TV's - How the hell do old people cope?!
Discussion
Just had to sort my Mum's couple of year old Samsung LCD TV out.
Apparently it came up with a "New software available, update Now/Later" so she pressed "Now" and it promptly bricked itself, as in lost all the channels, everything.
Now I work in IT, which isn't to say I know much about TV's but I'd class myself as pretty savvy but within 5 minutes I found myself hitting Google looking for clues on how to retune the thing.
How on earth do the elderly (a stereotype I know as it could just as easily be younger people) cope with these things? I'm sure there's a small fortune to be made if someone came up with a TV that basically "just worked" and had a bloody massive remote control.
Apparently it came up with a "New software available, update Now/Later" so she pressed "Now" and it promptly bricked itself, as in lost all the channels, everything.
Now I work in IT, which isn't to say I know much about TV's but I'd class myself as pretty savvy but within 5 minutes I found myself hitting Google looking for clues on how to retune the thing.
How on earth do the elderly (a stereotype I know as it could just as easily be younger people) cope with these things? I'm sure there's a small fortune to be made if someone came up with a TV that basically "just worked" and had a bloody massive remote control.
A lot of new TVs, especially the cheapie small LCDs have the most awful firmware/remote combos imaginable.
In the living room we have an old expensive Sony Freeview box with a really good quick rock stable user interface.
We have a couple of newer LCD TVs for the kitchen/bedroom, and the interfaces are pants. ridiculously slow to use, awful TV guides where you can only see one channel at a time, and remotes that look like the buttons were positioned by a 5 year old.
In the living room we have an old expensive Sony Freeview box with a really good quick rock stable user interface.
We have a couple of newer LCD TVs for the kitchen/bedroom, and the interfaces are pants. ridiculously slow to use, awful TV guides where you can only see one channel at a time, and remotes that look like the buttons were positioned by a 5 year old.
they dont cope. my girlfriends auntie whos about 70 or so, lives on her own, got a new lcd tv. tried to set it up herself but couldnt work it out, even with the manual.
she gave up and called a tv person in the local rag to get help. he wanted £75 quid to do it, so she kept her old tv and left the new one on the box for a few months.
we went to visit and i did it for her in 10 mins, didnt expect a penny but she gave me 20 quid for doing it.
she gave up and called a tv person in the local rag to get help. he wanted £75 quid to do it, so she kept her old tv and left the new one on the box for a few months.
we went to visit and i did it for her in 10 mins, didnt expect a penny but she gave me 20 quid for doing it.
I can barely cope with the system I have - it's some silly do everything from a central console thingymajigbob that I have had for over a year,
Though my lovely grandpa in law, who is now 97, still puts on the TV so it can "warm up" before he watches a programme and refuses to use a recording device of any kind as he sincerely believes it will harm the TV, we'll no doubt be the same in time...
Though my lovely grandpa in law, who is now 97, still puts on the TV so it can "warm up" before he watches a programme and refuses to use a recording device of any kind as he sincerely believes it will harm the TV, we'll no doubt be the same in time...
Edited by harry010 on Wednesday 15th September 22:44
My MIL couldn't cope and just left the telly off when the change to digital happened.
We showed her how to use it and left some instructions selotaped to the wall but in the end the telly went. There was just no point in her paying for it anymore.
Now the MIL is a cretin, do not be fooled by her excuse of being old, that is just this decades excuse, she's had a different excuse every decade since she was at school.... but...she is right about not liking these wretched things.
In our house we have a remote for the telly, the set top box and the video. Thats three of them. Each one needs batteries and each one has been lost in the garden, down the back of the sofa or replaced after being left on the floor and carried off by the dog. I'm sure that in a bachelor pad it is oh so clever to have thse gadgets lined up in a neat row but in any normal house with visitors, pets, kids, cracks in sofas, grannies popping round, etc. they are an object lesson in user interface disaster.
We showed her how to use it and left some instructions selotaped to the wall but in the end the telly went. There was just no point in her paying for it anymore.
Now the MIL is a cretin, do not be fooled by her excuse of being old, that is just this decades excuse, she's had a different excuse every decade since she was at school.... but...she is right about not liking these wretched things.
In our house we have a remote for the telly, the set top box and the video. Thats three of them. Each one needs batteries and each one has been lost in the garden, down the back of the sofa or replaced after being left on the floor and carried off by the dog. I'm sure that in a bachelor pad it is oh so clever to have thse gadgets lined up in a neat row but in any normal house with visitors, pets, kids, cracks in sofas, grannies popping round, etc. they are an object lesson in user interface disaster.
