8truths

Walmart simply doesn't understand the modern economy since the advent of the internet. Like most major corps, Wally thinks it benefits from an information-poor environment. Such an attitude is contrary to what consumers casually expect these days. We all expect to be able to jump on the internet and find a million different options within a few click -- this is why Amazon is booming while Wally is treading water. I have never seen a company as committed to royally sucking as much as Walmart. If it weren't for having the best distribution system in the world, Walmart would already be in bankruptcy.

Oh, joy. Fanboyism has arrived. Sony's chief has gone on record as saying that the format war was a dumb idea. And given that Sony has done nothing but turn gold into lead for the last five years, you'll accept my apologies if I don't join the Sony camp. A strong BF from HD-DVD is likely to be a killing blow to Blu-Ray, and Sony execs are already tilting their rhetoric toward surrender. FTR -- I don't own either, as I refuse to join format wars. The sooner Sony surrenders, the better. Blu-Ray is overly expensive and has almost single-handedly destroyed the future of the PS3. What really amazes me is that after being in on two of the biggest open media format successes of the last 30 years with CD and DVD, Sony did anything as stupid as pimping Blu-Ray for no serious economic reason.

Downsampling the image is NOT the same as supporting. 720p IS a lower quality of image. 720p has slightly under 1 million pixels total for reproducing image quality. 1080i has slightly over 2 million pixels. Therefore, 720p supports only half of the total picture quality that 1080i does. Saving confusion is not a justification for being just plain wrong. Half of the confusion surrounding HD arises because people spread information by the "Mmmm, whatever" method. Really, is "1080 > 720" that confusing?

What really pisses me off is that Brad is doing these people a FAVOR! What a bunch of ungrateful brats these companies are being. How much do they pay every year for ads during the Super Bowl to get a captive audience? And Brad gives them one for free!!

I'm a bit bummed this year. So far the deals are mediocre. I was really hoping someone would come out with a dirt cheap desktop computer or a decent HDTV at a great price. I need spares of each of those, and so far nothing jumps right out and says, "Buy me!!" Honestly, I miss the pricing war we've had the last couple years. It doesn't seem to be heating up too much so far.

It will have a digital tuner. However, if you want to be sure, check the box and look for where it says "ATSC". That is what you actually need to receive broadcast TV in HD. By something extra, do you mean a special antenna? No. Digital is being carried on the same VHF and UHF channels that analog is carried on. The only word of warning is that a lot of the new HDTV channels are in the UHF band. If you have trouble receiving UHF channels with your current antenna, then you will need to look for a different antenna that is better with UHF. I'd see if your current antenna works well before buying anything new. If you really need expert advice with the antenna issue, take a look over at the AVS Forum http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/forumdisplay.php?f=25 in the HDTV reception hardware section. Some of the guys there are pretty hardcore, but they will dumb it down for you if you ask them. They're all great guys about newbies, and love to help anyone who wants to join their pack.

It depends on whether you use a box from the cable/sat co. If you have a box, then none of this is a big deal. The only thing you will want to do is to call your provider and ask them to get you a box that has full HD output. None of that should cost you a nickel, unless your provider packages the HD channels separately. The folks who really, really have to worry are folks with antennas. If you have an old analog-only TV, it will absolutely need a converter box to still be useful after Feb 2009. Also, folks who are plugging their TV directly into their cable system may have issues. The FCC plans to force the cables cos to provide analog through cable until 2011. However, if you buy an HDTV, this means you will not have an HD source for any of your stuff (which rather defeats the purpose of buying an HDTV). Remember, true HD requires an HD source (over-the-air ATSC, cable/sat HD package, HD-DVD) and an HD output device. Also, be wary that a lot of the cheaper TVs being sold as "digital" are not full HD output. Anything marked SDTV or EDTV is inferior. Even a 720p system will not give you the best picture for 1080i and 1080p. And the vouchers are for $40 for two set-top boxes, the majority of which will only convert digital over-the-air broadcasts to usable analog. Boxes that support QAM (used by many cable systems) will likely cost more.

So far, Staples is winning the laptop fight. I'm glad to see the dual cores becoming lower-end BF fodder. I wonder if anyone will toss out some sub-$100 single core desktops. One has to think if dual core laptops are going for $350, single core desktops should be finally getting dumped and effectively abolished this holiday season.

