Can't they just slow down a bit?

[snmhanson]

I just posted some thoughts on the new 3D technology and it got me thinking about the progression of technology in general. It seems that as soon as (or usually before) the industry gets a technology perfected a new and improved technology comes along and makes the old one obsolete. I am so sick of feeling like I have to constantly upgrade to keep up with the masses, not to mention to keep all my components working well together. Why is it so hard for the industry to focus on the current technology and enhance and perfect it before rolling out the next best thing? Does anyone really need anything more than 1080p? I am sure there are a few people that might want it and even fewer that it would make a noticeable difference. Nevertheless, from the looks of it, super-hi-def will be here sooner or later. Do we really need a new version of HDMI rolling out every quarter? I have a tough time keeping up on what ther current version is much less what benefits it provides. In my opinion there have been a multitude of irrelevant advancements among a few significant ones. In more recent times high-def has been a significant breakthrough. The lossless audio formats could be seen as significant by some, but do we really need as many different surround formats as we have? Is HDMI 1.3b THAT much better than 1.3a? I never want to buy anything because I know that something "better" is going to be around the corner and make what I just bought obsolete.

Where this really gets me frustrated is in the computer industry. My wife and I both own businesses where we rely on computers for various components of our business. The software we use is constantly evolving and requires that we buy new computers on a regular basis. In addition, if the virus protection software is current it will often bog down a computer that is more than a year and a half old. If I count them all up we have potentially six to eight computers that have to be replaced every other year. We do ok but that is alot of money to be regularly spending on an acilliary part of our business.

Finally, there is the issue of what do we do with all of this old technology? I know that there is recycling available for some products but it is not always an option. Right now I have two old receivers, a DVD changer and a vcr sitting in a closet because I have nothing to do with them. Also, I have about four or five computers that are going to soon be outdated and need replacing. I know I can swap out the old ones when the new ones arrive but where do they go from there? I am sure at least some of the parts end up at the dump or in a landfill. Not that I am an enviro-nut but it is something to consider.

Now, I know that the tech companies need to push progression so that they can increase their sales, make more money, etc... I know that competition essentially requires that companies develop new products and evolve or face extinction. And I know that companies are great at marketing their new technologies and making people think that they need to have them. But wouldn't it be nice if we could just slow down a little and enjoy our current products rather than worrying about what is coming tommorow or next week or next year? Wouldn't it be nice if the tech companies could work on perfecting what they have for a while rather than moving on to the next great idea? And wouldn't it be nice if all of the tech companies could work together and come up with just a few standards rather than all of them having their own way of doing something. (Is there really a good reason that Apple requires their own unique cable for iPhones and iPods instead of a universal USB cable?) Maybe this is over-simplifying things a bit as I am sure there is some obscure purpose for using proprietary "standards" but it's also annoying that I have to dedicate a full drawer to different types of computer cables and various wall-charging units. I know not everyone sees it my way and there are some people who thrive on the latest and greatest and will put up with all of the baggage that comes along with it. This is just my opinion and my perspective but thought I would put it out there to see what the consensus is on this board. What are all of your thoughts? Would you be happy to see progression be put on hold for a while so that everyone can catch up or do like to always feel like you are a step behind and/or be scrambling to get the latest and greatest?

Matt

 

[Zaluss]

As far as computers go, I've been tweaking and building them since I was 16. Following all kinds of hardware forums, watercooling, extreme cooling (Liquid Nitrogen, etc) so the constant upgrade has always been apart of the game.

As far as the rest of the industry goes in order to stay competetive and maintain a strong market presence yes there is constant development and change in the marketplace. Fortunately we are getting to a point where computers are cheap and powerful enough not to justify a yearly upgrade like before.

$400 will get you an amd dual core, 4gb of ram, 500gb hd, great onboard video, and windows 7 home premium. Those specs would be hard pressed to get bogged down by anything these days. All the new internet security suites from Norton also have been MUCH improved over its previous years. Consider Symantec 2010 Endpoint or similiar.

