Sharp's Aquos LCD TV with built-in Blu-ray recorder - a good idea?
All-in-one devices seem like a great concept, but Adam Turner warns that convenience comes at a price.
Rolling your favourite gadgets into one device can make life a hell of a lot easier. Why carry around a phone, MP3 player, camera, photo viewer, alarm clock, stop watch, calculator and pedometer when you can get them all crammed into one pocket-sized device? Why own a separate CD player, tape deck, tuner and amplifier when you can stick them all in the one box and drive them with the one remote. Why own a car and a tank when you can just buy a four wheel drive?
The answer can be summed up in one word; quality. The best standalone cameras will always outclass the best camera phones, while the best hi-fi components will always shame shelf systems. A Panzer will always make short work of an SUV, which I'd pay good money to see if it wasn't already on YouTube for free.
Quality probably isn't too much of a concern when it comes to cross-breeding Sharp's Aquos with a Blu-ray recorder. The concern here is that their fates are forever intertwined. This can be a significant problem when it comes to fast changing technologies such as high-end home entertainment.
Even if Sharp's Blu-ray players and Aquos televisions are cutting edge today, the chances are you'll be ready to upgrade one before the other.
For example, most Blu-ray players aren't yet compatible with the BD-Live standard for online interactive content. Tying your Blu-ray player to your television means if you upgrade you're stuck with a useless Blu-ray player which you can't move to another room, give away or sell to someone else. Suddenly all-in-one doesn't seem so convenient.
The more devices you combine, the more points of failure you introduce in your new Frankengadget. If your Blu-ray player breaks down, you don't want to be left television-less while it's off being repaired. I know I prefer to keep my vehicles separate so if the car breaks down I can always drop the kids off at school in the Panzer.
While all-in-one devices might make your life easier in the short term, a best of breed solution gives you the flexibility to cope with change.
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