been perfected yet even though they are switching off the analogue signal in the UK in a couple of years. HD is still a developing technology and like all developing technologies it needs money to progress. They get this money from the consumers who want the latest thing now rather than waiting for it to be improved.
I must admit hough, I've never missed a programme since getting my DVD recorder.
The latest thing that really bugs me is this impending battle between Blu-Ray and HD-DVD. Your going to have to buy BOTH machines to be sure to be able to watch any high-def movie you want. That sux.