The home theater industry is just trying to make a buck

 

[son-yah-tive]

It's up to the BUYING PUBLIC to slow things down. But, I don't see that happening any time soon. Someone always wants something FIRST, or what OTHERS can't afford. We're stuck with, TECH-'NO-LOGIC'-EE.

 

[AcuDefTechGuy]

I don't want anything to slow down.

Bring it on early and often.

If I like it, then great.

If it sucks, then screw it.

 

[BMXTRIX]

The best answer was already given:

Technology changes due to competition. If you look at the market it is always a game of oneupmanship. Company X comes out with 120hz TVs, then company Y comes out with 240hz TVs. We see declining sales at theaters, then a big uptick in 3D at theaters, and then find a way to bring that technology home. This opens up a whole new line of sales of glasses, new players, new TVs, etc.

You buy an entire collection on VHS, then replace it with DVD, only to replace it again with Blu-ray.

Yet, your car gets driven and must be replaced and is constantly getting upgraded, as are most of your appliances and other things you own.

Unlike your PC, you should be able to use and enjoy the TV you have forever. Just because something new comes along doesn't mean you HAVE to upgrade... But, you sure as heck will be marketed to like the upgrade is a requirement.

I would say, with PCs and software requirements, the upgrade is forced upon users far more often that with other technologies.

 

[highfigh]

The best answer was already given:

Technology changes due to competition. If you look at the market it is always a game of oneupmanship. Company X comes out with 120hz TVs, then company Y comes out with 240hz TVs. We see declining sales at theaters, then a big uptick in 3D at theaters, and then find a way to bring that technology home. This opens up a whole new line of sales of glasses, new players, new TVs, etc.

You buy an entire collection on VHS, then replace it with DVD, only to replace it again with Blu-ray.

Yet, your car gets driven and must be replaced and is constantly getting upgraded, as are most of your appliances and other things you own.

Unlike your PC, you should be able to use and enjoy the TV you have forever. Just because something new comes along doesn't mean you HAVE to upgrade... But, you sure as heck will be marketed to like the upgrade is a requirement.

I would say, with PCs and software requirements, the upgrade is forced upon users far more often that with other technologies.

Many advances come from inadequacies, like the need for 120Hz and 240Hz refresh rates. LED needs this, not CRT and plasma, yet the push for LCD tvs and new specs will probably mean that the inferior version will win, again. Just like Beta vs VHS. BluRay and VHS won out for a specific reason- being supported by a particular industry that sells millions of copies of their videos every year, not because they were necessarily better. A TV obviously won't last forever, especially in light of new input configurations, digital signal and resolution mis-matching. Also, the manufacturers aren't in business to sell parts, so a new TV that goes bad immediately out of warranty is not worth repairing because the parts cost is prohibitively high.

One thing I KNOW is happening now- the advances are happening too fast for people in the industry to stay completely up to date with a broad scope of products unless they can devote a lot of time to learning about all of it. The only way around this is to specialize and not bother with much of the current technologies, generalize to the point that deep knowledge of the technologies is not part of their skill set, study it all the time and not get anything else done or remain behind the curve.

 

[snmhanson]

This is a great point. I think that looking at Outlaw Audio compared to Oppo really drives this point home. Oppo is a company that only specializes in digital players (as far as I know). Aside from a few minor exceptions, that is all that they do and they make great products. Outlaw, however, has a fairly broad range of products to develop (or have developed for them) and manage. They have some great products but it is looking like they may be spreading themselves a bit thin. They are way behind on their new processor and by the time it is released many believe it is going to be essentially outdated. I hope it turns out to be a great processor that can compete with modern offerings but I have my doubts. Similarly, Emotiva has also had it's share of delays and similar to Outlaw they too have a rather diversified product line. On the other hand, alot of the online speaker companies, and subwoofer companies in particular, seem to have a solid line-up of quality and innovative products and a dedicated following. I think this is because they mainly focus on what they do well and don't try to be everything to everyone. The big players such as Onkyo, Pioneer, etc... have the capital and manpower to support different departments for several types of products. In the future I see the smaller companies streamlining their product lineups and focusing on one or a few things that they do well. At least that is what I think would be in their best interest and allow them to be most competative and turn out the highest quality product in the quickest time possible.