Actually, for the majority of people, this is not true. ATSC signal is almost exclusively used for over-the-air TV (antennas). The vast majority of cable systems use some variant of QAM, which allows them to most signals around to different channels whenever they need to. Each of the satellite companies uses their own style of encryption. So, if you have a box for cable or sat, then the 2009 date means nothing for you. Even the 2011 date is the cable company's problem, not yours. The only subscribers to cable who have to worry are those who plug their cable right into their TV w/o a box. Now, the HDTVs are supposed to have a feature where the cable company gives you a CableCard to plug into your TV and authorize it. However, the cable companies have had a horrid record of offering and supporting the CableCards. If you want to go without a box, make sure your TV has a QAM tuner built-in. But, be warned that some cable systems randomize the assignments of QAM channels every few days (basically to inconvenience people who are stealing cable). The ATSC tuner is not a cure-all for anyone except the folks using an antenna. BTW, the federal government is going to be offering coupons for ATSC tuner boxes (http://www.dtvtransition.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=31&Itemid=44).

I'd kill for midnight opening. It's easier to stay up until midnight than it is to wake up at 3am and drag out.

"Too slow" depends on what you're aiming to use the machine for. For example, I got the $125 eMachine tower WalMart had last year and with a decent video card (nVidia 7300 GS) tossed in it can run a fairly robust game like Medieval 2: Total War at low to medium settings. Is that great? No. But, let's face facts. Hardcore gamers aren't looking at any of the BF computers... well, perhaps a few of the ones that CC has. I'd definitely wait and see where the prices settle before getting married to one idea. BB and Wally priced each other down on PCs and laptops pretty aggressively the last few years. Also, the BB machine probably isn't a deal unless you don't already have a monitor sitting around. For me it would just be another 17" monitor to get rid of. Of course, you could always sell the monitor or give it to someone else.

I'll warn you now: be very skeptical of these cheaper flatscreen TVs. The vast majority will not support full 1080i and many are so-called EDTVs that may not even support 720p.

Actually, "tried" as in past tense. WalMart had a stretch that ended this summer where they were avoiding prosecution of shoplifters in a number of instances. For example, if the shoplifting was a low amount (below $20) or if the offender was young (16 or younger) they would not even ban the person from the store. WM has since actually reversed course a full 180, and is now pushing stricter loss prevention policies. Oddly, WM still places more emphasis on monitoring employees than monitoring potential shoplifters. But, at the bare minimum they at least abandoned one of their stoopider ideas. But, in a one year span WM actually managed to double its losses by way of theft. Turns out, all that monitoring was doing something. Who knew? Point being: WalMart, not the smartest business on earth.

In addition to using a PC with a tuner card, you can also but a set top box tuner that supports DVI or VGA output. Or you can hook one up with an HDMI to DVI cable. For the price, though, it isn't worth the effort. A decent HD tuner box costs about $150-200. The generally preferred tuner is the Samsung H260F, which goes between $159 and $179. By the time you pay that much you could probably have gotten a similar sized HDTV on BF.

Let's clear up some HDTV myths here. 1. You have to have an HDTV. Nope. You most likely won't need an HDTV when the analog shutdown occurs in Feb 2009. The only people who will absolutely need an HDTV or an HD tuner are people who rely upon over-the-air (antenna) for their TV signal. Folks who have cable are safe at least until 2011, which is when the FCC will cease to require cable companies carry an analog signal. Even then, since the majority of owners have cable boxes, the cable box will handle the conversion from HD to analog for your older TV. If it doesn't, just ask the cable co for one. 2. You need an HDTV tuner. Odds are, you won't. If you but a newer HDTV (certainly anything made after 2005) you don't. There are only a handful of people who need the separate tuner. First, folks with older HDTVs that were sold at a higher price and often didn't have the tuner built-in in order to save cost. Second, folks with analog systems that want to keep using an antenna but don't want to buy a new TV. Third, folks who have antennas and bought cheaper brands with worse tuners built-in. Fourth, most folks using projectors, because very few HD projectors have the tuner built-in. 3. The changeover will be done next year. For the most part, no. However, some stations are making an early commitment to shutting down their old transmitters. 4. Everything will be in full HD after Feb 2009. Not even close. All the FCC requires is that the signal be digital. A 480i or a 480p signal in digital meets the FCC requirements. In fact, right now there is a big stink in Erie, Pa because one of the local stations all but said they do not care to waste the effort to go true HD. The bulk of what is on, except for a few really dedicated networks such as PBS, HDNet and Universal HD, is not in HD. Even in 2007 most of the programming outside of major sports and primetime is not full HD (720p or 1080i). 5. You need an HD antenna. Nope. HDTV is being carried on the current channels. The only change is that channels 51-69 are being sold off for use by cell phone companies. 6. The changeover effects every channel. Nope. The changeover is only required for broadcasters with FCC licenses. Cable and satellite channels are not effected. However, 2007 has been a banner year for cable and sat channels going HD. So, by the time the cable analogs are turned off, most of the biggies (Discovery, MTV, etc.) should be in HD nationwide. However, the cable and sat cos are being a bit slow. Cable is generally making less progress than satellite right now. - - - The one thing I absolutely will tell you is that if you are running an antenna-only HD system you need to get it up and tested in or before summer 2008. So many of the HD channels are running in the UHF channels. UHF propagates very differently than VHF. If you are in a very hilly region, or are more than 40 miles from the transmitter, you're probably going to lose a few channels you're used to receiving by antenna unless you make sure you have an antenna suited for UHF and upper VHF channels. Especially if you're in the north and have to use an outdoor antenna, it isn't always a smart idea to be tinkering with a rooftop antenna install in February. Even many indoor antenna users are reporting reduced performance from HD. UHF doesn't make it down to the ground as well as VHF does. Make sure you don't need an outdoor antenna before 2008 is over. - - - Added bonus: in 2008 you will be able to apply to the FCC for two $40 vouchers for set-top conversion boxes. Basically, these boxes will ensure you can run HDTV on your older system. However, the FCC only intends to issue vouchers to households who request them. - - - If you're serious about going HD, take the time to look on the HDTV message boards on AVSForum.com. They are diehards, but they will dumb it down for you if you need them to. AVSForum is the most valuable resource out there during the analog shutdown.

