You are not really a "suburbanite" until you master the HD TV, DVD, VHS, Cable connection ... and can actually record something in decent quality

You're not really a suburbanite until you have tackled three challenges: Setting up the Malibu lights around your well manicured lawn; failed a test naming the "last name" of at least one of your neighbors within a one block radius of your own home; and, most importantly, connected your Cable TV DVR box, your HD TV and your combo VHS/DVD player and recorder.

Who knows any of their neighbors in the suburbs? No one, unless their name has popped up on the Cook County State's Attorney's regularly updated online list of pedophiles who live in your zip code.

And setting up the Malibu lights, at least the first time, is pretty simple. Although replacing the Halogen bulbs is where the real hassle begins. But, once you have the Malibu lights up, who cares if they don't always last with the full suburban glow?

Anyone can move into the suburbs, but you are not a real "suburbanite" unless you can also meet the third and final, challenge. Hooking up the VCR/DVD player and recorder so it actually records and plays through your Comcast Cable TV system into your big screen HD TV.

That is no easy task.

I'm not talking about eliminating the blinking light on the VHS/DVD player where the time is supposed to go. No one sets the time. I don't know why any manufacturer wastes their time installing a clock in a VCR/DVD player or recorder. Mine has been blinking ever since the VHS player and recorder hit the scene in the early 1980s. I think my first video cassette that I rented and then copied was Purple Rain with the funny looking little guy who worked so hard at making me forget his name, it worked. I forgot his name. The guy with no name. Who knows and who cares. His last big song was 1999 and 1999 is long gone. How about we're gonna party until it's two thousand ninety nine? 1999. 2099. Same cadence.

It was easy to connect the VHS to the TV in the old days. You only needed one chord with three plugs at each end. A Red one, white one and yellow one. Yellow was always the video but, as long as each matched the in and out, colors didn't even matter.

Not today. There is a HDMI chord. There is the special HD three color video tetra monster cable. And there are the same old two headed audio cables.

But cable throws a monkey wrench into the system. I want to record all those great cable shows I save on my DVR that eventually disappear as my DVR demands more room. With a wife who watches Desperate Housewives, Brothers and Sisters, and a kid who loves America's Funniest Videos, American Idol, America's Got Talent, Sponge Bob Square Pants, Survivor Man, reruns of that Australian dude who was killed by a stingray, and Dirty Jobs -- not to mention Cash Cab. And me with Entourage, Porno, the cheesy made for SciFi TV movies, Porno, 60 Minutes, Dateline, FOX Chicago News, Porno, HBO and Show Time Movies, Porno -- actually, I'm just kidding about the porno. I'm married and I have a kid. All I have to do is watch regular late night TV to get what I need. Who needs Porno any more? Anyway, that DVR fills up pretty darn fast!

So, before the oldest recordings are automatically deleted, I want to make copies. VHS is the easier to copy too. Plus, there are some movies I love to watch over and over and over again. Independence Day. I'll think of more.

So it's not easy connecting the wires. I have so many wires coming out of the back of my TV cabinet it is unbelievable. And the wires cost more than the VHS/DVD player. And I refuse -- absolutely refuse -- to purchase a Blue Ray player. That's another manufacturer's scam to force me to dump something I already like and replace it with something that is supposed to be far better. I'm not a computer. I'm an average guy who likes my TV and movies.

The difference between Hi Definition TV and Blue Ray is imperceptible. Did I spell that right? It's a word I don't need to really know. Because if something is barely different, I don't want to waste more money on it. Not to even mention that they have overpriced the Blue Ray players and started to drop the VHS/DVD players.

And, it's getting harder and harder to purchase VHS tapes.

I got it all together, finally, today. Until my kid came home and pointed out one slight but very important issue.

I forgot to hook up the Wii system.

Gosh darn it!

-- Ray Hanania

www.RadioChicagoland.com

Beware of Window's Vista and also Best Buy stores

I have to say I am shocked at how Best Buy takes advantage of consumers. Last month I purchased a new computer from them -- a Windows Vista 64 Bit "entertainment" system from HP, to help my radio and TV broadcasts expand on the Internet.

(The solution to the problem is listed at the bottom of this Blog Entry, if you are searching for answers to the same problem.)

I ALSO purchased the two year warranty plan -- must have been about $200 more.

Last week, the DVD/Blue Ray player on the laptop disappeared completely from my system. Just vanished.

I took the computer back to Best Buy and asked if they could help restore my DVD player ont he alptop I JUST PURCHASED FROM THEM. They said sure, for $139 and five days. But if I wanted a rush, it would be about $150 more and they could have it back maybe in one day.

So much for Best Buy's Warranty!

It took three days of research to discover it required some real technical work on the Windows Registry. I checked the Vista Manual -- it doesn't exist either. The new computers don't come with printed manuals. It's all online. And they are worthless. I tried their suggestions of reverting my system to an earlier date to correct the problem. (Didn't work).

I then downloaded several Free Trial Registry programs, Like Registry FixIt. WORTHLESS. It doesn't work with 64 bit systems, but they don't tell you that until you donwload it. I then downloadedClean My PC Registry software which said I could try it for FREE for 15 days and then decide to purchase it.

I downloaded it and then ran it. It said I had 170 registry problems. And when I went to "fix" it using my 15 day FREE trial, of course, they took me to a web site and forced me to either purchase it or suffer. So, the bottom line is they lied. There is no 15 FREE Trial at all.

I ended up purchasing it for $29.95 believing that maybe that would solve my problem. It did not. It fixed the registry errors, it said existed. But did not fix the problem with the AWOL DVD/Blue Ray system on my HP Windows Vista 64 Bit piece of garbage laptop.

I tried for three days to research the issue online and there were a lot of complaints but no real answers, but I discovered one clue. The issue of the AWOL DVD/Blue Ray player has to do with High and Low Filters on your registry -- which registry fix programs don't address.

Of course not.

I went back to Best Buy and explained what I thought the problem was. They said I was wright. But wanted $139 and five days or an additional $150 to get it done right away.

Yikes!

So I went back home and low and behold this morning, I stumbled on this site ont he Internet. It is from Sequim Personal Computer Repair Service. They walked me through the problem step by step. And low and behold, it solved the problem. It took all of 5 minutes, following their directions carefully.

-- Ray Hanania
www.RadioChicagoland.com