Matt

One thing I KNOW is happening now- the advances are happening too fast for people in the industry to stay completely up to date with a broad scope of products unless they can devote a lot of time to learning about all of it. The only way around this is to specialize and not bother with much of the current technologies, generalize to the point that deep knowledge of the technologies is not part of their skill set, study it all the time and not get anything else done or remain behind the curve.

 

[corey]

In addition, if the virus protection software is current it will often bog down a computer that is more than a year and a half old.

Sounds like you're using bloatware from McAfee or Symantec/Norton. Try using Trend Micro or Avast. All my customers keep their business PCs 4 to 5 years.

 

[oppman99]

I can see both sides of the upgrade issue. I do find it frustrating when my electronics are behind the curve after a year or two. I don't have unlimited cash resources to keep up. I guess thats why I allocate more of my budget to audio rather than video since great speakers today will still be great speakers in five years (or at least not worth the cost of upgrade to me). I love to check out new gear, but I have become very selective in making my buying decisions. To give an example, I still don't have a BR player. To take full advantage I would have to upgrade my 720p TV, and just don't watch enough make it worthwhile to me. I'll probably hold off at least another year. Computers are kind of the same way. My two year old Dell desktop still does everything I need it to, so I'll stick with it until the price of a significantly better model drops or there is a true improvement in the technology or my current machine no longer runs the software I use. I think the key is educating yourself to what is a true improvement to the technology and what is just a spec that really has little or not percievable impact on performance.

 

[kelley_aj]

There is a small flip side. The latest technology today is very affordable in 18 mos. Computer wise as they advance material that reduces heat and increases processor time you will see faster and faster processors which opens up the door for more "stuff" to be controlled by a home PC. think about the work you do on your desk top PC now, imagine doing those tasks on a computer 20 years ago or even 10 years ago. The advancement of the technology allows us to do more, cheaper and in your living room.

 

[highfigh]

The big players such as Onkyo, Pioneer, etc... have the capital and manpower to support different departments for several types of products. In the future I see the smaller companies streamlining their product lineups and focusing on one or a few things that they do well. At least that is what I think would be in their best interest and allow them to be most competative and turn out the highest quality product in the quickest time possible.

Matt

Someone would think these companies have the capital, but in case you didn't hear, Pioneer pulled out of most areas of electronics last year. They're down to Car Audio, some receivers and DVD players, DJ equipment and something else that escapes me. They stopped making TVs and most other video products. Why? Because they lost their butts on plasma TVs due to the way they made theirs. The last product line for TVs, Panasonic made their plasma panels. Bar none, I have never seen a better picture on any TV. Never. It's too bad- unless they pull it together and make them again, people won't have the opportunity to see truly great video quality.

 

[SharkyRivethead]

I can see both side of the argument as well. But it's the new tech that's annoying, not the other way around.

When I was buying my flat screen, one of my main concerns was should I just get a 720 and not a 1080. Why? There is a huge price difference. Plus if you do it right, there is no telling the difference. I read they had already developed a higher def screen. But a sales person had told me there was a halt on further production for higher def screens, for 10 years. I never looked into it, but it had something to do with the evolution being to quick and consumer protection.

I ended up getting a 1080p because I felt confidant that it will stay for a while and wont become obsolete anytime soon. (keeps fingers crossed)

 

[tonedeaf]

The only thing holding back computer processing speed is the heat issue.
Once they clear that hurdle,the skies the limit.