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The physical TV is only a small percentage of the cost. How does the 42" tv for the family room, the two tvs for the bedrooms, the speaker system, the DVD player (all the DVDs!) and the monthly cable bill compare to that single TV in the '50s? I agree the TV itself is comparable, but NO family has only a TV today.
Let's see, a fairly typical TV in 1955 cost $199 or $1577 in present-day money. This would be about a 17" or 19" black and white model. With that $1577 I could buy...
40" Sony Bravia TV (1080p) $629.99
Speaker system (Sony Bravia 1000W 5.1 channel) = $249.99
19" Insignia TVs (720p) $139.99 * 2 = $280
DVD players $60 * 3 = $180.00
for a grand total of only $1339.98!
Now, if you really wanted cable / satellite TV, that's a monthly expense, and a typical cable TV plan runs $60 or $70 a month - roughly $8 in 1955 terms. However, most major urban areas now have 20 to 30 channels you can get with just a rabbit ears or outdoor antenna.
Let's see, a fairly typical TV in 1955 cost $199 or $1577 in present-day money. This would be about a 17" or 19" black and white model. With that $1577 I could buy...
40" Sony Bravia TV (1080p) $629.99
Speaker system (Sony Bravia 1000W 5.1 channel) = $249.99
19" Insignia TVs (720p) $139.99 * 2 = $280
DVD players $60 * 3 = $180.00
for a grand total of only $1339.98!
Now, if you really wanted cable / satellite TV, that's a monthly expense, and a typical cable TV plan runs $60 or $70 a month - roughly $8 in 1955 terms. However, most major urban areas now have 20 to 30 channels you can get with just a rabbit ears or outdoor antenna.
Amazing prices over there, here that stuff costs the same, only in Euros
This is why you gotta love think tanks. Nobody else could come up with a proposal that cuts your income, but increases your leisure time. Not a peep about how you're supposed to enjoy that additional leisure time without the money.
Although it does have the benefit of providing work for think tank employees.
If the only way you know how to enjoy yourself (or your time) is by making consumer purchases, then its obvious your own concept of self-fulfillment is radically warped.
This is retarded... if we move to a 21 hour work week... everyone will work 40 hours and get more money... the only thing you did was pay them more for doing the same amount of work... ridiculous
I thought electronics were more expensive in Europe.
Mostly because of the value added tax.
They are a lot more expensive. I just looked it up, the Sony Bravia 40" is 900+ Euros here, i.e. 1150 USD, that is way beyond the 20% VAT added
With software it is usually the same price in Euros and USD, which at the moment thanks to the weak Euro is not that bad. But when the Euro was around 1.50 USD, we felt ripped off, frankly.
Let's see, a fairly typical TV in 1955 cost $199 or $1577 in present-day money. This would be about a 17" or 19" black and white model. With that $1577 I could buy...
40" Sony Bravia TV (1080p) $629.99
Speaker system (Sony Bravia 1000W 5.1 channel) = $249.99
19" Insignia TVs (720p) $139.99 * 2 = $280
DVD players $60 * 3 = $180.00
for a grand total of only $1339.98!
Now, if you really wanted cable / satellite TV, that's a monthly expense, and a typical cable TV plan runs $60 or $70 a month - roughly $8 in 1955 terms. However, most major urban areas now have 20 to 30 channels you can get with just a rabbit ears or outdoor antenna.
nice try. You can't pick a great TV in 1955 and compare it to an average TV today. Let's compare apples to apples.
here is what a typical middle class family has today:
46" Samsung LCD HDTV (1080p) $1,169.99
Speaker system (Sony Bravia 1000W 5.1 channel) = $249.99
24" Insignia TVs (720p) $249.99 * 2 = $498
DVD players $60 * 3 = $180.00
DVD $20 x 15 = $300
total: $2397.98
and monthly charges: in 1955 cable was $8/mo which equals about $63/mo.
Today, cable is $70, plus $15 per DVR x 3 = $45 for DVR = $115/mo for cable. My numbers might be slightly high, but you asked for that. Your family in 1955 with a $200 TV and who actually pays for cable puts them closer to wealthy than middle class.
My estimates for today's equivalent are still pretty low.
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