High Tech Snake Oil Abounds

From the very first time one person sold something to another person there have been those who have tried, and succeeded, to take advantage of the buyer. The snake oil purveyors of the old west are alive and well in the digital age. This week we will look at three very popular items being sold on line and in the big box electronics stores. All three are low tech. All three are used by millions of consumers. And, all three are obscenely over-priced.

With the popularity of Blue Ray DVD players and high tech gaming systems growing, many of us need cables to connect these devices to our large flat screen TVs. These connections often require HDMI cables. HDMI cables are made up of multiple wires and special connectors at each end. These simple high tech extension cords often come with a big price. It is not uncommon for a 6 foot cable to cost more than $35. If you want one with gold plated connectors the price can reach $75 or more.

The sales person will give you the often rehearsed spiel, “You know, you just spent $1500 on this great XYZ 3-D Plasma 5.1 Dolby enhanced TV, for sure you want the best connections to your DVD player or cable box, don’t you?” The only problem with this suggestion is that there is no perceivable difference between the results you will get with a $5 HDMI cable than the one that cost $75. Go with the $5 cable.

Since the paperless society promised by the computer age is still not quite here, many of us continue to print documents and photos on paper. This brings us to another high tech rip off, the ink cartridge. It is not uncommon to be able to purchase a new ink jet printer for less money than it will cost to replace the ink cartridges about four times. This marketing strategy is akin to the “Gillette” philosophy dating back decades. You “give” the razors away for pennies and then charge a king’s ransom for the blades. From what I have found there is no reason for the ink to cost as much as it does.

Our final rip off is really hard to even see. In fact it is transparent. Most smart phones, hand held games and e-readers have touch screens. It is highly recommended that you use clear plastic protectors on these screens to prevent scratching. Most of these devices come with one but they do get dirty and develop bubbles and need to be replaced. What a surprise you will have when you go to the store and find that the little piece of clear plastic measuring about 1.5 x 3 inches has a price tag of $5 or more. Even online it is hard to find discounts for these screen protectors.

There are truly some extraordinary electronic devices on the market and the prices seem to be dropping for many of them. Nevertheless, snake oil is also available in abundance and it ain’t cheap.

High Tech Snake Oil Abounds

From the very first time one person sold something to another person there have been those who have tried, and succeeded, to take advantage of the buyer. The snake oil purveyors of the old west are alive and well in the digital age. This week we will look at three very popular items being sold on line and in the big box electronics stores. All three are low tech. All three are used by millions of consumers. And, all three are obscenely over-priced.

With the popularity of Blue Ray DVD players and high tech gaming systems growing, many of us need cables to connect these devices to our large flat screen TVs. These connections often require HDMI cables. HDMI cables are made up of multiple wires and special connectors at each end. These simple high tech extension cords often come with a big price. It is not uncommon for a 6 foot cable to cost more than $35. If you want one with gold plated connectors the price can reach $75 or more.

The sales person will give you the often rehearsed spiel, “You know, you just spent $1500 on this great XYZ 3-D Plasma 5.1 Dolby enhanced TV, for sure you want the best connections to your DVD player or cable box, don’t you?” The only problem with this suggestion is that there is no perceivable difference between the results you will get with a $5 HDMI cable than the one that cost $75. Go with the $5 cable.

Since the paperless society promised by the computer age is still not quite here, many of us continue to print documents and photos on paper. This brings us to another high tech rip off, the ink cartridge. It is not uncommon to be able to purchase a new ink jet printer for less money than it will cost to replace the ink cartridges about four times. This marketing strategy is akin to the “Gillette” philosophy dating back decades. You “give” the razors away for pennies and then charge a king’s ransom for the blades. From what I have found there is no reason for the ink to cost as much as it does.

Our final rip off is really hard to even see. In fact it is transparent. Most smart phones, hand held games and e-readers have touch screens. It is highly recommended that you use clear plastic protectors on these screens to prevent scratching. Most of these devices come with one but they do get dirty and develop bubbles and need to be replaced. What a surprise you will have when you go to the store and find that the little piece of clear plastic measuring about 1.5 x 3 inches has a price tag of $5 or more. Even online it is hard to find discounts for these screen protectors.

There are truly some extraordinary electronic devices on the market and the prices seem to be dropping for many of them. Nevertheless, snake oil is also available in abundance and it ain’t cheap.

"You Need a Cable For That!"

OK, you researched all the brands, looked at all the reviews and found the very best price for that new flat screen 56 inch HDTV. You are now standing with the salesperson ready to fork over those green backs, or more likely a piece of plastic, and there is one more thing.

