Comments for TechReaction http://techreaction.org Tech and whatever else I feel like writing about... Thu, 10 Dec 2009 02:04:53 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.1 Comment on iPhone Headphone Construction Quality is Awful by Ben http://techreaction.org/?p=219&cpage=1#comment-5504 Ben Thu, 10 Dec 2009 02:04:53 +0000 http://techreaction.org/?p=219#comment-5504 Same problem here, except way worse. Apple earphones SUCK!! Same problem here, except way worse.

Apple earphones SUCK!!

]]> Comment on Theater Xtreme Showroom Review by Eric http://techreaction.org/?p=42&cpage=1#comment-4660 Eric Thu, 09 Jul 2009 22:37:12 +0000 http://techreaction.org/?p=42#comment-4660 I visited the Theater Xtreme in Roseville, CA a few times, and eventually decided to puchase from them in late 2008. The sales were very low pressure, the guys very nice and helpful. Yes, I did consider buying everything separate - but at the time they were offering no payments/no interest for 12 months - a good deal. The downside is that since the place was new, they didn't have detailed knowledge about the equipment beyond what I could find out online. I gave them the requirements for the room and setup and told me they could meet it. Well $8,000 later, I have a screen image that is angled due to the projector not adjusting as far as the specs said it would, the screen curls at the edges (it's retractable) and I have an outlet below the screen. The installation for the most part was clean - not too many holes in the wall, but they did wire the speakers all wrong, requiring me to pull everything out and re-organize and re-wire it. The only solution they gave me for fixing the image was to move the whole setup or put the projector in the middle of the room - both were not acceptable due to the spouse not wanting more holes in the wall and /or having a projector in the middle of the room. So now I'm debating moving the whole thing to another room - except this time I'll do it on my own. To top off my experience, the setup I puchased dropped a few grand within a couple of months - so overall my experience is iffy. Yes, the guys were nice and tried hard, but the installation and final result is unacceptable for the money. I visited the Theater Xtreme in Roseville, CA a few times, and eventually decided to puchase from them in late 2008. The sales were very low pressure, the guys very nice and helpful. Yes, I did consider buying everything separate – but at the time they were offering no payments/no interest for 12 months – a good deal. The downside is that since the place was new, they didn’t have detailed knowledge about the equipment beyond what I could find out online. I gave them the requirements for the room and setup and told me they could meet it. Well $8,000 later, I have a screen image that is angled due to the projector not adjusting as far as the specs said it would, the screen curls at the edges (it’s retractable) and I have an outlet below the screen. The installation for the most part was clean – not too many holes in the wall, but they did wire the speakers all wrong, requiring me to pull everything out and re-organize and re-wire it. The only solution they gave me for fixing the image was to move the whole setup or put the projector in the middle of the room – both were not acceptable due to the spouse not wanting more holes in the wall and /or having a projector in the middle of the room. So now I’m debating moving the whole thing to another room – except this time I’ll do it on my own. To top off my experience, the setup I puchased dropped a few grand within a couple of months – so overall my experience is iffy. Yes, the guys were nice and tried hard, but the installation and final result is unacceptable for the money.

]]> Comment on Theater Xtreme Showroom Review by Neal http://techreaction.org/?p=42&cpage=1#comment-4245 Neal Tue, 19 May 2009 01:15:06 +0000 http://techreaction.org/?p=42#comment-4245 Theater Xtreme (even Berwyn) has since gone out of business...go figure, mediocre products with higher than average price tags along with terrible service and poor management. Don't get me wrong, content looked and sounded great there, but it was still mediocre product. There is a HIGH end botique called Audio Video Consultants right up Rt. 30. They are in the Volpe Design Center next to Dell Chevrolet. Talk about top notch gear and unsurpassed service. THAT is a Theater buying experience with NO tacky theater chairs...not a cup holder to be found! Check them out. www.volpedesigncenter.com Theater Xtreme (even Berwyn) has since gone out of business…go figure, mediocre products with higher than average price tags along with terrible service and poor management. Don’t get me wrong, content looked and sounded great there, but it was still mediocre product. There is a HIGH end botique called Audio Video Consultants right up Rt. 30. They are in the Volpe Design Center next to Dell Chevrolet. Talk about top notch gear and unsurpassed service. THAT is a Theater buying experience with NO tacky theater chairs…not a cup holder to be found! Check them out. http://www.volpedesigncenter.com

