Combos
Many people find it attractive to reduce the number of separate units they use for home entertainment, and consumer electronics stores are responding by offering more combos. A good example of this is the TV-DVD-VCR combo, which houses a television set, a DVD player, and a VCR all in a single box. You can control all the combo?s functions with only one remote, and the only external cables you?ll have to deal with are those required for TV reception.
In addition to TV-DVD-VCR combos that combine three functions in one box, there are units that combine two functions: TV-DVD combos, TV-VCR combos, and DVD-VCR combos. A TV-DVD combo makes good sense for people who don?t care about recording or watching anything on videotape, and anyway, a separate VCR unit could be connected to the combo if desired. A TV-VCR combo might be a reasonable choice for someone who tapes television programs, but I would think most people would want to hook a separate DVD player up to the combo. A DVD-VCR combo might be best for a consumer who is happy with his TV, but wants to combine DVD and videotape capability in a single unit.
Although combos usually take up less space than a collection of separate components and reduce clutter as well, there is a major disadvantage to them: when you purchase a combo, you?ve put all your eggs in one basket. If you buy a TV-DVD combo and later get a TV with a bigger screen, you?ll probably need to buy a new DVD player, too.
Also, if you buy a TV-VCR combo and have a problem ejecting a videotape, you?ll probably lose the use of the TV while you?re getting the VCR unit worked on. Because of the upgrade and repair issues, many people think combos are best suited for some kind of secondary usage, say in a bedroom or garage in a household with multiple TV sets. Still, a combo might very well be a sensible choice for someone who basically lives in one room, such as in a college dorm or a small apartment.
You might think you could save money by buying a combo instead of buying the individual components separately, but in all the cases I?ve looked at, the combos cost a few dollars more for comparable equipment. The difference in cost is usually small, however, and in many cases it doesn?t tell the whole story. After all, you?ll undoubtedly be putting whatever electronic equipment you buy on some kind of furniture or shelves, and the cost of that must be factored in as well.
In addition to TV-DVD-VCR combos that combine three functions in one box, there are units that combine two functions: TV-DVD combos, TV-VCR combos, and DVD-VCR combos. A TV-DVD combo makes good sense for people who don?t care about recording or watching anything on videotape, and anyway, a separate VCR unit could be connected to the combo if desired. A TV-VCR combo might be a reasonable choice for someone who tapes television programs, but I would think most people would want to hook a separate DVD player up to the combo. A DVD-VCR combo might be best for a consumer who is happy with his TV, but wants to combine DVD and videotape capability in a single unit.
Although combos usually take up less space than a collection of separate components and reduce clutter as well, there is a major disadvantage to them: when you purchase a combo, you?ve put all your eggs in one basket. If you buy a TV-DVD combo and later get a TV with a bigger screen, you?ll probably need to buy a new DVD player, too.
Also, if you buy a TV-VCR combo and have a problem ejecting a videotape, you?ll probably lose the use of the TV while you?re getting the VCR unit worked on. Because of the upgrade and repair issues, many people think combos are best suited for some kind of secondary usage, say in a bedroom or garage in a household with multiple TV sets. Still, a combo might very well be a sensible choice for someone who basically lives in one room, such as in a college dorm or a small apartment.
You might think you could save money by buying a combo instead of buying the individual components separately, but in all the cases I?ve looked at, the combos cost a few dollars more for comparable equipment. The difference in cost is usually small, however, and in many cases it doesn?t tell the whole story. After all, you?ll undoubtedly be putting whatever electronic equipment you buy on some kind of furniture or shelves, and the cost of that must be factored in as well.
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