Category: TV

Argos 39-inch Bush TV

I recently purchased a 39-inch Bush LCD TV from Argos at Swiss Cottage for what seemed like a reasonably good deal of £229.  OK, it was a Bush TV – but how bad could it be?  I was also worried that a 39″ TV would be too big for the lounge but when I got it set up it looked to be  a perfect size!  (The stand that I bought with it is also good, although for £60 it would need to be nice!)

The TV set up was fine.  I was a bit nervous it took so long to tune in the Freeview (DTV-B) signal but it got there in the end.  I was a little disappointed that the catalogue listing had made it appear that it was Freeview HD – but it isn’t.  It’s Freeview, and it’s HD, but never the twain shall meet.

Photo of catalogue page showing "Freeview" and "HD" logos close together, side-by-side
The arrangement of the logos implied to me at the time that the Bush TV was Freeview HD. It was only after I tuned it in I realised it wasn’t.

Anyway, I was prepared to accept that as a lesson that I should double-check everything but then I hit the real problem: the picture quality.  Despite having a review score of 4.5/5 on the Argos web site, the picture quality is absolutely awful.  The brights are too bright and the darks are too dark, and it seems no amount of playing with settings will change that.  People’s faces positively glow when they’re in any kind of brightly lit scene, and any attempt to mitigate this means that darker colours all merge into one dark mess in indoor scenes (think the pub in Eastenders).

I went back to the reviews on the Argos web site because I can’t believe these people are describing the same TV.  I was slightly suspicious of reviews on the site selling the product and whether there would be some form of censorship in play.  When I tried to leave an honest review reflecting the true quality of this TV I couldn’t find any option to do this, though I think their site was redesigned the other day, so hoping this is just an oversight there rather than anything sinister.

So it turns out that the Bush TV was indeed pretty bad – I should’ve paid more heed to my dad’s opinion of Bush products but it seemed like a good deal.  Talk about buyer’s remorse!  It needs to go back to the shop, Argos should really be embarrassed to be selling products like that in the first place, much less trying to make out they’re worth £350.

I’m publishing this in the hope that some other poor sod about to make the same mistake will be spared the disappointment.  Do yourself a favour, go to Richer Sounds instead – or at least somewhere you can see the TV you’re getting in action.  Or failing that, just don’t buy a Bush TV – they are as bad as you think!

24 Jack Bauer Facts

I’ve just added a list of 24 Jack Bauer Facts to the jokes section of my web site (the first update in a while). Highlights include:

  • When Kim Bauer lost her virginity, Jack found it and put it back.
  • Once, someone tried to tell Jack Bauer a knock-knock joke.  Jack Bauer found out who was there, who they worked for, and where the god damned bomb was.
  • The city of Los Angeles once named a street after Jack Bauer in gratitude for his saving the city several times, but they had to rename it after people kept dying when they tried to cross the street.  No one crosses Jack Bauer and lives.

If you like them check out the full list. If not, I don’t know what to tell you. Go watch 24.

Premium Rate “Quizzes” – They’re Just Lotteries

Name that footballer: WYANE OORNEY

Don’t you hate those disgustingly easy quiz “questions” on TV? IIRC the reason for the simple questions is that the TV companies can charge people to enter a competition but avoid lottery regulations by claiming there is an element of “skill” in the game.

Anyway, at 2AM this morning while working on a web site I spotted this beauty of a jumbled footballer’s name on Channel Five‘s “Five US” channel courtesy of Quiz Call. And at the very least I counted 300 odd suckers who entered this in the space of 5 minutes.

As if the “mystery” footballer wasn’t easy enough, they gave the following clues (among others):

  • He plays for Man United
  • He transferred to Man Utd. from Everton
  • He’s involved with Colleen whatserface

I ask you, with questions like this, who are they trying to kid? I don’t remember exactly what lottery laws they’re trying to avoid, but I thought Ofcom (or someone) were supposed to be clamping down on this abuse. Cle arly doing a bang up job there.