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Posted by Cardman on 09/28/33 11:38
On Sun, 29 Jan 2006 08:43:18 +0000, John <brit@nnia.com> wrote:
>Hi. I just wondered if anyone can help me? I am trying to write a
>small email for my father to explain DVD to him in very simple terms.
>
>He has recently bought a combination VHS/DVD Player from a well known
>large place selling goods like this in the UK. It was not what he
>wanted though and I believe that either the salesperson pulled a fast
>one on him and sold him the wrong thing, or he just got confused and
>asked for a DVD-R with the salesperson thinking he wanted a player
>compatible with recordable formats? Either way he actually wanted a
>DVD that can record.
Under UK trading law then so does your father have a "few days" in
which to reject the item (for any reason) and to return it to the
store for a full refund.
In other words, since this device was not what he wanted, then the
earlier he returns it the better.
Having the store exchange it for the correct item would assist in
their cooperation, but since he has already walked away with the wrong
item once, then it would be better if you assisted in obtaining a
suitable model on his behalf.
>So far I have put together the following in as simple language as I
>can. I have removed the hyperlinks to the site that was underneath the
>info, I didn't want anyone to think I was spamming for that electrical
>store.
>
>Thanks for any suggestion to what I have already put:
>
>
>
>FYI: The xxxxxx xxxxxx site has some good info on DVD Recorders and
>Players and the different types.
>
>For a DVD Recorder you are going to be looking at a price of about
>£100.
A cheap DVD recorder then. It is best to avoid high street stores if
he wishes to obtain a good price.
>For a DVD Recorder with built in Hard Drive (useful if you are on
>holiday for a long time) you would be looking at a price of about £220
>minimum.
>
>There's not really much point in getting a combination VHS/DVD unit as
>VHS became pretty much redundant 3 years ago in 2003, and the more
>parts you have inside a machine the more things are likely to go wrong
>with it. It is usually always best to get a stand-alone product. If
>you did want to get a combination VHS/DVD Recorder the cheapest price
>it would cost you would be about £150.
>
>DVD though is a widescreen format and to get the best use out of a DVD
>Player or Recorder you really need to have the best quality Widescreen
>Television you can afford.
In my case I spent a long time trying to figure out if I should go for
a 16:9 or a 4:3 rear projection TV. I decided in the end to get a 61"
4:3 model when even now most TV programming is in 4:3 mode.
My TV however supports a widescreen mode in that I can display a
widescreen picture to a size of 56".
The other reason I decided on a 4:3 model is that most movies are not
actually recorded in the 16:9 model. As in the Hollywood's way of
always trying to avoid the home use format then so are most of my DVDs
actually in the 2.35:1 mode. In other words even with a widescreen TV
you would still have black bars top and bottom.
The main thing that you overlook in your father's case is that any
reasonable DVD model will always support widescreen, letterbox and pan
& scan display modes. So no matter what the shape of the TV then the
DVD player will support a mode that he would be happy with.
So it is best to avoid all TV replacement advice.
>Can you think of anything else to add to this? And is this good
>simple advice for someone who knows nothing about DVD? I put the last
>bit because he doesn't have a widescreen telly, he just has a cheap
>25" 4:3 one.
A 25" CRT model is bound to be fairly expensive. And as I said he can
play DVDs on his 4:3 model just fine.
Anyway, if he does not want that DVD + VCR model, and I would
recommend getting rid of it, then tell him to return it to the store
in it's original packaging *urgently*.
As if he keeps it beyond the allowed "few days" then the store then
has a right to reject his return. They may charge him a restocking fee
if he returns it in a condition below what he got it as, like in the
case of removing it from the box, but as they sold him the wrong item
in the first place then so should he press them to cover their own
mistake.
All he needs to do to find a replacement is to make sure that it is a
"DVD recorder". However, since the ideal model can be somewhat
technical to describe, then that is why I said that you should
directly assist him in this purchase.
Or just buy him a magazine with DVD recorder comparison review and to
tell him to buy the winner.
Cardman
http://www.cardman.org
http://www.cardman.com
http://www.cardman.co.uk
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