Nothing new though. Back in the 50's an elderly lady who lived alone did a small cleaning job for my parents. At home she had her radio tuned to her favourite Beeb station - probably the then equivalent of R4 - and was absolutely petrified that if she ever re-tuned she would never find it again.
paddyhasneeds said:
Just had to sort my Mum's couple of year old Samsung LCD TV out.
Apparently it came up with a "New software available, update Now/Later" so she pressed "Now" and it promptly bricked itself, as in lost all the channels, everything.
Now I work in IT, which isn't to say I know much about TV's but I'd class myself as pretty savvy but within 5 minutes I found myself hitting Google looking for clues on how to retune the thing.
How on earth do the elderly (a stereotype I know as it could just as easily be younger people) cope with these things? I'm sure there's a small fortune to be made if someone came up with a TV that basically "just worked" and had a bloody massive remote control.
OK mine has just done this, any clues how to fix?Apparently it came up with a "New software available, update Now/Later" so she pressed "Now" and it promptly bricked itself, as in lost all the channels, everything.
Now I work in IT, which isn't to say I know much about TV's but I'd class myself as pretty savvy but within 5 minutes I found myself hitting Google looking for clues on how to retune the thing.
How on earth do the elderly (a stereotype I know as it could just as easily be younger people) cope with these things? I'm sure there's a small fortune to be made if someone came up with a TV that basically "just worked" and had a bloody massive remote control.
Deluded said:
they dont cope. my girlfriends auntie whos about 70 or so, lives on her own, got a new lcd tv. tried to set it up herself but couldnt work it out, even with the manual.
she gave up and called a tv person in the local rag to get help. he wanted £75 quid to do it, so she kept her old tv and left the new one on the box for a few months.
we went to visit and i did it for her in 10 mins, didnt expect a penny but she gave me 20 quid for doing it.
Same thing here but with my 65yo mother. New TV, they wanted to charge her £60 to tune it. I pressed a couple of buttons and it self tuned in mins.she gave up and called a tv person in the local rag to get help. he wanted £75 quid to do it, so she kept her old tv and left the new one on the box for a few months.
we went to visit and i did it for her in 10 mins, didnt expect a penny but she gave me 20 quid for doing it.
cymtriks said:
In our house we have a remote for the telly, the set top box and the video. Thats three of them. Each one needs batteries and each one has been lost in the garden, down the back of the sofa or replaced after being left on the floor and carried off by the dog. [pic]I'm sure that in a bachelor pad it is oh so clever to have thse gadgets lined up in a neat row[/pic] but in any normal house with visitors, pets, kids, cracks in sofas, grannies popping round, etc. they are an object lesson in user interface disaster.
tidied. I should be able to run my TV from the Sky+ HD remote and it does almost everything but not figured out how to control the volume from the Sky remote so have to use the TV remote. The only other one I have is for the DVD + surround sound but even though it did not come with instuctions I still figured out enough for my needs.
I moved back home a month ago and still cant get freeview working. I got scared and confused and i have given up. I dont miss TV. Only using iPhone for internet too usually and coping fine.
Probably wont be able to use gadgets by the time im 30 let alone 60, this being the drawback to the rate of advances these days.
Probably wont be able to use gadgets by the time im 30 let alone 60, this being the drawback to the rate of advances these days.
I just last week talked my grandad (80 something) how to use google maps. He is already quite competent in how to use the internet, freeview and can even write and send text messages.
I think that he was/is a radio ham it helps with his ability to use technology.
My Grandma on the other hand thinks that computers are evil and has no wish to even learn how to turn one on.
I think that he was/is a radio ham it helps with his ability to use technology.
My Grandma on the other hand thinks that computers are evil and has no wish to even learn how to turn one on.
Deluded said:
they dont cope. my girlfriends auntie whos about 70 or so, lives on her own, got a new lcd tv. tried to set it up herself but couldnt work it out, even with the manual.
she gave up and called a tv person in the local rag to get help. he wanted £75 quid to do it, so she kept her old tv and left the new one on the box for a few months.
we went to visit and i did it for her in 10 mins, didnt expect a penny but she gave me 20 quid for doing it.
And you accepted money from an OAP? Classy.she gave up and called a tv person in the local rag to get help. he wanted £75 quid to do it, so she kept her old tv and left the new one on the box for a few months.
we went to visit and i did it for her in 10 mins, didnt expect a penny but she gave me 20 quid for doing it.
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