New Year Is Time For New Gear
The importance of updating your tech
Worcester | 2022
The old adage says that ‘if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.’ While this phrase was popularized in the 1970s, and pertains to a great many things, technology isn’t one of them! How many people today can say they still have their television from that decade, or even from ten years ago? Surely there must be old televisions that technically work, but my guess is that very few people still have them! That’s because updating tech is a constant!
While the same holds true for audio equipment, video cameras, and lighting gear, let’s keep the focus on televisions as an example.
Reasons for updating:
- Ever-evolving technology: The only constant in the world of technology is that it’s constantly changing! You may only own a piece of gear for a brief time and, in some cases, before you’re done paying for the item, it’s already outdated because new features have evolved in the next model! For instance, the television – the cable inputs/outputs have changed, the ability to stream changed, the size, shape, and composition changed. These alterations may be driven by updates to accessory technology, such as when TVs used antennas, then cable hook-ups, then streaming capabilities. A television from a decade ago does not have the streaming functionality to keep pace with the modern way of life.
- Environmental causes: Televisions of yesteryear contained cathode ray tubes (CRTs). These CRT devices today are considered hazardous waste due to the lead inside. For that reason, there are government regulations on disposal of these items and you often have to pay fees to dispose of those elder TVs, making it increasingly difficult to find people or places that will take them. In addition, the power drawn from the previous televisions far outweigh the current models. The CRT televisions used about 400 watts of electricity, while plasma and LCD technologies use 165 watts and the LEDs use only 155 watts of power. Overall, newer model LED video screens provide a more environmental and budget-friendly way of watching a broadcast.
- Creative options: Newer technology, by nature, evolves into different ways of utilizing the device. For example, earlier televisions were for the sole purpose of watching a network broadcast over an antenna. Then, televisions acquired inputs for VCRs, DVDs, and later, Internet streaming which far lengthened the opportunities for viewing. Today, the television has evolved into a screen that can display your vacation photos from your phone, act as an enlarged computer screen, and even be interactive with touch-screen capabilities!
There you have it – three reasons why technology should always be periodically updated and not kept until it simply stops working (as the adage iterates)! For those working in show-based environments especially, updating gear is essential to keeping your services fresh and attention-getting! Imagine for a minute, trying to use that CRT screen from the 70s at the next corporate meeting to show a video! The thought alone makes it well worth the cost of ‘dialing in’ to updated technology!
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