Soap Opera Effect (SOE)


All right then.....I recently got a new large TV for the living room.  Replaced an aging but dependable Toshiba 46 inch wide screen (about 8 or 9 years old) with a new Vizio HD 47 inch.  The new one has built-in Internet WiFi, which is way cool, and it is quite a bit lighter than the old Toshiba.  Some programs do look a bit creepy, and I understand this is the Soap Opera Effect (SOE) of certain older films being interpreted by current high definition technology--Doesn’t bother me much, but my Bride gets really creeped out by some of it.


When I bought the old Toshiba eight or nine years ago, it ran about 16 or 17 hundred at Best Buy in Bakersfield, California.  The new Vizio cost $519.00 American from computergeeks.com, including shipping.  A bargain if ever there was one. 


The Vizio Internet Applications (VIA, in Vizio-Speak) forgot to include a Major League Baseball Ap, so I added a ROKU box to watch baseball.  The old DVD/VHS combo hooked right up--VHS looks really dated now, but the DVDs look even better than they used to.


The old Toshiba is now in the basement, and hooked up quite nicely--replacing the 19 inch model that used to be there--the basement is a fine place for the recently almost retired electronics.  They still get a good workout there.  The Toshiba TV will be mostly for video games now (Mario in 46 inch wide screen should be a hoot), but it was a Mother to get downstairs.  I had to rely on my friend and neighbor Lonnie to give me a hand with it.


I’m happy with the purchase so far.  If this Vizio lasts anywhere as long as the Toshiba it replaced, I’ll be REALLY happy.

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