Vent: If you want the picture to be 3D, switch the glasses on!

Sublime_2

A good rant. Hope you feel better now OP. Think I would go mad getting questions like that. I do think that the 3D glasses issue is understandable, as not many of us have seen a 3D tv, although you would have specialist retail knowledge about the items you're selling.

vyle

Azari wrote: »

Two comments about the above.

1) A TV isn't LED or LCD - LCD may use either cold cathode fluorescent or LED lighting so 'LED' is a type of LCD display, not an alternative.

2) The main advantage of (non edge) LED lighting is that it allows a theoretical increase in contrast as the backlighting can be dynamically controlled to a much finer degree that it can with CCFL.

I know that, but I do try not to complicate things too much....if I got into LED backlighting not being OLED then they'd get really really confused, although it is fun to slip in "Cold cathode flourescent light tube" into the explanation to see the customer turn into a zombie in an instant.

Azari

vyle wrote: »

I know that, but I do try not to complicate things too much....if I got into LED backlighting not being OLED then they'd get really really confused.

Yes, I think that's fair enough. I just thought I'd mention the CCFL/LED thing because the LED/LCD has been brought up quite often.

Outpost

Almost like the great unwashed walk into such shops expecting to have their technology-related questions answered by sales staff before parting with their hard-earned cash isn't it?

Humphrey10

Outpost wrote: »

Almost like the great unwashed walk into such shops expecting to have their technology-related questions answered by sales staff before parting with their hard-earned cash isn't it?

I only expect that in John Lewis, with all other shops I've learned that they won't be able to answer my questions correctly, so it's best not to ask.

Jennikay

Azari wrote: »

There are acknowledged problems with human visual psychology that mean that most people find 3D tiring and disconcerting if watched for too long. The occasional film is OK but an evening's TV is not.

I just resent paying the extra quid in the cinema :rotfl:

vyle

Humphrey10 wrote: »

I only expect that in John Lewis, with all other shops I've learned that they won't be able to answer my questions correctly, so it's best not to ask.

If it's questions like, "what EXACT DDR3 chips does this laptop use, how fast is the hard drive, and why doesn't this manufacturer make this tv in a different colour (as if the CEO of the company rings shop staff to give his reasons)," then probably not.

Otherwise, if the salesman has kept himself up to date, it's possible.

What kind of questions do you foist onto staff?

relic

vyle wrote: »

Allow me to put into context how this usually comes about.

Customer: What small TV would you recommend?

me: The small TVs range from 16 to 22 inches. Do you have a preference?

them: 22"

me: Then I would recommend this panasonic TV.

Them: Is it LCD or LED?

me: LCD.

Them: but LED is better isn't it?

me: It depends on the TV.

them: My son/daughter/whatever/Which? said to get LED because it's newer and better.

me: LED is generally more energy efficient and can make the picture brighter, but if you put LEDs into a rubbish TV, it's still a rubbish TV. This panasonic is a very good tv and is better than most of the others.

them: So why is that *points to a giant LED samsung tv* so expensive?

me: Because it's a very high end tv, one of the best on the market.

them: That's LED.

me: Yes, it is.

them: So LED is better?

me: It depends on the tv... it's best not to worry if it's LED or LCD. Get whichever tv has the best picture for you.

To those who say I'm in the wrong job - as I have said, on balance, I really do enjoy my job, but I am studying for a degree along with working so that I can move into a job that pays better than peanuts.

Oh, one last thing, a plea to you all - when you go into a shop, don't ask the staff if they are an 'expert,' because as one of my colleagues once replied:

If I was a computer expert, I'd be working for Google, not working in a shop.

Sounds like you should be out of a job.

If you, or your "colleague" spoke to me or my partner like that, i'd make sure you got a beating of a life time.

Azari

relic wrote:

If you, or your "colleague" spoke to me or my partner like that, i'd make sure you got a beating of a life time.

Presumably, then, you are writing this from one of Her Majesty's Prisons.

That's were neanderthals that rush to use their fists over trifles usually end up.

bosseyed

I had a friend who worked in a TV shop years ago, lady came in and after much umming an ahhing and various advice from my mate bought a new VCR. She turned up again that afternoon in a foul mood complaining that it didn't work, mis sold, useless salesman etc etc etc. My mate, patient to the extreme went through every possible set up issue with here until they got to one crucial point - she didn't have a TV :rotfl:

Was presumably expecting the Video to project the picture in some manner of 3D hologram or something :rotfl:

As to the original rant - good rant, I like it. Personally if I'm spending big money on TVs etc then I find it best to do at the very least a smidge of research. I don't have the patience or time frankly to go through a zillion reviews as ultimately for every 5 star review you generally get 1 star reviews and I hold little stock in waiting for the next model 'out in only a few months' - you could spend your life waiting for the better version to come out, just buy the current version and enjoy it.

I decide roughly what I want before I buy, I'll consult a salesman on the offchance theres a deal on something better but for the most part I'm ready to bpart with cash when I go into these shops.

And theres a fine line between being thorough and being confusing - I don't necessarily need to know to the nth degree how something works, I am after all a layman. My father in law is terrible, hes a massive audiophile, obsessed with incredibly high end hi fi equipment (his set up is probably worth in the region of £25k and he changes bits of it weekly for hideous sums of money) and although he knows everything about everything to do with Hi-fis, he can't talk about them without going into every tiny detail and making everyones eyes glaze over.