Royal Caribbean Cruisers -- How Are Things Where You Are? (was "Routine" ​ 😁 ​day in lockdown... how was yours?)

[Ocean Boy]

55 minutes ago, dani negreanu said:

@DaniDanielle

 

 

It seems that "someone upstairs" is constantly challenging the strongest people, and you have been chosen 😢 Best wishes for health and take care 😘

However, in all fairness, that "someone upstairs" did provide the Grey Goose to help get through the challenges.😉

[Sunshine3601]

7 hours ago, Sea Dog said:

 

Remember Venture?

No, never heard of Venture.   Was it a Dept. Store?

[Sunshine3601]

29 minutes ago, Ocean Boy said:

Did you know that at one time you could buy a house from Sears? I don't remember where I read it now but as I recall it, they had several models to choose from.

I recall hearing about it and just googled.   

https://www.popularmechanics.com/home/how-to-plans/a20859/sears-sold-70000-homes-from-their-catalog-are-you-living-in-one/

[grapau27]

Good morning.

Coffee and warm banana loaf 😋 at the beach this morning.

[dani negreanu]

10 hours ago, HBE4 said:

Picture quality wise, it's a small step down from OLED TV's which is considered the best

 

I've asked DH... He said: "at this stage of TV's technologies, OLED is better than QLED" 😕

In the end, there are only 2 TV screens producers -- Samsung & LG...

 

Based on this article from the last month --

 

https://www.cnet.com/tech/home-entertainment/qled-vs-oled/ 

 

Edited March 1 by dani negreanu
adding link

[bobmacliberty]

I'll add that, from the little that I've read, TCL is a good value brand.  It probably won't be as good as a Sony, and probably slightly below Samsung/LG, but it will work well and cost less.  They used to be considered a low end brand but their reputation has gone up the last few years.  For me, it would depend on how it will be used.  If it's a second or third TV in a guest room, I'd go for it.  If it's the primary TV that you will watch for a few hours every day, I'd consider spending more.  But only if you really think you'll notice the difference.  OLED is currently the best (and most expensive) picture quality technology, but Samsung QLED has been perfectly fine for us.

 

We've always been Samsung TV people.  Haven't had any problems.  I don't think they're necessarily better than LG...it's just the brand that we've become used to.  We like having the same on screen menu and remote control in all TVs.  Both are massed produced, and probably have some cost cutting measures in their production process to maximize profit, so both will probably have problems eventually.

 

Be careful of comparing TVs in a showroom.  They are usually set to very high brightness and sharpness levels with very vivid colors, to make them stand out in a showroom and optimize the very high quality 4K demo videos being shown (which you will not get from your cable or streaming service).  Some even have a built in store display/demo mode for this purpose.  You won't use that mode at home.  It would quickly look unnatural and cause eye fatigue, and the lighting conditions at home are very different than a store with bright fluorescent lights.  I could tweak the settings of two TVs that are side by side so that one looks better than the other, and then tweak back so that you're preferred TV switches.  Ideally you'd want a more realistic lighting environment with multiple TVs optimally tuned to compare TVs side by side.  Some higher end stores offer this.  Still, a side by side comparison in a store can at least give you a rough feel for different models.  You can always ask a salesperson to put a few models in a more normal viewing mode for comparison.  If you do that, don't be surprised if those TVs suddenly don't look as good as the others that are still in store mode.

 

I wonder if Best Buy will eventually go the way of Sears.  I originally said that I would not buy a larger purchase like a big TV online.  I bought my last TV online though and it worked very well.  Above a certain size, it's easier than transporting a TV box home from a store yourself.

[Keksie]

2 hours ago, Ocean Boy said:

Did you know that at one time you could buy a house from Sears? I don't remember where I read it now but as I recall it, they had several models to choose from.

You could also order a tractor from the Sears catalog.

[DaniDanielle]

@dani negreanu Thank you for your support.  I can’t believe I feel so much love from people I have met here❤️. Our Michigan friend passed last night, at least he was spared all the suffering😢

[h20skibum]

We have a Sony TV, and haven’t had any problems with it.   I just checked the date on the TV, and it is 16 years old now.

 

 I keep waiting for something to go wrong, so I can justify getting a new, bigger one.

 

My son bought his Sony the same year we did, and no problems with his either.  Of course, we both paid much more than what current prices are. 

[h20skibum]

13 minutes ago, DaniDanielle said:

@dani negreanu Thank you for your support.  I can’t believe I feel so much love from people I have met here❤️. Our Michigan friend passed last night, at least he was spared all the suffering😢

I was sorry to read of the passing of your friend in Michigan.  Prayers for the family.  May he rest in peace.

[DeltaOne]

24 minutes ago, bobmacliberty said:

I wonder if Best Buy will eventually go the way of Sears.  I originally said that I would not buy a larger purchase like a big TV online.  I bought my last TV online though and it worked very well.  Above a certain size, it's easier than transporting a TV box home from a store yourself.

