Technological Sheep

This term, first uttered to me by my son, describes me to the tee. I am the type of consumer that electronics manufacturers target - a slave to the latest technology advances for home use. Here are a few examples:

• I own over 250 CD's, but after hearing the competing standards of DVD-A and SACD, I am now trying to replace my favorite recordings with one of these standards. Have you ever heard the planes taking off at the beginning of the Eagles "Hotel California"? The answer is no if all you have ever heard is the mixed channel recording. It's like hearing the real recordings for the first time. If you really want to compare - buy a really intricate recording like Bryan Ferry's "Boys and Girls" on Hybrid SACD. Play it in the CD mode, then switch to Multi-Channel. The difference is astounding. This is also why I am becoming less and less enthused with MP3, AAC, WMA, Apple Lossless, etc. because although the convenience factor is high, they really sound awful on a high end stereo system when compared to the multi-channel digital recordings.

• Then, there is the DVD Video formats. Now - I am in the process of replacing my favorite DVD's with the Superbit versions. The difference - more digital data which equates to an incredible improvement in picture quality. And thanks to Best Buy's inexplicable Superbit sales, which happen 3-4 times per year - I have replaced them for under $10 a piece.

• And the one that takes the cake is HDTV. Since buying my 42 inch LG DLP, I am just amazed at the picture quality at 1080i. The bad news is that it has reduced me to watching 10 -15 channels, since I cannot stand to watch non HD channels now.

What does the future hold? Well, for one - I'll be buying new GPS hardware that is compatible with Galileo in 2008. Soon, I'll be buying either Blu-Ray or HD DVD hardware that supports HD resolutions. The war still rages on between these formats, but my money is on HD DVD, since it appears Microsoft is supporting it and is integrating it in Vista, as well as offering OEM incentives for HD DVD development.

Then there is the 1080p standard, which is hitting the market as we speak. It will have a beautiful picture, but at a cost of double the bandwidth of 1080i and 720p. To get a peek at this standard -check out Microsoft's 1080p videos (make sure you meet the minimum hardware requirements).

So - I'll be one of those consumers, blindly following new hardware and standards in search of the ultimate in sound, video, and exact positioning..... A technological sheep.