Bear in mind this is WalMart. Wally is so dumb they tried doing away with prosecuting shoplifters. Sounds kinda like a dumb idea, huh? WM isn't the smartest company in America. If it weren't for having the best inventory system known to man, WalMart would already be seeing losses.

Um ... GottaDeal.com has been the reason I decided to go to WalMart the last two years. I get to take a look, right down to the night before, and make sure that Best Buy hasn't done enough to win my dollar. In a more information poor environment I'd just go to Best Buy because BB generally has more dependable ads on BF.

Our store had five eMachines for $125 last year. 3.2 GHz Celeron, 512 Mb RAM, 80 Gb HD and CD-RW/DVD ROM combo drive. BTW, each store was given just whatever was available to send to them. Our store has never carried an eMachine, so this was a surprise to me. I'm looking to replace one of spare machines this year. Should be a pretty good chance they use BF this year to clear out the single-core systems. If so, there could be some Pentiums and Athlon 64s hiding out in the BF computers. But, I do really wish we had a Best Buy in the area.

Our Wally decided to move all the big ticket electronics up front so they could guard them.. Folks were assigned seats for each item on a first-come, first-serve basis. Then you had to keep your seat or else someone could take it. The only item that really required coming in the night before to get was the projection TV. The $125 computer tower was a pretty good draw, too. Those seats filled up just before the rush hit. 40" TV had seats unfilled when the rush began. There were still 26" HDTVs at 11am. Apparently these things are up to the store manager. But, our local manager got his fill of disorganization the first year, and everything since has been very regimented for the big ticket stuff.

Not if it is just 720p.

Never less than $250.

Odds are this BF will be the year they try unload the single-core processor systems. So, we could see some decent Core Solo, Athlon 64, etc. machines. I'd kill to see someone jump in with a dual-core at a fair price. If that happens, you will know this BF is a full blown war. Considering how vicious BB and Wally get about the electronics fight, I wouldn't rule it out.

The $148 eMachine I got seems pretty good. I've already had it overclocked from 3.2 GHz to 3.6 and there was no instability whatsoever. That was a surprise, since eMachines have a rep for gimpy and unstable power supplies. However, info I found online says these will overclock safely to 3.7 GHz with the original cooling system. After getting such good results, I'm tempted to build the system up, maybe with a decent video card, some RAM ... perhaps a power supply. You can get parts so damned cheap on NewEgg anymore that it's almost dumb to not build it up. If I can find a decent price on a P4 processor, I might just sell the Celeron on eBay and reduce the cost of building the machine up. I like it. Very happy with my purchase.

Lucky dog. That sort of thing depends on the manager in question. Our current local manager used to be a pushover but he's tightened up a lot, especially this year.

Actually, there is an open PCI Express card inn the system. You can plug a fairly good video card in there (just not an AGP). Beware, if you get too good a video card, you may need to upgrade the power supply, but that's all.