Cup of Coffee

January 3, 2017: Growing Pains

51 Comments

A couple nights ago, Skim came to us for a conversation we’ve been dreading for a while - she’s having a hard time with the fact that Miette is funnier than she is, and has other qualities that she wishes she had.

I think it’s good advice to anyone not to spend too much time comparing him or herself to others. I desperately hope this doesn’t eat away at her; she’s an excellent person and incredibly creative.

51 thoughts on “January 3, 2017: Growing Pains”

  1. Where does one sell/donate a 54" projection TV? Works great, but it's time to move on.

    (oh, and Spooks: Visio E70-E3? Super Bowl sales are approaching...)

    1. Unwanted TVs that still work will typically be taken by The Salvation Army or Goodwill.

      Vizios have poor, oversaturated picture quality and still boast the highest failure rate of any TV brand that most people have heard of, but I typically don't argue with them for the price.

        1. I would not at this point consider a Samsung for myself. They’ve been slipping for years as people start to notice that they jam unnecessary brightness into them without proper contrast. The colors are over saturated and unnatural in comparison to similarly-priced models from Sony or LG.

          All that said, there isn’t a whole lot at that price point that’s going to be a blowaway deal. For me, I’d still avoid the Samsung 6 series and its huge return rate and either go higher up the ladder or, better yet, buy a Sony or LG.

          As far as budget TVs go, TCL has come out of nowhere and makes a shockingly good TV for the price. They do an upscaling and restorative process for 1080 content that typically is only done (or at least, only done well) by the big three. I would not have suggested a TCL to you a few years ago, but the S series is decent and the P is really quite strong, even for sports, at the price where it sits.

            1. We have a TCL tv in the playroom now, and are about to buy another (larger) one for the living room. I know many TVs now have streaming capabilities now, but when we got our first one, having a built-in Roku was a nice perk.

              Here’s to hoping for some super bowl sales....

              1. You may see some, but Super Bowl sales are...barely a thing, some years. We just happen to sell a ton of TVs just before the Super Bowl, so people assume there must be sales. We’ll see a few deals on the low end of the spectrum, but nothing like Nov-Dec or even March-April when the new models are coming in and we have to sell off the old ones.

                Super Bowl is when we all cringe as salespeople. We get a *lot* of customers who “rent” a huge TV, have people over for the game, and return an open box TV in the days following the game. Happened after Mayweather-Pacquiao, too.

                1. We get a *lot* of customers who “rent” a huge TV, have people over for the game, and return an open box TV in the days following the game

                  This is where I like to step in and find deals. Open box for lyfe.

                  (seriously, though, thanks to the stupidity of others and/or unwillingness to do what is necessary, I got a kick-ass fridge for half price. Also got my Samsung 4K TV and LG soundbar for way cheaper than list as well as a new dryer, all open box).

                  2. Since it came up: you guys could really help me out by popping in for an open box TV. I’ll hear you out on price. We have so many after the holidays end.

                    2. So, a few times during the year, we get inundated with open box TVs. Typically we don’t have the authority to mess much with the price because the system ensures we don’t sell below cost, but at this time of year it’s critical that we get them “off the lot,” if you will. So, while I may not open with “make me an offer,” I’ll potentially agree to a counteroffer or, if your interest wanes, offer one myself. We can’t do this on new TVs because of agreements with the manufacturers, but open boxes are a whole different animal. If you try this, present it respectfully and not presumptuously and there’s a good chance you can get a deal.

                    3. If we were local-ish, I’d be stopping by. We have managed a few good open box deals over the years, definitely worth looking into.

                    5. One obvious one: if there are a bunch of TVs of the same model, that’s a problem. Maybe. Samsung 8000 series is returned often because quality is poor comparative to cost. Note, always, that through us you still get a full manufacturers warranty and have the same ability to return.

                      If you look at an open box OLED on the wall, wait for a bright scene and look for any burn-in.

                      We also have a spot on the open box tag where missing bits, if any, are listed. We of course have some muttonheads in the mix so things get missed (but again - same return policy).

                    6. I didn't realize the Samsung 8000 series went downhill so quickly, seemed like one of the more commonly-recommended sets in 2016 (at least on a few gaming sites).

                      Before I bought my Sony 2.5 years ago, I tried a Samsung (wasn't as high-end as the 8000) and found the motion blur during gaming to be completely unacceptable for a purchase of that size. Much happier with the Sony, even though it cost a little more out of pocket.

