Friday, December 28, 2012

TV engineering, and What Apple Does Different

Here's an illustration of What Apple Does Different.
I just got a new TV. A 3D model.*
It's a Samsung. And it's a top model, costing almost three times as much as the cheapest 3D models now.
And here's the rub, which rubs me the wrong way: how do they place this big screen (46") on the stand? There are many ways to do that, and seriously, it's not a hard problem. But they did a really poor job in my opinion. The TV hangs on the stand, held up by only two little plastic tabs, about two milimeters thick. I have no doubt that if somebody bumps into the TV, and not even all that hard either, it is going to crash to the floor.

At the top, one of the two thin plastic tabs. It is 8x9 millimeters, the size of a pinkie nail! (Click for large image)

Samsung is a huuuuge company, and has been making TVs for ages. It is simply inexcusable to present such a poor mount on a premium product.  If the person responsible had a mind, it could have been solved by simply making the tabs out of metal. It's not like that would make a huge difference in cost!

And this is one of the main things which makes us fans love Apple's products, especially since the millennium, when Jobs and Ive took it in hand: attention to detail, and a strong desire to put out the highest possible quality, in every detail. You would never, never, never, never ever see Apple put a big screen on a stand with two small fragile plastic tabs.

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*I finally caved when I realized it was the perfect xmas present for meself. Not sure how important it will be for me in the long run, but it's fun, especially with the right movie, like Cloudy With A Chance Of Meatballs. That movie was just made to be seen in 3D. (Though it's also highly entertaining in 2D.)

7 comments:

TC [Girl] said...

Do you have to wear the dorky glasses to watch that t.v.? Hmmm...that might not be a bad idea, if "someone of equal dorkiness status" is invited over to watch it with you! ;-) (though, she'll have to wear contacts to be able to wear 'em! ;-)

Nice you found a movie that you like to watch on it. :-)

Eolake Stobblehouse said...

The glasses are grey and look OK, and can be used over glasses.
And the image is 100 times better than red/green 3D. Look up "active 3D".

TC [Girl] said...

Well...so far, reading article, I don't think it would be that appealing...with "shutters shuttering" all the time. :-/

Glad you're enjoying it...and them, though! ;-)

Can "we" have a look at that base you're talking about, please? Just curious... :-)

Eolake Stobblehouse said...

OK, I took it off again, heart in my throat... Photo now in the post.

I don't have a wide experience with 3D TVs, but this one has a frequency of 800 hz! I don't think anybody will see any flicker.
And the glasses which came with it are light, and not uncomfortable. Sometimes I forget I have them on when I get up to get something.

ttl said...

Those tabs look awfully flimsy. I read somewhere that a TV set falling on a child is one of the most common serious domestic accidents. No wonder.

Sony TV sets are more solidly made. But perhaps they are not as advanced in active 3D as Samsung? 800 Hz refresh rate for the glasses sounds fantastic.

Eolake Stobblehouse said...

Yes, it sounds pretty impossible. I asked the sales guy if it included the glasses, and he said yes, but they'll say anything. It may be some abstract number for PR. But in any case, the refresh rate is plenty.

Re the children, that makes it even more incredible that they will build such a shoddy stand. Penny pinching in the wrong places.

Eolake Stobblehouse said...

... Oddly, I can't find the refresh rate in the papers!

But I found this on the web (from a similar Samsung TV):

This TV also has a spec sheet that should impress people who like spec sheets. Highlights include an Ultra Clear Panel display with full 1920 x 1080 resolution, Micro Dimming and an 800 Hz Clear Motion Rate (whatever that means), 15,000:1 Dynamic Contrast Ratio, 240 Hz Refresh Rate

He may have been thinking of the "Clear Motion Rate" (odd term, sounds like PR talk).