pssst....! you know what makes a man happy? the kind that would make him smile from ear to ear, generally good-natured, would always make you win an argument, don't want to leave home and would thank you for dinner even if you personally think you messed up your recipe? i know the secret!.....a big TV!
after months of delaying and postponing his dream TV upgrade, Fil decided it's time to make it a reality. Choosing what TV to buy was one of the most difficult decisions Fil and i made as a couple so far hihihi. Deciding on the brand and the size wasn't as easy as we thought, plus of course we want to get value for money. SONY was out of the list because it's too expensive and we don't subscribe to the belief that it has better quality than the others when the truth is you are really paying for the brand name. And we're definitely not getting a SONY after Fil's old 32" Sony TV decided to just stop breathing after only 4 years for no reason. I swear, i even heard its last breath. And unlike in the Philippines where you are sure to find a "manong" who can fix your TV, here in the US you have to bring it somewhere to have a licensed technician fix it and it is expensive! So if you're paying more because of the repair warranty or customer service, forget it. It is much, much better and cheaper here to buy a new one...and hassle-free. But of course, i'd be a hypocrite if i don't say that if we have lots of money to spare and the economy is good and i have a job or we don't have a baby, we'd definitely go for a SONY.
The past few days we've been going to Costo and Fry's and we almost brought home that 52" Samsung LCD TV last Saturday. I love Samsung...the 2 TVs i have in the Philippines (the oldest one i got in 2000) are Samsungs and they are in perfect shape until now. Fil wanted the Samsung 650 series model because it has more HDMI inputs and a higher contrast ratio spec (whatever that means hehe) than the 630 but it costs more, i hate the giant red stripes on the frame and its bottom frame is not straight but rather concaved. After deliberating and comparing the 2 models, we decided on the 630...then Fil changed his mind after the Fry's guy told him they have it on stock. For the same price, he said he'd rather get the 55" Vizio.
My only major concern in this purchase is the space. We only have about 10 feet of distance from the TV screen to the couch and i read somewhere that to get the best quality picture, a 42" or 47" would do. But one thing i also learned in this marriage is that sometimes it is better to have the other person make the decision and let him take the blame for it if it fails. So last Sunday, in our simple way to help stimulate the failing US economy, all three of us (with Racrac of course) trooped to Costco despite the rain and purchased the Vizio 55" LCD XVT series TV.
This is our second VIZIO TV. The first one was a 32" LCD TV which we got as a wedding gift in 2007 and we are happy with it. 
This Vizio full high definition, 55” LCD TV combines the latest technology: 120Hz refresh rate, 1080p resolution, 50,000:1 contrast ratio, 5 HDMI inputs, an innovative design and a cutting edge sound quality. The box was sooo big but it miraculously fit in the minivan even if Racrac occupied one of the rear seats. We had it set up right away...so heavy! uhhhmmmp! We love it. Sony or other brands could have easily cost us at least $500 more but i swear you wouldn't see the difference. We tried a blu-ray disc and it was a visual experience like never before. I wonder how nice it would be when i play my favorite PS3 game motorstorm? hmmm...can't wait! :P
And the 55" screen size is just right for our living room. Thank God i didn't insist on getting a smaller one (see? i told you...let him decide!) And the best part? Fil is happy...as in happy like i defined in the first paragraph of this post :)
Remember our bath remodeling last year which started from a simple repairable water leak? We're doing it again! We're redesigning our living room which looks more of a nursery now with all of Racrac's toys scattered all over the floor. The old TV is going to Racrac's room and so are his toys. We decided it's about time he gets his own room and time for us, too, to take our living room back and refurbish it. Ye'y!!! All these because of a new TV...and that makes all three of us happy :D
It was a beautiful warm sunny day in the Bay Area. Frendale, Fil's brother, also showed up. Racrac played with his "2nd cousins" and wasn't scared at all of the magician/balloon twister/clown who wore a colorful glittery outfit and wowed everyone with his balloon twisting skills. It was also Racrac's first time to be inside an inflatable bouncer and though he doesn't know how to "bounce" yet, he easily walked from end to end. pretty soon he'll be jumping all over it and i'll be the exhausted mom with wobbly knees following him around. :)