                    8. We got an awesome deal last year on our Vizio, don't know the model number but it's the 55" Smart TV in 1080HD. It was a Black Friday open box return, and my daughter got her Target employee discount plus the Red Card discount. We got it for basically half the list price, so I couldn't say no, and it made the baseball season so much more enjoyable last year.

          2. My hope for 2018 is that TCL either brings a 65" P-Series to market or upgrades the S-Series to have local dimming instead of it being edge-lit. Costco has had some crazy deals on the S-Series.

            I really want to upgrade to an HDR-capable set but want to put a bigger TV than the current 55" Sony on my wall.

            1. I'm holding out for OLED to get cheaper. We don't need to replace our current TV any time soon so I plan on holding out until it dies or the children get old enough to complain about only 1080.

                1. That's why I only let the kids have the old 720p tv in the basement. Wouldn't want em getting spoiled.

            2. I’m watching TCL with interest. If sales continue to climb, they’ll make a 65”. They don’t manufacture panels so they aren’t going to incur that cost without assumed demand.

              I’m also very interested to see their future pricing. Typically in electronics, when an unexpected jump in quality like this happens, a jump in price follows as the company builds their brand into a trusted A-level brand.

              Like Sean, though, I’ve got my eye on OLED prices. My tastes are very expensive and it’s very hard to go home to a place with no OLED when I have ten on my wall taunting me for 35-40 hours a week.

                    1. I'm liking them more this year since they've gotten a bit more aggressive with price. They aren't on the level of the Sonys (so if pricing is similar, lean Sony) for upscaling or handling motion, but they have more accurate color than the Samsungs for (usually) less money. A look around my store will make it clear that the lion's share of LG's efforts are bent toward the OLEDs, but their LEDs aren't bad. For me, I'd start with the 8500 series or higher, as the others don't handle motion particularly well, and the 6300 doesn't natively support HDR.

              2. So I'm considering a new TV. Probably a 55" LG B7A OLED. Is that the right choice given in that general class of TVs? (Any reason to wait for a new model to come out? I read [something something] this TV doesn't support the latest HDMI standard. When would that be?)

                1. B7 doesn't support Atmos pass-through, but C7 does, if you're concerned with that.

                  I love the upscaling of the Sony OLED but with the price difference, yeah, I'm all about the C7 (or B7; panel is otherwise similar though there's a better processor in the C7 and it's just $100 more).

                  1. Thanks, Spooks! Good point on the Atmos pass-through. I'm 90% sure this location in my house doesn't need it, but I better think through it one more time before making the call.

                  2. Are you sure you work at BB? You seem to know an awful lot about the products you're selling.

                    3. We have a very in-depth training system. I'm at another level from most because I had to go through a lot of certifications to get the job and money I get, but there are probably four other guys in my department who know much of what I've laid out here.

                      And...well, I'm a lifer.

    2. I picked up a Sony XBR55X800E a couple of weeks ago and have been very happy with it. I was looking for something that ties in with my Google Home system though so YMMV.

        1. Hmmm...I'll keep an eye on the 65" prices the next few weeks. Gets a ratings hit on sound quality, but I'd use it with the Kenwood 5.1 all the time anyway.

  2. ZiPS projections for the Twins.

    Some notes:
    * Buxton, Sanó, and Rosario all expected to regress some. Not too surprised since they don't have a long record of success yet.
    * Gibson projected much higher than he was last year, and a slight improvement over 2017.
    *

    With regard to the bullpen, the Twins are in the curious position of employing a closer, Fernando Rodney, forecast to allow runs at a higher rate than, like, all the rest of the bullpen.

    * Mauer projected to return to 2014-2016 form.
    * Garver projected to be almost the same as Castro.

    1. That's great, but what relevance does baseball have to our television enthusiast community?

      I'm hopeful on Buxton. I'd also love to be bullish on Mauer but the 2017 version was probably a late-career bonus.

      How long will Rodney hold the closer spot? Will Molitor be weirdly protective of "guys playing the right role" and show preference for a proven-to-be-not-great closer over an unproven closer who would probably be better?

        1. I also think that 2017 was not an outlier for Joe. I think it was the result of a lot of hard work, vision therapy, brain healing and neural pathway regeneration and I think he'll sustain his 2017 level for 2018.

  4. Twins sign outfielder Nick Buss to a minor league contract. Good news: He's hit really well in AAA. Bad news: He's 31, has done nothing in the majors, and his AAA numbers are likely inflated by the places he's played (Albuquerque, El Paso, Salt Lake, Sacramento). Most likely AAA roster filler, although I guess you never know.

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