h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Today is a red letter day.

I have bought my very first television

That's right. I've parted with money and achieved ownership

And... for me, that's bloody remarkable. Don't get me wrong, I have had a TV before... but either rented (and repossessed frequently because the lads' father kept forgetting to pay the rentals due to pressing appointments with the pub) or I've bought second hand ones... and a couple of years ago a boyfriend arrived impromptu with a whacking great TV he'd acquired from somewhere.

I have not been TV less.

But... after spending years sorting out debts and finaces, I have finally become solvent - not hugely so, but nevertheless, the credit card is clear, the bank loan is repaid and unless I hiccup, the bank account stays in the black each month. I have even been able to start a modest saving each month which is a thing I never thought to see

So to celebrate this, last month I acquired a DVD player. After all, its a new century, and I read somewhere videos are eventually going to be obsolete, so I thought a DVD was in order.

Smashing thing it is, too. It's silver.

HOWEVER

The TV I had doesn't have something called RGB (I don't know what that stands for, either) which roughly translated means that it doesn't have the necessary internal doohickiy that accepts whathaveyous from a DVD... which was a bit of a bugger, really.

So I called in Wendy the Witch... who is a bit of a wizard when it comes to techology proper, and absolute magic when it comes to helping people spend money.

With her help, we whizzled through the Net, and found a 28" Panasonic Telly with inbuilt Freeserve, RGB thingummbob and probably does packed lunches once you've figured out a way of asking it to do so.

It also - wait for this - has a rather classy frame/stand. Which is also silver

This was on Monday. Today - unless my calender is teeling fibs, it's Wednesday. The TV arrived today.

IT IS ENORMOUS!

It is so wide that we had to dismantle the packaging before the delivery man could get it into the hall

It has enough bubblewrap stuffed into the box that I don't have to worry about packaging up my E Bay sales for the next 5 years

And yes... the TV is silver


I shall be back later once we've figured out to asemble the stand.....

H'mmmm

That was fun!

So far son number 2 and I between us have :

a bruised thumb each
one severely stubbed toe (his)
a cricked elbow (mine... I really SHOULDN'T try and be that helpful)

and....
27 channels.

I can even play the radio on my telly. Is this average, or am I just easilly impressed, I wonder?

Gosh.

Oh yes... and one rather strange bit of plastic thats supposed to ping onto the back of the telly, and 3 rubbery type screws we're not really sure what to do about.... but seeing as everything seems upright (as the actress said the the bishop) and not toppling over I think I'll just draw a veil over that....


Now for the really marathon task...

carting the cardboard equivalent of a tree to the paper recycling bin before supper.

Congratulations..on been debt free
Well done..on starting to save
on the new tele
with the packaging
Best of all,a BIG for doing it all by yourself!!!!

You know I said the credit card was free....?

Well...


But I can get it cleared in about 13 weeks if we just do beans on toast for awhile!

But I must admit; I'm ever so proud of myself

And yes - the lads got the packaging into the recycling bins without too much drama, so the hall is clear again, too!

At the risk of sounding like a ... RGB stands for Red, Green and Blue. The colours that make up the picture. I'll get me coat.

Well now - that's a mystery cleared up - Wendy the Witch (who knows EVERYTHING there is to know about things technical) didn't know that.

Thanks Dr E




Does this mean I *didn't* really have to buy a new telly to play me DVD player (which I still can't for reasens best known to itself) after all?

Another? I'll just go grab the tonic for the appearance of things

Ummmm..... I would have thought that a DVD player would converse happily with any TV with a SCART socket. Depends how old your old TV was, I suppose...

Werl... it was black cased rather than silver, if thats any indication...

I haven't a clue how old it was, really - it was a present, but not a "new" one, an aquired one.

I had a feeling it may have something to do with scarts.. apparently (son no1 says) we've only got 2 holes in the scart lead instead of the normal 3. I sha;; have to go and talk idiot with the bloke that runs the TV repair shop and see what he suggests when he's finished sniggering, I guess.

H'mmm.

Now I come to think of it, it MUST have been quite a geriatric telly; only 2 holes would suggest a BW (Black White) sort of set up.

I think I'm showing my ignorance as well as my technical inexpertise....