 

Costco is a good place to buy.  I believe they double the 1 year manufacturers warranty, so you're covered for two years.  Some purchases include an additional three year warranty for five years of total coverage.  One can buy the three year add-on if it's not included for free.  They will deliver any set 55-inches or larger.

 

Costco won't have as many choices as Best Buy, but they have the latest and greatest from most manufacturers.  

 

Two months ago my six year old Sony Bravia died.  I was very happy with that set, the picture was fantastic.  I was focusing on a $600 65-inch Samsung at Costco.  My son convinced me the OLED was worth the extra $1,000.  I pulled the trigger and I'm very happy with the purchase.  As good as the picture was on the Sony Bravia, the picture on the Samsung OLED is better.  Much better.

 

Agree with your suggestion to not waste any time comparing the picture in the store.  All the sets are on demo mode where the color and contrast are pumped way up.  No way one would want to run it like that at home.

[Etta1213]

20 hours ago, George C said:

I live in Dallas area so does Bonnie the fires are hundreds of miles away , we had rain today hopefully it rained in that area also. Thanks for asking . 

I'm up in the Panhandle. Amarillo was pretty smokey on Tuesday. Snow on Thurs wasnt enough to extinguish the fires . Some nearby areas were evacuated. I heard that some ranchers opened fencing to let cattle escape. Very sad. 

[dpostman]

11 hours ago, HBE4 said:

Anybody have an opinion in TCL TV's? I think I'm about to pull the trigger on this - a TCL QM8 65 inch 4K with mini-led QLED Smart (is there any other kind? ) TV

 

https://www.tcl.com/us/en/products/home-theater/qm8-class/65-class-4k-mini-led-qled-hdr-google-tv-65qm850g

 

3 of 4 Samsung TV's I've had all died a premature death within 3 years of purchase. The 4th one is going on 10 years now & is showing its age, large patches of pixels not longer seem to work correctly or not work at all giving the image a "blotchy" look. 

 

Since I've had bad luck with Samsung and Sony is just too expensive, I'm not considering either brand. My main TV is an LG which I love & I was pretty certain I was going to buy another LG until I read the  reviews of the TCL QM8 from professionals & users. Everybody seems blown away by the quality of the picture. 

 

In terms of technology, the mini-LED QLED is the newest tech, known for it's brightness. Picture quality wise, it's a small step down from OLED TV's which is considered the best but those work better in darker rooms (so I'm told) & since this TV is going into a very bright, sun-filled room, mini-LED QLED seems the way to go.

 

TCL lists the price $1,699 which must be Royal math as Best Buy has it for $1,399 on sale for $999.  Still a bit more than I wanted - I was looking in the $700-$800 range -  but since it's being compared to the picture quality of Sony & Samsung's that are twice the price, it seems like too good of a deal to pass on.

 

I welcome any and all thoughts, opinions, critiques and off-topic comments. 🙂

 

EDIT: And when I say I'm about to pull the trigger, I mean by Sunday. That's when the sale ends.

 

 

I think OB and Bob already gave pretty good info.

 

I'll just add that the TCL model you are considering is probably very good bang for buck.  The most common disadvantage I see about this model is the limited viewing angle.  If the room that it's going in is setup in such a way that you will be seated directly in front, this will not be an issue, but if setup in a room that is wider, and sitting areas are set off more to either side and much of the viewing is off axis, then I would recommend going to see in person and pay close attention to the picture quality when moving off to the side.

 

If you happen to find this LG model (LG OLED65B3PUA) at around the same price, likely a few hundred more, this has a much better picture and off axis viewing quality. I know you have a challenge because of the brightly lit environment, but this will only make a poor viewing angle TV even worse.

 

Best of luck shopping.

dp

[Sea Dog]

2 hours ago, Sunshine3601 said:

No, never heard of Venture.   Was it a Dept. Store?

We had them all over the Midwest. Kind of like K-Mart.

 

 

 

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Venture_Stores

[cruisingpeople]

13 hours ago, HBE4 said:

 

I didn't know there were any Sears left, much less 13 of them.

 

12 hours ago, Ocean Boy said:

I also thought all the Sears were gone.

 

12 hours ago, Sunshine3601 said:

They are all gone in my area too!

 

The last Sears store in CT just closed on January 24th.

 

For those that can remember, did you ever walk around a Sears after 2004 and wonder what happened to "Roebuck"?🤔

Edited March 1 by cruisingpeople

[cruisingpeople]

46 minutes ago, DaniDanielle said:

@dani negreanu Thank you for your support.  I can’t believe I feel so much love from people I have met here❤️. Our Michigan friend passed last night, at least he was spared all the suffering😢

 

Sorry to hear of your friends passing. As you stated, at least he is not suffering.