]]> Comment on Theater Xtreme Showroom Review by Zach http://techreaction.org/?p=42&cpage=1#comment-1254 Zach Tue, 13 May 2008 02:42:03 +0000 http://techreaction.org/?p=42#comment-1254 Anyone who is just simply 'window shopping', must realize that these installations and packages are for those who wish to have everything bundled and installed same-day. As simple as it may seem for the less-than-skilled A/V or Movie Theatre installation or engineering buff, the installations do take skill and time, and much of the time, requires the install technician to (basically) be inside the buyers head at all times throughout the process. They must understand what it is the buyer wants, and at the end of the day, that's ALL that counts. If the buyer (customer) wants this or that, installed here or there, the installer must comply. Of course while consulting the buyer each step of the way, and still maintain the professionalism, respect, and accuracy the buyer or homeowner deserves. Bear in mind, that no matter how you spin it, home theatre installations are a luxury, ranking right up there with hot tubs, spas and in-ground pools-- but to each their own, and if someone would rather watch movies, play video games, or surf the web regularly with their family or friends on a gigantic screen in their own private home theatre, than take a dip in a vat of hot water, then more power to them. For the price, having a CUSTOM-BUILT home theatre installed professionally, in the privacy of their own home, the RIGHT way, and in one SINGLE day, is pretty impressive, and does warrant some kudos for the team at TheaterXTreme. Anyone who is just simply ‘window shopping’, must realize that these installations and packages are for those who wish to have everything bundled and installed same-day.

As simple as it may seem for the less-than-skilled A/V or Movie Theatre installation or engineering buff, the installations do take skill and time, and much of the time, requires the install technician to (basically) be inside the buyers head at all times throughout the process. They must understand what it is the buyer wants, and at the end of the day, that’s ALL that counts. If the buyer (customer) wants this or that, installed here or there, the installer must comply. Of course while consulting the buyer each step of the way, and still maintain the professionalism, respect, and accuracy the buyer or homeowner deserves.

Bear in mind, that no matter how you spin it, home theatre installations are a luxury, ranking right up there with hot tubs, spas and in-ground pools– but to each their own, and if someone would rather watch movies, play video games, or surf the web regularly with their family or friends on a gigantic screen in their own private home theatre, than take a dip in a vat of hot water, then more power to them. For the price, having a CUSTOM-BUILT home theatre installed professionally, in the privacy of their own home, the RIGHT way, and in one SINGLE day, is pretty impressive, and does warrant some kudos for the team at TheaterXTreme.

]]> Comment on Building a Wall…Playstation 3′s Cell Processor by Rethinking the PS3 vs Xbox 360 Coding Divide | TechReaction http://techreaction.org/?p=154&cpage=1#comment-886 Rethinking the PS3 vs Xbox 360 Coding Divide | TechReaction Wed, 19 Mar 2008 19:17:59 +0000 http://techreaction.org/?p=154#comment-886 [...] my previous post titled “Building a Wall…Playstation 3’s Cell Processor” I commented on the impact of console architectural strategy on the current console [...] [...] my previous post titled “Building a Wall…Playstation 3’s Cell Processor” I commented on the impact of console architectural strategy on the current console [...]

]]> Comment on Apple’s Macworld Product Launches? by Brian Siegel http://techreaction.org/?p=182&cpage=1#comment-411 Brian Siegel Wed, 09 Jan 2008 21:23:06 +0000 http://techreaction.org/?p=182#comment-411 With such innovative products as the iPod and iPhone... Apple has demonstrated their capability to be a leader in quality, innovation, strategy, and marketing. With great success, sometimes issues arise, and we must adapt to change. The change I am referring to isn't Apple's fault directly, but they have the abilities to provide solutions to certain issues. These issues include the most popular item to steal the past 3 years, the iPod. Apple could track where the iPod was accessed to the ISP address, but if you contact them, they send you packing with customer service modeled after the phone industry (i.e. Sprint and Verizon) and send you through numerious challenges, chains, and levels that make the obstacle courses on "American Gladiators" seem easier than getting fat from a .99 menu! With an issue such as this, do you feel it is a companies responsibility, in this case Apple with the iPod, to build a system and work on solutions to assist consumers and or police to support these types of issues? Do you feel this investment would enhance their image/public relations, add to quality, and assist them in the long term? Great blog and information, look forward to speaking with a fellow GEer soon... Sincerely, Brian Siegel M.B.A. www.siegelinnovations.com With such innovative products as the iPod and iPhone… Apple has demonstrated their capability to be a leader in quality, innovation, strategy, and marketing. With great success, sometimes issues arise, and we must adapt to change. The change I am referring to isn’t Apple’s fault directly, but they have the abilities to provide solutions to certain issues. These issues include the most popular item to steal the past 3 years, the iPod. Apple could track where the iPod was accessed to the ISP address, but if you contact them, they send you packing with customer service modeled after the phone industry (i.e. Sprint and Verizon) and send you through numerious challenges, chains, and levels that make the obstacle courses on “American Gladiators” seem easier than getting fat from a .99 menu! With an issue such as this, do you feel it is a companies responsibility, in this case Apple with the iPod, to build a system and work on solutions to assist consumers and or police to support these types of issues? Do you feel this investment would enhance their image/public relations, add to quality, and assist them in the long term? Great blog and information, look forward to speaking with a fellow GEer soon…

