Black Friday 2008 - Buy 1 get 1 free Hex Bugs & more

[Grant Cox]

We're looking to get a plasma/LCD tv for our new house.. there's some decent deals out there. Last year I picked up a $100 gaming mouse for $40 and that awesome Orange Box deal (I think it was like $20), not sure if I'll get anything good like that again.

[temujin]

I just hooked up one of the digital converter boxes for my "garage" TV, after reading that most stations were already broadcasting in digital. I did not know that several stations have multiple channels now, just like HD radio! Two stations in the DC area have full-time weather and radar on a second channel, one does old series (Dragnet, etc.), and some have classical type things. Who knew? I wonder if the cable companies will broadcast these secondary/tertiary channels?

[Nawaid Ladak]

it's really disappointing that there are no great deals on Black Friday as they have been in past years. I used to camp outside my local Circuit City for 3 years straight, this year, i'll be staying home

there are websites with better deals than what you can find on Black Friday

the only good thing that im looking forward to tomorrow is the fact that TigerDirect and CompUSA are having this webcast where their gonna have some netbooks for something like $150 and a 32" LCD for like $250

[DonRotolo]

Originally Posted by temujin

I just hooked up one of the digital converter boxes for my "garage" TV, after reading that most stations were already broadcasting in digital. ..... I wonder if the cable companies will broadcast these secondary/tertiary channels?

Here in the NYC area, Cablevision does carry these secondary channels.

There are several TV stations transmitting ATSC (digital) all around the country, everyone should request a coupon from the guv'mint (https://www.dtv2009.gov/), put up a good outdoor antenna (Digital signals need about 30% greater signal strength compared to NTSC Analog to overcome the "Digital Cliff" effect*) and make sure the UHF part of the antenna is connected, since many TV stations are moving into the UHF spectrum (Channels 14-up) from VHF (Ch 2-13).

The Sept 2008 issue of Popular Communications had an article on the DTV change-over that covers it well, IMHO.

Anyone who does not know of what we write needs to take action IF they get their TV signals from an antenna, or on February 18, 2009 you will not be able to watch TV any more...

Don

*As the signal lever drops below the threshold for decoding, a digital signal just disappears (the "cliff") while an analog signal just gets noisier.

(PS: I got 2 hexbugs for myself...)


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