Destroy Tesco Direct!

I seem to be using my angry robot icon a lot these days.

I ordered an HD DVD player from Tesco.  They've gone under the £200 barrier so I was tempted.  And Tesco offered next day delivery.  So I ordered and waited.  And waited.  And eventually left deciding I can get it redelivered another day.  Which was a good thing because they never did get round to delivering it. 

They claim to have delivered the HDMI cable I ordered.  It's invisible.  After I phoned up I learned they left it with my neighbour at 89B (There is no 89B).  Would have been nice if they left a card. 

So, the new purchase has now been cancelled.  I think I'll leave it up to them to collect their imaginary cable and I'll demand a refund for it anyway. 

Format wars

As I mentioned in a previous post, I've decided I'll buy an HD-DVD player.  People may be wondering whether I've decided there's a clear winner in the format war.  And I haven't.

So how do I know I'm not going to end up with a Betamax? 

I don't.  And I don't care.  You see, there's one very big difference between this format war and the last one.  Price.  In 1982, you could buy a Sanyo VTC5000 Betamax VCR for £299.95.  Or about £800 adjusted for inflation.  In 2008, from Amazon, you can buy a Toshiba HD30 HD-DVD player for £188.98, Or about £188.98 adjusted for inflation.  A Blu-ray player isn't that much more at £250 or so.  Buying both is a little pricey for now, but I can easily afford one or the other without breaking the bank.  It's extremely unlikely that these are going to break any time soon.

And if HD DVD fails?  The movies I buy on that format will continue to work on my existing player. 

So I'll make a decision.  I can always change my mind.