[akcruz]

52 minutes ago, DaniDanielle said:

@dani negreanu Thank you for your support.  I can’t believe I feel so much love from people I have met here❤️. Our Michigan friend passed last night, at least he was spared all the suffering😢

 

Sad news but not unexpected.  Prayers for his family and friends 💔

[Keksie]

23 minutes ago, Etta1213 said:

I'm up in the Panhandle. Amarillo was pretty smokey on Tuesday. Snow on Thurs wasnt enough to extinguish the fires . Some nearby areas were evacuated. I heard that some ranchers opened fencing to let cattle escape. Very sad. 

Stay safe.  Hope they get a handle.on it soon.

[mo&fran]

When I got my current TV, a 72 inch Sony, the deal was the would deliver the TV and take the old one away. As I was paying, the guy asked if my old tv was larger than 45  in, I said yes, it is 55. Out of curiosity, I asked what difference does that make. He replied that he had to send a big guy. I said, "if he can carry a 72 in, taking the 55 out shouldn't be a problem". Apparently, the TV's have become lighter, so my 55in Samsung weighed more than my new TV.

BTW , Sony and Samsung , for that size were the same price.

[Ocean Boy]

14 minutes ago, cruisingpeople said:

 

 

 

The last Sears store in CT just closed on January 24th.

 

For those that can remember, did you ever walk around a Sears after 2004 and wonder what happened to "Roebuck"?🤔

Never gave the guy a thought.☺️

[George C]

16 minutes ago, mo&fran said:

When I got my current TV, a 72 inch Sony, the deal was the would deliver the TV and take the old one away. As I was paying, the guy asked if my old tv was larger than 45  in, I said yes, it is 55. Out of curiosity, I asked what difference does that make. He replied that he had to send a big guy. I said, "if he can carry a 72 in, taking the 55 out shouldn't be a problem". Apparently, the TV's have become lighter, so my 55in Samsung weighed more than my new TV.

BTW , Sony and Samsung , for that size were the same price.

We replaced our 70”sharp with a 75 inch Sony last year, bought it from Best Buy we had them take away old tv also. Sams seem to have a huge collection of TVs I prefer them over Costco . 

[firefly333]

3 hours ago, Ocean Boy said:

I have an LG for our main TV. I can't remember how old it is now and I have never regretted the purchase. My advise is, after reading reviews and getting an idea of what you want to buy, go to Best Buy and spend some time watching the TVs. Just like with audio, what sounds and looks good to one person does not necessarily sound and look good to someone else. 

 

The other thing I like about Best Buy is that with their closed circuit tech, you can compare exactly the same picture on the various TVs. Once you have made your decision you can check pricing on various sites. I really like B &H Photo in Manhattan. I have bought several pieces of electronics from them  including my LG TV as their pricing was better than Best Buy.

I went to best buy recently and very few tvs on display I could view. I wound up buying a samsung I couldn't view they had in storage. Best buy is about the last place here they has any on display.

 

I wanted to measure it would fit on some shelves and had to  measure another and hope was the same. I wanted a better one than on display. It's hard here to go see tv display models any more I found out.

[dani negreanu]

 

1 hour ago, cruisingpeople said:

Sorry to hear of your friends passing. As you stated, at least he is not suffering.

 

+ 1  😢  Marietta @DaniDanielle

 

56 minutes ago, Keksie said:

Stay safe.  Hope they get a handle on it soon.

 

+ 1  @Etta1213

[Sea Dog]

1 hour ago, h20skibum said:

We have a Sony TV, and haven’t had any problems with it.   I just checked the date on the TV, and it is 16 years old now.

 

 I keep waiting for something to go wrong, so I can justify getting a new, bigger one.

 

My son bought his Sony the same year we did, and no problems with his either.  Of course, we both paid much more than what current prices are. 

I’ve always been a Sony guy. Especially after using their broadcast cameras. They last forever. 

 

2 hours ago, DaniDanielle said:

@dani negreanu Thank you for your support.  I can’t believe I feel so much love from people I have met here❤️. Our Michigan friend passed last night, at least he was spared all the suffering😢

 

I’m sorry to hear this. May he rest in peace.

 

[bobmacliberty]

The annual Amelia Island Concours d'Elegance (the car show) has started.  The main event is on Sunday but there are a lot of other events happening around the island.  It's neat seeing all of the interesting cars driving around, but the number of attendees makes things a little crazy.  The main entrance is right at the front of our neighborhood and it's a mob scene with people walking, cars trying to park, shuttle buses, police controlling things...essentially it's nearly impossible to get in and out of our neighborhood during the weekend.  We are loaded up with supplies and will just stay in the neighborhood all weekend.  

 

We recently talked about Flightaware and similar apps to track planes.  If you're into that kind of stuff, pay attention to the Fernandina Beach Airport (FHB), particularly on Sunday afternoon.  You'll see private jets leaving every 10 minutes or so, headed to places around the world.  There are people here with SERIOUS money...flying in on their PJ for a few hours/days to see if there are any cars that they want to buy at auction.