“You’re gonna need a cable for that ya know,” mumbles the salesperson. That’s right, in order to connect that new HD TV set to your cable box, Blue Ray DVD player or other digital device, you need special cables. Called HDMI cables, these short wires have special connectors on each end. You will need one cable for each component.

The salesperson will suggest that since you just forked over a month’s pay for the new TV set, you will want to make sure that you use “the best cable possible” so the picture is sharp and the audio crisp and static free. “Best” of course in the salesperson’s mind is also the most expensive. So you look at the display of cables and see that a three foot long rubber wire with two small connectors has a price of $75.00. There is another one with gold plated connectors for only $100.00. In theory gold is a superior electrical conductor. And you thought that the TV price gave you sticker shock.

The truth of the matter is that for most applications, there is no difference between the results you will get using a $15 HDMI cable or a $200 HDMI Cable. For most of us, one end of the cable will be plugged into the TV set and the other end into the DVD player or cable box and left that way for years never to be removed. So why pay a fortune for a cable that is heavy enough to tow your car?

There is one application that may require a heavier cable with more robust connectors and that would be an HDMI cable which you will use to connect a game system, lap top computer or other device that will be plugged in and out often. You will want a cable that has a heavy duty connector. There are several small contacts inside the plug that can come loose with repeated use, so a strong connector will hold up better than a less expensive cable.

For most of us mere mortals, the fact that the HDMI connector contacts are plated with gold has no discernable bearing on the quality of the pictures or sound. It adds to the price. The only added value I see comes in the form of your bragging rights. You can tell your “has-everything” neighbor that you have gold platted HDMI cables. Your spouse may on the other hand have a much different reaction to paying 100 bucks for a piece of wire.

"You Need a Cable For That!"

OK, you researched all the brands, looked at all the reviews and found the very best price for that new flat screen 56 inch HDTV. You are now standing with the salesperson ready to fork over those green backs, or more likely a piece of plastic, and there is one more thing.

“You’re gonna need a cable for that ya know,” mumbles the salesperson. That’s right, in order to connect that new HD TV set to your cable box, Blue Ray DVD player or other digital device, you need special cables. Called HDMI cables, these short wires have special connectors on each end. You will need one cable for each component.

The salesperson will suggest that since you just forked over a month’s pay for the new TV set, you will want to make sure that you use “the best cable possible” so the picture is sharp and the audio crisp and static free. “Best” of course in the salesperson’s mind is also the most expensive. So you look at the display of cables and see that a three foot long rubber wire with two small connectors has a price of $75.00. There is another one with gold plated connectors for only $100.00. In theory gold is a superior electrical conductor. And you thought that the TV price gave you sticker shock.

The truth of the matter is that for most applications, there is no difference between the results you will get using a $15 HDMI cable or a $200 HDMI Cable. For most of us, one end of the cable will be plugged into the TV set and the other end into the DVD player or cable box and left that way for years never to be removed. So why pay a fortune for a cable that is heavy enough to tow your car?

There is one application that may require a heavier cable with more robust connectors and that would be an HDMI cable which you will use to connect a game system, lap top computer or other device that will be plugged in and out often. You will want a cable that has a heavy duty connector. There are several small contacts inside the plug that can come loose with repeated use, so a strong connector will hold up better than a less expensive cable.

For most of us mere mortals, the fact that the HDMI connector contacts are plated with gold has no discernable bearing on the quality of the pictures or sound. It adds to the price. The only added value I see comes in the form of your bragging rights. You can tell your “has-everything” neighbor that you have gold platted HDMI cables. Your spouse may on the other hand have a much different reaction to paying 100 bucks for a piece of wire.

Watch Out for the Extras

One of my coworkers at CET recently asked me for some advice about what type of cable she should use to connect her new HD TV to the various components. She noted that the salesperson at the store from which she bought the new TV was insistent that she needed to use a very expensive HDMI cable when connecting her television. Wanting to get the most out of her new purchase, she complied and bought the $70 cable, all four feet of it. After talking to some others, I found out that many who are buying new sets are finding a dizzying array of cables and accessories and service plans that can add hundreds of dollars to an already expensive purchase.

Well the bottom line for most of these add-ons is …Don’t do it! It brings to mind the final steps we have all had to endure when buying a new car. The salesperson finishes up the “deal’ and then you are sent to the “finance guy” to “just fill out a few papers.” Once in the office you are confronted with extended warranty plans, undercoating options, glass guard, ultraviolet ray paint coating, fabric protection, cures for acne and several other options. All of these of course cost extra and in most cases are a total waste of money. It seems that some of the electronic retailers have spent a few too many hours shopping for cars, because they are adopting some of these lucrative “up selling” techniques with their customers.