Sincerely,
Brian Siegel M.B.A.
http://www.siegelinnovations.com

]]> Comment on Advice on Interviewing With A Top Graduate School by Living Off Dividends http://techreaction.org/?p=162&cpage=1#comment-375 Living Off Dividends Fri, 04 Jan 2008 05:37:17 +0000 http://techreaction.org/?p=162#comment-375 good advice. especially on the knowing your weaknesses. also, i've heard that they're looking for a match between what you write in your essays and how you appear in person. if you sound like a superstar on paper but come off as extremely shallow in person, they'll figure you got help writing your essays or just lied. good advice.

especially on the knowing your weaknesses.

also, i’ve heard that they’re looking for a match between what you write in your essays and how you appear in person. if you sound like a superstar on paper but come off as extremely shallow in person, they’ll figure you got help writing your essays or just lied.

]]> Comment on Do Not Buy Magazine Subscriptions on Ebay by SD http://techreaction.org/?p=158&cpage=1#comment-372 SD Thu, 03 Jan 2008 20:35:24 +0000 http://techreaction.org/?p=158#comment-372 Thanks for the comment. It definitely makes sense to stay away from eBay for subscriptions. Good luck in the application process. Thanks for the comment. It definitely makes sense to stay away from eBay for subscriptions. Good luck in the application process.

]]> Comment on Do Not Buy Magazine Subscriptions on Ebay by Living Off Dividends http://techreaction.org/?p=158&cpage=1#comment-367 Living Off Dividends Thu, 03 Jan 2008 07:35:59 +0000 http://techreaction.org/?p=158#comment-367 great post. i was thinking of renewing some mag subscriptions on ebay. guess i'll settle for amazon instead! incidentally, I'm applying to wharton's MBA program for fall 08. great post. i was thinking of renewing some mag subscriptions on ebay.

guess i’ll settle for amazon instead!

incidentally, I’m applying to wharton’s MBA program for fall 08.

]]> Comment on Theater Xtreme Showroom Review by SD http://techreaction.org/?p=42&cpage=1#comment-219 SD Sat, 01 Dec 2007 18:53:07 +0000 http://techreaction.org/?p=42#comment-219 Thanks for the comment. I am not surprised about the experience not being as good after a few trips. I haven't been back since my first visit, so I can't speak to it first hand. On the stock front, I learned a potentially valuable lesson. It is really hard to glean the necessary information to truly understand their financial reports from the limited filings available with the SEC. TXEG doesn't always seem to always file their reports on a timely basis. In addition, they just don't provide the necessary level of detail in the reports. Even the investment relationships that they have a a bit confusing. This should have been a tip-off not to buy in. Instead I invested at around $0.70 per share. The shares have since dropped nearly 90%. Ugh. The reality is that people can get these products elsewhere unbundled for much less money. What confuses me is that is often the case with Best Buy as well, but that doesn't seem to hurt them. I figured that Theater Extreme might get the people that don't know anything about projectors and are willing to pay not to mess with the details themselves. I have to question how much foot traffic they really get for that. Most of the people that I have ever heard of going there are already convinced that a projector is a way to go. Maybe it is a fixable problem, but it is tough to tell without some really good metrics related to the store performance. Maybe I should go to this year's annual shareholder meeting. Thanks for the comment. I am not surprised about the experience not being as good after a few trips. I haven’t been back since my first visit, so I can’t speak to it first hand.

On the stock front, I learned a potentially valuable lesson. It is really hard to glean the necessary information to truly understand their financial reports from the limited filings available with the SEC. TXEG doesn’t always seem to always file their reports on a timely basis. In addition, they just don’t provide the necessary level of detail in the reports. Even the investment relationships that they have a a bit confusing. This should have been a tip-off not to buy in. Instead I invested at around $0.70 per share. The shares have since dropped nearly 90%. Ugh.

The reality is that people can get these products elsewhere unbundled for much less money. What confuses me is that is often the case with Best Buy as well, but that doesn’t seem to hurt them. I figured that Theater Extreme might get the people that don’t know anything about projectors and are willing to pay not to mess with the details themselves. I have to question how much foot traffic they really get for that. Most of the people that I have ever heard of going there are already convinced that a projector is a way to go. Maybe it is a fixable problem, but it is tough to tell without some really good metrics related to the store performance. Maybe I should go to this year’s annual shareholder meeting.

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