Let’s talk about HDMI cables. Yes, you should get one for each component that uses this interface to connect to your new HD TV. No, you should not spend $70 on a single cable. You can get HDMI cables on line and at discount stores for as little as $10 to $15 and they will work just fine. Sure, the sales person will confront you about impedance mismatches and the benefits of gold plated connectors and any of a host of other “Klingon” jargon. When you are watching your new TV, you will not be able to tell the difference in picture quality from a set connected with a $15 HDMI cable from one that uses a $100 cable. The same holds true for the most part for audio cables. There are slight differences, but they are not worth the steep mark up.

The pitch for purchasing an extended warranty will also be an issue as you walk toward the check out counter. Modern electronic devices will either work out of the box or will fail in a short time, well within the regular manufacturer’s warranty period. Except for a laptop computer, I can think of no other device that should be protected with an extra warranty policy. Three years is an eternity in the world of digital electronics. A DVD player purchased 18 months ago for $200 can now be found on sale for $29.95 and it will come with more features. Purchasing a $75 warranty for a $200 machine just does not make sense. Just say No!

Another rip-off is the HDTV Antenna. If you see a box marked “designed for HDTV,” run out of the store. There is no such thing as an HDTV antenna. The design of an antenna, either for set top or outdoor use, is no different for picking up an HDTV digital signal than it is for analog signals. The fact is that the new digital over-the-air broadcasts use the same channels as we have used since the beginning of TV in the late 40s. Don’t pay extra for an antenna just because it says that it is for Digital or HDTV use. The only difference from the one you bought five years ago is the box.

It is a scary world out there …”caveat emptor”…that’s Latin, not Klingon.

Watch Out for the Extras

One of my coworkers at CET recently asked me for some advice about what type of cable she should use to connect her new HD TV to the various components. She noted that the salesperson at the store from which she bought the new TV was insistent that she needed to use a very expensive HDMI cable when connecting her television. Wanting to get the most out of her new purchase, she complied and bought the $70 cable, all four feet of it. After talking to some others, I found out that many who are buying new sets are finding a dizzying array of cables and accessories and service plans that can add hundreds of dollars to an already expensive purchase.

Well the bottom line for most of these add-ons is …Don’t do it! It brings to mind the final steps we have all had to endure when buying a new car. The salesperson finishes up the “deal’ and then you are sent to the “finance guy” to “just fill out a few papers.” Once in the office you are confronted with extended warranty plans, undercoating options, glass guard, ultraviolet ray paint coating, fabric protection, cures for acne and several other options. All of these of course cost extra and in most cases are a total waste of money. It seems that some of the electronic retailers have spent a few too many hours shopping for cars, because they are adopting some of these lucrative “up selling” techniques with their customers.

Let’s talk about HDMI cables. Yes, you should get one for each component that uses this interface to connect to your new HD TV. No, you should not spend $70 on a single cable. You can get HDMI cables on line and at discount stores for as little as $10 to $15 and they will work just fine. Sure, the sales person will confront you about impedance mismatches and the benefits of gold plated connectors and any of a host of other “Klingon” jargon. When you are watching your new TV, you will not be able to tell the difference in picture quality from a set connected with a $15 HDMI cable from one that uses a $100 cable. The same holds true for the most part for audio cables. There are slight differences, but they are not worth the steep mark up.

The pitch for purchasing an extended warranty will also be an issue as you walk toward the check out counter. Modern electronic devices will either work out of the box or will fail in a short time, well within the regular manufacturer’s warranty period. Except for a laptop computer, I can think of no other device that should be protected with an extra warranty policy. Three years is an eternity in the world of digital electronics. A DVD player purchased 18 months ago for $200 can now be found on sale for $29.95 and it will come with more features. Purchasing a $75 warranty for a $200 machine just does not make sense. Just say No!

Another rip-off is the HDTV Antenna. If you see a box marked “designed for HDTV,” run out of the store. There is no such thing as an HDTV antenna. The design of an antenna, either for set top or outdoor use, is no different for picking up an HDTV digital signal than it is for analog signals. The fact is that the new digital over-the-air broadcasts use the same channels as we have used since the beginning of TV in the late 40s. Don’t pay extra for an antenna just because it says that it is for Digital or HDTV use. The only difference from the one you bought five years ago is the box.

It is a scary world out there …”caveat emptor”…that’s Latin, not Klingon.